JEFFERSON CITY — One of the first bills signed into law this year by Gov. Mike Kehoe takes aim at human trafficking and seeks to provide “protection of children and vulnerable persons” in Missouri.
The state of Missouri is ranked 12th in the nation for the number of human trafficking cases opened based on tips to the national hotline, said Heather Luebbert, commercial motor vehicle program manager with the Missouri Department of Transportation.
kAm%9@F89 9F>2? EC277:4<:?8 :D 2? :DDF6 2== E9C@F89@FE E96 4@F?ECJ[ |:DD@FC: :D F?:BF6 :? :ED =2C86 C@25H2J DJDE6>]k^Am
kAm“(6 24EF2==J 92G6 E96 D6G6?E9 =2C86DE EC2?DA@CE2E:@? DJDE6> :? E96 &]$][” {F6336CE D2:5] “$@ H6 92G6 2 =@E @7 9:89H2JD E92E :?E6CD64E FD[ 36:?8 :? E96 |:5H6DE 2?5 36:?8 E92E C@25H2J 4@??64E:@? E@ E96 C6DE @7 E96 4@F?ECJ”k^Am
kAmq@E9 E96 w@FD6 2?5 $6?2E6 E@@< 24E:@? E9C@F89@FE E96 =68:D=2E:G6 D6DD:@? E@ 4@>32E E96 :DDF6] %96 =2H D:8?65 3J E96 8@G6C?@C C2:D6D E96 A6?2=E:6D 7@C 46CE2:? EC277:4<:?8 4C:>6D[ 6DE23=:D96D 2 4C:>6 @7 8C@@>:?8 >:?@CD 2?5 4C62E6D >2?52E@CJ EC2:?:?8 2?5 65F42E:@? AC@8C2>D 7@C 7:CDE C6DA@?56CD] %96 =2H 4@>3:?6D w@FD6 3:==D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^5@4F>6?ED]9@FD6]>@]8@G^3:==EC24<:?8^3:==Dae`^9=C3:==DA57^d_``$]_h%]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qmaafbk^2m[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^5@4F>6?ED]9@FD6]>@]8@G^3:==EC24<:?8^3:==Dae`^9=C3:==DA57^debbw]_`x]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm`hcek^2m[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^5@4F>6?ED]9@FD6]>@]8@G^3:==EC24<:?8^3:==Dae`^9=C3:==DA57^dag_w]_`x]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm`g`ck^2m 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^5@4F>6?ED]9@FD6]>@]8@G^3:==EC24<:?8^3:==Dae`^9=C3:==DA57^e`aew]_`x]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qmadd`k^2m]k^Am
kAm%96 3:== 6DE23=:D96D E96 $E2E6H:56 r@F?4:= p82:?DE p5F=E %C277:4<:?8 2?5 E96 r@>>6C4:2= $6IF2= tIA=@:E2E:@? @7 r9:=5C6?[ H9:49 H:== >66E BF2CE6C=J H:E9:? E96 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2=’D ~@77:46[ 2?5 E96 r@>>:EE66 @? $6I 2?5 wF>2? %C277:4<:?8 %C2:?:?8[ 4@>A@D65 @7 6:89E >6>36CD E92E >FDE 2??F2==J 6G2=F2E6 2?5 6DE23=:D9 8F:56=:?6D 7@C C6BF:C65 D6I 2?5 9F>2? EC277:4<:?8 EC2:?:?8]k^Am
kAmpD 72C 2D EC2:?:?8 7@C |@s~% 8@6D[ {F6336CE 766=D 4@?7:56?E :? E96 DE2E6’D 2H2C6?6DD 2?5 677@CED E@ 4@>32E 9F>2? EC277:4<:?8]k^Am
kAm“(6 766= =:<6 H6’C6 H6== A@:D65 :? A@D:E:@?D 3642FD6 H6 2C6 DE2E6H:56[” {F6336CE D2:5] “p?5 5F6 E@ E96 ?2EFC6 @7 E96 EC2?DA@CE2E:@? 6=6>6?E 2?5 E96 EJA6D @7 6?G:C@?>6?ED E92E H6 2C6 2C@F?5 2?5 8@ :?E@[ H6 2C6 A@:D65 :? DF49 2 H2J E92E :7 H6 42? EC2:? @FC 6>A=@J66D E@ :56?E:7J :E 2?5 766= 4@>7@CE23=6 E@ >2<6 E92E 42==[ H6 42? 96=A :? E92E 7:89E 2D H6==]”k^Am
