Jefferson City, Missouri - Gov. Jay Nixon today announced his appointments to the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents, the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee and the State Soil and Water Districts Commission. The appointments will be subject to approval by the Missouri Senate.
The Governor has appointed Phillip M. Britt (D), of Kennett; and Edward P. Gargas (D), of Dexter to the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents. The six-member Board of Regents appoints the President of the University, employs faculty and staff, and makes budgetary and policy decisions necessary to implement the University's mission.
Britt has served as the Drug Court Commissioner for the 35th Judicial Circuit since 2002. Prior to that, he was the elected state representative for the 163rd District in the Missouri House. Britt also served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Dunklin and Pemiscot counties. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Southeast Missouri State University and his law degree from the University of Missouri. The Governor has appointed Britt for a term ending Jan. 1, 2022.
Gargas is the director of operations and sales for Bagby Wealth Management and has been in financial management and insurance positions since 1991. He is a commissioned officer in the Missouri Army National Guard and a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Southeast Missouri State University, his masters in business administration from William Woods University and a masters in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. The Governor has appointed Gargas for a term ending Jan. 1, 2022.
The Governor has appointed Derek B. Hunter (R), of Springfield, to the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee. The committee’s mission is cost containment through health cost management, assurance of community need and the prevention of unnecessary duplication of health care services. Certificate of Need is based on a goal of public accountability through review of proposed health care services, value promotion, and negotiation among competing interests.
Hunter is a retired CPA who was with the accounting firm of BKD, LLP from 1979 to 2007, when he retired as a partner. He primarily served long-term care facilities and retirement villages while at BKD. Hunter obtained his undergraduate degree in accounting from Missouri State University. The Governor has appointed him for a term ending Jan. 1, 2016.
The Governor also has appointed Timothy W. Martin (I), of Bernie, to the State Soil and Water Districts Commission. The Missouri Soil and Water Districts Commission formulates policies and general programs for the saving of Missouri soil and water by the soil and water conservation districts.
Martin is the president of Martin Rice Company, Martin Grain Company and Marco Inc. With his brothers, he farms and manages more than 7,000 acres of rice-growing and row crop land in southeast Missouri. In 2010, Martin Rice Company received the Governor’s Award for Agricultural Achievement. Martin is a member of the Elk Township Board in Stoddard County and a member of the Little River Drainage District Board of Supervisors. The Governor has appointed him for a term ending Aug. 15, 2018.
Dear 151st District Constituents,
It is August already! I cannot believe how quickly the year is passing! Parade season is here with all the wonderful fun of the fairs! I am looking forward to all the fairs and all the wonderful events of the fall, especially some less humid temperatures!! Schools are starting so please remember to be on the lookout for children walking to school, especially as they are crossing roads.
As I said at the beginning of this letter, I have been attending quite a lot meetings during this latter part of summer. I have learned a great deal and will share some of what I have learned with you. The summer caucus meeting was focused on the pitfalls of politics. There was much discussion on personal behavior and responsibility as well as ethical issues for elected officials. I really enjoyed the presenters and the following discussion, it has given me quite a few things to think on and decide how I want my office to be directed as well as how my and my staff’s conduct should be.
I have attended several meetings with legislators from around that nation discussing various policy programs during this latter part of the summer. There have been many issues discussed, everything from taxes to state budgets to education to healthcare to transportation and many others that I haven’t listed. It has been interesting to hear what other states are doing, what is working and what is not working. The meetings have provided great opportunities to discuss why a particular action worked and why it didn’t as well as any possible contributing issues or factors. One particular meeting really stood out to me, it was discussing using the Best Evidence Strategy in Legislative Policy Making. This strategy calls for looking at each policy and asking a specified list of questions including “what is the return on investment”. Will the money spent on a particular project or line item in the budget actually provide the taxpayer with the most return for every dollar? With having been appointed to the Interim Committee for State GovernmentAccountability and Oversight, this information will be particularly helpful in guiding me as I work to learn the various State Departments and if this particular Department is truly meeting the needs of Missourians.
The House will begin our investigation into Planned Parenthood, I will be serving on this committee and am anxious to begin this process. I am hopeful for a better process than what is currently being experienced by the Senate. I attended their hearing and was astonished when the Director of Health and Senior Services refused to answer a particular question and refuse to release certain documents that had been subpoenaed by the Senate. As I said earlier, I am hopeful that we will not have the same response, if we do, I am confident we will respond appropriately.
As I conclude this portion of this newsletter, please let me remind you of the importance of our Senior Citizen Centers and the Meals on Wheels Program. The Senior Citizen Centers are in desperate need of people eating lunches at their centers. The funding for the Meals on Wheels Programs and the Centers are decided based on the number of meals served at the actual centers. You do not have to be over the age of 65 to eat there (you may be required to pay a little more than a Senior Citizen), anyone can and it is a great meal!! Please support our Senior Citizen Centers through eating a meal there or volunteering whenever you can. Our Seniors have worked hard to provide for us so let’s help them out now!!
Please call my office if we can be of service to you! I will be in and out of the district each week until Session resumes in January. I am going to be spending at least a day each week in Jefferson City on committee and constituent work. If you would like to meet with me, please call my office at (573) 751-1494, Louie will schedule a time that we can sit down together over a cup of coffee to discuss any issues that you are needing assistance with!!
Until next week,
Tila
The Clean Power Catastrophe
Friday, August 7, 2015
8th Congressional District, Missouri - The Obama Administration continues to hammer rural America with unnecessary, expensive regulations and rules. On Monday, the Obama Administration released the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan rule that calls for a massive reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The plan has serious implications for Missouri, which gets 83 percent of its energy from coal power.
