Spring Cleaning Comes Early with SCRUB Act
Friday, February 27, 2015
When I talk to my colleagues in Washington, D.C., they do not always understand the burdens rural America faces from unnecessary regulations. During my first week in Congress, an “expert witness” told me it was pure fiction that government regulations affect private industry. It felt like the Twilight Zone and is exactly what’s wrong with Washington. Unelected bureaucrats that have never left five square miles around D.C. are trying to regulate every aspect of our lives. From the Environmental Protection Agency’s overreach on wood stoves to the Department of Labor regulating family farms, our rural way of life is under attack. That is why I reintroduced the Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act (SCRUB Act) this week. Ineffective and intrusive federal regulations are still holding back economic opportunity across the country.
My mission with the SCRUB Act is to require a full evaluation of all 175,000-plus pages of the Federal Register and identify outdated and ineffective regulations for removal. We certainly do not need all 175,000 pages of government meddling – that is more than five times longer than the entire set of Encyclopedia Britannica! Streamlining existing rules will lessen regulatory burdens on small businesses and give them the freedom to innovate and grow.
Excessive regulations impose a very real weight on job creators and families. According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses spend an average of $10,585 per employee each year to comply with federal regulations. This costs Americans $2.028 trillion in lost economic growth each year, according to the National Association of Manufacturers. Moreover, the Competitive Enterprise Institute found that for each household in America, the price tag of regulation exceeds $15,000. It’s time for action to reduce these costs on job creators and American families.
While I work to get this bill passed in the House, Senator Orrin Hatch from Utah is introducing the SCRUB Act in the Senate. Together we are fighting to cut Washington’s red tape with common sense reforms that will help hardworking Americans keep more money in their pockets.
Dear 151st District Constituents,
It is with a heavy heart that I write this week's Capitol Report. The passing of our State Auditor, Tom Schweich, came as a shock. Auditor Schweich was a gifted and brilliant man with an impressive resume. His talent was phenomenal. I can only imagine the heartache and sorrow that his family must be going through right now. I ask you all to please remember them in your prayers during the next several months as they attempt to cope with this huge loss and void now present in their lives. Auditor Schweich devoted his lift to public service and to making the world a better place for the next generation, I hope we will all devote ourselves to the same.
I have listed below information related to the legislation that was addressed in the house this week. If you have questions, concerns, thoughts on any legislation listed below or upcoming, please contact my office via e-mail or phone. We will get back with you as quickly as possible.
Until next week,
Tila
House Approves School Transfer Bill (HB 42)
This week the House took action to address one of the most important issues we will discuss this year, or any year. Right now we have thousands of children in failing schools who are not receiving the educational experience they need and deserve. In an effort to give these young people the option to obtain a top notch education, we passed legislation this week that will modify our existing school transfer law to give students and parents more choices in regard to where they can go to school.
Our current transfer law has caused a great deal of hardship for schools in both failing districts, as well as those that neighbor these areas. The issue is that the failing districts have to pay the cost associated with students transferring to nearby districts, and also that schools receiving these kids may not have the classroom space or faculty to accommodate the influx of students. The issues that have arisen from the current law that was put in place in 1993 have emphasized the need for reforms that will put the interests of our young people first without bankrupting school districts that are struggling to stay afloat.
The bill passed this week represents a complex but common sense solution to this pressing problem. One of the key components of the bill would allow students in failing schools to move to better performing schools in their current district. The goal with this is to allow kids to stay closer to home while also keeping down costly transportation expenses. In the event space can’t be found in a good school in the district, students would be allowed to transfer to neighboring districts, or possibly attend a charter school or take advantage of a virtual school option.
These are just a few components to what is a complicated but crucial fix to the glaring problem we currently have with our student transfer law. We know going forward there will be a great deal of discussion with our counterparts from the Senate, who also approved their own version of a fix this week. While the scope of the bill may change as the session progresses, we know the underlying purpose will remain the same – to give the young people of our state a word class education that will prepare them for success as adults. I look forward to working with my colleagues to make sure we take an important step toward accomplishing that goal this year.
House Moves to Extend Big Government Get Off My Back Act (HB 32)
My colleagues and I took action this week to continue a program that has helped nearly 200 small businesses here in Missouri. The Big Government Get Off My Back Act has been in effect for several years now and has bolstered small business growth by providing a tax deduction to small employers who create good-paying jobs.
Specifically, the bill allows a $10,000 tax deduction for each full-time job a business with fewer than 50 employees creates that matches the county's average wage. The act doubles the deduction for employers who offer new employee health insurance and pay at least 50 percent of the premiums. The provisions of the bill previously applied through 2014, but with the passage of HB 32 we would extend them through the 2019 tax year.
The bill now moves to the Senate where we hope our counterparts will take quick action to approve this measure that will help the many small employers who represent such a vital part of our state’s economic engine.
Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Receives House Approval (HB 130)
The House engaged in spirited debate this week as we considered a bill to put a prescription drug monitoring program in place. Missouri is the only state in the nation that does not have such a system in place already, and advocates for the issue say it is time to change that distinction.
The goal with the database is to provide doctors and pharmacies with a powerful tool to prevent the abuse of prescription medications, and to protect patients from having conflicting medications prescribed by the various physicians they may see. During discussion on the floor, one of my colleagues described how her sister passed away from an overdose that was the result of conflicting medications. It was a powerful and emotional reminder that such a program has the potential to save lives.
