Celebrating Thanksgiving
 
Just a few weeks ago we came together as a nation to decide our future as we voted for the individuals who will lead us in the years to come. A few days later, we paused to honor and remember the efforts of the men and women who have fought to preserve our right to vote, and our many other freedoms. Now, as we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, it’s a time to give thanks for the many blessings we have as a people and a nation.
 
Unlike many other nations, we do have free and fair elections where the decisions of folks from all walks of life are counted equally. Even if you’re unhappy with the outcome of the elections, you have to admire a system that allowed all of our voices to be heard through the voting process. Even better, we are able to do this is in a nation where equality and opportunity are real things. We are fortunate to live in a land where dreams can come true through hard work and determination, and where the American Dream is a reality for those who pursue it.
 
And on a day where we give thanks, it is important to keep in our hearts and prayers the many men and women who continue to serve and protect our great nation. So many of them are away from home, and apart from those they love during a time of year when being with family means so much. They have put love of country above all, and for that we must give them our sincere thanks and gratitude.
 
It’s also during this time of the year when we should look beyond our own trials and tribulations, and ask what we can do to help those around us in need. As you give thanks with your family, I urge you to take the time to start this discussion. While you may have plenty, so many others do not. It is during the holiday season that a donation to the local food bank or the Salvation Army can mean so much for a family that otherwise would go without.
 
On a personal note, let me also say that I am extremely thankful to continue to have the privilege of serving as your state representative. It has been an honor and a blessing and an experience that has forever altered my life in a profoundly positive way. As I sit down with my own family this Thanksgiving, I will certainly have your family, and all the families of this district, in mind as I think about the legislative session that begins in January and the things we can do as a legislature to make our great state even greater. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to serve as your voice in the halls of government, and may you have a happy Thanksgiving.
 

Missouri State Senator Doug Libla Announces Intent to File Legislation Regarding Violence Against Law Enforcement

Jefferson City, Missouri - Today, Senator Doug Libla (R-Poplar Bluff) announced he will file legislation on December 1st enhancing penalties for those who are convicted of attacking law enforcement officers and first responders.
 
“Our law enforcement officers need to know that members of the Missouri General Assembly have their back,” stated Sen. Libla. “As Chairman of the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure, and Public Safety Committee I will keep this important issue at the forefront of the committee and Missouri Senate’s agenda this upcoming legislative session.”
 
Under current law Missouri statute outlines the penalties for crimes, and allows for enhanced penalties on special victims, which definition includes law enforcement officers and first responders. Senator Libla’s legislation will further increase the penalties for specifically attacking law enforcement officers and first responders. “I am amazed and dismayed at the level of disrespect being shown to the brave men and women who have chosen to serve and protect us. For simply wearing the uniform our heroes are being targeted and attacked. This has to stop,” declared Sen. Libla.
 
Senator Libla was re-elected to a second term in the Missouri Senate earlier this month. He proudly serves the counties of Butler, Carter, Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Shannon and Stoddard. For the last two years he has served as Chairman of Senate Transportation, Infrastructure, and Public Safety Committee.

Missouri - Governor-elect Eric Greitens launched his transition website, govelect.mo.gov this morning and encouraged Missourians with a desire to serve their state to apply.
 
"What we have earned is something sacred: the privilege to serve,” Governor-elect Eric Greitens said. “We are looking for the best and the brightest to join our mission to create more jobs, higher pay, safer streets, and better schools for Missouri."

Governor-elect Eric Greitens has selected his former Campaign Manager and current Senior Advisor, Austin Chambers, to oversee the transition. Additional members of the transition team will be announced in the coming days.

Those interested in serving Missouri should submit their resume, cover letter, and contact information through the website.

Congressman Jason Smith Capitol Report
Stopping a Lame Duck President
November 18, 2016

The elections are over and we now know that Donald J Trump will become the 45th President of the United States. One of the key factors to his victory was a promise to stop the onslaught of Washington driven regulations and executive orders coming from the Obama White House which have crippled American farmers, families and business owners. However, with just under 62 days left in office, the Obama Administration is attempting to rush and complete high-cost, politically-driven regulations written by Washington bureaucrats bent on cementing this President’s legacy as one of the most liberal anti-business Administrations in our country’s history.

In a final attempt to implement his out of touch agenda, the exact thing the American people overwhelmingly rejected just last week, President Obama is attempting to use what are called “Midnight Rules” to usher through last minute federal regulations. During the final months of a presidential administration, the outgoing administration can achieve certain policy goals by practicing “midnight rulemaking” to create cumbersome and costly regulations that often go unchallenged by Congress. We expect over 50 potential midnight regulations could be rushed out, EACH of which could have an impact on the economy exceeding $100 million. But Congress has a message for the Obama Administration; NOT SO FAST Mr. President.

