Kelley: District Survey, Last Week's Actions

Winter will not relinquish its chilly grip as the Midwest continues to receive its fair share of cold winds and drenching snowfalls. As we returned to the Capitol this week, the House Floor buzzed with increased activity as passionate debate swelled throughout the House Chamber as the State’s 23 Billion Dollar Budget received final House passage…

“To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.”—Thomas Jefferson

40 Days of Prayer and Fasting

In a combined effort, the Missouri House and Senate have called for citizens to pray as they seek to tackle the state budget and other issues facing the State of Missouri. Sponsored by Bott Radio Network, prayer services were held at the Capitol where key-note speaker, Dr. Tom Blackaby, started the 40+ days of prayer and fasting scheduled to end on the National Day of Prayer, May 5^th, 2011. Thank you to all who have contributed in this effort.

FLOOR ACTION: Monday, March 28^th

The house was abuzz with activity as legislators rushed to complete their budget amendments on time for debate on the Floor of the House this day. Senior legislators and staff members alike have been impressed with the efficiency and smoothness of, not only this year’s budget process, but operation of the House of Representatives as a whole. We have the Missouri voters to thank for electing quality legislators to represent them here in the House.

FLOOR ACTION: Tuesday, March 29^th

Debate on the budget was completed in time for noon recess and in the afternoon session we began debate on HB 434 and HCS HB 423.

HB 434, sponsored by Rep. Jerry Nolte (R-33), provides employee protection from negligence liability lawsuits brought by an injured co-worker. Accidents occurring on the job should be covered pursuant to our worker’s compensation laws. Leaving this door open for suits against co-workers for negligence is an invitation for overzealous litigants to argue negligence through a variety of avenues, circumstances, and actors. As well as protecting employees in Missouri, this legislation helps to keep the Missouri business environment attractive to employers interested in operating in the State of Missouri.

HB 423, sponsored by Rep. Eric Burlison (R-136), paves the way for the development of a Health Care Compact between states in order to return the regulation of health care back to the control of the state; where it belongs. This legislation is designed to protect the State of Missouri and Missourians from the overreach of the federal government into your health care. We cannot depend on the Federal Supreme Court to rule the unfunded mandate of Obamacare unconstitutional; nor can we afford it if it is upheld. Steps need to be taken to rectify this situation and HB 423 accomplishes this goal.

FLOOR ACTION: Wednesday, March 30th

Third reading and final passage of Appropriations Bills (Budget) occurred in the House today with nearly unanimous support. While the time spent on the Floor of the House working on the budget this week appeared very efficient and fast paced in comparison to other issues, it is the direct result of numerous hours spent in budget committee hearings, bipartisan effort, and your prayers.

As well as hammering out and finalizing the budget, the aforementioned HB 434 and HB 423 were ordered perfected and printed.

HCS HB 475, sponsored by Rep. Doug Funderburk (R-12), was also ordered perfected and printed. This legislation addresses the disclosure of healthcare data sets (i.e., quality and cost effectiveness) from the healthcare provider to the consumer. The secrecy behind the cost of treatment is not only unfair to the consumer, but is one of the major causes in the erosion of the Doctor/Patient relationship. How nice would it be to be able to go to the doctor knowing ahead of time how much they charge and, for that price, how good are they? This way you are not paying for a Cadillac and receiving a Yugo! Frugal shoppers may actually find Yugo pricing for Cadillac service. Affordability, accountability, and transparency are key issues necessary to facilitate real healthcare reform.

Third Read: Thursday, March 31th

Today the House gave final passage to the following bills described above: HBs 434, 423 & 475.

Public Service Announcement!

The recent tragedy in Japan has sparked concern over nuclear plant safety. Recent studies report the risk at the Callaway plant is the lowest in the country. It was built with newer technology than the Fukushima Daiichi plant, and in the event of an emergency, current emergency response procedures will protect all residents living near the Callaway plant. Nuclear energy remains the most viable option for meeting the future energy needs of Missouri by continuing to produce cheap, clean, and safe energy.

Important Tax Information

The tax deadline is soon approaching; make sure you take advantage of the opportunity to file your taxes for free. 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.

If you would like to sign up for a emailed copy of the Capitol Report please follow the link below.
http://www.house.mo.gov/CapitolReport.aspx?district=126

To fill out my House online survey please follow the link below.
http://www.house.mo.gov/housesurvey/Survey.aspx?s=f8fac3862136404cb912e9e6d1ba77ae

Until my next update, I am, and remain, in your service.