2 • July 15 - 16, 2020 FEATURED bransonglobe.com Missouri governor signs bill for free COVID-19 testing COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Monday signed a number of bills into law, including legislation to ensure free COVID-19 testing and a requirement that hospitals perform rape kits when needed. Here’s a glance at what Parson approved: ALLERGY MEDICINE Local governments soon will no longer be able to require prescriptions for allergy medications including pseudoephedrine and ephedrine. Local officials currently can put limits on the sale of the decongestant, which can be used to make methamphetamine. Those local rules will be void when the state law takes effect Aug. 28. Lawmakers wanted to ease regulations now it’s less common to make meth in Missouri. CORONAVIRUS TESTING A new law ensures that order to do business with Missouri. It doesn’t apply to contracts worth less than $100,000 or companies with fewer than 10 employees. The law is in response to a Palestinian-led boycott movement against Israel. The BDS movement promotes boycotts, divestment and sanctions of Israeli institutions and businesses in what it says is a nonviolent campaign against Israeli abuses against Palestinians. Governor Mike Parson has signed a number of important bills into law this week. (FILE) COVID-19 testing, if recommended by a doctor, will be free to patients. The change takes effect immediately. ISRAEL Another new law will require companies to sign a contract pledging not to boycott Israel in POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION Legislation signed by the governor will provide govMEDICAL MARIJUANA EDIBLES Selling edible medical marijuana shaped like fruit, gummy bears, cartoons or other characters that might be attractive to children will be banned beginning Aug. 28. Circles, squares or other shapes are allowed. RAPE KITS Missouri hospitals will be required to perform rape kits when requested under another new law. Currently, few nurses are certified to perform rape kits. Advocates say that means sexual assault victims sometimes must drive hours away to get a kit. DNA samples and other evidence of sexual assault gathered in rape kits can be used by law enforcement and prosecutors to catch and convict rapists. Another provision in the law will require the state Public Have a news tip? Send it to us at info@ bransonglobe.com COVID-19 in Stone and Taney counties, by the numbers: (As of 7/14/2020. Data provided by TCHD and SCHD websites) DEATHS CONFIRMED POSITIVE CASES TANEY COUNTY 137 STONE COUNTY 35 RECOVERED CASES TANEY COUNTY 52 STONE COUNTY 8 TANEY COUNTY 3 STONE COUNTY 0 ernment health care coverage for postpartum depression to low-income new mothers for up to a year. Currently those mothers only get two months of coverage. The state still needs to get approval from the federal government to make the change, and it’s up to lawmakers to budget enough money to fund the coverage. Safety Department to store untested rape kits in a centralized location. VAPING Vaping will be banned in and around public schools and school buses beginning Aug. 28.
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