Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
To put that into perspective, there are roughly 56 million people living in the states of New York and California combined. To raise awareness for the Pro-Life cause, thousands of grassroots advocates from across the country are in Washington this week for the Annual March for Life.
For the last 41 years the March for Life has been a rallying cry for all of those who believe life begins at conception and that all life has value. I admire the courage of their conviction and I appreciate the voice they are giving to the unborn. Every representative, every physician and every American needs to be reminded that at the center of our Pro-Life struggle is the protection of all human life.
We cannot live in a society where some human life is valued and other life is not. I stand united with the March for Life delegation and Pro-Life advocates across the country in a belief that all life is precious. All life has value and the casual taking of life is morally wrong. Across our great nation, millions of Americans are coming together today to demand that the federal government stop assisting in this great assault on innocent life.
The federal government should not spend one single dime on Planned Parenthood or any associated groups. Taxpayer dollars should never be used to take the life of the unborn. As work continues to overturn Roe v. Wade, we must also lay the foundation for a society that does not accept abortion as a form of birth control. Pro-Life advocates have taken up this cause, but work still remains. Open hearts and open minds can heal our nation and change abortions into adoptions.
We must join together to pray for the protection of the unborn. The intersection of prayer and action can produce amazing results. I know we can accomplish our goals, and innocent human life can be saved.
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Mobile Offices are opportunities for Missourians to discuss their questions or concerns with the federal government one-on-one with members of Senator Blunt’s staff.
Senator Blunt’s Jefferson City office also extends one-on-one service to all Missourians who have an issue with a federal agency or need additional assistance.
To reach the Senator’s Office of Constituent Services, please call at (573) 634-2488 or send a letter at 308 E. High Street, Suite 202, Jefferson City, Missouri 65101.
What: Senator Blunt's Staff Hosts Mobile Office
When: Monday, January 27th, 2014 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm CT
Where: Bootheel Regional Planning Commission
105 E. North Main
Dexter, MO
Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Martin Luther King Jr. - A Powerful Orator
On January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King Jr. is born in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of a Baptist minister. King received a doctorate degree in theology and in 1955 helped organized the first major protest of the African-American civil rights movement: the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott. Influenced by Mohandas Gandhi, he advocated civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance to segregation in the South. The peaceful protests he led throughout the American South were often met with violence, but King and his followers persisted, and the movement gained momentum.
A powerful orator, King appealed to Christian and American ideals and won growing support from the federal government and Northern whites. In 1963, Bayard Rustin and A. Philip Randolph led the massive March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom; the event's grand finale was King's famous "I Have a Dream" address. Two hundred and fifty thousand people gathered outside the Lincoln Memorial to hear the stirring speech. In 1964, the civil rights movement achieved two of its greatest successes: the ratification of the 24th Amendment, which abolished the poll tax, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited racial discrimination in employment and education and outlawed racial segregation in public facilities. Later that year, King became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize. In the late 1960s, King openly criticized U.S. involvement in Vietnam and turned his efforts to winning economic rights for poor Americans. He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968.
As with the classic western “High Noon”, the second session of the 97th general assembly reconvened at noon on Wednesday, January the 8th. After the initial rituals of beginning another session, the Speaker laid out priorities for this year. They included education, energy, economic development and reducing taxes. No doubt some of the same issues that surfaced last session will return and could enter into the fray as priorities this year. Many pre-filed bills were filed the beginning of December in anticipation of allowing committees to start meeting and moving bills forward to the floor for floor debate. To back up for a moment in my mind, this session as with so many others started with “a prayer service” for Missouri government leaders, hosted by Missouri Baptist Convention’s, Christian Life Commission, The Pathway, and hosted at Concord Baptist Church. After the breakfast the service was held with Mrs. Gail McWilliams as the guest speaker, and presenting “the charge to the general assembly”. Her testimony was very uplifting as well as inspiring. Afterwards different pastors prayed for different branches of you state government. The next morning January 9th, started with the annual Governor’s Prayer Breakfast. A choir from Columbia’s Hickman High School sang two inspiring hymns, and then Hal Donaldson, cofounder of Convoy of Hope inc. was the guest speaker. He informed us how this group of meeting needs across the US was formed, and encouraged us to remember others in times of need or those that are less fortunate. In closing your state government has begun efforts attempting to work for the betterment for the state of Missouri and its citizens. I would encourage you to pray for your government and its leaders.
As always, it is an honor to serve you in the Missouri House. If you would like to discuss any issue, please call 573-751-3629. You can also email me at kent.hampton@house.mo.gov . I look forward to hearing from you.
Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Stoddard County, Missouri - Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver announced today that he will seek reelection to his current position.
“We are very proud of the accomplishments of the Prosecutor’s Office over the last 3 years” Oliver stated. “Every jury trial we conducted resulted in a guilty verdict, we obtained a 50 year sentence for Rape and Burglary against Moses Grayson, we protected the rights of Conceal Carry Permit holders against the encroachment of the Department of Revenue, we ended the synthetic drug epidemic in Stoddard County, and I am honored to be the first area prosecutor to receive an award from the Drug Enforcement Administration for our work on synthetic drugs which ultimately lead to Operation Log Jam which resulted in a nationwide sweep that seized 5 million packets of synthetic drugs and $36 million of drug money”
In each and every jury trial conducted during his term, Oliver obtained a guilty verdict from the jury. “Russ’ jury trial track record has established a reputation for the Prosecutor’s Office in the legal community that not only is Russ willing to try cases to a jury, but should a case go to trial everyone knows that the State will be represented by a competent and effective litigator that can win cases,” said Dexter Attorney Brad Jarrell.
