“Fourteen years ago today, America witnessed the most horrific terrorist attack ever to take place on our nation’s soil,” said Blunt. “We will never forget the innocent victims and their families who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
“We continue to face real threats from terrorists today, and we were reminded of this just three years ago with the loss of four Americans who were killed during a deadly and senseless terrorist attack in Benghazi. I will continue working to ensure those who work and fight for our freedoms have the resources they need to protect our country. We will always be forever grateful for our country’s brave service members, intelligence professionals, and first responders who tirelessly work to keep us safe.”
Blunt currently serves as a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He previously served as a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
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.
Age Spots by Ruth Dockins
On June 14th, Silver Haired Legislature (SHL) board members met in Jefferson City to establish their area of concern and support for the 1,000,000 senior citizens of Missouri. Board Members from Region two are Connie Larrew of Poplar Bluff and Doug Austin of Cape Girardeau.
From a list of 54 items, the Bills Committee selected 24 specific proposals to present to the 150 Silver Haired Legislators at their October meeting. The final list of five priorities and two alternates will then be presented to our Missouri State Representatives, Senators and Lt. Governor and published to all Senior Centers across the state.
Missouri’s Silver Haired Legislature was founded in 1973, the first such organization in the nation. SHL is composed of fifteen volunteers from each of the ten statewide Area Agencies on Aging. These 150 senior advocates, elected by their peers, identify and advocate for issues critical to older Missourians.
SHL member Doug Austin of Cape Girardeau says : "The age of our senior citizens does not automatically eliminate our ability to remain an active contributing member of society. We may drive a little slower but we get where we're going and in the Great State of Missouri, 77% of our seniors go to the polls!”
Anyone interested in learning further details about the priorities of the Silver Haired Legislature, or serving as a SHL delegate, is encouraged to contactDoug Austin - ldaustin1@charter.net or Connie Larrew - cjlarrew@yahoo.com
