Southeast Missouri - U.S. Senator Roy Blunt will be making stops and visiting with folks in the 25th District on Tuesday, August 30th in Dexter, Sikeston, and Charleston.

His schedule is below:

Tuesday, August 30, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Rice Trailers
166 Highway V
Harviell, Missouri
(Plant location is approximately 9 miles south of Poplar Bluff) at Junction of Hwy 67 & Hwy 160W
 
Tuesday, August 30, 2016 at 10:30 AM
The Mule Barn
15080 State Highway F
Dexter, Missouri
 

Tuesday, August 30, 2016 at 1:15 PM
Dewitt Company
River Birch Mall, 905 South Kingshighway
Sikeston, Missouri
 
Tuesday, August 30, 2016 at 2:30 PM
Delta New Holland
975 South Highway 105
Charleston, Missouri

Jefferson City, Missouri - Gov. Jay Nixon today announced that he has granted pardons to six men and one woman, each of whom has completed his or her sentence and has become a law-abiding citizen.

“The executive power to grant clemency is one I take with a great deal of consideration and seriousness,” Gov. Nixon said. “In each of these cases warranting a pardon, the individual has demonstrated the ability and willingness to be a contributing member of society.”

Those granted pardons are:

• Patricia Lane, who was placed on five years’ probation after being convicted in Audrain County in 1988 of two counts of passing bad checks. She received an early discharge from probation and has not been charged with any other crimes. Lane is currently employed by the Missouri Department of Corrections. 
• Jackie Vent, who was given a two-year term of probation after being convicted of possession of over 35 grams of marijuana in New Madrid County in 1980. Vent received an early discharge from probation and has not been charged with any other crimes since that time. He has served as a pastor at a church in Tulsa, Okla., for the past 34 years.
• James Hardin, who received a one-year term of unsupervised probation after being convicted of stealing in Jasper County in 2007. He paid restitution for the stolen merchandise and has not been charged with any other crimes since successfully completing probation. Hardin has been gainfully employed since being discharged from probation.
• William Harrison, who pleaded guilty to a charge of passing a bad check in Franklin County in 1993. He paid full restitution and was given a five-year term of probation, which he successfully completed. Harrison was gainfully employed after completing probation and has not been charged with any other crimes. 
• Leroy Kerns, who pleaded guilty to unlawful use of drug paraphernalia in Vernon County in 2004. He successfully completed a two-year term of probation and has been gainfully employed since that time.
• Jerry Simpson, who pleaded guilty to stealing in Stoddard County in 1985. Simpson successfully completed a two-year term of probation and has not been charged with any other crimes. He was employed for many years as a maintenance employee.
• Earnest Leap, who entered an Alford plea to a charge of sexual abuse in 1992 in Jackson County. Leap successfully completed a three-year term of probation and has not been charged with any other crime since then. The person named as the victim, who is now an adult, has since told authorities that the incident did not happen.

“In the case of Earnest Leap, the information that has come to light more recently and the fact that he has been a law-abiding and productive member of society were compelling enough for me to grant a pardon,” Gov. Nixon said.

 
Cape Girardeau, Missouri - Congressman Jason Smith has named two educators from the 8th Congressional District to represent him on the Missouri State Council for the Congressional Award. Jennifer Woods, principal of South Iron Elementary School and Scott Dill, superintendent of Poplar Bluff Schools, will offer their input in the process of recruiting candidates for the Congressional Award.

"The Congressional Award is the highest award Congress can give to a young person," explained Smith.  "I am delighted to have these two dedicated community members representing me on the Missouri Council. The commitment and successes Jennifer and Scott have made in improving the lives of the thousands of students they have had the opportunity to work with and better is truly remarkable. I am honored that in addition to their current positions, they are willing to continue those efforts through additional means such as the Congressional Award program."

Youth between the ages of 14 and 23 are eligible to register for the awards program. They commit to achieve the required hours of community service and to set and accomplish goals of personal growth, exploration and physical fitness. Based upon the achievements, bronze, silver and gold medals are awarded. To register, go to www.jasonsmith.house.gov.

Candidates select an adult mentor to help them and keep a scrapbook of their journey.

"Students who plan to take part in the A-plus program, become Eagle Scouts, participate in FFA, Future Business Leaders of America or the National Honor Society will already be on track to do what the Congressional Award program requires," said Smith. "However it is open to all students interested in bettering themselves and their communities and serves as the official way Congress can celebrate the commitment and time these students put forth."
 
