Header - The News Herd

  1. April YR Meeting with John Cauthorn
  2. Secretary of State (and Democrat Senate Candidate) Robin Carnahan & ACORN: Too Close for Comfort
  3. NEW - Rep. Steve Hobbs Report
  4. NEW - State Senator Kurt Schaefer Capitol Report for the week of March 22, 2010
  5. NEW - A START to Undermining Our Nuclear Security
  6. NEW - Images of the Week
  7. NEW - Missouri Newspapers Take On Rubberstamp Robin Carnahan
  8. Contact info for Congressmen Luetkemeyer and Skelton, Senator Bond, and Senator McCaskill
  9. UPDATED - Google Calendar of Upcoming Area Events
  10. Quick Links

Updated March 30, 2010

Thank you for viewing and reading the Central Missouri Young Republicans' eNewsletter this week. If this is your first time reading the CMYRs Update, welcome! Be sure to post this Update to your Facebook profile or other social networking options using the box at the very bottom of this web page.

Mike Zweifel
Communications Chair
Central Missouri Young Republicans
(573) 808-2947
centralmoyrs@gmail.com
Web • Facebook • YRNetwork.com • Twitter

Missouri Federation of Young Republicans
Web • Facebook

1. Monthly YR Meeting - Thursday, April 8

Click for our membership form and mailing instructions (pdf) (best viewed in Acrobat). Sign up for our FREE e-mail update here.

April Meeting
Thursday, April 8 at Shakespeare's Pizza West in Columbia, 7pm. RSVP at centralmoyrs@gmail.com. Speaker will be John Cauthorn, former state senator and candidate for the MO House 21st District.
View Larger Map

If you are a Repubulican candidate or on a campaign, and would like to speak to the group for a few minutes, please e-mail centralmoyrs@gmail.com.

ELECTION FILING NOTICE: Candidate Filing Deadline: Filing for the August 3, 2010 primary will end March 30 at 5 p.m. Go to your local county clerk's office (for county races) or the Secretary of State's office (for state and federal races) to file in time.

Back to top

2. Robin Carnahan and ACORN: Too Close For Comfort

http://acorncarnahan.com/

Over the years, Robin Carnahan has maintained close ties with the embattled liberal organization ACORN - furthering their goals and whitewashing their record of corruption and fraud. So the Missouri GOP requested all email correspondence between Carnahan's office and ACORN to determine just how cozy their relationship really is. They received more than 1,400 documents.

UPDATE: New web video highlights revolving door between Carnahan and liberal special interests

UPDATE 2: Not ACORN related, but Carnahan does want your tax $$$ for her brother Tom's company

Back to top

3. NEW - Rep. Steve Hobbs (MO 21st) Report (March 22, 2010)

We’ve finished the end of our first week back from break and it was a busy one.  I’ll get to floor activity a little later but want to bring you up to speed on the State budget.

As I’ve discussed before, the Governor outlined his budget priorities in January’s State of the State address.  If you have followed the media in recent weeks, you have heard of declining revenues and a weakening economy.  Most of you knew this from personal experience but sometimes government is slow to catch on.  We have been in negotiations with the Governor and the Senate over the last few weeks to trim this over-optimistic budget but currently a consensus has not been reached.  Last week in committee we trimmed about $80 million out of Governor Nixon’s introduced budget.  This week we’ve begun debating the package on the House floor.  We are running out of time to send the budget to the Senate so we need move it.  Some will say it is unbalanced and they may be right.  All I know is that the numbers change daily and we still have a lot of work to do.  We have until the start of May to agree on the numbers in the 2011 budget and I am not ready to give up yet.  One thing I will guarantee is that if we work together, we’ll have a positive outcome.

We’ve accomplished quite a few things that got us off to a good start this legislative session and I’d like to give you a recap of what’s been done so far that I may not have touched on yet.

Opposition of Government-Run Healthcare
I know many of you have been outspoken about the Federal healthcare bill that was signed today by the President and are concerned about the effects on your health insurance, medical treatment and our country in general.  In anticipation of this event, we passed House Joint Resolutions 48, 50 and 57 to oppose government-run healthcare.

