Jefferson City, Missouri - Missouri 151st State Representative Tila Hubrecht put in her Capitol Report the following comments about protecting Missouri's Peace Officers! The Missouri House took action this week to deter crimes against law enforcement officials. House members approved legislation that would create enhanced penalties for individuals who assault officers of the law.
The legislation would increase by one degree the penalty for voluntary or involuntary manslaughter; first- or second-degree property damage; unlawful use of a weapon; rioting; or first-degree trespassing; when those crimes are committed against a law enforcement officer. As an example, voluntary manslaughter is a class B felony under current statute, but if HB 57 becomes law, voluntary manslaughter committed against a law enforcement officer would see the penalty increased to a class A felony.
As the bill’s sponsor told her colleagues, “Hopefully these additional penalties will be a deterrent for anyone who may be considering engaging in a crime against these public servants. This law is intended to further protect those who have dedicated themselves to safeguarding our communities," stated Tila Hubrecht, 151st State Representative.
Supporters of the bill said the enhanced penalties are necessary because crimes against law enforcement officers have increased in recent years. They also said the bill would reinforce the legislature’s commitment to law enforcement.
Hello and thank you so much for reading this week's Capitol Report!!
This week has been incredibly busy for us. I sit in on Budget hearings nearly every available moment, as we are still working very hard on the proposed budget cuts and the current budget shortages. I do want to make it very clear there will be cuts somewhere in the budget, however I am advocating for cuts to areas that will impact as least as possible those who cannot care for themselves. I am talking daily with individuals from our district that are watching numbers and the projected impact of various proposals. I truly want the outcome to be one which is right for Missouri and the people of the 151st district.
There are quite a few pieces of legislation beginning to hit the floor as well as in the various committees. My Utilities Committee has been hearing a significant amount of testimony. I have a lot of reading to do this weekend over these bills! The Employment Securities Committee also heard more testimony this week on Workers Compensation; the Department of Labor presented a very informative presentation to us about what happens with a claim after it is filed.
Tuesday evening I presented House Bill 174 to the Children's and Families Committee. This bill will put into place protections for Alternative to Abortion agencies. I feel these protections are very much required by the recent actions taken place by the city council in St. Louis. This bill will provide employers and the agencies working from a faith based view the protections they need. I am very grateful to the Catholic Arch Diocese for the support they are giving to me on this bill. The services that these agencies offer are an incredible resource and are very important to pregnant women who want to carry their unborn children to term. They range from providing a place for the woman (and child/children) to live, transportation to and from medical appointments, food, clothing and much more.
On Wednesday afternoon, House Bills 226 and 405 were both voted out of Health and Mental Health Committee. House Bill 226 deals with provisions related to Emergency Medical Services and treatments. It will allow a pathway for EMTs to administer the emergency medication of a patient with a rare disorder who carries the emergency medication on their person. With such disorders, the medication must be administered as quickly as possible; without it, the patient will die or suffer long term consequences. House Bill 405 clarifies some confusion in current statute as it relates to hospice patients. The clarification will state that patients under the care of a licensed hospice agency, no death investigation will be required if the death certificate is signed by the hospice physician and will require the coroner to be notified via written communication within 24 hours of the death.
I am staying an extra day in Jefferson City this week due to the first board meeting I will attend for ACT-MO. I was recently selected to serve on the Executive Board and am excited to begin! ACT-MO is a group focused on drug prevention and education. I am looking forward to working with this group and hopefully assisting to decrease the drug addictions in our state.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day this week!! I look forward to updating you more next week!
Until then,
Tila
The Right Recipient
February 17, 2017
In 2012, then President Obama signed into law the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act. While this legislation prevented a scheduled tax increase on millions of middle class families, it also rightfully authorized states across the country to begin drug testing applicants for Unemployment Insurance benefits. Simply put, prioritizing help to those who are doing everything they can to get back to work and to get off of government assistance is not only a right, but a responsibility of your government in its obligation to be good stewards of valuable taxpayer resources. This important section of the law was authored by the Republican controlled House of Representatives, then signed by President Obama, and it overturned an earlier regulation that banned states from drug testing applicants for unemployment assistance.
Unfortunately, soon after this new law hit the books – the same Obama White House that signed it started working behind the scenes, around Congress and behind the backs of the American people to circumvent it. They wrote rules and regulations out of the Department of Labor narrowly defining how, when, where and under what circumstances states may actually test for drug usage among applicants - all but nullifying the law a bipartisan Congress had passed and President Obama had himself signed. So when states like Wisconsin, Texas and others passed laws requiring the testing of Unemployment Insurance recipients for drug usage – they were unable to enforce them due to delays, obstructions and regulations from the Obama instructed Department of Labor.
It is your hard earned tax dollars that are used to fund government and all its programs – as such your government has a fiduciary responsibility to you that it will be good stewards of those resources. Unfortunately we have a federal government that has grown too big, taxes too high and spends too much of your tax dollars on government programs stricken with widespread fraud and abuse. It is one of the reasons I will continue to advocate for a government that takes less and allows the American people to keep more. As such I have long advocated for things like drug testing and work or job training requirements for those seeking welfare support or unemployment assistance. In 2011, I helped co-author and support Missouri State House Bill 73 which required Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients be tested for illegal drug use. That bill garnered support from both Democrats and Republicans because making sure taxpayer resources aren’t used to support individuals who are using those same dollars on illicit and illegal drugs just makes sense.
This week, with my support the House of Representatives passed a resolution to overturn the regulations used by the Obama White House which were preventing states from testing Unemployment Insurance recipients for drug usage. Our actions this week were to roll back and undo President Obama’s unfaithful execution of that 2012 law and to give states like Missouri the right to make sure hard working taxpayer dollars only go to deserving citizens. These are the type of common sense policies which make sense for thousands of private sector employers handing out a weekly paycheck and should as well for your federal government. Too many politicians and bureaucrats forget that it is their responsibility to protect and defend valuable taxpayer resources. As I continue to look for ways to cut the size and scope of your government while reducing fraud and waste, I am glad that I am joined by a President in the White House who shares the same vision of stamping out the abuse rampant throughout all levels of government.
Dexter, Missouri - Congressman Jason Smith's mobile office will be in Dexter on Thursday, February 16th. The office, staffed by a member of the Congressman's district staff allows area residents a chance to discuss their problems and concerns which are then relayed directly to the Congressman for action.
WHO: Representative Jason Smith’s Staff
WHAT: Mobile Office in Stoddard County
WHEN: Thursday, February 16, 2017
1:00pm to 2:00pm
WHERE: City of Dexter Municipal Building
119 Vine St
Dexter, MO 63841
Dexter, Missouri - Congressman Jason Smith's mobile office will be in Dexter on Thursday, February 16th. The office, staffed by a member of the Congressman's district staff allows area residents a chance to discuss their problems and concerns which are then relayed directly to the Congressman for action.
WHO: Representative Jason Smith’s Staff
WHAT: Mobile Office in Stoddard County
WHEN: Thursday, February 16, 2017
1:00pm to 2:00pm
WHERE: The Dexter Senior Center
23 West Stoddard Street
Dexter, MO 63841
