For some time, I have been searching for a concise, entertaining way to promote and explain the need for comprehensive ethics reform in Missouri.
We spent a few days last week visiting family.
On Saturday evening, our flight home was cancelled and it all came together. With a few hours to kill, I combined the iMovie program on my Mac with my cousin Jake’s amazing abilities on the violin to create this one minute Pop Quiz about Missouri’s current “ethics” laws.
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES SKAGGS (Sponsor), BURNETT, LeVOTA, TALBOY, JONES (63), DOUGHERTY AND STILL (Co-sponsors).
5317L.02I
Whereas, the majority leadership of the Missouri House of Representatives believes that seeking solutions to the serious problems facing Missouri is way too difficult; and
Whereas, the majority leadership of the Missouri House of Representatives finds that criticizing Congress is, like, totally easy and great fun as well - way more easy and fun than doing real work; and
Whereas, the Missouri House of Representatives recently passed several nonbinding resolutions futilely seeking to tell Congress how to do its job; and
Whereas, these frivolous entreaties to Congress accomplish nothing and are merely diversions from solving Missouri’s budget crisis, improving ethics and accountability in state government, and other vital matters facing the state:
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the members of the House of Representatives of the Ninety-fifth General Assembly, Second Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, hereby declare that nonbinding resolutions to Congress are a complete waste of time; and
Be it further resolved that the Missouri General Assembly requests that the United States Congress ignore all nonbinding resolutions passed by the Missouri General Assembly, which - let’s be honest with ourselves here - it is so going to do anyway; and
Be it further resolved that the Missouri General Assembly hereby pledges to stop wasting time on frivolous resolutions and instead focus on meaningful legislation to solve the difficult problems facing the people of Missouri; and
Be it further resolved that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare properly inscribed copies of this resolution for the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate and House of Representatives and each member of the Missouri Congressional delegation.
Sprint has paid the funds to Treasurer Zweifel’s office to resolve the matter. Young America has provided the names and addresses for all rebates over $50.
Treasurer Zweifel and Attorney General Koster announce $303,000 settlement with Sprint
Award impacts 3,640 people
JEFFERSON CITY - State TreasurerClint Zweifel (ZWY-ful)and Attorney General Chris Koster announced today they had reached a $303,000 settlement in a lawsuit against Sprint over uncashed and unclaimed rebate checks. Treasurer Zweifel said his office had already added more than 3,600 Missourians affected by the lawsuit to ShowMeMoney.com. Thirty-six states signed on to the $22 million settlement. As a result, thousands of people will be able to claim their rebate checks and put money back in their pockets.
The suit centered on whether uncashed rebate checks are reportable under Missouri’s Unclaimed Property laws and, if so, who is the proper party to report them to Treasurer Zweifel’s office.
“The law requires companies to report abandoned property to my office each year,” Treasurer Zweifel said. ”We argued that rebate checks become Unclaimed Property under Missouri law if they go uncashed for five years, the same way that stocks and bonds become Unclaimed Property. Ultimately, Missourians should know we hold their property forever until we can reunite them with what is theirs. “
One in 10 Missourians has Unclaimed Property. The average return is $360. Rebate checks may be claimed at ShowMeMoney.com.
“This settlement will ensure that Missourians will be able to get the full value of any rebate checks issued by Sprint and processed by Young America from 1999 through 2002,” Attorney General Koster said. “In addition, Sprint has agreed to report all future unclaimed rebates annually.”
About the Lawsuit
The lawsuit began in 2006 against Young America Corporation, a rebate processor company from Minnesota. The suit expanded to include T-Mobile, Walgreens and Sprint as individual companies that used Young America to process their rebates.
The lawsuit contended that either Young America or the retailer was responsible to report uncashed rebate checks to Treasurer Zweifel’s office, making it possible for rebate holders to make a claim for their rebate check. The retailers contended that Young America was responsible, while Young America contended the retailers were responsible. Walgreens and T-Mobile settled in 2009.
