Carter: Legislation Encourages Prostate Cancer Screenings

Representative Carter Introduces Prostate Cancer Legislation

In 2010, 217,730 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed. 32,050 men died of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the second most deadly cancer for men; African-American men are more likely to contract the disease, but this is not a race issue, because all men share the risk of prostate cancer.

Unlike skin cancer, the most deadly cancer for men, the cause for prostate cancer is unknown, and diagnostic procedures are stigmatized, considered an embarrassment rather than smart preventative care.

People who are at high risk of skin cancer understand how to mitigate the risk and are not discouraged from seeking help, but men at high risk of prostate cancer are more likely not to know how to mitigate risk and less likely to seek help if they think they may have it. Undoubtedly this is a sensitive issue, but for that reason we need to take a more affirmative stand on it.

This is an important problem for everyone, not just men. This is about helping fathers, brothers, uncles, husbands, and friends, just like how breast cancer is also not abstract; it is about our loved ones, our sisters, mothers, grandmothers, wives and all the individuals we hold dear. This is about saving lives and this is a battle we can win.

We can provide more information, reaching out and giving at risk men the tools they need to protect themselves and we can provide better treatment opportunities for those who already have prostate cancer. We can save lives if we choose to.

Every man deserves to know more about how to live healthier, happier, and more years. We know enough right now to help people and it will not cost the government a thing. Failing to act on this is unthinkable.

My bill, HB 667 takes a critical first step, providing the government support for a pilot program for prostate cancer. This bill costs nothing. It coordinates with local communities for funding, it sets up a pilot program in both an urban and a rural community.

On April 5, 2011 the House voted to truly agree to and finally pass HB667. The bill has now been sent to the Senate for their approval.

Dates of Interest

Metropolitan Police Dept. 6th District Community Outreach
Scheduled Meeting Dates

April 25, 2011
May 23, 2011
June 27, 2011
July 25, 2011
August 22, 2011
Setember 26, 2011
October 24, 2011

House Actions of of 4/08/11

# House Bills Filed	1,060
# HBs Reported Do Pass	167
# HBs Reported Do Pass Consent	100
# HBs Perfected	92
# HBs Third Read	62
# HBs Reported Do Pass in the Senate	9

FLOOR ACTIVITY

Following is Legislation that has passed the House of Representatives during the last few weeks.

• HBs 1-13, which make up the FY2012 operating budget.
• HB 423, which would authorize Missouri to adopt the provisions of the Health Care Compact to improve health care policy by returning the authority to regulate health care to the state legislatures.
• HB 434, which would require co-employees to be released from liability for negligence in performing the nondelegable duty of an employer to provide a safe workplace when the negligence contributes to injury or death.
• HB 475, which would change the laws regarding health care quality data standardization and transparency and establishes criteria for programs of insurers to compare the quality and cost efficiency of health care providers.

The following Consent Bills were third read and passed:

• HB 38, which would require certain administrative officials of jails or detention facilities to notify the Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System within five hours of the escape of certain specified dangerous felons.
• HB 68, which would prohibit a political subdivision from imposing a fine or penalty on the owner of a pay telephone on the owner's property for calls to an emergency telephone service from the pay telephone.
• HB 98, which would extend from June 30, 2011, to December 31, 2015, the 50-cent fee that is collected on the retail sale of a lead-acid battery as well as the fees for any hazardous waste generated.
• HB 118, which would require local law enforcement agencies and other government agencies serving ex parte orders of protection to enter the data into the Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System (MULES) within 24 hours.
• HB 263, which would revise the monthly retirement allowance reduction for certain retirees of the Missouri Local Government Employees' Retirement System electing a partial lump-sum distribution.
• HB 287, which would change the laws regarding health care professional identification badges to include the employee's name, title, recent photograph, and the name of the health care facility or organization.
• HB 340, which would allow counties of any classification to erect and maintain a jail or holding cell facility at a site other than the county seat.
• HB 344, which would establish the Farm-to-Table Advisory Board to increase awareness of local agriculture and promote the incorporation of locally grown agricultural products into school and state institution cafeterias.
• HB 462 which would repeal the provisions requiring the Missouri Energy Task Force to reconvene at least one time a year and issue an annual status report to the Governor and General Assembly.
• HB 503, which would repeal a provision requiring a presidential primary to be held in February in any year a presidential election is held and sets the primary to be held in March of each presidential election year.
• HB 578, which would allow the state or any political subdivision or agency of the state to transfer ownership of used tires, scrap tires, or tire shred to a private entity for disposal or recycling under certain conditions.

