Newman: Emotional Pleas Go Unheeded, My Good Friend Maggie, Domestic Violence Task Force

Ed. Note: HB209 is misidentified in this missive as HB207. HB207, which would prohibit the use of cameras to issue traffic tickets except in school or road work zones, has yet to go before a floor vote.

BILLS ARE STARTING TO FLY...

We have been in session 29 legislative days and the days/nights are getting longer.

Last week my Appropriations Committee on General Administration completed work on HB4,HB5, HB12 & HB13 and voted them out to the House Budget Committee. In a bipartisan effort, we were able to save funding for state libraries (again for the 2nd year) of which I was particularly proud.

HOWEVER - Thursday the House passed HB205 of which I am NOT proud. HB205 would make it more difficult for employees to prove discrimination, altering the Missouri Human Rights Act and abrogating certain Missouri Supreme court cases. The argument is that companies need additional protections to come to Missouri to create jobs. The argument against – HB205 makes it easier for companies to discriminate.

I was enormously proud of my colleage, Rep. Sylvester Taylor (D-St. Louis) who stood up on the House floor to speak emotionally against discrimination.

Taylor, who is black, said that the bill's sponsor, Rep. Kevin Elmer, R-Nixa, who is white, could not understand the impact discrimination has on a worker.

"You don't get when a woman is being discriminated against," Taylor said, his voice rising. "You don't get when a noose is hung over your workplace. You don't get when a monkey is taped to your lunchbox. I have. It's not something to laugh about. It's not funny. He paused and continued, “I have. I have. Not my parents; me.”

"We say that this is a jobs bill, ad it helps companies," he said. "We cannot help anybody when we protect the people that are committing these egregious acts."

I tried to amend the bill 's definition of discrimination with my seat mate, Rep. Jean Peters-Baker (D-KC) but floor debate was cut off. HB205 passed 95-59, picking up 10 GOP votes after Rep. Taylor’s remarks – which will stay with me for a long time. I voted “no” as did the majority of the Democratic side of the aisle.

Stacey

MY GOOD FRIEND MADDIE

At left: With Maddie in my office in the State Capitol

My very favorite part of being a legislator is visiting with students when they come to the State Capitol.

Last week, my friend, Maddie Goldberg, a 4th grader from Reform Jewish Academy in St. Louis, stopped by with her mother and friends. She was in Jefferson City lobbying on behalf of the Epilsepsy Foundation.

Did you know that adults with epilepsy are barred from adopting children, and parents who adopt a child can return that child if the child turns out to have epilepsy?

Maddie was chosen to represent Missouri when she goes to Washington D.C. next month to lobby Congress on an issue she personally knows well. We became friends when I spoke to her class last month in preparation for their upcoming school visit to the Capitol.

I am confident that Maddie will continue her career in advocacy as she has promised me that she wants to run for office – as soon as gets a little older.

ACTIVISTS FOR EQUALITY AND JUSTICE ARE MY CUP OF TEA

On February 15th I was thrilled to help welcome over 150 members of PROMO, Missouri's statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy group to the Capitol for their annual lobby day to advocate for equality.

I am a co-sponsor of their endorsed legislation - the Missouri Safe Schools Legislation [HB 460 & SB 240] and the perennial Missouri Non-Discrimination Act (MONA) [HB 477 & SB 239].

I made an attempt to amend HB205 (see above) to include sexual orientation but argument was cut off suddenly by the House Majority floor leader with his motion of "previous question".

Read more about their day here.

PRESS CONFERENCE - ATTORNEY GENERAL'S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TASK FORCE

I participated with my colleagues at a press conference on February 9 announcing the release of the Attorney General’s Domestic Violence Task Force report.

After a series of hearings throughout the state last fall, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster is recommending a dozen changes to Missouri law and enforcement practices to better protect domestic violence victims, including making legal terms consistent across all of the state’s statutes.

““Those statute changes will affect real women’s lives throughout the state,” I was quoted in the Columbia Missourian.

The next step is legislation containing the suggested changes which will be filed in both the House and Senate. I will be re-filing my own bill shortly which will help save lives due to domestic violence and sexual assault.


Reps Chris Kelly, Jeff Grisamore, Margo McNeil, Attorney General Chris Koster, myself, Jason Kander and Senator John Lamping.at the Attorney General's Domestic Violence Task Force Press Conference.

BILLS TO LIMIT LAWSUITS AGAINST CAFOs - WHERE'S THE JOB BILLS???

The House of Representatives and Senate have both passed similiar bills which would limit lawsuits against concentrated animal feeding operations over foul odors and waste runoff produced by such facilities. The House on Feb. 24 voted it out 109-43.

The legislation is a response to multi-million dollar lawsuits neighbors of large-scale livestock facilities have successfully won concerning the nuisances caused by such operations. The bills, HB 209 and SB 187, would limit monetary damages that could be awarded and make it harder for the same plaintiffs to sue again in the future if a facility doesn’t take steps to mitigate the problems. I voted NO on HB207.