The Child Center helps victims recover from abuse
Photo courtesy Suburban Journal
From left: Missouri Foundation for Health public policy liaison Michelle Miller, The Child Center Executive Director Ellen Teller, state Rep. Chuck Gatschenberger and Sarah Gentry, health policy fellow for MFH, celebrate a grant awarded to The Child Center.
The Child Center in Wentzville is celebrating a $75,000 basic support grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health.
The child advocacy center provides forensic interviewing and counseling services to children who have been victims of abuse or witnessed violence. The center also provides school-based abuse prevention and education programs, and parent education seminars.
The grant will help the center continue to provide those services, especially therapy and interviews. The center operates on money from grants, fundraisers and donations.
Behind Representative Gatschenberger is "The Giving Wall", decorated with a mural of children, surrounded by colorful tiles. These tiles make up The Giving Wall, a fundraiser for the Child Center where a donor can purchase a tile for $100 or $500, decorate it and have it displayed at the center. To purchase a tile call Ellen Teller, the center's executive director at 636-332-0899.
You may also set up a tour by calling Ellen to see what times are good. Personally, we purchased one of the large tiles. Once you take the tour, let me know how you like our tile. I challenge you to buy a tile of your own!
Please be my guest!
What: Town Hall MeetingWhen: May 19th – 7:00 pm
Where: Lake St. Louis City Hall, 200 Civic Center Drive
Why: Larry Schepker, Director of House Appropriations, will present the 2011 State of Missouri Budget and answer questions regarding reductions in funding.
Representative Brian Nieves will be speaking on what is happening with our State Sovereignty.
I hope to see you there!
For questions on the content of this meeting you may contact my Capitol office at (573) 751-3572 or e-mail me at Chuck{dot}Gatschenberger{at}house{dot}mo{dot}gov
Legislative Update
Missouri Legislature Passes Balanced Budget, Without Raising Taxes
This week, we passed a balanced budget, approving funding to run critical functions of state government without a tax increase. Thirteen budget bills totaling $23.1 billion for the fiscal year beginning July 1 were agreed upon by both chambers and will be sent to the Governor for final approval.Together with the Senate, we shaved a total of $484 million from the Governor's proposed budget, making the tough decisions necessary to keep Missouri afloat in our harsh economy.
Unlike the federal government, we managed to look at each budget item, line by line, and responsibly make the reductions needed to uphold vital programs. We were also able to trim down those items that we could live without, even though it wasn't an easy process.
I am pleased to report that we voted to maintain the school funding formula at its current levels. In addition, Missouri's K-12 schools will receive the same level of funding in the 2011 Fiscal Year as they did this year. We also approved $37.5 million for the Career Ladder program that pays teachers for extra work such as afterschool tutoring. The funding would pay teachers for work that has already been completed during the 2010 Fiscal Year.
The largest savings, anticipated to be millions, came from looking at state departments and identifying how they may run more efficiently by eliminating more than 1,000 government jobs, including taxpayer-funded lobbyists and items like equipment, travel and expenses.
We completed the budget more than one week in advance of the deadline set by the state constitution, which is something we haven't seen for many, many years. I am extremely proud of the work of our budget chairman, Representative Allen Icet, R – Wildwood, and his budget committee for their longstanding dedication to this process.
Because we continued down a fiscally-conservative path while balancing our state's budget, we are able to keep Missouri in a leadership position when it comes to being financially stable. While other states across the nation are struggling miserably to keep afloat, Missouri is ahead of the game and operating the best we can considering declining state revenues.
House of Representatives Pay Tribute to Veterans and Recognize Central Missouri Honor Flight
On Tuesday, nearly 200 veterans gathered in the House Chamber and were recognized and honored by our members. This particular group has been given the opportunity to participate in the Central Missouri Honor Flight, which is an outstanding non-profit organization that flies veterans to Washington, DC to view their memorials.This organization was created solely to honor America's veterans for their sacrifices. Since its inception in January 2009, Central Missouri Honor Flight has raised more than $350,000 and taken 465 World War II heroes to our nation's capitol in eight memorable day-long trips. The group transports our heroes to Washington, DC, to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to senior veterans, WWII survivors, along with other veterans who may be terminally ill.
Right now, things aren't easy across our state. As legislators, we have faced hard decisions, but nothing we will ever endure will be as difficult as the long days and nights our war veterans faced as they served, sacrificed and bled for this land. There is no doubt that our service pales in comparison to what our veterans have done for us, but there is one thing we know: we are here, because our veterans were there. I challenge all of us to never forget their fight, and always hold on to their honorable service in our hearts.
It was a true privilege to have these American heroes in the State Capitol. I highly commend the Central Missouri Honor Flight for their tireless efforts to give back to these individuals who have sacrificed so much for our freedom.
House Passes Bill Promoting Tax Credits for Pregnancy Resource Donators
House Bill 2252, sponsored by Representative Sally Faith, R – St. Charles, extends the sunset period for tax credits given to those who donate to pregnancy resource centers. This bill passed through the house and has been sent to the Senate for final approval.Pregnancy Resource Centers, located all across our state, are vital for individuals and families who are either expecting a child or who already have children and need help.
These centers provide counseling to women and men who are going through difficult pregnancy situations or post-pregnancy situations.
They also provide supplies like diapers and formula to those in need.
By offering free pregnancy testing, counselors at Pregnancy Resource Centers are able to inform expecting mothers and families about life options for their unborn.