• HB 361, which would establish the Missouri Firearms Freedom Act, by a vote of 118-37.
• HB 29, which would establish the Volunteer Health Services Act which allows a licensed health care provider to render volunteer professional health care services for a sponsoring organization, by a vote of 117-37.
• HB 89, which would change the laws regarding deposits into the State Park Earnings Fund, notice requirements of the Clean Water Commission, and certain water pollution control fees, by a vote of 152-1.
• HB 431, which would change the laws regarding foster care and adoption, establish the Missouri State Foster Care and Adoption Board, and create the Foster Care and Adoptive Parents Recruitment and Retention Fund, by a vote of 154-0.
• HB 731, which would add citizenship information to the sexual offender registration form and requires the State Highway Patrol to report to the federal government any non-U.S. citizen on the sexual off ender registry, by a vote of 130-23.
• HB 252, which would establish the Business Premises Safety Act, by a vote of 117-38.
• HB 294, 123, 125, 113, 271 & 215, which would change the laws regarding firearms, ammunition, and concealed carry endorsements, by a vote of 124-33.
• HB 213, which would specify that no abortion of a viable unborn child can be performed or induced except in certain specified situations, by a vote of 119-38.
• HJR 29, which would propose a constitutional amendment requiring the State Lottery Commission to develop and sell a Veterans Lottery Ticket to support the Veterans Commission Capital Improvement Trust Fund, by a vote of 146-11.
• HJR 6, which would propose a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right of individuals to vote by secret ballot, by a vote of 100-57.

The House also Third Read and Passed 27 consent bills.

• HJR 2 which proposes a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a citizen's right to pray and worship on public property and reaffirming a citizen's right to choose any or no religion, by a vote of 126-30.
• HB 167 which would require Missouri driver's license examinations to only be administered in English, by a vote of 102-56.
• HB 339 which would change the laws regarding telecommunications as they relate to the carrier of last resort obligations, by a vote of 106-43.
• HB 266 which would change the laws regarding weight limitations for vehicles hauling livestock or agricultural products on state highways, by a vote of 106-46.
• HB 174 which would change the composition of the Coordinating Board for Higher Education, the University of Missouri Board of Curators, and the Missouri State University Board of Governors, by a vote of 142-12.
• HB 112 & 285 which would classify certain sawmills and planing mills as agricultural and horticultural property instead of commercial property for property taxation purposes, by a vote of 116-40.
• HB 737, which would allow political subdivisions to revise certain tax rates and classifies certain hydroelectric power generating equipment as tangible personal property assessed at 1% of its true value in money.
• HB 677, which would remove the June 30, 2012 expiration date of the provisions requiring every child enrolling in kindergarten or first grade in a public school to receive one comprehensive vision examination.
• HB 468, which would change the laws regarding economic incentives for job development, retention, and training and establishes the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act.
• HB 546, which would require the Missouri Housing Development Commission's executive director or chief executive officer to reside within 40 miles of Jefferson City.
• HB 28, which would establish the Abortion-inducing Drugs Safety Act which prohibits a non-physician from prescribing an abortion-inducing drug and specifies that a pharmacy cannot be required to be connected with the drug.
• HB 336, which would authorize an income tax credit for the eligible costs of bringing certain sporting events to Missouri.
• HB 470 & 429, which would change the laws regarding the nonresident entertainer and professional athletic team income tax.
• HB 192, which would change the laws regarding environmental protection programs.
• HB 641, which would change the laws regarding controlled substances.
• HB 458, which would establish the Missouri Farmland Trust Act to receive donated land to preserve it as farmland and provide beginning farmers an opportunity to farm through low and variable cost leases on the land.
• HB 193, which would change the composition of Congressional districts based on the 2010 census.
• HCR 30, which would urge the Governor and Attorney General to send a letter to the President of the United States expressing the urgency of resolving the constitutionality of the federal health care reform act.
• HCR 31, which would call on the United States Congress to allocate at least 40% of the Land and Water Conservation Fund moneys to the State Assistance program for state and local capital parks projects.
• HCR 39, which would urge the Secretary of the Interior to add Grant's Farm in St. Louis County as a unit of the National Park Service by joining with the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site.

