The Gadfly is a series of letters offering commentary on local issues and published in the Warrensburg Gazette.

Dear Editor

Our legislators have been busy introducing more bills; most won't pass but it's instructive to see what they're up to (this is all available on the internet at www.moga.state.mo.us ).

A couple of bills affect CMSU. A while back, the CMSU Board of Governors renamed the student union & its ballroom after Dr. Elliott & his wife. Sen. Caskey wants to remove their names; apparently he differs from the Board of Governors in that he doesn't think Dr. Elliott's acknowledged contributions to the University warrant deification.
Rep. Vicky Hartzler, who has a few townships in western Johnson County, is co-sponsoring a bill (HB1545) that makes it absolutely clear that CMSU (& other universities) can't use any public equipment or facilities to meddle in elections.
No one has yet proposed that CMSU be required to comply with life safety codes, but they ought to. In case you didn't see it, the parents of the handicapped student who died in the Foster-Knox fire in 1997 have filed a wrongful death suit. It appears that Warrensburg's Fire Chief had warned CMSU about fire safety deficiencies after a previous fire; nothing was done. I'd not be surprised if CMSU reacts by trying get the City to discipline the Fire Chief for talking out of school (see The Muleskinner for more info).

Our own State Representative, Deleta Williams, is a co-sponsor of several bills of interest; I can't see many people being neutral on these issues.

• One (HB1545) would allow a township to have a zoning commission and write a township zoning plan before submitting it to the voters. No change in the provisions that allows people in the cities to vote on zoning for people in the country.
• Another one (HB1438) would change the anti-discrimination law to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.
• A third bill (HJR43) is a proposed constitutional amendment to reduce the majority needed for school districts to pass bond issues, making it easier for them to force tomorrow's citizens to pay for today's mistakes.

Rep. Williams has also signed on to some less polarizing bills.

• HR1402 would reform the fencing law so a property owner who doesn't need a fence won't have to help pay for one.
• HR1433 would make possession of tobacco by minors illegal.
• HR1605 would forbid sale of diet pills to minors (that's what we need, another 'controlled substance' at Wal-Mart to go with the Sudafed).