Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer
Missouri's 8th District - This week the United States Senate passed a bill that would provide a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens. In my view, the Senate’s immigration bill does not adequately secure our borders and it grants amnesty to people who knowingly break the law. I do not support the Senate amnesty bill and I am working to ensure it does not come to a vote in the House of Representatives.
The House has a much different approach to immigration reform than the 1,000 page amnesty bill passed in the Senate. The House is focused on securing our borders. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, I voted for legislation that will provide a strong enforcement strategy and strengthen the security of our country. The Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act, also known as the SAFE Act, grants state and local law enforcement officials the authority to enforce federal immigration laws. It also strengthens national security, protects American communities from dangerous criminal aliens, improves visa security, aids U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in doing their jobs, and strengthens border security.My view on immigration is simple and has not changed:
· I am opposed to amnesty in any and all forms.
· Congress must secure our borders.
· I believe Congress must ensure that anyone who is here illegally is not receiving government entitlements.
· I believe a pathway to citizenship already exists for people who follow the law and special treatment should not be given to those who have knowingly broken the law.
Like many of you, I am concerned about the U.S. Senate’s controversial immigration bill. In contrast to the SAFE Act, the U.S. Senate’s bill lacks sufficient border security and allows amnesty for illegal aliens. I oppose the Senate’s comprehensive approach to immigration reform. Please know I will continue to work with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to protect our Nation’s borders, oppose amnesty for people who have knowingly broken the law and promote stronger immigration policy.
Submitted to
ShowMe Times Political Blogs
Jefferson City, Missouri - Gov. Jay Nixon today signed into law several bills relating to law enforcement officers, local governments, tourism, pharmacy owners and transportation.
The Governor signed:
House Bill 418, which modifies the Kansas City Police Employee Retirement Systems to improve funded ratios and lower overall plan costs by creating a Tier II retirement benefit structure for officers and civilians hired on or after August 28, 2013.
House Bill 336, which protects Kansas City police officers and other police department employees' First Amendment rights by allowing them to engage in political activity when they are off duty and not in official uniform.
House Bill 722, which modifies the retirement system for the St. Louis Police Department by reducing the minimum years of service for officers to be eligible for disability retirement pension under certain circumstances and creating a three member medical board to review applications for disability retirement.
House Bill 404, which adds police officers to the list of workers who are eligible for workers' compensation benefits for medical conditions that are shown to have been directly caused by job-induced psychological stress.
House Bill 451, which allows a county governing body to amend its budget up to twice during the year if there is an unanticipated decline in revenues of two percent or more during the fiscal year.
Senate Bill 282, which, among other provisions, adds emergency medical technicians (EMT) to the list of those persons who may submit a report to the Director of the Department of Revenue regarding a person's competency to operate a motor vehicle.
House Bill 316, which extends the sunset on the funding formula for the Division of Tourism Supplemental Revenue Fund from June 2015 to June 2020.
Senate Bill 126, which codifies in state law the rights of Missouri pharmacy owners to opt not to carry or maintain certain devices or pharmaceuticals within their particular pharmacy.
House Bill 349, which allows an individual licensing a vehicle for 12,000 pounds or greater to request a second license plate.
Submitted to
ShowMe Times Political Blogs
Jefferson City, Missouri - Gov. Jay Nixon signed into law four bills relating to motor vehicles.
The Governor signed:
House Bill 715, which authorizes motorcycles to be equipped with brake lights that blink with varying brightness for not more than five seconds when the brakes are applied;
House Bill 428, which modifies the procedure insurers, must undertake to purchase a vehicle through the claims process when they are unable to obtain negotiable title, among other provisions. House Bill 428 also authorizes motor vehicle dealers to provide a public school or college with a new or used vehicle as a courtesy or driver training vehicle;
Senate Bill 148, which also deals with salvage titling. The bill authorizes an applicant to obtain a temporary salvage permit for purposes of transporting a salvage vehicle to a Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) inspection station; and
Senate Bill 157, which strengthens the regulation of scrap metal purchases to prevent and combat the criminal trade in scrap metal. The bill also adds catalytic converters to the types of scrap metal items requiring documentation.
Submitted to
ShowMe Times Political Blogs
news@showmetimes.com
Jefferson City, Missouri - Gov. Jay Nixon today, June 25, 2013, signed into law several bills, and vetoed Senate Bill 29.
The Governor signed:
House Bill 307, which, among other provisions, sets forth the conditions necessary for a city to remove a non-elected police chief.
Senate Bill 47, which is designed to help more neglected and abused children move out of foster care by allowing specified relatives and close non-related guardians to receive the same adoption subsidies offered to adoptive parents.
Senate Bill 159, which limits co-pays for prescribed physical therapy treatment to not more than what is charged for a visit to a primary care physician.
Senate Bill 229, which clarifies the criminal offenses that disqualify a person from working at the Department of Mental Health.
Senate Bill 257, which clarifies and streamlines the process of establishing a Port Improvement District (PID) and eliminates a provision prohibiting the establishment of such districts in Clay County.
House Bill 58, which deals with requirements on vendors selling portable electronic insurance coverage.
House Bill 212, which changes the laws regarding secured transactions under the Uniform Commercial Code.
House Bill 498, which eliminates certain requirements for corporate dividends paid from paid-in surplus.
The Governor vetoed:
Senate Bill 29, which would have imposed an additional and unnecessary process on public employees for the purposes of hindering their Constitutionally-guaranteed right to organize and bargain collectively. Read the Governor’s veto message here.
Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer
Missouri's 8th District - On Friday of each I will write a weekly column on major legislation or events from the previous week. My first one is entitled: Balancing the Budget.
At the end of my first week representing Missouri’s Eighth Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives I filed legislation to add a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. For the last several months I have talked to families across the 30 counties of our district about the need to reign in federal spending and reduce our nearly $17 trillion national debt. Folks have agreed that our country would be a lot better off if Washington followed Missouri’s example and actually balanced the budget.
During my time in the Missouri General Assembly we balanced the budget every single year because we had a Balanced Budget Amendment in our state’s Constitution. As a result, Missouri has been able to control spending and create a stable budget environment. Although I have only been in Washington for a little over a week, I can tell you that our federal government would be wise to look at Missouri as spending decisions are being made.
During the past three decades, Congress has made numerous attempts to control spending with non-binding budget resolutions and deficit control acts only to see our debt skyrocket. We must face the fact that another non-binding budget resolution is doomed to the same failed result that previous resolutions yielded – temporary deficit reduction followed by rapidly growing debt and spending. It is time for Congress to get serious about the debt crisis and economic growth by passing a Balanced Budget Amendment that will put America on a genuine path to prosperity.
As I have talked to families across our district the consistent theme from each conversation I have been a part of is that Washington is not the solution to our problems. In fact, Washington is the problem. Parents are concerned their children will not have the chance to achieve the American Dream because they will be bogged down with debt. Small business owners are not hiring new workers because they are concerned about our weak economy.
It doesn't matter how many budget resolutions or budget control acts are passed, Congress has proven completely incapable of making responsible budget decisions. A Balanced Budget Amendment is the only hope to get our National Debt under control. In Missouri we balance our budget every year. In the United States House of Representatives I will keep fighting to make Washington look more like Missouri.