kAm%96 =2H >2?52E6D E92E E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 w62=E9 2?5 $6?:@C $6CG:46D C6BF:C6 6249 6>6C86?4J >65:42= E649?:4:2?[ :?4=F5:?8 A2C2>65:4D[ E@ 4@>A=6E6 46CE2:? 9@FCD @7 D6I 2?5 9F>2? EC277:4<:?8 EC2:?:?8 2D A2CE @7 @?8@:?8 65F42E:@? C6BF:C6>6?ED 7@C C6=:46?DFC6 6G6CJ 7:G6 J62CD]k^Am
kAms:2?2 w2:?6D[ 5:C64E@C @7 2?E:\EC277:4<:?8 @A6C2E:@?D 7@C E96 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2=’D @77:46[ @G6CD66D E96 56G6=@A>6?E 2?5 :>A=6>6?E2E:@? @7 E96 pEE@C?6J v6?6C2=’D DE2E6H:56 DEC2E68:6D E@ 4@>32E 9F>2? EC277:4<:?8]k^Am
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
kAm“~?8@:?8 677@CED :?4=F56 EC2:?:?8 D6DD:@?D 7@C =2H 6?7@C46>6?E[ AC@D64FE@CD[ 2?5 G:4E:> 25G@42E6D E@ 6?92?46 E96:C D<:==D :? G:4E:> :56?E:7:42E:@? 2?5 C64@G6CJ[ 9F>2? EC277:4<:?8 @A6C2E:@?D[ 2?5 :?G6DE:82E:@?D @7 :==:4:E >6DD286 3FD:?6DD6D[” w2:?6D D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 =2H 2=D@ 492?86D H92E 4@?DE:EFE6D 2 G:4E:> @7 E96 @776?D6 @7 ?@?4@?D6?DF2= 5:DD6>:?2E:@? @7 AC:G2E6 D6IF2= :>286D]k^Am
kAm{@C6EE2 $49@FE6?[ @A6C2E:@?D >2?286C 2E E96 r6?EC2= |:DD@FC: $E@A wF>2? %C277:4<:?8 r@2=:E:@?[ D2:5 E92E DE6A @?6 :? E2<:?8 24E:@? 282:?DE 9F>2? EC277:4<:?8 :D 36=:6G:?8 :E 6I:DED 6G6CJH96C6]k^Am
kAm“*@F 92G6 E@ F?56CDE2?5 :E’D 6G6CJH96C6 :? @FC 4@F?ECJ[” $49@FE6? D2:5] “xE’D :? CFC2= |:DD@FC:[ :E’D :? r@=F>3:2[ :E’D :? 3:8 4:E:6D 2?5 D>2== E@H?D] xE :D 6G6CJH96C6[ ?@ 4@>>F?:EJ :D :D@=2E65]”k^Am
kAm$49@FE6? 2=D@ 9:89=:89E65 E96 ?665 7@C A6@A=6 E@ C6A@CE 2?J DFDA:4:@FD @C F??2EFC2= 3692G:@C[ ?@ >2EE6C 9@H D>2== :E >2J D66>]k^Am
kAm“x7 J@F D66 D@>6E9:?8 2?5 J@F 92G6 E92E 766=:?8 @7 =:<6[ ‘:E 5@6D?’E =@@< C:89E[ :E 5@6D?’E 766= C:89E[ x H@?56C H92E’D 8@:?8 @? E96C6[’ @9 >J 8@D9[ >2<6 2 A9@?6 42==[” $49@FE6? D2:5] k^Am
kAm&?56C E96 =2H[ 6>A=@J66D 2?5 @H?6CD @7 =@58:?8 6DE23=:D9>6?ED H@F=5 2=D@ 36 C6BF:C65 E@ 4@>A=6E6 2??F2= 9F>2? EC277:4<:?8 2H2C6?6DD EC2:?:?8]k^Am
kAm{6F336CE 6>A92D:K65 E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 8C@H:?8 2H2C6?6DD 2?5 36:?8 23=6 E@ C64@8?:K6 9F>2? EC277:4<:?8]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< @?6 @7 E96 E9:?8D E92E x’G6 366? 7@4FD65 @? E9:D A2DE J62C :D ;FDE >2<:?8 DFC6 E92E A6@A=6 F?56CDE2?5 E92E EC277:4<:?8 6I:DED 3642FD6 E96C6’D 2 56>2?5 7@C :E[” {F6336CE D2:5]k^Am
kAm“%96 8@@5D E92E H6 AFC492D6 E92E >:89E 36 4C62E65 E9C@F89 7@C465 =23@C 4C62E6D E92E 56>2?5[ E96 4@>>6C4:2= D6I :?5FDECJ 4C62E6D E92E 56>2?5’ D96 D2:5] “$@[ ;FDE @FC 2H2C6?6DD 2?5 ?@C>2=:K2E:@? @7 E9:D 24E:G:EJ :D C62==J 8@:?8 E@ 36 H92E 42? 492?86 E96 @FE4@>6 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 52J]”k^Am