The House Truly Agreed and Finally Passed the Following Senate Bills:

• SB 19, which would phase-out the corporate franchise tax over a five year period.
• SB 108, which would remove the expiration date for provisions of law concerning the installation of firesprinklers in certain dwellings.

HOUSE APPROVES $23.2 BILLION STATE OPERATING BUDGET

After a relatively short debate that yielded few serious disagreements, the House of Representatives on March 30 granted final approval to its version of the $23.23 billion state operating budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The 13 appropriations bills that make up the budget now go to the Senate. The two chambers, both controlled by Republicans, must agree on a unified version of the budget by a constitutional deadline of May 6.

The House version of the budget closely follows the budget recommendations Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon made in January, with most state agencies slated to receive spending cuts of varying degrees. An exception is basic state funding for local public school districts, which would remain flat for the 2012 fiscal year.

While House Democrats acknowledged that the state spending plan was reasonable given the amount of money available, they lamented the fact that after a decade of budget cuts Missouri now ranks near the bottom among the states in most funding categories. To reserve the situation, Democrats said lawmakers must eventually take steps to reverse the erosion of the state's tax base by, among other proposals, reigning in the amount of money the state loses through tax breaks for businesses and more actively seeking collection of taxes on Internet sales, which are already due to the state but rarely paid.

SENATE APPROVES REPEALING VOTER-APPROVED DOG LAW

The Missouri Senate on March 8 approved legislation to repeal most of the new regulations on dog breeding facilities that Missouri voters approved in November as Proposition B. Rural areas generally opposed Proposition B, but strong support in the metro areas helped it get 51.6 percent of the statewide vote.

SB 113 would eliminate requirements that dogs be given clean water, shelter from the elements and adequate rest time between breeding cycles. It would also remove the 50-dog cap on the number of breeding females that a breeder can own. Critics of the new regulations say they will drive dog breeders out of business. Proponents of the restrictions say the Missouri's reputation as a haven for so-called "puppy mills" that inhumanely treat animals is a national embarrassment. The bill must still be approved by the House of Representatives before it can be sent to Gov. Jay Nixon to be signed into law or vetoed.

HOUSE ENDORSES ENGLIGH-ONLY DRIVER'S LICENSE EXAMS

The House of Representatives on March 10 voted 102-56 to prohibit the state from offering driver's license exams in language other than English. The bill, HB 167, now goes to the Senate.

Bill supporters requiring motorists to be proficient in English will improve safety. The Missouri State Highway Patrol disputes that since traffic signs are based on internationally accepted symbols. The insurance industry opposes the measure out of a concern it will increase the number of uninsured drivers in Missouri. Others say the bill is nothing more than immigrant bashing that could jeopardize the state's chances to lure foreign business investment, such as the proposed China trade hub in St. Louis.

ST. LOUIS LOSES POPULATION WHILE EXURBS, SW MO GAIN

St. Louis City continued its decades-long population decline while neighboring St. Louis County for the first time in history also lost residents as more people moved to the region's exurban counties, according to county-level data from the 2010 U.S. Census released on Feb. 24. The story was similar in the Kansas City region, where the surrounding counties added residents at double-digit rates while the population of Jackson County grew just 3 percent. In addition to the population shifts in the metro areas, Southwest Missouri counties also experienced strong growth, with a bout 100,000 more people living in the region than did in 2000.

St. Charles County added more residents than any other Missouri county, picking up another 76,602 people from 2000 to 2010. Clay County was next with 37,933 more people and Greene County was third with another 34,783 residents. Christian County experienced the fastest rate of growth at 43 percent, followed by Lincoln County, 35 percent, and Warren County, 33 percent. The state as a whole added nearly 400,000 people for a 7 percent growth rate and total 2010 population of nearly 5.99 million.

With 28,895 fewer people than a decade ago, St. Louis City lost the most residents, while St. Louis County lost the second most by shedding 17,361 people. Pemiscot County came in a distant third in population loss with 1,751 fewer residents. Atchison County had the state's highest rate of loss at 12 percent, followed by Carroll County's 10 percent and Pemiscot and Worth counties, which both lost 9 percent of their populations.

