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First bill moving through House honors the late-Rep. Cloria Brown

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — “Her passing made an impact, her life made an impact,” one lawmaker said of the late-Cloria Brown.

The Missouri House is looking to honor one of their former colleagues in the first bill moving through the process in 2019. Two representatives are looking to name a portion of highway after Brown, who lost her fight to cancer in 2018 during her tenure in the House.  

“She worked tirelessly to help women, children, and the most vulnerable,” said Rep. Patricia Pike, who is sponsoring one of the pieces of legislation.

“Cloria was a dedicated servant to the state of Missouri,” said Rep. Jim Murphy, who is also sponsoring the legislation and replaced Brown in the House. “I have never known anyone more passionate or more caring.”

Pike and Murphy are proposing designating a portion of Lindbergh Boulevard in St. Louis as the “Rep. Cloria Brown Memorial Highway.” The bills, HB 448 and 206, were heard in the House transportation committee on Tuesday.

All 14 members of the committee, which met for the first time, voted to advance the proposal.

The cost associated with the designation would not cost the state since it is being funded by private donations, Pike noted.

Murphy noted that it was only fitting to designate the portion of Lindbergh Boulevard from the Interstate 55 interchange continuing north to Lin Ferry Drive because Brown’s resting place overlooks that section.

“It is only fitting that the road she sits on be named after her,” said Murphy.

While in the legislature, Brown fought to combat sex trafficking, introduced a measure to ban texting while driving, and supported a statewide prescription drug monitoring program.

A bill first introduced by Brown in 2015 mandating that certain businesses display posters with the phone number to a national human trafficking hotline passed the General Assembly in 2018. It was signed into law by then-Gov. Eric Greitens on March 1, 2018.

“She was a wonderful, wonderful servant to this state. She was a wonderful servant to the 94th district,” said Murphy.