Schupp: Committee Notes, Freshmen Dems Update, Census 2010

Thank you for continuing to email and call with your opinions about issues being discussed or proposed for our state.  Voters in the 82nd district will be asked to fill out a mailed survey shortly.  Please make your ideas and opinions known.

While the smoke-free legislation I am co-sponsoring [HB1766] has not yet been assigned to a House committee, it has been heard in the Senate.  I attended the hearing where the only testimony was in support of the legislation.

The Budget committee has been receiving departmental updates, and will work on budget mark-ups next week. I will arrive in Jefferson City early in order to attend the meetings.

Again, thank you for providing me the opportunity to serve you, our community and our state.

Truly,

Jill

Committee News

Higher Education

After much debate and discussion, the Higher Education Committee passed legislation [HB1473] that would allow students to continue to receive Access Missouri dollars with a 2.0 grade point average during the first 60 credit hours (about 2 years) of education.  As stated last week, a goal is to allow more students to attend and graduate from college.  The debate surrounded whether individual schools should be able to simply apply their own standards (ones they likely already have in place) to evaluate student success and progress in relation to receipt of scholarship dollars. 

Tax Reform

In serious times, we had what I would characterize as a ridiculous mockery of a bill [HB2131] in tax reform.  Called "Governor's Nixon's Federal Scratch-Off, Match-Off" legislation, it would require that $2 per pay period be taken from the Governor's personal pay be used to purchase a Powerball lottery ticket each week.

We also heard a bill [HB1953] requiring county governing bodies to allow taxpayers to prepay all or any portion of their property taxes monthly based on their previous year's tax bill.
 
We passed a bill [HB1225] that increases the deduction for dependents to $1500 (from $1200.)  Because of the large fiscal note, we amended the bill to gradually increase the tax deduction over a ten year period of time, and to also include a an annual increase based on the CPI.

Children and Families

By a vote of 7 - 5 along party lines, the Children and Families committee met to reconsider a vote we had taken outside of proper procedure, as lead by our Chair Cynthia Davis yesterday.  Today, the committee passed the abortion coercion legislation [HB1327] that, in my opinion, continues to challenge a woman's ability to make an informed and difficult decision without excessive control and intervention by the state.    

Administration and Accounts

In Administration and Accounts, we passed an annual resolution [HR628] that reaffirms the salary levels for various staff positions in the House.  We also discussed eliminating wireless cell phones from the list of office & constituent support items that can be reimbursed through a Representative's $800/month account.  Currently, if a representative has a cellular phone used for state purposes only, the cost can be reimbursed through this expense account for up to $50 per month.

Freshmen Dems' Caucus Sessions

The Freshmen Democratic Caucus welcomed three speakers this week who discussed long term health care including private home care regulations and services. Director, Margaret Donnelly, Department of Health and Senior Services led the discussion, accompanied by Barbara Madison, Right at Home and John Noonan on behalf of AFSCME.

We also rescheduled our session on state healthcare options and heard from Ruth Ehresman of the Missouri Budget Project immediately following the nursing home and long term care discussion.

Next week, the caucus will welcome Machelle Watkins from the MODOT (Dept. of Transportation) to discuss the future of roadways and transportation in our state.

Help St. Louis Get Its Fair Share

Census Vital to Local Funding

On April 1, 2010, the nation will be asked to participate in the 2010 Census, one of the most important federal operations of the decade. By filling out and mailing in your census form, you are ensuring that there is an accurate and complete count of everyone living in the United States. An accurate count helps the federal government determine how $400 billion dollars in funding is given to states and cities. The data is used to determine how much money our community will receive for things such as streets & bridges, schools, social service programs and law enforcement grants.
 
It is estimated that for every person not counted in the census, we lose an estimated $1,300 per year. It is essential for the future of our community and state that everyone be counted. Please fill out and mail in your census form, and encourage others to do the same! If you mail it, you can keep a census worker from having to visit you at your home! 

With only 10 questions, the 2010 Census questionnaire takes just 10 minutes to complete. Households are asked to provide key demographic information, including: whether a housing unit is rented or owned; the address of the residence; and the names, genders, ages and races of others living in the household. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share an individual's responses with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities.
 
The Census is particularly vital for Missouri this year, as it has been rumored that we are in jeopardy of losing one of our nine Congressional seats.  Every vote counts-and with every vote counted we will be one step closer to keeping all nine of Missouri's US Congressmen in Washington!
 
Here is the timeline for the Census:

• March 8 - 11 - Advance letter comes to homes informing you that the census form will arrive the following week and that you should fill it in and mail it back quickly.
• March 15 - 17 - Census forms arrive. Forms come with postage paid return envelopes and are addressed only to the particular address and not a particular person.
• March 22 - 24 - Reminder postcards go to homes encouraging you to fill out your forms and mail them back in as soon as possible
• April 1, 2010 - Census Day in America.
• May - July 2010 - Non-Response Follow Up. The Census Bureau will send out Census Bureau employees to visit addresses that have not yet responded. The Census Bureau employees will visit homes up to six times to encourage residents to respond.
• Dec. 31, 2010 - The Census report is due on the President's desk.

Here are some important phone numbers for your use:

• The Census Bureau is still looking to fill jobs, for more information about census jobs call 866-861-2010.
• For TDD assistance with the census form call 866-783-2010. The lines are open 8a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
• For assistance completing the form, please call the Telephone Questionnaire Assistance center at 866-872-6868.  (If you prefer a Spanish-speaking operator, then dial 866-928-2010). 

Green Tip of the Week

The Technology Bug
Offered by Jenna Scavuzzo

Electronic waste is becoming a problem when it comes to keeping our environment clean.  When people throw out electronics such as old cell phones, computers and televisions, they are not only contributing to the waste problem but also to our health.  Every electronic device that is in a landfill releases toxins as it  decomposes.  Preventing this waste build up and spread of toxins is easy by just following these simple tips.

Buy refurbished cell phones. Previously owned, good-as-new cell phones approved by the manufacturer save hundreds of pounds of mined products that go into making circuit boards.

Recycle your old cell phones. Cellular phone stores are increasingly taking otherwise trashed cell phones and recycling their insides to reduce the need for new materials.

Recycle or refill empty ink cartridges. Getting your cartridges refilled can save you a lot of money, as this usually costs about half the price of a new cartridge. Many stores are also taking in empty cartridges to recycle.

Donate old televisions and stereos instead of tossing them. These end up taking space in landfills when others may still find them acceptable for use.

Repair instead of replace. Repair broken parts of electronic devices as often as possible instead of replacing the item all together.

By using these helpful tips we can cut down on electronic waste in this new age of technology.

Events at Tappmeyer

Miniature Show
Sat, April 10th
Sun. April 11th

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
$2 per person

Tappmeyer House is located in Millenium Park behind Barnes West in Creve Coeur.