Upon voter approval, this proposed constitutional amendment would allow individuals, employers and healthcare providers to opt out of participation in the federal health care bill.  The legislation prevents individuals and employers from being fined or penalized, allowing them to pay directly for lawful health care services.  It also states that health care providers can accept payment for health care services from individuals or employers without being subject to these fines or penalties.  Finally, it states that the purchase or sale of health care insurance in private health care systems cannot be prohibited by any law or rule passed down from the federal government.

These resolutions act as a shield from the federal government mandates, protecting Missouri citizens.  It serves as an official message from the Missouri General Assembly, and if adopted by Congress, it has a chance of becoming an amendment to the United States Constitution.  An official change will depend on ratification by ¾’s of our nation’s states.

Job Retention and Creation
The House has passed House Bill 1675 that seeks to create manufacturing and supplier jobs in our state and will have a great influence on job growth.  States all over the nation are competing with us for jobs, and we must do all we can to prevent jobs leaving Missouri. This particular bill focuses on creating and maintaining jobs in our state by targeting two groups: manufacturing employers as well as manufacturing suppliers.

Through this bill, employers will be allowed to keep 50% of withholding taxes for up to 10 years.  This means if manufacturing employers create new jobs they get a tax rebate while doing so.  We are confident that this fiscal measure will give Missouri manufacturing businesses an incentive to expand their employee base and help put our citizens back to work.  The state would allow manufacturing suppliers to retain 100% of withholding taxes for any new jobs created and kept for 3 years.  While giving these manufacturing employers and suppliers a tax break in effort to create new jobs, we must also remember to protect Missouri taxpayers in the process. 

House Bill 1675 acts as a safeguard to taxpayers in two ways.  If illegal aliens are employed, companies must repay the tax benefits granted to them.  If the company fails to meet the requirements in the bill, they will be required to repay benefits to the state.

Prompt Pay of Insurance Claims
This session House members passed House Bill 1498 with overwhelming bi-partisan support.  The bill requires health insurance companies to pay provider claims in a timely manner. 

Through this legislation, a health insurance company would no longer have the ability to delay payments to providers by suspending a claim through loopholes and special exceptions.  Instead, the health insurance company would be allowed 45 days to process and pay or deny the provider’s claim.

If the health insurance company needs additional information or has any questions regarding the claim, they must do so inside the 45-day window.   Days in which the health insurance company is waiting for a response from the provider for that information would not count towards the 45-day window, however. 

If the health insurance company does not pay the provider within the specific timeframe, that company would incur a penalty.  If the provider’s claim is denied, health insurance companies will be required to provide a specific reason for the denial. 

Through House Bill 1498, we are giving health care providers an opportunity to remain financially stable in their practice and give them the ability to rely on the prompt payment of their claims.  This legislation has gained wide-spread support throughout the state and on both sides of the aisle. 

Patient Privacy Act
My committee on Insurance Policy heard and passed House Bill 1382.  Shortly after, it was passed by the full House.  This bill extends privacy protection of your personal medical records so that no one, without written consent, can gain access to your information.  The measure is especially important in the age of electronic record storage when your information can be sent with the push of a button.

This act prohibits the disclosure of patient-specific health information to outsiders.  That list includes: any employer, a public or private payer, employee or agent of a state department or agency without written consent of the patient -- excluding information submitted as part of a medical claim.

Health information may, however, be disclosed to a health insurer, labor benefit trust, employer, state employee, the Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan, the Department of Health and Senior Services, the Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration, or the MO HealthNet Division within the Department of Social Services (which would be in connection with the person’s official duties).

Insurance Coverage for Adopted Children
House Bill 1713 requires all health insurance policies issued to Missouri residents on or after January 1, 2011, to include coverage for adopted children on the same basis as other dependents of the enrollee.  There have been several instances in our state of children adopted from other countries being denied insurance coverage that would have otherwise been provided to biological children of the same parents.  This bill closes the loophole that allows that practice and I was thrilled to see the House vote unanimously to send this bill on to the Senate.

Ban on K2
Recently the House passed House Bill 1472, which adds K2, a synthetic form of marijuana, to the list of controlled substances and makes possession of it a felony.  The effects of K2 have been shown to be 10 times greater than those of marijuana and its legal status has lead to a belief that it is safe.  That is not the case and I feel this legislation was a necessary step to help keep our communities safe.

As always, I appreciate your comments and feedback.  Please feel free to contact me at any time.

