Education has been the topic of the week and it will continue over the next few weeks. I want to address some of the major reforms more fully as the bill regarding tenure and teacher pay works its way through the committee. I understand that this legislation deserves a lot of attention, however, I do not want to do a full commentary quite yet. What I will say at this point is that the new substitute bill is much better than the original. I think it will be one that I can support in the end. We still need to make several small modifications and work out some Kinks, but overall, it meets the goals of modifying the teacher tenure system and allowing more financial flexibility for local Boards of Education in teacher salary and employment determination. I know there is going to be considerable push back from teacher organizations and their members. Despite the initial outcry, I believe this is a step in the right direction and will ensure the future of our education system in Missouri.
We have one more week before our legislative spring break - I am ready. We have already had an intense start to the legislative session and it is only going to get more stressful as time goes on. I am trying not to get discouraged when I know I'm not getting everything done during the week. I am trying hard to communicate with more constituents and answer their concerns, work on my own legislation, research existing legislation, and to just digest everything. Despite the difficulties, I am thoroughly enjoying the challenge and tireless work required to attain real improvements for our state.
As always, I am humbled by being able to serve.
Myron
Visitors to the Capitol
Stacie Bratcher and friends from Immacolata Manor stopped by [at left] for Disability Day at the Capitol. Immacolata Manor provides outstanding habilitating services for individuals with disabilities.Former Teacher of the Year from our own Liberty Public School District, Eric Langhorst, met with me to discuss a variety of issues regarding education. We had such a fantastic discussion that I almost missed my Financial Institutions Committee meeting.
An old friend, Eric Griessel, from Ozark stopped by while on a visit to the Capitol with his daughter. We went to school together and we share a birthday. It was great to see him.
Floor Action
We heard several bills on the floor this week, but I only want to talk about two of them. You can find precise information on the week's activities by looking at the House Journal by clicking here!
HB 339 deals with what is called the "carrier of last resort". Several decades ago, Missouri passed a law that denoted AT&T as the "carrier of last resort"- back in the days when they had a monopoly on the phone market. This means that AT&T was responsible for providing local voice service to any household in the state, despite the costs to the company, so long as there were no other viable options from which the household could attain the local voice service. Since those days, local voice service has entered nearly every home in Missouri and thus, for the most part, no carrier of last resort provision is necessary. This legislation eliminates the carrier of last resort from all but the most rural exceptions where there still is no actual local phone company within a reasonable distance from the property. The legislation will also allow the carrier of last resort to use technology other than traditional copper lines (expensive) to bring this service into the home of those who have no local voice options.
House Bill 266 would allow livestock and agricultural trailers to increase their weight on the roads to 85,500 pounds. Currently, the weight limit is 80,000. Although I am always hesitant to show preferential treatment to a certain group, most all the states around us have weight limits in excess of 85,000 pounds. Given that Missouri farmers send most of our cattle to surrounding states, we are forced to load our trucks light, thus costing us more in shipping. If we load them heavy, they are illegal officially until they reach the state line. I know there are concerns about damage to roads; however, we are limiting the number of trucks that can weigh over 80,000 and we are addressing an economic inequity with surrounding states. This bill will make Missouri farmers more competitive.
Committee Action
We had an insane week of committees. My Education committee met four times with the last one having to be placed on hold for session, to be reconvened upon adjournment. My Committee on Elections also met at its normal time but we didn't have enough time to discuss some vital issues, so a second meeting was scheduled to finish the discussion. Fortunately, our Financial Institutions Committee met only once, but the hearing ran over by about an hour and a half making for a nearly 3 ½ hour committee meeting.
Overall, this week was very productive. While we did not discuss a lot of legislation, the bills we did hear tackled large issues.
Education
The main bill we discussed in education this week was the teacher tenure bill HB 628. Like I mentioned in the introductory notes, I am not yet ready to go into depth on this issue. I will certainly address this topic in detail in the upcoming weeks. One note I will make is that there is now a House Committee Substitute (HCS) which is the bill currently being considered.
We did pass HB 473 which deals with charter schools. This was a touchy issue for some and a passionate one for others. I encourage you to look at the bill page for HB 473 and send me your comments on the legislation. Please note that this bill protects those districts that keep their accreditation from having charter schools come into their districts.
Elections
We passed out HB 503 which changes primary election dates to coincide with the National Republican Party deadlines. This bill passed out of committee with consent status (no opposition and no fiscal note).The other legislation we heard is as follows: SJR 2 requires that any presidential candidate wishing to file in the State of Missouri to show proof of citizenship; SB 3 would require a valid photo id for anyone wishing to vote on election day; HB 478 prohibits state departments from contracting with or providing money to any entity found guilty of violating election, tax, or immigration law of Missouri; HB 629 would do the same thing as SB 3; and finally, if passed, HB 521 would create a recall provision for ambulance district board members who currently have no possibility of recall.
HB 121 looks to be what we would call an omnibus bill. This means that it is basically a hodgepodge of election related legislation all rolled into one bill. Omnibus bills tend to be robust and all encompassing. We passed HB 121 out of committee this week. HB 121 is comprised of all the language described in the legislation above as well as a few provisions that make life easier for the county clerk's office.
Financial Institutions
We heard three bills in financial institutions this week. The first one was dealing with liens and lending practices for personal watercraft, motor vehicles, trailers and manufactured homes. For additional information on HB 550 please follow the link. This is basically a clean-up bill that should have little or no opposition.The second two bills, HB 132 and HB 656, addressed payday lending. HB 132 would have placed such restrictions on payday lending that, in practice, would have forced all payday loan companies out of business. HB 656 was a little more reasonable and provided additional protections to individuals who choose to utilize the payday loan service.
Community Calendar
Mar 14 (TOMORROW!) - Liberty City Council Meeting
Mar 23 - Sleeping Beauty - Liberty Performing Arts Center
APR 4 - Jazz on the Square
Visit the Clay County Museum any time Tuesday through Saturday 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Click here for a list of events in the area.
Getting to Know Christopher Till
Chris is my field representative and public face when I am in Jefferson City. He is responsible for following up with constituent concerns in the district, and for attending events in my stead when we are in session here at the Capitol. If you have an issue that relates to our local community or an issue with state government, Chris can meet with you and help get your situation resolved as quickly as possible.
Chris is a six year Army Reserve Veteran who served one tour of duty in Iraq. When he returned home from Iraq in 2006, he found a passion in politics and started to volunteer in the political process. Most recently he was a vital part of my campaign for state representative of the 34th district. His hard work did not go unnoticed. I decided to hire Chris as my field representative after the November elections. His dedication, knowledge of the district, and problem solving abilities made him a great fit for this position.
Upon returning from Iraq, Chris married Megan in 2007. Together, they have one daughter. Aside from his work for me in the district, Chris is attending Strayer University. He is working on his bachelor's degree in Business Studies.
If you have an upcoming event in the district please let Chris know so either he or I can check it out. Additionally, if you have an issue at the local level that needs immediate attention; Chris can be a valuable resource. Feel free to send him an email at chris{at}myronneth{dot}com or call him at (816) 590-3227.
It is an honor and privilege to serve the people of the 34th District and the State of Missouri. Let me know how I can better represent you.
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