Those of my colleagues who took issue with the idea focused their comments solely on the need to protect the private information of Missouri citizens. They pointed to database breaches that have occurred with major companies as examples of cautionary tales for what could happen if Missouri has a central information storage bank for patients.
Despite some of the concerns raised, we approved the proposal and sent it to the Senate. We will now wait to see if the measure can gain traction in the other chamber. In past years similar measures have died in the Senate.
Requiring Additional Safety Standards for Clinics that Provide Abortions (HB 190)
The House also approved legislation this week designed to improve the safety at Missouri’s only clinic that provides abortions. The bill was filed by one of my colleagues who was concerned by a recent inspect that found multiple violations. While those issues were corrected, the concern is that the facility is not inspected frequently enough to ensure it is maintaining adequate health standards.
The bill we passed this week simply says the facility must be inspected no less than once per year. Currently, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is required to inspect ambulatory surgical centers only as it deems necessary. By requiring at least an annual inspection we hope to better protect the health and well-being of the women who use the Planned Parenthood facility in St. Louis.
House Approves Emergency Funding (HB 16)
Also this week, we approved legislation to ensure communities in our state ravaged by natural disasters will receive the funding they need to pay for storm shelters and repairs. To date we have seen $30 million in projects completed around the state, but the funds to reimburse these communities have been depleted. With the bill we passed this week, we have taken the first step toward releasing the funds necessary to help these communities to pay for their repair projects.
The House took action this week to pass legislation intended to protect the integrity of the voting process. The members of the House passed two pieces of legislation - one a proposed constitutional amendment and the other a statutory change – that would put in place a requirement that voters must show photo identification before casting their ballots.
This is an issue that has been debated in Missouri and in other states for years now. In fact, Missouri saw a voter ID bill signed into law in 2006 only to see it later struck down by the Missouri Supreme Court. Since that time, the legislature has continued to work on the issue with the goal of finding a compromise that would require voters to prove their identity before voting without disenfranchising Missourians who don’t already have a photo ID.
The legislation passed this week is meant to address the primary concern of critics by providing a government-issued photo ID at no charge to anyone who doesn’t have one. An amendment added on the floor also provides those without proper identification with a means to obtain a free copy of a birth certificate, which would be needed to obtain a government-issued ID. In addition, to prevent the requirement from being a barrier to those who cannot obtain an ID and those born before 1950 who may not have documentation such as a birth certificate, the bill would allow these Missourians to vote by provisional ballot.
The House has advanced similar proposals in the past only to see them bog down in the Senate. As we send these pieces of legislation to the other side of the building, we will do our best to work toward a compromise with our Senate colleagues so that we can move these bills all the way through the legislative process. Keep in mind that the proposed constitutional amendment will require a vote of the people in order to be approved. Only if the people of Missouri decide that they want a system of voter identification will one then be put in place.
In the meantime, I am interested to hear your thoughts on this issue. Do you think it is important to require a photo ID to vote just as we require photo IDs to pick up a prescription or board a plane? Or do you believe a photo ID requirement would serve as a barrier to prevent some Missourians from voting? I look forward to hearing your responses.
Tila Hubrecht
151st State Representative
Monday was not wasted though, I had arrived Sunday evening before the weather hit and was able to accomplish quite a lot! We were able to debate and pass legislation related to Voter ID and a resolution to challenge the constitutionality of the President's Executive Amnesty.
During committee hearings this week, several bills were heard, one was concerning sex trafficking. I was shocked to learn that St. Louis is #20 in the list for this abdominal crime. I am still trying to meet individually with each of the representatives to establish a good working relationship.
I find it is very helpful to know everyone on an individual basis, not in the light of party affiliation, also having a common ground that we can work from is beneficial to everyone. This week we were visited by Senator Blunt, Congressman Smith and Congresswoman Wagner.
I found it very informative to learn what issues were currently being debated in Washington DC and most importantly how the issues being debated at the state level was impacting Washington DC. I have included pictures from this week at the end of this report.
Thank you for the privilege to serve you in Jefferson City! Please do not hesitate to call if an issue arises that I can be of assistance.
Until next week,
Tila Hubrecht
151st State Representative
8th Congressional District, Missouri - February is the birth month of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and each February, Presidents’ Day offers us a chance to reflect on lessons learned from our former presidents. As America faces challenges at home and abroad, some of George Washington’s lessons are especially relevant today.
“The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.”
George Washington’s commitment to the Constitution is one of the most important lessons we can take to heart. In Washington, D.C., some seem to have forgotten that Congress is the law-making body in our Constitutional government and the executive branch is tasked with enforcing the laws. We must protect the Constitution our Founding Fathers established and work through the legislative process to move America forward.
“To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.”
America’s military is one of our country’s most valuable resources. Maintaining a world-class military is critical for demonstrating national strength to those who wish to do us harm. We must properly equip our troops and maintain our nation’s military installations to ensure our continued security at home and abroad. In our area, Fort Leonard Wood has many well-established assets like the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence; the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School; the Engineer School; and the Military Police School that are critical in developing our military leaders. I have been vocal in my unwavering support of Fort Leonard Wood and we must stand together in opposition to operational and personnel cuts at the base.
“To contract new debts is not the way to pay old ones.”
With the president’s $4 trillion budget in front of Congress, including $2.1 trillion in new taxes, Congress must be very thoughtful in how taxpayer dollars are spent. I’ve consistently said that the United States does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. George Washington was absolutely right when he said that we cannot keep driving up our debt to pay for programs we cannot afford. Instead, we must restrain spending and put America back on a path to sustainable economic prosperity.
