Submitted by

Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer

Columbia, Missouri – Ed Martin would like to invite the public and all fellow Republican to attend the first Missouri Republican Party Statewide BBQ on June 22^nd, featuring Senator Roy Blunt.

Following the summer tradition of Senator Kit Bond from years past, they plan to make this a yearly statewide gathering, with Senator Roy Blunt among other elected officials throughout the state.

There is a charge of $10 per family, which will cover the cost of food and beverages for your entire family.  The BBQ will be at the Eagles Lodge in Columbia, Missouri at 1:00 p.m.

You must R.S.V.P. for the Summer Party BBQ prior to attending. For more information send an email to mail@mogop.org or contact Richard C. Peerson, Treasurer at (573) 636-3146.

Hurry and reserve your tickets today.  Missouri Republicans across the state will be attending along with many of elected officials and their staff.

Submitted by

Beth Farrah, SMT Writer

Jefferson City, Missouri – Gov. Jay Nixon says the April jobs report released today shows Missouri’s economy continues its momentum in the right direction. The April jobs report showed that Missouri employers created more than 12,000 new jobs during the month, while the state’s unemployment rate fell to 6.6 percent, lower than the U.S. unemployment rate for the 44th consecutive month.

The Governor also said the gain in tech industry jobs – highlighted in a report released today from the TechAmerica Foundation – demonstrates how the technology and science sectors continue to grow in the Show-Me State, with Missouri posting the third highest percentage increase in tech industry jobs last year in the nation.

“We continue to see the strong, positive indicators for our economy, both in the jobs report and in this national tech industry study,” Gov. Nixon said. “Those indicators can be seen in announcements by companies as large as Monsanto, Ford and IBM, and in the growth of small businesses in towns across the state. We’ve been successful in fostering a stable, pro-business economy that is helping companies of all sizes invest in our state, create jobs for our outstanding workforce, and ensure that Missouri remains a place attractive to live and work.”

Submitted by

Beth Farrah, SMT Writer

Volume 2, Issue 65

Jefferson City, Missouri - Before Session draws to a close, the Legislature must truly agree to and finally pass the budget. The Missouri Constitution requires us to pass a balanced, on-time budget. Once again, the House and Senate worked together to deliver a responsible fiscal plan that puts the priorities of Missourians first.

The biggest appropriations are those allocating money to Elementary and Secondary Education and Higher Education—and with good reason. Education is crucial for economic growth and, more importantly, for individual success. We in the Missouri Legislature are dedicated to providing the highest-quality education to all Missourians at all levels. The budget reflects this commitment.

The 2014 Budget contains the largest level of funding for K-12 education in the history of the state, including a $66 million increase in funding for the Foundation Formula.

Today’s working world often requires an advanced degree or technical training. That’s why we are working harder than ever to provide funds for higher education. The budget this year includes increases in scholarship opportunities—including a $2.4 million increase for Bright Flight and a $1 million increase for Access Missouri—and in funding for colleges and career programs.

Besides the general $25 million increase for four-year state universities, we also allocated money to establish or build programs that will train students for highly in-demand careers. Among these items are: $1.3 million for an Occupational Therapy Program at Missouri State University and $150,000 for Three Rivers to establish a trade school in Willow Springs. Another $10 million will go to the medical school at the University of Missouri to build a cooperative program with Springfield hospitals.

The people of Missouri have made it clear health and public safety are top concerns. One of our goals this session has been improving mental health in order to fight crime. We know that health and safety go hand-in-hand. The 2014 budget reflects this goal. We budgeted $8.9 million for developmentally disabled provider rate restricting in the Department of Mental Health, while also arranging the first provider rate increases in years for nursing homes, mental health services, and home and community-based services.

Submitted by

Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer

Jefferson City, Missouri - In the Missouri House we strive to be good stewards of the public interest and the people’s money. When times got tough several years ago, we tightened our belts and made difficult and often painful cuts. Today, an opportunity has arisen to invest in Missouri’s future through rebuilding the infrastructure of our state facilities.

The House recently perfected House Joint Resolution (HJR) 14, which will create the Fifth State Building Fund. Last October, we made our final payment on the 30-year, $600 million Third State Building Bond. That bond was approved by the people of Missouri in 1982, when interest rates were between eight and nine percent.

Today, the need for a public works program is great. So is the opportunity for implementing this program at the lowest possible rates. Interest rates are historically low. At 3.3%, they are one-third of what they were in 1982. In fact, these are the best rates this country has seen since the mid-1800s. 

Upon voter approval, HJR 14 would allow Missouri to raise up to $1.2 billion to be used for various construction, renovation, and rebuilding projects at state facilities. Up to $600 million would be invested in our higher education facilities. It would allow community colleges and universities to acquire new land on which to build facilities, such as medical training clinics and energy research centers, areas where we anticipate growth in the coming years.

At least $40 million will go toward preserving and maintaining our 85 state parks. New funds will help the parks system build new public facilities, upgraded campgrounds, and boardwalks, which will in turn bring about new and increased tourism. Up to $100 million will be reserved for improvements to the Missouri State Capitol. This building is not only the workplace of the Missouri Legislature—it is a state treasure, a museum of magnificent art and architecture, and an inspiration to the thousands of schoolchildren who come here each year.

The building bond will also provide up to $20 million for renovating the public elementary and secondary schools our children attend every day. Two-hundred million dollars will be set aside for a new mental health facility in Callaway County. The current Fulton State Hospital facility is dilapidated, an unsafe place to work, and an impossible place to heal. HJR 14 would finally provide the funds for not just improvements, but a whole new building at which to treat the criminally mentally ill individuals in our state.

