JMO4Rep Update - April 30, 2006
Friends, Constituents, and Allies,
May 12 is the final day of the 2006 Legislative Session. By law, the budget for the new fiscal year must be passed by this coming Friday, May 5. The final two weeks are usually marked by a frenzied pace, stacks of amendments (as legislators try to attach their favorite concepts onto any bill that may be an acceptable match), and short tempers.
Anti-immigrant Posturing: I became rather short tempered myself during the past two weeks as Rep. Nolte (R-33, Gladstone) and Rep. Nieves (R-98, Union) moved for passage of bills that I believe are simply meant to fan the flames of widespread anti-immigrant sentiments in this election year. I spoke against both of these bills on the House floor, but both passed and now are in the Senate. I hope that you will ask Missouri friends to contact their senators with a message to vote no on the following legislation:
Nolte's bill - House Bill 1864 (http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/bills/HB1864.htm) - makes the House appropriations committee responsible for holding higher education institutions accountable if they admit illegal aliens as students. The bill is another example of the GOP's Fire! Ready! Aim! tendencies, in that an interim committee has been named to study immigration issues in Missouri in the second half of 2006. Nolte's bill offers a "solution" to a problem that has not been carefully studied in our state yet, nor does Nolte's fix appear to fit smoothly with federal law. The House higher education appropriations committee is clearly not the best enforcement agency if a problem is identified.
Nieves' bill - House Bill 1814 (http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/biltxt/perf/HB1814P.HTM) - states that English shall be the language of all official proceedings in the state of Missouri. Official proceedings is not defined in the bill. I am concerned that the bill might lead to interpretation not being offered when it is needed. I did an "inquiry" (debate) with Nieves on this issue on the House floor, and his answers to my questions often came in the form of "Since you're so much smarter than me, Lady, why don't you tell me?!" Nieves then blustered his way through a closing statement in which he claimed that his bill does not seek to solve any existing problem, stop any approarching problem, nor change anyone's life in any way. (So why is it needed again?) Again ask your friends to request that their senators vote no.
Note of Sympathy and Admiration: On Monday, April 24, Jim Walsh, husband of my Democratic colleague Rep. Gina Walsh, unexpectedly died. What a heart-warming outpouring of love and support was witnessed at the funeral home on Thursday and at Friday's funeral. Truly Gina, her daughters Ceile, Sarah and Casey, and her late husband are loved by many and have given much to a community that now wraps them in comforting arms. Memorial gifts may be made to the Walsh Girls Education Fund. Gina, an asbestos worker and a great friend of labor and of the parents and families served by Bellefontaine Habilitation Center, vows that she will be back in Jefferson City by May 1, ready to defend workers' rights, Bellefontaine clients, and other causes she holds dear. Please keep Gina and family in your prayers.
Good news from the 59th District: The young women from St. Elizabeth Academy, a private Catholic school in my district, participated in the “Music in the Parks” Festival on April 21 in Silver Dollar City. The chorus, orchestra, and jazz band took 1st place in each division. The orchestra took best over all, and junior Yuni Lee was cited for her performance on the electric violin in the jazz band. Tina Poynter directs the chorus, and Terry Sebastian directs the orchestra and jazz band. Congratulations to SEA!
If you have other good news from the district that you'd like me to share, please send it to jmo4rep@juno.com.
New website announced: In closing, thanks to Joe Frank for getting a campaign website up and running for my re-election efforts. You may view the website (and even contribute through PayPal) at www.jmo4rep.com.
JMO
May 12 is the final day of the 2006 Legislative Session. By law, the budget for the new fiscal year must be passed by this coming Friday, May 5. The final two weeks are usually marked by a frenzied pace, stacks of amendments (as legislators try to attach their favorite concepts onto any bill that may be an acceptable match), and short tempers.
Anti-immigrant Posturing: I became rather short tempered myself during the past two weeks as Rep. Nolte (R-33, Gladstone) and Rep. Nieves (R-98, Union) moved for passage of bills that I believe are simply meant to fan the flames of widespread anti-immigrant sentiments in this election year. I spoke against both of these bills on the House floor, but both passed and now are in the Senate. I hope that you will ask Missouri friends to contact their senators with a message to vote no on the following legislation:
Nolte's bill - House Bill 1864 (http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/bills/HB1864.htm) - makes the House appropriations committee responsible for holding higher education institutions accountable if they admit illegal aliens as students. The bill is another example of the GOP's Fire! Ready! Aim! tendencies, in that an interim committee has been named to study immigration issues in Missouri in the second half of 2006. Nolte's bill offers a "solution" to a problem that has not been carefully studied in our state yet, nor does Nolte's fix appear to fit smoothly with federal law. The House higher education appropriations committee is clearly not the best enforcement agency if a problem is identified.
Nieves' bill - House Bill 1814 (http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/biltxt/perf/HB1814P.HTM) - states that English shall be the language of all official proceedings in the state of Missouri. Official proceedings is not defined in the bill. I am concerned that the bill might lead to interpretation not being offered when it is needed. I did an "inquiry" (debate) with Nieves on this issue on the House floor, and his answers to my questions often came in the form of "Since you're so much smarter than me, Lady, why don't you tell me?!" Nieves then blustered his way through a closing statement in which he claimed that his bill does not seek to solve any existing problem, stop any approarching problem, nor change anyone's life in any way. (So why is it needed again?) Again ask your friends to request that their senators vote no.
Note of Sympathy and Admiration: On Monday, April 24, Jim Walsh, husband of my Democratic colleague Rep. Gina Walsh, unexpectedly died. What a heart-warming outpouring of love and support was witnessed at the funeral home on Thursday and at Friday's funeral. Truly Gina, her daughters Ceile, Sarah and Casey, and her late husband are loved by many and have given much to a community that now wraps them in comforting arms. Memorial gifts may be made to the Walsh Girls Education Fund. Gina, an asbestos worker and a great friend of labor and of the parents and families served by Bellefontaine Habilitation Center, vows that she will be back in Jefferson City by May 1, ready to defend workers' rights, Bellefontaine clients, and other causes she holds dear. Please keep Gina and family in your prayers.
Good news from the 59th District: The young women from St. Elizabeth Academy, a private Catholic school in my district, participated in the “Music in the Parks” Festival on April 21 in Silver Dollar City. The chorus, orchestra, and jazz band took 1st place in each division. The orchestra took best over all, and junior Yuni Lee was cited for her performance on the electric violin in the jazz band. Tina Poynter directs the chorus, and Terry Sebastian directs the orchestra and jazz band. Congratulations to SEA!
If you have other good news from the district that you'd like me to share, please send it to jmo4rep@juno.com.
New website announced: In closing, thanks to Joe Frank for getting a campaign website up and running for my re-election efforts. You may view the website (and even contribute through PayPal) at www.jmo4rep.com.
JMO
posted by Joe at
1:41 AM