For years, Missouri has provided benevolent tax credits to those who donate to these centers, and House Bill 2252 extends the period of these tax credits until the year 2022.
With these vital donations, Pregnancy Resource Centers are able to run their offices, provide supplies for families in need and give counseling and support to those who need it most.
House Gives Final Approval to Tax Reform, Job Retaining Legislation
Recent Missouri Supreme Court decisions have put Missouri employers that do business with tax exempt organizations in a costly position, holding that a company selling products to a local government or tax exempt entity could not consider the sale a retail sale, and therefore, could not claim the sale for resale exclusion.Senate Bill 928, which was passed out of the House this week, reverses that Supreme Court decision, seeking to benefit Missouri business and keep them competitive with those in other states.
The bill does this by excluding resale items from sales and use tax if sold to a tax-exempt entity. This would include school districts, cities, counties and the state.
Job retention is a huge priority, considering our economy is down and businesses tend to locate to states that offer them the best incentives at the most competitive prices. Through Senate Bill 928, we will be able to retain businesses in our state and provide Missourians with jobs.
Arizona and National Immigration Policy
By David WebberIn the long run, perhaps a decade from now, it will be good that the Arizona state legislature adopted, and the governor signed on April 23, the new immigration law making it a crime to be in that state without being a legal immigrant. It will be even better that large protests took place around the United States over this past weekend.
Supporters of the Arizona law argue the state had to act because the federal government had failed to enforce existing immigration laws with devastating social and criminal consequence in Arizona. Opponents said the law would lead to racial profiling and spread fear in immigrant communities.
My first reaction was similar to those protestors who call for social justice. Over the course of last week, however, my thinking kept returning to the question, "What else will cause this issue to be addressed?" If Arizona had not acted, Congress and the president might not ever deal with the continual flow of illegal immigrants and the ensuing human tragedies.
Many states have passed symbolic resolutions opposing the recent federal health care reform, last year's federal stimulus and the No Child Left Behind Act, but they have not taken attention-grabbing action to force national policy-makers to step up and address immigration problems. Immigration reform is long overdue. It is clear that the national government has not controlled immigration through our southern border, leaving local and state governments to struggle with problems above their Constitutional pay grade.
Immigration policy is highly controversial, combining elements of respect for law, community impacts, human rights, family unification and economic repercussions for the agricultural, hospitality and childcare industries. Restrictions on hiring illegal immigrants will affect food prices. Add to all this the deep regional differences in familiarity and political concern and the result has been a national political stalemate for about two decades.
Part of American political culture is that the US is a land of immigrants where all peoples can achieve their dreams and live happily ever after. Except for Native Americans, all of us are from immigrant families. Economic prosperity, political freedom and quality of life make this an attractive place to live. However, the US cannot allow all those who wish to become permanent residents to do so. For one, illegal immigration complicates US security efforts.
The current immigration debate is fueled by illegal immigration, mostly from Mexico. It is estimated there are about 10-12 (some say 20) million illegal immigrants in US, with a 500,000 to 1 million increase each year, according to the Center for Immigration Studies.
While the illegal immigration problem is more intense in the Southwest and major cities, even communities in other states have faced poor and unsafe housing conditions, social service and health problems and economic consequences due to illegal immigration. Employers in agriculture and construction industries have the incentive to hire undocumented workers at the expense of the other potential workers, local communities and the exploited workers themselves—although they are undoubtedly better off than in their native communities.
The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 made it illegal to hire or recruit illegal immigrants. This act granted amnesty to illegal immigrants and temporary resident status if they had lived here for four years.
In 2005, the US House passed a bill stressing border protection and immigration and a year later the US Senate passed a more "comprehensive" bill that included a path for illegal immigrants to gain citizenship. Neither became law because the difference could not be reconciled in conference committee. Congress need to try harder!
It would seem that reasonable members of Congress could agree that the US-Mexican border needs to be secured, that employers who hire illegal workers need to be punished and that wages in Mexico need to be increased. Additionally, US citizenship laws should be changed so that US-born children of non-citizens are not US citizens. It is more difficult to decide how illegal immigrants now living in US should be dealt with—but there is no value in putting off that decision.
The American public should be concerned with civil rights abuses in Arizona just as we should be shocked at the number of peoople who have drowned trying to swim the "All American Canal" to freedom and the substandard conditions in which most undocumented workers live and work. This is a continuing crisis that won't be solved by moral outrage. We should not boycott Arizona, we should encourage and demand that Congress take action.
Representative Parkinson, R - St. Charles, has filed basically the same bill [HB2449] here that passed in Arizona. Good job Mark!
Want to Track Legislation?
Go to: www.house.mo.gov/billcentral.aspx?pid=26 where you can search by bill number; keyword; sponsor or co-sponsor.House and Senate Joint Bill Tracking Bill Number / Keyword / Sponsor-CoSponsor (Help) Search: Enter Bill Number (ex: HB1206), keyword , sponsor, or co-sponsor last name and click "search" tab Year / Type: Search Type: Sort Order: |
STAY IN TOUCH
As always, please let me know your thoughts about these or other matters of concern by calling my office at: (573) 751-3572 or by emailing me at chuck{dot}gatschenberger{at}house{dot}mo{dot}govFUN FACTS
Whatever you do…. DON'T FORGET MOTHER'S DAY… Sunday, May 9th!Plant corn when white oak leaves are the size of a squirrel's ear!
Two of Missouri's State Emblems are in bloom… the White Hawthorn is our Floral Emblem... and the State Tree… the Flowering Dogwood. Get out and enjoy them!
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