This Clean Power Plan rule is just the latest in a long list of regulations that illustrate how unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats do not understand southeast and southern Missouri. The president’s proposed rule is a power grab that exceeds the EPA’s authority under the Clean Air Act. These emission limits will raise the price of electricity, force the closure of coal plants in Missouri and cost people jobs. It is yet another example of this administration’s war on rural America.
This rule sets standards that will make coal power more expensive and hurt rural America. The vast majority of Missouri’s electricity is created by coal-fired power plants, making the utility affordable in our state compared to others that rely on different fuel sources for energy. This week, I toured the Sikeston Board of Municipal Utilities Power Plant, which made a $5 million update to their turbines for major efficiency improvements. Shutting down coal plants like these in Missouri and across the nation, would mean higher electricity costs and make it harder for folks who rely on cheap, reliable energy to make ends meet.
Many questions have arisen about the legality of this new rule, one of the most costly ever created. I am not going to wait around while the Obama administration and the EPA drive up electricity costs for Missouri families and force layoffs. In June, with my support, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Ratepayer Protection Act which would ensure that states do not have to comply with the president’s Clean Power Plan until it is proven legal.
Since I was first elected, I have taken action to protect families and job creators in southeast and southern Missouri. I have introduced a bill called the SCRUB Act to weed out inefficient, ineffective regulations, and I am pushing to bring it for a vote. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill I cosponsored, the REINS Act, which would require rules proposed by agencies, like the EPA, to be approved by Congress before implementation. I also have cosponsored the Stop EPA Overregulation of Rural Americans Act which would repeal the EPA’s most recent rule for new residential wood heaters that disproportionately hurts folks in rural communities, and the Regulatory Accountability Act that would ensure agencies adopt the least costly alternative for a regulation. There is much more to do, but I am staying on top of this administration and working to hold them accountable.
The summer heat is finally in full drive and August is just around the corner! School is getting ready to start in a few weeks and last minute vacation plans are being made! Everyone is very busy this time of year. Even with all the hustle and bustle that is going on with summer winding down, please remember to take a moment and check on your elderly family, friends and neighbors. The heat can be very hard on the elderly and many times adverse effects of the heat can come upon a person before they realize what is happening.
I have been surprised as a freshman legislator at how busy I am even during this interim period. We, in Missouri, are set up in a matter that is considered a “part-time legislature”. I am very much enjoying this time of being home in the district and the opportunities that are being afforded to me from our being set up in this manner. I am getting to meet with various state department leaders to learn more about how each state department is structured and the duties that fall under each. I had developed quite a list of questions regarding this during the legislative session and having this time to use learning the answers to these questions will be very helpful this next legislative session. During session we are called upon to make decisions on funding, rules and regulations concerning each of the departments, having a limited knowledge of these made it very difficult to make these decisions with a great amount of confidence.
My office has been receiving quite a lot of calls regarding healthcare related issues. We are working through these issues as well as looking at possible legislative action for the upcoming session. We are hoping to resolve these issues with the help of the various departments and will be prepared to offer legislation that will allow these departments to conduct their work with great efficiency while being aware of the duties to the taxpayers in spending state money wisely.
I have noticed in the local papers recently, that quite a few people have 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, (573) 751-1494, 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.
Work is still ongoing regarding the Unclaimed Property List. If you think you may have unclaimed property, please go to www.ShowMeMoney.com. This website has all the items you will need to begin the process to claim your property.
If you would like to talk with me or set up a meeting, please call the Jefferson City office, 573-751-1494.
The weak deal the Obama Administration negotiated is based on the hope that in 10 or 15 years the world is dealing with a kinder, gentler Iran; that is not reality. The government of Iran is still a leading sponsor of terrorism and violator of human rights, and until these situations change, we must keep economic sanctions in place. Instead of forcing Iran to abandon nuclear ambitions and their sponsorship of terrorism, we are giving Iran access to $150 billion in relief, money they are going to use to fund the next generation of terrorists.
The short timeframe for stipulations will allow Iran to quickly cultivate the technology required for a nuclear weapon. Many of the deal’s provisions expire in ten years or earlier. Iran is allowed access to arms in five years if they adhere to the arms embargo, and in just eight years, the missile ban will be removed. All the while, Iran is allowed to enrich massive amounts of uranium. Even more, the deal allows two Iranian atomic scientists previously under sanctions – including one who admitted to lying about Iran’s nuclear program – to get back to work.
With the stakes so high, America needs “anytime, anywhere” short-notice inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites. This deal only includes “managed” inspections which might as well be called “manipulated” inspections. It could take 24 days to get access to nuclear sites, and by then Iran will have had all the time they need to cover up their deceitful actions. America requires surprise inspections on farms and in manufacturing plants and restaurants; we should definitely require it of our enemy’s nuclear sites.
Furthermore, all Americans should be outraged that this deal does not free the four Americans being held in Iran. Refusing the freedom of Americans being held unjustly should be a deal-breaker for the Obama Administration on lifting sanctions on Iran and letting them return to business as usual.
We cannot give Iran the benefit of the doubt on nuclear weapons; the safety of American citizens and our allies, such as Israel, is too important. Iran has a history of breaking its international obligations, and this deal is not strong enough. The president has the authority to decide our vote in the United Nations, but Congress does not have to agree. I will not be supporting this disastrous deal.