201 W. Capitol Ave., Room 206A, Jefferson City MO  65109
Phone: (573) 751.9458 | Fax: (573) 522.4964
steve.hobbs@house.mo.gov
www.house.mo.gov

Back to top

4. NEW - State Senator Kurt Schaefer Capitol Report for the week of March 22, 2010


Legislative Highlights from the Week of March 22, 2010

This week, my colleagues and I held an all-day work session in the Senate to consider ways to "reboot" state government. In addition, several measures I sponsored are making their way through the legislative process, including a bill that addresses premarital agreements and legislation that strengthens the penalties for putting a child in danger.

Rebooting Missouri Government
Missourians have overwhelmingly responded to our request to submit their ideas for a more efficient state government by visiting the Senate's Rebooting Government website (www.senate.mo.gov/RebootMO). Ideas will continue to be accepted throughout the legislative session and may be made anonymously, if desired.

On Tuesday of this week, the Senate suspended normal debate and committee hearings to focus on ways make Missouri government more cost-efficient. Lawmakers were divided into eight groups of four senators to consider public opinion and agency recommendations on ways to streamline government in the current economic condition. 

I chaired the group charged with discussing the area of Agriculture/Outdoors/Department of Natural Resources. Representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Conservation, and Department of Natural Resources met with our group to discuss ways to cut costs without crippling the agencies. We also read through e-mails submitted by Missourians from across the state regarding ideas to bring down the cost of government. By the end of the meeting, we agreed on five measures that would help alleviate costs and streamline agency functions without cutting jobs:

1. One or two week rotated unpaid furloughs for every state employee, in lieu of lay-offs.

2. Consolidation of laboratories.

3. Combining certain boards and commissions.

4. Comprehensive review of agency program fees to identify ways to make the program fully fee-funded instead of relying on General Revenue to subsidize the programs.

5. Comprehensive review of federally required programs to determine if the administration of any programs can be returned to the federal government.

Committees Hearing Legislation
We continued work on many of my bills in committee this week. On Monday, two of my bills were heard in Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee.  Senate Bill 998 enacts the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act, which closes any loopholes with regard to premarital agreements. Senate Bill 1004, also known as “Karra’s and Jocelyn’s Law,” increases the penalties for shaking a young child. More specifically, the bill makes endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree to be an unclassified felony with a prison term of 20 years or less when the person creates a substantial risk to the life of a child under the age of five.

On Wednesday, Senate Bill 886, which deals with plumbing codes, was heard in the Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government Committee. Senate Bill 999 was voted do pass in the same committee.  This bill introduces a job creation measure to developing 21st century manufacturing jobs. As data centers and other technology-focused jobs are created in the United States, Missouri (especially central Missouri) is in a position to lead the way in new and developing economic fields. These data centers could employ up to 200 full-time jobs and create thousands of construction positions for the 19th district.  

Capitol Visitors
On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of hosting lunch for the fourth grade class from Fairview Elementary School in Columbia. I certainly hope they enjoyed their visit to Jefferson City!

In addition, I want to extend my congratulations to the Sturgeon High School Boys Basketball team for winning the MSHSAA 2A State Basketball Championship last weekend. Well done on a great season!

Back to top

5. NEW - A START to Undermining Our Nuclear Security

from the Heritage Foundation

Yesterday the Kremlin announced that the Obama administration and Russia had reached agreement on a new nuclear arms agreement intended to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). The declaration appeared to surprise the White House, as Press Secretary Robert Gibbs could only confirm that the two sides were "close" to a treaty. But U.S. officials confirm that "all major obstacles" in negotiations with Moscow have been cleared.

Russian approval of a new START agreement has been the cornerstone of President Barack Obama's "long road toward eliminating nuclear weapons" policy. President Obama's desire to appease Russia is why he began negotiations by unilaterally surrendering to Kremlin demands that the United States betray our Czech Republic and Polish allies by going back on our promise to build ballistic missile defense facilities in Eastern Europe. Russians took President Obama's easy and early capitulation on missile defense as a sign of naivete and weakness and concluded that the Obama administration was far more desperate for a new nuclear treaty than they were and, as The Los Angeles Times reports, "used that fact in negotiations."