REPUBLICAN SENATORS BLOCK UNEMPLOYMENT EXTENSION

More than 10,000 Missourians will soon lose their extended unemployment benefits after a small band of Republican senators blocked final passage of legislation necessary for the state to continue participating in the federally funded program. House Bill 163, which the House of Representatives approved in February on a lopsided 123-14 vote, needed to pass by March 31. Although the bill also enjoyed strong bipartisan support in the Senate, it stalled due to a filibuster led by state Sen. Jim Lembke, R-St. Louis.

Failure to pass the bill means the state is giving up an estimated $105 million in federal money to extend long-term unemployment benefits from 79 weeks to 99 weeks. In addition to the roughly 10,000 Missourians who will immediately lose extended benefits, tens of thousands more people will be affected in the coming months.

The Republican dissidents said refusing the federal funds will send a message to Congress that it needs to reduce spending. Overall no tax money will be saved, however, since Missouri's share of the funds will simply be redistributed to other states. Missouri's unemployment rate stands at about 9.4 percent.

AMERICAN RED CROSS

Platelets are a consistent need and can be donated up to 24 times a year. With shelf life of just five days, the Red Cross reminds donors to also consider giving platelets. Call 1-800-RED CROSS to schedule an appointment at one or our following blood donation centers: Lindell- Midtown (Regional Headquarters), 4050 Lindell Blvd. , St. Louis, MO., South County, 9230 Watson Rd., Crestwood, MO, West County, 13369 Olive Street Blvd., Chesterfield, MO. , North County, 3533 Dunn Road, Sugar Pines Plaza, Florissant, MO, St. Charles County, 252 Mid Rivers Ctr, St. Peters, MO 62276 to donate platelets or whole blood.

Who needs blood? As the primary provider of blood and blood products, the Red Cross helps accident victims of course; trauma and disaster victims, anywhere across the U.S. But also leukemia and other cancer patients, newborn babies or their mothers, sickle cell anemia patients, burn victims and many others.

An estimated 38 percent of the population can give blood and only about eight percent do. The Red Cross salutes all those individuals who donate their blood at least once a year to help someone in need. We challenge others to see if they are eligible to give and to join the lifesaving team.

Call 1-800-RED CROSS to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets or go to redcrossblood.org for more information.

Giving a pint of blood takes relatively little time - usually no more than an hour at an American Red Cross blood donation center or mobile blood drive. Most healthy individuals can donate whole blood up to six times a year or every 56 days. Each whole blood donation can help up to three individuals meaning a single blood donor has the potential to be a hero to 18 individuals per year just by making a habit of donating blood when eligible.

FEATURED BUSINESS

YOURS MARKET
Innovative Neighborhood Market Now Open

Contact: Antanika Shahid, 314-581-1816
antanika76{at}aol{dot}com or yoursmarket{at}yahoo{dot}com

SAINT LOUIS - YOURS MARKET located 8005 North Broadway in the Baden neighborhood opened its doors on November 18^th, 2010 and is primed for business. The store offers a hot bar, kosher and halal meats, fresh produce, vegetables, fresh coffee and a host of other nonperishable low cost items to meet your everyday grocery needs.

The market also provides rotisserie chicken, whiting, tilapia fish, along with chicken and beef related products, along with a hot bar that is open seven days a week. We also serve fresh baked donuts, cakes, cobblers and other delicious pastries. Being that we are a store that promotes healthy eating, we also offer diabetic pastries that are scrumptious and delectable. Feel free to come in and place an order for your tasty treats, baked just for you. YOURS MARKET has begun cultivating the garden that will generate fresh, naturally grown produce to be sold in the open air market beginning summer of 2011; patrons can purchase their vegetables and fruit much like the Soulard Market in our Urban Garden adjacent to the marketplace.

The market is positioned to accommodate all of its patrons by accepting all major credit cards including Visa, Discover, MasterCard and EBT for your one stop shopping needs. Come support this wonderful establishment at 8005 North Broadway; Saint Louis, MO 63147.

Hours of operation are:

Monday-Thursday	7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Friday-Saturday	7:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Sunday	8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Holidays	8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Note: Yours Market is open all Holidays, except Dr. Martin Luther King Day.

For more information please call 314-553-9270 or visit our website at www.yoursmarket.


YOURS MARKET is a subsidy of YOURS, Inc. a non-profit organization seeking to help those who are unemployed, underemployed, been incarcerated or had trouble with the law to provide job training, resume writing, job readiness, character development, cultural enrichment, spiritual enlightenment, anger management, group counseling and job placement opportunities for this segment of the population.