A dinner was held in the White House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time; at which time John F. Kennedy made this statement: “This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone”— John F. Kennedy
FLOOR ACTION: Monday, March 7th
HCS HB 108, sponsored by Rep. Jason Smith (R-150), was third read and unanimously passed, 156-0. This bill deals with the regulations surrounding contributions to political action committees and provides some much needed revisions to our campaign finance laws.
HCS HB 174, sponsored by Rep. Mike Thomson (R-4), was ordered perfected and printed. Currently there are nine districts for which each district contributes one member to the University of Missouri Board of Curators. Since the districts are being reduced to eight, this bill allows for at least one, but no more than two, members of the Board of Curators to be from one of the eight districts.
HCS HBs 112 & 285, sponsored by Rep. David Day (R-148), relating to tax classification of sawmills, was ordered perfected and printed. The classification change from commercial to agricultural and horticultural reduces the property tax rate from 32% to 12%. This is a wise move for supporting this struggling segment of the business community in Missouri. The vast majority of these businesses are family run small businesses providing needed regional employment during tough economic times. Creating an environment friendly to their survival is a positive for saving Missouri jobs and businesses.
HB 167, sponsored by Rep. Jerry Nolte (R-33), was debated on the floor at great length this week. This is the “English Only Driver’s Exam” bill. MODOT spends millions of dollars on road signs in the name of safety which are in English, the official language of our State. It is not good government policy to then turn around and provide licenses (a privilege, not a constitutional right) to anyone who cannot read them and be aware of situations on our roadways.
FLOOR ACTION: Tuesday, March 8th
HJR 2, sponsored by Rep. Mike McGhee (R-122), was perfected and printed and then passed on Thursday. This bill proposes a Constitutional Amendment that would guarantee a person’s right to worship or pray on public property. It would also be a reaffirmation of a person’s right to choose any or no religion. This is one of the cornerstones of our nation.
HCS HB 266, sponsored by Rep. Jason Smith (R-150), was ordered perfected and printed. This bill changes the weight limitations for hauling livestock and/or agricultural products on state highways in Missouri. The concern over damage caused by an increase in weight would be offset by fewer hauls.
HB 339, sponsored by Rep. Darrell Pollock (R-146), was ordered perfected and printed. This bill changes the regulations surrounding the carrier of last resort obligations for telecommunications companies. It is a good bill to reduce unnecessary regulations and potential cost in the telecommunications industry.
FLOOR ACTION: Wednesday, March 9th
The perfection debate on HB 167 ended today. If it is worth millions of dollars to put road safety signs up for public safety, we should make sure that drivers can read ALL of them.
HCS HB 213, of which I am the Chief Sponsor, came up for its first debate on the Floor. This bill is commonly referred to as the late term abortion ban. The bottom line is that it is a constitutionally defensible position that the State should protect those who are most needy. With respect to the neediest, who could be more in need of protection than an unborn child? In the State of Missouri, if you are an unborn child who has reached a level of viability, you are currently not afforded any legal protection. We must take the steps necessary to correct this injustice and HB 213 does exactly that.
To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men – Abraham Lincoln
Third Read Thursday, March 10th
Today, the House gave final passage to the following bills described above: HCS HB 174, HCS HBs 112 and 285, HCS HB 266, HB 339, HB 167 and HJR 2.
Recent Missouri Unemployment Information
Revised unemployment figures for the State of Missouri show a trend in the wrong direction. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports Missouri’s unemployment rate in December (the most recent month available) is now reported as 9.6% instead of the 9.5% originally claimed. This is concerning on a number of levels including the fact we are .6% higher than the national average of 9% and since Gov. Nixon took office, Missouri has lost 104,300 jobs. Employment stats are available at http://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet?series_id=LASST29000003&data_tool=XGtable.
Public Service Announcement
The Eureka Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Swap Meet/Garage Sale in the Six Flags Parking Lot on March 26, 2011. This is a huge event and a great advertising opportunity for your business in the event map. There are only a limited number of spots available, so, if you are interested, please contact Joy Sauter, the Membership and Marketing Director for the Eureka Chamber of Commerce, at joysauter{at}eurekachamber{dot}us.
Important Tax Information
Taxpayers making $58,000 or less can visit http://www.irs.gov/efile/ to prepare and E-File federal tax returns, for FREE, through a landmark partnership between the IRS and tax software providers.
Michelle Moore Needs Your Help!
Michelle Moore is a great friend and colleague back in the St. Louis region. This week we found out that she is projected to be on the kidney donor wait list for 3 years. Do you know someone who can help? Please visit http://www.atraditionallifelived.com and/or http://twitter.com/Michelle_Moore for more information. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BEING TESTED FOR DONATING YOUR KIDNEY TO MICHELLE, PLEASE CALL 314-362-5365 OR 800-633-9906 - OPTION 2 - BEFORE APRIL 25TH.
Visiting the Capitol
Special congratulations to Glory Award winners from Eureka [at right] and Lafayette High Schools who came to the Capitol on Monday to receive their awards. This was a great achievement for these young men and women that I was honored to be able to present to them. I always enjoy it when constituents visit the Capitol and want to thank all who make the journey. If you ever find yourself in or around Jefferson City at any time during the year, please feel free to visit us! Stop by the Majority Leader’s Office in Room 302 and we will be happy to meet and greet you!Personal News & Notes
If you know anyone who would be interested in receiving the Capitol Report, they can click the “Capitol Report Signup” button on my member home page at www.house.mo.gov and enter the appropriate information to receive the Capitol Report. As the days grow longer under the Capitol Dome, we want to encourage you to keep up with the flurry of legislative activity. Now that another long Session Week has concluded, I am excited to be ready for the trip home this evening to spend time with Suzanne, Katie and Abby and to let my partners at Doster Ullom know I am hitting the legal files! Finally, if we can ever be of any assistance to you at your State Capitol, do not hesitate to contact us at: 573.751.0562 or you can reach my primary assistant, Jody, at: jody{dot}williams{at}house{dot}mo{dot}gov.
Until our next update, I am, and remain, in your service.
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