Of all the cases that were submitted to a jury during his term in office, Oliver says the most important was the conviction of a Dexter man, Moses Grayson, who was found guilty of burglarizing a woman’s home in the middle of the night and forcibly raping her. The Defendant was sentenced to 50 years. Oliver said of the verdict and sentence, “Mr. Grayson has two prior victims that he sexually assaulted ten years ago and this case is his third sexual assault victim. There is no question that our community is safer due to the results of this trial”
During his term as Prosecutor, Oliver was appointed by the Speaker of the Missouri House to serve on the House Bi-Partisan Investigative Commission concerning the Missouri Department of Revenue’s violation of Conceal Carry Permit holder’s privacy rights.
The Speaker of the Missouri House, Tim Jones, said of Oliver, “Russ’ efforts exposed the violation of the privacy rights of Conceal Carry Permit holders, as well the rights of all other Missouri citizens, by the Department of Revenue. His work on the Investigative Committee was invaluable and his efforts helped us to pass legislation to protect Conceal Carry Permit holder’s rights in the future.”
Oliver is also pleased with the results of his office’s efforts to end what was described as a ‘synthetic drug epidemic’ that Stoddard County began to experience early in his term of office. Oliver said “we took bold decisive action to eradicate Stoddard County of these synthetic drugs and to send a message that it was not going to be tolerated in this county.” As a result, area law enforcement reports that they only rarely see synthetic use in the county, “we will have the occasional person who is passing through our county that has some of these substances on their person or in their car, but we certainly no longer see the overwhelming influx of these drugs like they have seen in other counties. I think folks know that Stoddard County is just not the place to be doing that stuff” said Stoddard County Sheriff Carl Hefner.
Oliver says that his office worked hand-in-hand with Drug Enforcement Administration in their efforts to combat synthetic drugs. “When we executed the search warrants on Kevin Bay and his businesses in Columbia Missouri, DEA was with us and help put the cases together. The DEA agents saw the impact that these efforts were having on the industry and they began them looking at their options.”
“It was the snowball that got it all started for DEA,” said Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Regional Supervisory Special Agent Michael Scalise. “Russ’ work was one of the catalysts that initially got DEA’s attention and eventually lead to ‘Operation Log Jam’ in which a nationwide sweep of convenience stores and ‘head-shops’ netted millions of dollars in federal property seizures and thousands of pounds of synthetic drug product.”
Ultimately 11 individuals and 4 businesses were federally indicted as a result of the synthetic drug cases that started in Stoddard County, including Kevin Bay and Bocomo Bay. Nearly $2 million in drug money was seized from Kevin Bay during the execution of a search warrant in Columbia Missouri based on the Stoddard County investigation.
Russ’ wife Jennifer said of the last 3 years, “our family has had to make some sacrifices to allow Russ to serve as prosecutor. But I know that he is making Stoddard County a safer and better place for our two kids to grow up in. His results speak for themselves and I know he is making a real difference.”
Photo is Oliver accepting DEA Award. From left to right (then State Senator Rob Mayer, DEA Regional Supervisory Special Agent Michael Scalise, Oliver, & former Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson. The photo was taken in Cape Girardeau in front of the Federal Courthouse
Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
8th Congressional District - Missouri - As your voice in the halls of Congress, one of the obligations I take most seriously is taking care of our veterans. The brave men and women of our Armed Forces who volunteer to protect our freedoms deserve not only our respect, but also action from Congress that shows true appreciation for their sacrifices.
Shortly before Christmas, Congress passed a budget compromise bill that contained a provision that will reduce the cost-of-living increases for retired military personnel under the age of 62. This provision amounts to a $6 billion cut in military pensions. I voted against the budget compromise. Chief among my reasons for opposing the bill is the change to military pensions. Simply put, it is wrong for Congress to try and balance the budget by breaking promises made to members of our nation’s military.
Worse yet, military retirees are the only group affected by the budget compromise. Changes made to federal civilian retirement programs only apply to future federal civilian employees, not to current federal civilian employees. Cutting veteran’s pensions, while funding pensions for civilian federal employees, is a slap in the face to members of our military and their families who have sacrificed so much while defending our freedoms at home and abroad.
Congress can find better ways to save money. I am cosponsoring H.R. 3788, which will repeal the changes to military retirement programs and replace those changes with a requirement that taxpayers provide a valid Social Security number in order to be eligible for tax refunds under the child tax credit. This loophole allows individuals, some of whom are in the country illegally, to fraudulently claim child tax credits.
This reform will save roughly $7 billion over 10 years, which is more than the changes to military pensions are forecasted to save over the same time. This sensible step to stop fraud and abuse in the federal government is a much better option than cutting the pensions of military retirees.
Our men and women in uniform deserve unwavering support from every Member of Congress and all Americans. It is wrong to balance budgets on the backs of troops who voluntarily put themselves in harm’s way so that we can all be free. I will continue efforts to restore veteran’s pension benefits. The livelihood of our troops should not be negotiable.
