Dear 151st District Constituents,

From my family to yours, I wish you a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday. I know for many this is a time for friends, food, fun and fireworks, but I urge you to also keep in mind the significance of our Independence Day that commemorates the moment in time when our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. It has now been more than two centuries that the American people have enjoyed the freedoms and rights that have made this the greatest nation on the planet , and I think it’s important that we take a moment to remember and appreciate all that we have been given.
 
At the same time, I ask us to remember the words of President Dwight Eisenhower, who once said, “Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed.” His words serve as a reminder that we must continue to fight for and earn the freedoms made possible by the struggles and sacrifices of Americans throughout history. On this Independence Day I hope you will refresh your own commitment to preserving the freedoms we hold dear. We are truly blessed to live here in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
 
Let us all appreciate the significance of these freedoms and work together to ensure they are still in place for our children, grandchildren, and all the generations of Americans who will follow us. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

I have noticed in the local papers recently, that quite a few people have recently celebrated retirements after a long and dedicated career in our local communities and businesses.  If you or someone you know, has or will be retiring, please contact my office, we will be happy to get a resolution or certificate ready for this event to honor all that the retiree has accomplished throughout their career.  If you would like for me to present this to the retiree at the celebration, we will do our best to arrange my schedule so that I will be available to do this.    

We are still working on the Unclaimed Property List.  If you think you may have some unclaimed property, please go to www.ShowMeMoney.com.  This website as all the information there.  Just in our district, the total of Unclaimed Property is $1,059,893.27.  That is a lot of property! It is taking us awhile to get through this list but we will work on it until we have contacted as many people as we can.  Please feel free to check out the website to make sure you are not on this list!!

If you would like to talk with me or set up a meeting, please call the Jefferson City office, 573-751-1494, and leave a voice message, I will be checking these throughout the week.

Until next week,
Tila

The new law will go into effect January 1 of next year.
 
Increasing Compensation for Crime Victims (SB 141)
 
For the first time since 1981, the state will increase the cap on the amount of compensation for victims of violent crimes. Right now, victims and their families can receive up to $200 each week to help with medical and counseling expenses, and to offset the lost wages that resulted because of the crime. The bill that will now take effect as law on August 28 will raise the cap to $400 per week. In the last fiscal year, $3.8 million was disbursed through the program to provide financial assistance to more than 700 victims and their families.
 
Advocating for the Military (HB 1070)
 
With an impact of as much as $40 million in economic activity and nearly 470,000 jobs, the military has an enormous and important presence in Missouri. This session the legislature worked to ensure the vital part of Missouri’s economic engine continues to have a strong voice in the state. Recently the governor signed legislation to establish the Office of Military Advocate.
 
Located within the Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission, the sole purpose of the office will be to remain a positive voice by advocating for the military in Missouri. Appointed by the governor, the office will be administered by a military advocate and will serve a term of six years.  The Department of Economic Development will provide the administrative support and staff needed for the office.
 
Education Reform Legislation Vetoed (HB 42)

While the governor has recently signed many pieces of legislation into law, he also vetoed a bill that was hailed by supporters as a way to help young people in struggling school districts. Proponents said the bill’s system of accreditation for individual schools rather than entire districts would have alleviated some of the transfer issues and allowed kids to stay closer to home. The bill also would have given students new educational opportunities by allowing for more charter schools and providing a virtual school option.
 
In objecting to the bill, the governor sided with opponents who took issue with the expansion of charter and virtual schools, which he referred to as a voucher system. Opponents also criticized the bill for failing to provide real solutions for the failing districts that have strained financially to pay the tuition of transferring students. Those opposed to the bill also said the virtual school option failed to provide the necessary oversight and accountability for student performance.
 
Following the veto, the bill’s sponsor said he was disappointed to see the governor reject the education reform plan, but also said he does not plan to bring it up for a veto override. The issue of fixing the transfer law was partially addressed recently when 22 school districts pledged their support to help the unaccredited districts in Normandy and Riverview Gardens. The districts will provide assistance in the form of lowered tuition cost for transfer students and teacher training.

When this bill came to the floor, I had voted in favor of this bill. I had supported the bill due to the belief that once implemented, approximately $67 million dollars more would be available to the Foundation Formula.

My goal, on education bills such as this one, is to support the Foundation Formula being fully funded and to support more local control of our schools.  I am looking forward to supporting better legislation in the future that will provide a positive impact on our schools.