The full text of the new agreement has not been released, but early reports indicate that it will not adequately address three key issues and would therefore compromise U.S. national security:

Verification: The Russians have a long and well documented history of violating arms control agreements. By focusing intently on the reduction in each nation’s strategic arsenal, the U.S. has lost some negotiating ground on the issue of verification. The Senate must ensure that the new treaty is adequately verifiable. There is no reason to sign the treaty if the verification mechanisms fall by the wayside.

Nuclear Modernization: Some arms control advocates insist that the U.S. has a robust nuclear modernization program. This claim is simply inaccurate. The truth is that America’s nuclear infrastructure is rapidly aging, in deep atrophy, and is losing its reliability and effectiveness. The U.S. is not producing new nuclear weapons, and its ICBM force is shrinking and not being modernized. In contrast, Russia and China are engaged in a major modernization effort. On December 16, 41 U.S. Senators voiced their concerns and signed a letter saying they will oppose the new treaty if it does not include specific plans for U.S. nuclear modernization as stipulated in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010.

Missile Defense: It is absolutely imperative that a new START agreement not undermine our post-Cold War defensive posture by linking offensive weapons with missile defense. But early reports indicate that the treaty does exactly that. The New York Times reports: "Administration officials describing the draft treaty said its preamble recognized the relationship between offensive weapons and missile defense, but that the language was not binding." But the Times goes on to quote retired major general Vladimir Dvorkin who says Moscow will scrap the treaty if the U.S. pursues missile defense: "If, for example, the U.S. unilaterally deploys considerable amounts of missile defense, then Russia has the right to withdraw from the agreement because the spirit of the preamble has been violated."

The Obama Administration's arms control strategy has been deeply flawed. It is based on outdated 1970s arms control strategy and 1960s idealism and naivete. It will not work because it does not account for Russian nuclear strategy, which is based on approximate parity between the two sides, Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD), denial of missile defenses to the U.S., and nuclear warfighting capability. The U.S. needs to reset the reset before the Obama administration is allowed to seriously undermine our national security.

Back to top

6. NEW - Images of the Week



Back to top

7. NEW - Missouri Newspapers Take on Rubberstamp Robin Carnahan on her Whereabouts and 'Liberal Legacy'

Missouri newspapers are raising questions about Rubberstamp Robin Carnahan's whereabouts and her failing attempts to hide from her "liberal legacy." Columns today in The St. Louis American and Southeast Missourian highlighted Rubberstamp Robin’s decision to hide in Washington, D.C. while President Obama raised money for her campaign in Missouri. It's abundantly clear that Robin Carnahan does not want to explain her rubberstamp support for the liberal Obama, Reid, Pelosi agenda of a government takeover of health care, the so-called “stimulus” bill, the job-killing cap and trade national energy tax and other extreme positions she has taken in the campaign.

St. Louis American - Political Eye
“You may have heard that a Democrat is running to replace him, Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan…you may have expected her to be there, basking in the president’s glow. Not so… it sure looks like a calculated campaign decision to keep some distance from Obama and his association with incumbent Washington politics.”

Read the whole article here.

Southeast Missourian – Gary Rust
“Instead of being proud of her liberal legacy, Carnahan will strain to dissociate herself from the policies of Obama, U.S. Sen. Harry Reid and U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi. I don't blame her. But few Missourians will ultimately want to send support to Washington to help those three.”

Read the whole article here

Back to top

8. Contact info for Congressmen Luetkemeyer and Skelton, Senator Bond, and Senator McCaskill

Senator Bond - www.bond.senate.gov OR (573) 442-8151 (Columbia office)
Senator McCaskill - www.mccaskill.senate.gov OR (573) 442-7130 (Columbia office)
Congressman Luetkemeyer (9th District) - luetkemeyer.house.gov OR (573) 886-8928 (Columbia office), ALSO Blaine is on Facebook (search for him and become a fan!)
Congressman Skelton (4th District) - www.house.gov/skelton OR (573) 635-3499 (Jefferson City office)

Bonus: Visit the CMYRs' website here for Missouri state legislators!

Back to top

9. UPDATED - Upcoming Area Events Calendar

Back to top

10. /Quick Links/Other Items
© 2010 Central Missouri Young Republicans • A chartered club of the Missouri Federation of Young Republicans • e-mail webmaster

Bookmark and Share