The remaining portion of the $1.2 billion bond will go toward various building and infrastructure projects, from other state buildings to rural water districts. To give an idea of the many projects that can be aided by a new building fund, we look at the 1982 bond. It provided money for soil and water conservation projects, group homes in Jackson County, storm water control grants, and the construction of the Western Missouri Correction Center, along with the myriad improvements and expansion to higher education facilities.

The Great Seal of the State of Missouri depicts a crescent moon. When the seal was designed in 1822, the crescent moon symbolized the hope that our state – small at the time, but with a wealth of natural resources – would continue to grow. Today we have an opportunity to fulfill our forebears’ hopes. The Fifth State Building Fund will create jobs, invest in education and health, and move to preserve and grow Missouri.

With the end of Session approaching, the House is putting the finishing touches on several important pieces of legislation. One of these Senate bills, SB 28, modifies eligibility requirements for unemployment benefits.

Current law states that in order to qualify for benefits, an individual must lose their job through no fault of their own, or they must quit for a good cause related to their work or their employer. If a person is fired because of misconduct, they do receive unemployment. The trouble is that the current definition doesn’t specify what offenses constitute misconduct. This results in abuse of the system.  Senate Bill 28 simply puts into statue what is already common sense: there are certain behaviors that reasonably result in termination, and the state should not pick up the tab for these individuals.

Under the revised law, misconduct occurs when an employee knowingly violates the standards of behavior expected by the employer. The clarified definition of misconduct also includes chronic absenteeism or tardiness. This is an essential provision of the bill, because chronic absenteeism hurts a company’s productivity, and makes the worker a liability, not an asset, to the workplace environment. We should not be rewarding such behavior with unemployment benefits.

If an individual is working for a state-licensed entity, misconduct also includes knowingly violating state laws or regulations. These kinds of violations not only harm the employer’s interests, but could result in the workplace having its license or certification revoked. Again, these actions should not be rewarded. 

Reform of our unemployment benefits system is a necessity in the present economy. Missouri’s unemployment insurance system is currently more than $500 million in debt. By reasonably tightening the eligibility requirements for unemployment insurance, Senate Bill 28 will allow this program to become financially sound more quickly.

Unemployment insurance, like other state benefits, was created as a safety net. This particular safety net is for those employees who are terminated because of company-wide cuts, for unjust cause, and for other reasons that aren’t the fault of the employee. By preventing just anyone from falling into the net, we are strengthening the system for those who need it.

Throughout this session, the House of Representatives has stood firm against reckless proposals to drastically expand Medicaid - a system already fraught with waste, fraud, and abuse. While I am committed to providing the truly needy with access to medical care, blindly throwing money into a broken system will not solve the underlying problems that plague our healthcare system. Simply enlarging Medicaid will not lower climbing prices, improve the quality of care, or stop people from taking advantage of a program meant only for the most vulnerable in our society. Transforming Medicaid is the only way to make the system more efficient and effective, so this is the task we in the House have dedicated ourselves to.

This week, the House passed HB 986, which creates the Joint Committee on Medicaid Transformation to investigate needed reforms. This bipartisan group of Representatives and Senators will meet with organizations and citizens from around the state to explore ways to limit skyrocketing medical costs, encourage preventative care, comply with federal mandates, and help able-bodied adults transition to private coverage. I have asked to be a part of this committee since our district is so strongly affected.

This past week our district lost one of their public servants with the passing of Mayor Diane Sayre of Caruthersville. For the many years she served though tornadoes and floods, her resolve was always about the betterment of the community.

As always, it is an honor to serve you in the Missouri House. If you would like to discuss any issue, please call 573-751-3629. You can also email me at Kent.Hampton@house.mo.gov. I look forward to hearing from you.    

Submitted by

Beth Farrah, SMT Writer

Jefferson City, Missouri – Missouri’s Juror Appreciation Week will be observed this year Monday, April 29 through Friday, May 3, 2013. During the week, judges, lawyers and court clerks let jurors know the importance of their contribution to the courts and to their communities.

According to court records, more than 88,000 Missourians reported for jury duty in state courts in 2012.

More than 50 courthouses throughout the state will observe the week in different ways. Many will display a Missouri Bar poster that thanks jurors for doing their part. Judges also may take additional time to thank jurors and to acknowledge the significance of their service.

Missouri Bar President Patrick B. Starke said the right to trial by a jury is one of the fundamental guarantees included in the Bill of Rights. He noted Thomas Jefferson’s quote on the importance of this right:  "I consider trial by jury as the only anchor yet imagined by man by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution."

“This year, thousands of Missourians will be called to report for jury duty,” Starke said. “We understand that to serve means rearranging schedules, canceling appointments, and often times missing work. This week is dedicated to recognizing those sacrifices and thanking Missourians who report for jury duty because they are doing their part to protect this core right which is as fundamental to our country’s democracy as the right to vote.”

Missouri is one of only a few states that hold a statewide Juror Appreciation Week. The observance began in 2000 by order of the Supreme Court of Missouri. The order states, “Each year thousands of Missourians perform one of the most significant civic duties granted to citizens -- they serve as fair and impartial jurors in communities throughout the state. To honor those citizens who have performed their civic duty, all Missouri courts are directed to observe Juror Appreciation Week…”

To learn more about Juror Appreciation Week, visit The Missouri Bar’s website on the event at http://www.mobar.org/jurorappreciationweek/.

The Missouri Bar is a statewide organization that is dedicated to improving the legal profession, the law and the administration of justice for all Missourians. Created in 1944 by order of the Supreme Court of Missouri, it serves all 30,000 of Missouri’s practicing attorneys. To achieve its mission, The Missouri Bar provides a wide range of services and resources to its members, as well as the media, educators and the citizens of Missouri. To learn more about The Missouri Bar, visit www.mobar.org.