Candidates pledge to give hours of community service such as volunteering at a homeless shelter or mentor a younger student. Additionally, they may also pledge to improve their physical fitness by taking part in a program of exercise or develop a project of personal exploration, such as specialized study of a specific topic or taking a trip to learn about another culture. Overall the purpose of the program is to foster personal development by setting goals and discovering new talents and abilities.
 
"They're involved in their own personal growth and achievement, but also involved in what goes on in their schools and their communities," said Dill, who is beginning his 20th year in education. "I would think this kind of award would open doors for these students."

Dill is beginning his first year in Poplar Bluff after serving as superintendent for nine years in Houston, Mo.

"This is a wonderful way to encourage our youth to challenge themselves and award their efforts," said Woods. "The earlier the students become aware of the award, the better the chance they'll be able to do all that's required to achieve it."

There are 50,000 young people throughout the nation working toward the Congressional Award. All 8th district medals will be awarded by Congressman Smith at a state or local ceremony. Gold medalists are invited to Washington D.C. for another ceremony that honors their achievements.

The Importance of Voting
 
This week many Missourians chose to exercise one of their most important rights by heading to the polls to vote in the August primary. Men and women from all over the state participated in the elections process to help determine who will represent them in the halls of government. By casting their votes, they were able to make their voices heard to help determine the path the state of Missouri will take heading into the future.
 
While approximately 1 million Missourians took the time to cast their votes, the 2016 primary also underscores the fact that many more Missourians continue to choose not to exercise their right to vote. Missouri typically sees see voter turnout in the 20 to 25 percent range for primary elections and August 2 primary followed that pattern. The truth is that approximately three out of every four voters choose to disenfranchise themselves by not participating in the process. When considering that some primaries were decided by as few as 50 votes, it reinforces the fact that every vote counts and that Missourians need to become more engaged in the political process.
 
Missourians who did not participate now have the opportunity to research the candidates and their issues and prepare to make their voices heard in November. Missourians will have the ability to help determine the winners and losers and, ultimately, the kind of policies the state and nation will work toward in the coming years. Hopefully Missourians will not take this fundamental right for granted.
 
Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday
 
Summer will soon be winding down and families will turn their attention to sending their kids back to school. School starting up again soon means parents will need to buy new school supplies and clothes to get their children ready for the classroom. To help with this process, Missouri has a three-day back-to-school tax holiday that exempts everything from school supplies to computers from sales tax.
 
Approved by the legislature in 2003, the three-day period allows parents to buy school-related items such as clothing, school supplies and computers without having to pay the state sales tax of 4.225 percent. In some cases, local municipalities have also chosen to honor the holiday, which means parents in these areas will be able to forego local sales tax as well. For a complete list of the cities and counties that have chosen not to participate, please use the following link: http://dor.mo.gov/business/sales/taxholiday/school/
 
This is a great way for Missourians to stretch their dollars by making the cost of going back to school a little more affordable. Parents are encouraged to take advantage of the holiday that begins Friday, Aug. 5 at 12:01 a.m. and runs through Sunday, Aug. 7. It’s important to note that the school supply tax exemption has a limit of $50 per purchase, while the clothing exemption has a $100 limit and the personal computer tax exemption has a limit of $1,500. For more information, please visit: http://dor.mo.gov/business/sales/taxholiday/school/consumers.php
 
Legislature Likely to Revisit Unemployment Reform Issue
 
It was during the 2015 session that the Missouri General Assembly approved legislation to reform the state’s system of unemployment. The legislation was intended to bring financial stability to the system, which went insolvent after the 2008 economic downturn. Its primary provisions acted to link unemployment benefits to the rate of unemployment, and ensure the state keeps more money in the unemployment trust fund. It was a change House members supported in order to end Missouri’s trend of borrowing money from the federal government to pay for unemployment benefits.
 
Shortly after the legislature acted, the governor vetoed the legislation to prevent it from becoming law. House members then quickly responded by overriding the governor’s veto and sending the bill to the Senate to complete the override. However, Senate members did not act during the regular session, but instead completed the veto override motion during the annual Veto Session in September. The bill then went into effect as law and Missouri reformed its system of unemployment as the legislature intended.
 
