Effort of Rep Bishop Davidson Results in Missouri Good Neighbor Week Bill Getting Signed

My state Representative Bishop Davidson asked me to testify before the House Committee on Tourism on Feb. 7, 2022. His invitation was the first time I learned that a conversation he and I had several months earlier at a Republic Chamber of Commerce meeting had resulted in him introducing a bill for Missouri Good Neighbor Week.

At that Chamber meeting, I explained to him what University of Missouri Extension was doing to encourage action on National Good Neighbor Day (Sept. 28). President Jimmy Carter signed This national holiday into federal law in 1978.

Even though National Good Neighbor Day is an actual national holiday, not much has been done with it recently. Other groups like USA Today and Nextdoor have created and marketed their own "neighbor" days at different times of the year, but I felt this September date held a unique opportunity.

When Rep. Davidson heard that I had documented nearly 6,000 acts of neighboring in and around Greene County during 2021 (in celebration of National Good Neighbor Day), he became interested in the statewide potential. 

I originally celebrated National Good Neighbor Day in 2019 in my town of Republic. It was a solo effort to get people to meet their neighbors. About 80 residents were involved that first year. Then, in 2020, the effort was sidetracked, although I had plenty of media attention about the importance of the day.

But 2021, had more involvement and local media got behind promoting the day and some businesses sponsored prizes or outstanding acts of neighboring. That led to that first discussion with Representative Davidson. The second conversation was when he called me to come testify at the state capital.

So on Feb. 7, I went to Jefferson City to testify. Rep. Davidson had already told me that the odds of passing the measure this year were slim, but it was still worth trying.

I was given five minutes to testify before the committee, but legislators asked many questions about creating a Missouri Good Neighbor Week. The next day, the committee approved the bill and picked up a co-sponsor.

The original bill was amended so that Good Neighbor Week in Missouri begins on National Good Neighbor Day and lasts for six more days. The bill stalled until another bill began its legislative journey two days before the term was to end.

Representative Davidson messaged me on May 13, the last day the Missouri legislature was in session, to say: "Just wanted to let you know that our 'Missouri Good Neighbor Week Bill' is headed to the Governor's desk. We got the language added to another bill, and it passed! It started as HB1559. It ended as HB1738."

When the Governor signed HB1738 on Friday, July 1, Missouri became the first state to designate a whole week for neighbors. This is the relevant text of the bill:

9.344. September twenty-eighth is hereby designated as "National Good Neighbor Day" and September twenty-eighth and the six subsequent days are hereby designated as "Missouri Good Neighbor Week" in Missouri. Citizens of this state are encouraged to participate in appropriate events and activities to establish connections with their neighbors. Research shows that knowing one's neighbors reduces loneliness, crime, and isolation and leads to safer and more vibrant communities.

This is a game-changer and a first for our nation at a time it is desperately needed. I challenge you to make plans to celebrate Missouri Good Neighbor Week from Sept. 28 to Oct 4. Learn more online at www.missourigoodneighborweek.com.

In 2022, we documented nearly 15,000 acts of neighboring statewide and recognized the most engaged neighbors across Missouri with 10 awards. During 2023, we reached nearly 20,000 documented acts of neighboring and recognized another 10 people as top engaged neighbors in Missouri. 

Our goal of 2024 is to exceed that 20,000 mark but it is going to require involvement from lots of communities and organizations. One thing we are recommending is that cities get involved with collecting nominations during the summer for the best neighbor in their town and then submitting their top selections for the statewide awards.

Feel free to reach out if you have questions. My work email is burtond@missouri.edu.