Oxford: Committee Appointments, Make the Capitol Smoke-Free

Friends, Allies, and Constituents,

I was sworn in for my fourth and final term in the Missouri House of Representatives on Jan. 5, 2011, alongside 78 "freshmen" who were filling an open seat or replacing an incumbent who had been defeated. That means almost half of our body of 163 representatives are new (although four of that 78 had served either in the House or Senate previously - just not last term). 106 House members are Republicans and 57 are Democrats. (109 is a "veto-proof majority" so it is close!) We have 41 women serving this year, up from last year, but still a disproportionately small number. (The Democrats have very diverse representation - 23 of our 57 members are women, and we also have diversity of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, etc. - how fortunate we are to have such a rich variety of backgrounds!).

I have been appointed to the following committees:

• Children and Families - where I will be Ranking Democrat (and where I also look forward to serving under new chair Rep. Scott Largent who has reached out to me repeatedly in opening days, a very positive sign)
• Ethics - for which I am vice chair (this is a committee with equal representation, five GOP and five Dems, and the majority names the chair, while the minority names the vice chair)
• Tax Reform - I served on this for two years previously
• Financial Institutions (this is a new one for me, and one about which I am excited due to my concern about payday loans and the foreclosure crisis)

I am presently circulating several bills to collect co-sponsors and will fill you in on my legislative agenda for this year in future editions. I have already signed on to co-sponsor several bills by others, and you can see this constantly growing list at: http://www.house.mo.gov/content.aspx?info=/bills111/spon/spn059.htm

Speaker of the House Steven Tilley has made some overtures to the minority caucus about willingness to work in a more bi-partisan fashion than recent speakers of the House. It is too early to predict how this will work out, but I do appreciate some of the changes he has made in undoing past policies and practices. I also appreciated the speeches that both Majority Floor Leader Tim Jones and Minority Floor Leader Mike Talboy made on Monday, January 10, responding to the recent shootings in Arizona. Both floor leaders called on House members to debate with civility and dignity before leading our body in a moment of silence for those dead and injured. I will certainly do my best to promote gentleness of spirit, integrity, and fairness as we carry out our business throughout this Session.

Campaign to Make the Capitol Building Smokefree

For years I have been concerned that smoking is allowed in our state capitol building. I oppose this for the following reasons:

1. public health - we know secondhand and thirdhand smoke are dangerous, beyond a shadow of a doubt. Those working in spaces with tobacco smoke have a higher risk of cancer, stroke, respiratory illness, spontaneous abortion if pregnant, asthma attacks, etc.
2. leading by example - we tell children not to smoke, and tens of thousands tour the Capitol Building annually. It undercuts our message for these children to discover that elected officials smoke in the seat of state government.
3. following the same rules we ask of others - smoking is not allowed in other state buildings. Legislators should submit themselves to the same rules as others.
4. attracting jobs to Missouri - Missouri is not advantaged in the national competition to attract jobs to our state when employers hear our state capitol building allows smoking. Virtually every major company has a smokefree policy and promotes cessation among their employers. Missouri's affinity for tobacco gives us an image problem, making us appear to reject science and to be behind the times.

When we debated the Rules [HR38] for the 96th General Assembly on Thursday, January 13, I offered House Amendment 5 in an attempt to make all parts of the Capitol Building under the control of the House smokefree. Unfortunately Majority Floor Leader Tim Jones chose to make it a partisan vote by asking his caucus to vote no, and all Republicans did (even though I know some of them wanted to vote yes), so my amendment lost 113-45 (with nine Democrats voting no). You can read about the issue and/or the debate at:

http://www.stlmag.com/Blogs/SLM-Daily/January-2011/Missouri-Legislators-Defend-the-Smoke-Filled-Room/
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_ee2fc060-3d58-5e13-9967-53ef611b7a42.html
http://www.newstribune.com/news/2011/jan/12/your-opinion-lawmaker-urges-smoke-free-capitol/
http://www.newstribune.com/news/2011/jan/12/your-opinion-lawmaker-urges-smoke-free-capitol/

I may have lost the vote, but I have not given up the fight. A vote of the House or Senate members is not the only way to convince the Missouri Capitol Building adopt a smokefree policy. Those responsible for the building's policies could simply decide to follow the smokefree policy for state office buildings already implemented by the Office of Administration. I hope you will urge them to do so. Please send letters to the following leaders who could cooperate to make this decision:

The Honorable Steven Tilley
Speaker of the House
House of Representatives
Jefferson City, MO 65101

The Honorable Mike Talboy
Minority Floor Leader
House of Representatives
Jefferson City, MO 65101

Mr. Adam Crumbliss
Clerk of the House
House of Representatives
Jefferson City, MO 65101

The Honorable Robert Mayer
President Pro Tem
Missouri Senate
Jefferson City, MO 65101

Mr. Jim Howerton
Senate Administrator
Missouri Senate
Jefferson City, MO 65101

You can use some of the points I made above in your letter or get facts about the dangers of secondhand smoke at:

http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0103.pdf

Surrounding Our Schools with Care Update

I recorded a public service announcement for cable television last week, and the topic was volunteering in local schools. I will continue to work with the schools in my district and other schools and share news we can celebrate and service opportunities in this newsletter.

Announcements

Stonewall Democrats of Eastern Missouri will meet Sunday, January 23, 2011, at 3 p.m. at the Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Rd. It's in the Hanke Room (to the right as you enter the back door). LGBT Democrats and their allies who support liberty and justice for all are urged to attend.

Here's an exciting new business - Backdoor Harvest is St. Louis urban farmers who grow, maintain and harvest small crops in local backyards, schools, restaurants and neighborhoods. There farms are maintained with organic and sustainable practices. There’s not a lot that can beat the taste of a fresh picked vegetable! When was the last time you saw the true color of a vine ripened tomato, or heard the snap of a green bean being picked right off of the bush? Also, your garden will help benefit the environment. Your vegetables are brought in fresh from the yard- not trucked in from a faraway state or country! That equates to your radishes leaving almost no carbon footprint! And - since the vegetables they grow are maintained using organic practices- you can rest assured that not only are there zero added chemicals or pesticides, but also that each plant you grow is not genetically modified. So if you need some assistance in getting your own backdoor garden growing, here's their contact information:

Backdoor Harvest LLC
314-479-9187
St Louis, MO
farmers{at}backdoorharvest{dot}com
www.BackdoorHarvest.com

Ameren Missouri has filed a rate case seeking to increase their annual operating revenues by approximately $263 million. For the average residential customer, the proposed increase would be about $9.30. Hearings are being held in the St. Louis Region on Feb. 16, 17, and 22, as well as in several other parts of the state. If you would like to receive a PDF file with addresses and times for these public hearings, please write me at this address, and I will supply it. If you can't attend the hearing, but would like to file a comment online, go to this link:

https://www.efis.psc.mo.gov/mpsc/Comments.html