Davis: The Joys of Redistricting

At left: The Missouri Home Builders Association while in Jefferson City

"Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!" –Dr. Seuss

As a requirement of the Census process every ten years, the Missouri General Assembly must redraw the State’s Congressional district to reflect changes in population. This year, we lost a seat, decreasing the congressional seat from 9 to 8. For a look at our proposed map, you can visit:

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I was sent to Jefferson City by the voters of the 128^th District not simply to pass good laws, but also to block bad laws from being implemented. HB411 would have shut down our rehabilitation centers and left many people not able to get the care they need or deserve. There are always good points in a bill but I must weight what the negative effects could be and I believe the cons outweighed the pros in this bill.

We also passed another Pro-Life bill this week. This bill [HB28] would protect a pharmacy from being sued for having a moral conscience and wishing not to sell any “Morning After” pill which causes an abortion. Some pharmacies have been sued in other states and this bill would protect our pharmacies who wish NOT to sell these abortion drugs. It would also require any abortion pills be prescribed only by a physician.

HCS HB 641, sponsored by Rep. Ward Franz (R-151), was ordered perfected and printed. This bill would add any synthetic compound acting as cannabinoid receptors to the list of controlled substances. The most important weapon in the war on drugs is education and the battle will be won, or lost, in our homes and communities. I encourage parents to educate their children about the dangers of drug use and be active in your communities with interventional and educational efforts to stop this cycle of drug abuse and dependency. That will be the ultimate solution to this decades old problem.

HCS HJR 3, sponsored by Rep. Tom Loehner (R-112), was ordered perfected and printed. This resolution calls for amending the Missouri Constitution to solidify the right of Missouri farmers to raise their livestock without the state imposing any undue burdens or regulations. Agri-business actually remains the number one industry in the State of Missouri. As the member of a family with deep farming roots all over our State (and very proud of the fact that the “Jones Family Farm” remains in the family) I was very proud to support this bill on the House Floor. If you like to eat, then you are a supporter of HCS HJR 3!

HCR 30, sponsored by Rep. Keith Frederick (R-149), urges the Governor and Attorney General to contact the President of the United States expressing the urgency of resolving the constitutionality of the federal health care reform act. Continuing to allow this issue to hover in uncertainty creates a problem for leaders in the Health Care Industry and is an impediment to true health care reform measures. This very week, our US Congress, in an overwhelming, bipartisan vote, moved to strip out some of the more unduly burdensome sections of the ObamaCare law. The federal health care law has been proving itself to be an extremely costly, ill thought through measure filled with excessive taxation, excessive burdens on the States and reductions in service that many of us warned it would be. The Missouri General Assembly and the Missouri People (via Proposition C last November) have overwhelmingly voiced their opposition to the law while our Governor and Attorney General have remained silent. It is time for these two Executives of our State to act.

At right: Rep. Bill White and Rep. Charlie Davis checking out the status of certain bills.

There were also a number of other bills passed but I believe these to be the most notable ones. You can go to www.house.mo.gov to see all the bills worked on this week.

As spring is in the air, I wish everyone a beautiful and safe spring and want to remind everyone that there are now children playing everywhere and we need to slow down and watch out for kids playing in our neighborhoods.

May God Bless you all and I look forward to seeing you ALL at the capitol soon. My office is ALWAYS open.