If any of you follow the news of Jefferson City, you can guess what kind of week this week has been. Very different than what I expected for the last week of session and very out of the ordinary. We have been able to, even with all the unusual events of this session, accomplish quite a bit of good for Missouri.
I will post at the end of this report a tentative schedule for the remainder of this month. If you would like to schedule a meeting with me in district or would like to have me speak to a group, please feel free to call my office (573/751-1494) or you may text my cell (573/820-6052).
Beginning next week, I will begin composing a few posts on lessons that I have learned during this first term of session as well as updating you on the work that I am doing the interim.
Until next week,
Tila
Capitol News:
Statement Regarding Speaker Diehl's Resignation:
Following revelations that he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a Capitol intern, Rep. John Diehl Jr. (R-Town and County) announced today that he would resign his position as Speaker of the House and as the State Representative for the 89th district.
Diehl’s decision to step down reflects his commitment to the Republican Caucus, saying, “I’m not going to further jeopardize what we have accomplished this year and what can be accomplished in the future.” Diehl went on to say [his actions were] “wrong and [he] is truly sorry… as a leader, I am responsible for my actions and I am willing to face the consequences."
The Republican Caucus and I fully support John Diehl’s decision to leave office immediately to focus on repairing his relationship with his wife and children; and to allow the Missouri House to return to its critical legislative obligations.
New Speaker Elected:
Representative Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, was elected to be the new Speaker of the House today. I am very proud for Speaker Richardson and I am confident that he will lead the House in a manner that will be worthy of the task given to us by the people of Missouri. Speaker Richardson was elected with bipartisan support in the House being the only nomination for Speaker. His first day at the helm, we passed 31 pieces of legislation to the Governor and worked until 6pm which is when we are constitutionally required to close business.
Jefferson City, Missouri - The Freshman Republican Caucus today presented a resolution and made a donation to their class charity, Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.). Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. provides resources to assist in the rebuilding of the lives of surviving families and affected co-workers of law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. Furthermore, C.O.P.S. provides training to law enforcement agencies on survivor victimization issues and educates the public of the need to support the law enforcement profession and its survivors.
"In times of turmoil there is an opportunity for organizations to make a real difference in people’s lives. One of these organizations that have gone above and beyond to make a difference is Concerns of Police Survivors," said Hubrecht, R-Dexter. “The Freshman Republican Class is honored to stand behind this compassionate organization and thank them for the powerful impact they are having on the families of our nation’s slain law enforcement officers.”
The Freshman Republican Class donated $5,600 to Concerns of Police Survivors. Every member of the Republican Freshman made a contribution towards the class’ charity. There to accept the donation was Mr. Steven Taylor, a member of the C.O.P.S. board of directors.
Representative Hubrecht honored with the
“Freshman Legislator of the Year Award”
Jefferson City, Missouri - To honor and recognize the efforts of Rep. Hubrecht R- Dexter for her work this year on the various issues and legislation that came before the Health and Mental Health Policy Committee. Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives John Diehl awarded Rep. Hubrecht the Freshman Legislator of the Year Award for Healthcare Issues.
“I firmly believe actions speak louder than words and as an elected official, those actions are crucial to the well-being of our constituents. I commend Rep. Hubrecht on her actions on legislation that impacts healthcare delivered to women, children and our senior citizens. She has shown firsthand that actions demonstrate leadership for the people of her district,” said Speaker Diehl.
Through her role as a member of the House Committee on Health and Mental Health Policy, Rep. Hubrecht helped promote legislation that would ensure the safety of long term care to senior citizens and the disabled. She is working currently to address the staffing challenges that are facing our long term care facilities throughout the state.
Rep. Hubrecht sponsored House Bills 896 and 897 to change the state’s law related to long term care facilities. House bill 897 is associated with the building of a long term care facilities and would remove duplicative building inspections during the planning and construction of a building.
She also authored legislation that would address the double oversight in long term care facilities related to staff being able to provide certain care to residents such as hair care. Currently there is dispute as to whether long term care staff can wash a resident’s hair when needed or if only the facility beautician can do this task.
Rep. Hubrecht also serves on the Ways and Means, Energy and the Environment, Elementary and Secondary Education House Committees, and the Joint Committee on Abuse and Neglect.
“I believe we accomplished a lot this year, both in the committee and in the House of Representatives,” said Rep. Hubrecht; and “I look forward to next year’s legislative session in January 2016.”
Tila Hubrecht's Capitol Report
Dear 151st District Constituents,
On Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10th, we honor the grace, wisdom, and strength of all of our mothers, and all women that have made a difference in a child’s life.
For those of us fortunate enough to have a mother living and guiding us, it is nothing less than a gift from above. I encourage you to take this day to celebrate the extraordinary contributions mothers make in the lives of their children and their families.
I also want to send a huge THANK YOU! to all our teachers, nurses and law enforcement officials! This week was also "their week".
Friday is Truman Day. I hope that if you don't know any background on this Outstanding Missourian, you will take a few moments and follow the link below to learn a little about Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, from Missouri!
During his few weeks as Vice President, Harry Truman scarcely saw President Franklin Roosevelt, and received no briefing on the development of the atomic bomb or the unfolding difficulties with Soviet Russia. Suddenly these and a host of other wartime problems became Truman's to solve when, on April 12, 1945, he became America's 33rd President.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/harrystruman
It has been a long week and a short week all in the same week! Not sure if anyone else has felt that way but I think all of us here, with session winding down, feel that way for sure! Things are moving fast with amendments being tacked onto anything that doesn't move fast enough! If you have any questions or would like more information on any bill listed below, just give my office a call and we will get you whatever you request.
We will be in session all of next week with session ending at 6pm on Friday. I will possibly be late getting the Capitol Report out due to I will finish it when session officially ends. I will also try to get an end of session report out as quickly as possible.
Until next week,
Tila
Main Street is the Road to Opportunity
This week we celebrated the backbone of our nation’s economy with National Small Business Week. America’s small businesses create about seven out of every 10 new jobs. Half of our nation’s workforce is employed at a small business, and 99.7 percent of all U.S. employers are small businesses. Sadly, though, it is getting tougher and tougher for our entrepreneurs to create businesses and live the American Dream. We must stop this trend now and do more to help job creators grow opportunities.
We must grow an “opportunity economy” instead of Washington, D.C.’s economy. Tomorrow’s good paying jobs will come from small business who have the freedom to innovate from the ground up – not from top-down bureaucrats looking out for special interests. That is why I am working to advance bottom-up solutions to build a healthy economy – one that will empower all Americans to seek new opportunities and achieve a better life.
There are an estimated 28 million small businesses in the United States and these businesses are facing overwhelming challenges of overregulation and uncertainty. In Congress, I have been working to alleviate many of these burdens on small businesses, the businesses that are the lifeblood of southeast and southern Missouri. I have introduced legislation that would help cut the regulatory red tape for job creators and families, called the SCRUB Act. We have also taken major steps to deal with the fallout from Obamacare, which is estimated to kill one million small business jobs. In addition to voting for a full repeal, the House has passed two pieces of legislation that would help small business owners hire more folks without triggering Obamacare’s mandates.
There is no shortage of people who want to start their own business. In our area, for example, I have heard about entrepreneurs with ideas for a hot sauce company, an auto detailer, and even a food truck. However, since 2008, more small businesses have closed than have opened. Even worse, this is the first time more businesses have closed than opened since we began tracking that data. Now is the time for us to turn this trend around and create an environment where we are encouraging entrepreneurship, not discouraging it. Let’s get Washington’s burdensome bureaucracy out of our local businesses, because government should be working for job creators not against them.
