Sometimes the difference between getting a job and getting passed over is a piece of paper. Missouri lawmakers this week made a positive step to help residents attain that document — a college diploma — which could help them get a leg up in their quest for employment.
On Thursday, Gov. Jay Nixon signed House Bill 1042, which he said “will remove many of the obstacles that block the route to degree attainment for hundreds of thousands of Missourians.”
kAm%96 3:==[ DA@?D@C65 3J #6A] |:<6 %9@>D@?[ @7 |2CJG:==6[ 2?5 92?5=65 :? E96 $6?2E6 3J $6?] s2G:5 !62C46[ @7 (2CC6?D3FC8[ H:== C6BF:C6 2== |:DD@FC: EH@\ 2?5 7@FC\J62C AF3=:4 4@==686D 2?5 F?:G6CD:E:6D E@ 4C62E6 2 4@C6 @7 F?56C8C25F2E6 4@FCD6D E92E 2C6 EC2?D76C23=6 2>@?8 2== AF3=:4 :?DE:EFE:@?Dj :E 2=D@ >2?52E6D 56G6=@A>6?E @7 2 C6G6CD6 EC2?D76C A@=:4J E92E H:== 6?23=6 DEF56?ED H9@ 92G6 244F>F=2E65 6?@F89 4C65:E 2E AF3=:4 :?DE:EFE:@?D E@ 62C? 2? 2DD@4:2E6 568C66 7C@> 2 EH@\J62C 4@==686]k^Am
kAmx7 2== @7 E9:D D@F?5D 72>:=:2C[ :E’D 3642FD6 $E2E6 u2:C r@>>F?:EJ r@==686 92D 366? 4C62E:?8 D:>:=2C AC@E@4@=D H:E9 7@FC\J62C :?DE:EFE:@?D DF49 2D sCFCJ &?:G6CD:EJ 2?5 E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 r6?EC2= |:DD@FC:] ~? pAC:= `f[ $urr !C6D:56?E |2CD92 sC6??@? 2?5 &r| !C6D:56?E r92C=6D p>3C@D6 D:8?65 2? 28C66>6?E E92E =6ED DEF56?ED 2E 3@E9 D49@@=D E2<6 A2CE :? 2 5F2= 25>:DD:@? AC@8C2>[ 2==@H:?8 E96> E@ 2=E6C?2E6 6?C@==>6?E 36EH66? E96 :?DE:EFE:@?D @C 4@\6?C@== 2E 3@E9 D49@@=D] p>3C@D6 =2F565 E96 28C66>6?E 7@C 6?92?4:?8 DEF56?E 7=6I:3:=:EJ]k^Am
kAmx? 2? 6>2:=[ sC6??@? ?@E65 E92E wq`_ca “C6BF:C6D E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 t=6>6?E2CJ 2?5 $64@?52CJ t5F42E:@? E@ 2=:8? 6?ECJ\=6G6= 4@==686 4@FCD6D :? t?8=:D9[ >2E9[ 7@C6:8? =2?8F286[ E96 D4:6?46D 2?5 D@4:2= D4:6?46D H:E9 4@FCD6D 2E E96 A@DE\D64@?52CJ =6G6=] p82:?[ $urr 2?5 @FC 2C62 D49@@=D 3682? H@C<:?8 @? 2 D:>:=2C :?:E:2E:G6 >@C6 E92? EH@ J62CD 28@] !C@G:5:?8 AC@8C2>D E92E 2C6 2=:8?65[ z\`c[ 36?67:ED DEF56?ED[ D2G6D E2IA2J6CD’ 5@==2CD 2?5 :D 2 9F86 DE6A :? E96 C:89E 5:C64E:@? 7@C 65F42E:@? :? |:DD@FC:]”k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ 2 ?6HD C6=62D6[ }:I@? 92D 2 8@2= “@7 :?4C62D:?8 E96 A6C46?E286 @7 H@C<:?8\286 25F=ED :? |:DD@FC: H:E9 E9@D6 568C66D 7C@> E96 4FCC6?E =6G6= @7 bd A6C46?E E@ e_ A6C46?E 3J a_a_]” pE %9FCD52J’D D:8?:?8 46C6>@?J[ 96 D2:5i “w:896C 65F42E:@? :D E96 <6J E@ |:DD@FC:’D DFDE2:?65 64@?@>:4 AC@8C6DD 2?5 BF2=:EJ @7 =:76[ 2?5 6DD6?E:2= E@ @FC ?2E:@?’D 23:=:EJ E@ 4@>A6E6 2?5 H:? :? 2 8=@32= 64@?@>J] p?J |:DD@FC: DEF56?E H9@ H@C<D 92C5 2?5 H2?ED E@ 2EE6?5 4@==686 D9@F=5 92G6 E92E @AA@CEF?:EJ]”k^Am
kAm%9:D 3:== :D 2 A@D:E:G6 DE6A 7@C 9:896C 65F42E:@?[ 2?5 H6 4@>>6?5 %9@>D@?[ !62C46 2?5 }:I@? 7@C 6?DFC:?8 |:DD@FC: C6D:56?ED 92G6 2 36EE6C 492?46 E@ 4C62E6 @AA@CEF?:EJ 7@C E96>D6=G6D 2?5 E96:C 72>:=:6D]k^Am