8th Congressional District, Missouri - Within the last two weeks, the Supreme Court of the United States made some significant and controversial decisions, three of which especially impact our area. First, the Supreme Court ruled to allow same-sex marriage in all states. Second, they chose to interpret Obamacare, not as it was intended, but as they wished it was written. And, third, they appropriately reined in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Obama Administration’s overzealous regulations.

The Supreme Court ruled that all states must allow same-sex marriage, ultimately taking the power away from the people of a state to make that determination. In our state, more than a million Missourians voted in favor of a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman. As the son of a preacher, I have never wavered in my commitment to the biblical definition of marriage, and until this decision, it was the right of each state to determine how it wished to define marriage. With the Supreme Court ruling, five unelected, unaccountable judges in Washington, D.C., stripped more than one million Missourians of their voice and of their vote by tearing a page out of the Missouri constitution.

The Supreme Court also ruled in the case King v. Burwell, deciding that individuals purchasing health care coverage on the federal exchange are eligible for federal tax subsidies, even though the law was not written that way. The text of the Affordable Care Act specifically included subsidies for health care purchased on state exchanges. It did not list such a subsidy for health care purchased on the federal exchange, Healthcare.gov. The Supreme Court’s decision is a textbook example of court overreach, legislating from the bench and side-stepping Congress.

Justice Antonin Scalia saw what so many of us did, arguing that the law was clear. He wrote, “Words no longer have meaning” if an exchange set up by the Federal Government is considered an exchange set up by the State. It’s the role of Congress to make and change laws, not the judiciary.

Finally, the Supreme Court got it right in their decision in Michigan v. Environmental Protection Agency. It was a win for common sense. The Court simply said that the EPA must consider the immense cost complying with regulations will have on folks. Only after looking at the cost, should the EPA determine if the “regulation is appropriate and necessary.” The power plant emissions rule in question would have passed billions of dollars in compliance costs on to customers, and in turn, made utilities more expensive for everyone, including families, farmers and small businesses. The ruling finally puts the reins on this administration’s overzealous rulemaking process and stands up for American families.

8th Congressional District, Missouri - This Fourth of July will mark 239 years since 56 brave patriots from the original 13 colonies declared America’s independence from Great Britain. In the Declaration of Independence, American colonists recognized that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The list of grievances with Britain was long and included standing armies kept among the colonies during peace time, taxes levied on the colonies without any representation in Britain, and colonists being denied trial by jury. The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, one year after the Revolutionary War first began. Ultimately, the Revolutionary War gave rise to the greatest country in the world and our continued pursuit of democracy.

Nearly one hundred years ago William Tyler Page, a descendant from a signer of the Declaration of Independence, summed up what it means to be an American with his American’s Creed. This Independence Day, amid the barbeques and fireworks, let’s take a few minutes to reflect on his words:

“I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

“I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.”

Have a safe and happy Independence Day!

Washington, D.C. - On Wednesday, June 17th, Congressman Jason Smith met with Tyler Battles, Darla Kern, and Adrianna Gensler in Washington, D.C.

These students won an essay contest sponsored SEMO Electric Cooperative of Bloomfield, Missouri to represent their co-op in our nation's capital.

In addition to meeting with their member of Congress, students toured museums and experienced American history firsthand.

Pictured from left to right are Tyler Battles, Congressman Jason Smith, Daria Kern, and Adrianna Gensler. 

8th Congressional District - Missouri - Next week, my conservative colleagues and I will vote to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) in Obamacare, often called the “Death Panel,” and to preserve Medicare for America’s seniors. This panel, hand-selected by the president, is tasked with recommending cuts to Medicare without congressional input. If health care spending gets too high, IPAB is charged with deciding which care to prioritize and which care to cut. Obamacare gave IPAB unprecedented power with no accountability, no judicial review, and no transparency requirements.

This panel moves America away from a patient-centered health care model and replaces it with the views of unelected bureaucrats.  The panel’s recommendations automatically become law unless a super majority of Congress agrees to make cuts elsewhere. This process alone raises constitutional questions. Obamacare created a panel to push a one-size-fits-all solution from Washington, instead of giving you and your doctor the freedom to make these deeply personal decisions.

If IPAB cuts Medicare, seniors will have a more difficult time getting access to care. It is unacceptable to decrease benefits to individuals who have worked so hard and paid into Medicare for so long.  I am not going to let IPAB ration care, trample the Constitution, and disregard the well-being of America’s seniors. The time to act is now, before the panel is selected and care is impacted. That’s why I support repealing the Independent Payment Advisory Board before it comes to fruition.

I am still working toward a full repeal of Obamacare, but President Obama will never admit what a complete failure this law has been since its inception.  In the meantime, repealing Obama’s Death Panel is a way to protect America’s seniors.