Since President Obama took office, nearly 3,000 new regulations have been finalized, costing more than $850 billion. Under the Obama Administration, the number of pages in the Code of Federal Regulations has grown to a whopping 175,268, resulting in 563 million hours of paperwork. In fact, during Obama’s first five years in office alone, federal agencies added 17,522 pages of regulations, averaging a staggering 3,504 per year. The worst part of this is how much these regulations are costing hardworking Americans across the country. On average, federal regulations under the Obama Administration cost $15,000 per American household every year.

Americans simply cannot afford anymore regulations – they are suffocating our economy. That is why I was proud to support legislation this week that will stop the Obama Administration from continuing to harm hardworking Americans. The Midnight Rules Relief Act, passed by the House of Representatives will prohibit the use of midnight rules, stopping President Obama’s last ditch efforts to fulfill floundering campaign promises. This bill amends the Congressional Review Act which has been in place since 1996, to allow Congress to disapprove multiple rules with one vote as opposed to only one rule at a time. The Congressional Review Act gives Congress 60 legislative days to review and override major regulations enacted by federal agencies of the outgoing administration. This act was passed 20 years ago and was used successfully by the Bush Administration in 2001 to dismantle the lame duck Clinton Administration from implementing the ergonomics rule proposed under Clinton’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that was projected to cost upwards of $123 billion per year. The Midnight Rules Relief Act will strengthen the Congressional Review Act and is an important tool at our disposal to continue to dismantle the Obama regulatory machine.

This is the type of regulation reform that America deserves and is what’s needed to help pave the way for President-Elect Trump who has pledged to do what is necessary in order to unleash American potential. Hardworking Missourians have grown fed up with out of control government bureaucracy and red tape. Farmers and business owners are now spending more time complying with regulations written by a bureaucrat who has never set foot on a farm or signed the front of a paycheck than tending to their land, growing their business or hiring American workers. When I met with Vice President-Elect Mike Pence this week, the top of his list was how the new administration is going to work to find real solutions to the most important issues facing hardworking Americans. The Obama Administration's top-down, big-government, Washington-knows-best approach to government over the past 8 years is finally coming to an end. I look forward to working with the incoming Trump Administration to put our country back on track by delivering meaningful solutions that actually address the real problems Americans are facing.

Honoring Our Nation’s Heroes
 
As citizens from all walks of life turned out to cast their votes and make their voices heard on Election Day, it was an important reminder of the freedoms that have been fought for and defended throughout the centuries by the many brave men and women who have rightfully earned the title of hero.
 
It’s on Veterans Day that that we pause as a nation to honor those who have put their love of country above all else. It’s a time to thank those who have risked life and limb to ensure Americans can vote on Election Day. It’s a time to salute those who have fought to protect us from the scourge of tyranny and injustice. It has been said many times before, but it must be said again on Veterans Day; we owe these brave souls a debt of gratitude that can never be fully repaid. That is why it’s imperative that our gratitude and respect for their service be sincere and abundant.
 
However, even with the commitment so many of us make to honor their heroism, many of our veterans continue to live without any sort of recognition of their selfless service. Think about these numbers for a moment. Each night here in this country there are more than 50,000 homeless veterans sleeping wherever they can find shelter. In fact, veterans make up more than 55 percent of the homeless individuals on our streets. Consider too that the suicide rate among those who have served is 50 percent higher than those who have not. And even here in Missouri, where we make a concerted effort to do all we can for our veterans, we still see approximately 2,000 veterans on a waiting list to receive care at one of our seven veterans homes.
 
The good news is that Missouri is a state that is willing to do all it can to help the more than 490,000 who call our state home. Our economy is boosted by the nearly 50,000 veteran-owned businesses within our borders. Our efforts to invest in our veterans through job training and new educational opportunities saw more than 14,000 veterans go back to school and receive more than $55 million in assistance in 2014. Missouri has also worked to help veterans overcome substance abuse problems by creating Veterans Treatment Courts. And thanks to these efforts, not only have thousands received the training they need to get better, higher-paying jobs, but we’ve also seen the suicide rate among veterans in our state drop by 37 percent over the last few years.
 
These are all positive signs and reasons we should take pride in our state and the way we acknowledge and treat our veterans. But there is always more we can and should do. That can be as simple as expressing your gratitude by saying thank you to someone you know who has served, or as involved as donating your time or money to charitable causes that work with our veterans. And for the legislature, it means continuing to find policy solutions for the issues faced by our veterans.
 
On Veterans Day I ask that we all make the promise to treat our veterans with the respect they have earned. And let us vow to do that not just on one day each year, but on each and every day. Their extraordinary accomplishments have created an extraordinary debt that we must consistently work to repay. Their sacrifices have given us the nation we love, and their commitment to service has protected the freedoms we all hold so dear. For this and for all they have done, we must always be grateful.