These reforms were recently struck down when the Missouri Supreme Court decided the veto override completed by the legislature was invalid. Specifically, the court decided the Senate violated the constitution by overriding the veto during the annual Veto Session, which the court said is reserved for bills vetoed only during the final week of the regular session or later. In the opinion of the court, because the bill was vetoed by the governor more than a week before session ended, the Senate needed to complete the override motion during the regular session rather than the Veto Session.
 
The decision drew immediate criticism from legislative leaders. House Speaker Todd Richardson said, “We are now in unprecedented and unsettling territory with the Supreme Court’s decision to overstep its authority and create new limits on the legislature’s veto override power. The truth is that our constitution provides both legislative bodies with the authority to determine the rules of their own proceedings, and our proceedings clearly complied with our own requirements and the language of the constitution. To see the court overreach in this way in order to invalidate a piece of legislation that received the support of supermajorities in both chambers should raise concerns for all Missourians who believe in fair and balanced branches of government.”
 
Senate leaders pledged to revisit the issue when the legislature convenes for the 2017 session in January. Members from both chambers have pointed out that the state will have a new governor when the legislature meets again, and many are hopeful the state will have a leader who will work with House and Senate members to fix the state’s system of unemployment so that it can remain solvent.

Making the Fight Personal
August 5, 2016

Over the past 11 days, I have travelled nearly 3,000 miles, visited all 30 counties of Missouri’s 8th Congressional District and have visited almost 50 different farms and agricultural businesses. There were early mornings and long days in the scorching Missouri heat over the past two weeks, but that is nothing new to many of the incredible folks I had the opportunity to visit with. Getting to better know and understand firsthand the issues these hardworking farmers and small business owners are dealing with on a daily basis has been a great experience.

Each farm I traveled to over the past two weeks was unique and each farm family I visited had their own way of doing things, many of which were incorporating their own innovation into their operations. For many of the families, farming has been a way of life that has been passed down from generation to generation. In Ste. Genevieve, I visited Oberle Meats, a sausage making business that has been a pillar of the Ste. Genevieve community for 146 years. Today, the business is still run by the Oberle family who have maintained the highest quality standards that have made their meat famous and the centerpiece of many Missouri families special occasions. I also visited 4M Vineyards which is a family run business that started out as an FFA project and has turned into one of the largest concord grape vineyards in Missouri. Or, the Marler’s who own cattle, but also oversee a large timber operation. I even got to stop by Country Fish Farms in my hometown and visit the Cahill’s whom I have known since I was a kid. They help stock ponds, lakes and resorts across Missouri that allow many of us to enjoy the great outdoors even more and, during the winter, their farm attracts a family of bald eagles which is a sight to see.

Many of the farms and agriculture businesses I visited not only are committed to producing the highest quality products, they are also committed to the innovation and growth of the agriculture industry in Missouri. For instance, the Fisher Delta Research Center in Portageville is conducting fascinating research recognized across the world. The folks at the Delta Research Center study cotton and rice production as well as crop irrigation systems across the farmlands of southeast Missouri in order to develop better cropping and insect and disease-control systems. I visited Heckemeyer’s Sweet Sorghum Farm in Sikeston where owner Matt Heckemeyer is working to unlock sweet sorghums potential by trying it as an animal feed, food-grade syrup and potential fuel source. I visited Jayce Mountain Pork in Fredericktown that is using state-of-the-art technology to produce the highest quality pork product while maintaining the safest standards. Seeing how passionate these farmers and researchers are about developing new and innovative ways to keep agriculture strong in Missouri, I am confident that agriculture will remain our state’s number one industry and continue to get stronger into the future.

More importantly, this farm tour provided a fresh perspective on the struggles and issues that farmers and small business owners in southeast and south central Missouri are facing and how I can better serve and fight for the people who call our area home. Regulation happy Washington bureaucrats who have never set foot on a farm in Missouri continue to try every way they can to make life more difficult for those farmers who provide for the needs of our nation and the world and who just want Washington out of their way and off their backs. Washington is out of touch with rural America and they don’t understand our traditions and values. For instance, of the 435 members in Congress, less than 100 represent rural America. This makes our struggle fighting not only Washington regulations, but also trying to educate other members of Congress about the importance of the parts of the country that help feed, clothe, and provide shelter for their families.  I am incredibly proud to call Missouri’s 8th District home, and even more proud to be able to represent the amazing folks, and so many others like them, I had the great opportunity to learn about these past two weeks. As I continue to fight for our district, the names, faces, and families I get to meet increase my resolve and make the challenge to change Washington even more personal.