Treasurer Zweifel, Attorney General Koster and Sprint agreed to leave the disputed issues unresolved in order to avoid additional litigation and accomplish the settlement. Sprint denies any liability for the money claimed by Missouri and other states.
Jeff City Report from
State Representative John Burnett
This week:
DWI “reform”
Ethics, ethics,ethics
Payday Loan Bill
Greetings!
The whole State came to Jeff this week. We had the opening day of filing for office and on the same day the Missouri Bar Examination. So the town was full of politicians and lawyers. Wow. Today only 20 of the 163 House Members are lawyers so maybe we can recruit a few more from the new folks taking the test?
I am term limited in the House so I did not file for reelection. My friend and neighbor Will Royster filed for the seat I now hold and guess what? The same young Rizzo man who has run against me time after time is also filed. Since he had not shown up at any local event in the two years since the last election I thought perhaps he had moved away. But he has popped back up for his umpteenth run. Fun.
Budget posturing has been getting the headlines but there are couple of issues like DWI laws and “ethics reform” that are likely to get much floor time soon.
In the Budget debate the Rs have been taking the position we should not rely on Stimulus funding from Washington. Now those funds are sent to the States to help with the budgets but they want to cut social services rather than rely on Washington. Really. I couldn’t make this stuff up.
DWI reform on the front burner for the 25th consecutive year
Post Dispatch story sparks a new wave of get tough laws
A few weeks ago the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court spoke to a joint House and Senate session. He told us that we have to stop filling the prisons with non-violent offenders and urged the use of DWI courts similar to the drug courts we now have that are being hugely successful.
So, what happens? Several legislators file bills and the Governor himself advocates a “new” dwi law. All of the proposals, almost without exception, focus on increased penalties. Funny thing about that. A professor at MU has studied the effect of increased punishment on drinking and driving and concluded that heavier penalties do not decrease drinking and driving. In fact almost zero effect. What does is the public perception about the likelihood of apprehension if one does drink and drive. So. The public, if they believe it is likely they will get caught will drink and drive less. That is what all the advertising is about telling people if they drink and drive they will be caught.
But that is not what is being pushed. Since it is easy and very popular to stand and rail against drunk drivers that is what many politicians are doing. If there is NO one that will step up and defend drunk drivers, and there is not, it is a dream come true for legislators who otherwise would never step up on a difficult issue where there might actually be opposition.
So we have proposals to double and triple the time drivers lose their licenses. We have proposals to let blood be forcibly taken from drivers without a warrant that has always been required by a little thing called the Fourth Amendment. And I think everyone will end up with an ignition interlock device on their car before these folks are finished.
Now this will, as the Chief Justice pointed out, lead to even more unlicensed and uninsured drivers on our streets.
PAYDAY LOAN REFORM HEARINGS HELD AROUND THE STATE
Hearings held in St Louis and Hannibal
Newspapers all over the state have been calling on the Speaker to let the Payday Loan bill have a hearing. But he chooses to not even assign it to a committee.
Here is what the Kansas City Star said about it this week:
“Another week, and still no word from Missouri House Speaker Ron Richard on a committee assignment for the payday loan reform legislation sponsored by Democrats Mary Still of Columbia and John Burnett of Kansas City.
The legislation would rein in some of the abusive practices of the operations that lend money at exorbitant rates. Richard’s refusal to even assign the bill to a committee is perplexing.
Or maybe not. The speaker has received frequent and sometimes hefty contributions from the payday loan industry.”
Ethics, ethics everywhere and not a not a drop to drink
In the special Committee on Government Accountability and Ethics Reform that I serve on we are still working of drafting a bill to bring “ethics reform” to Jeff City. Not nearly as easy as it sounds. So far we have identified about fifty issues that should be addressed.
The big ticket item is campaign finance limits on donations. That issue is admittedly hot and holds the key to other problems as well such as transparency and reporting.
And we have to try to reach a consensus on this very difficult issue while Republican leaders do their level best to sabotage the effort. This week we had a committee meeting and had been discussing the limit issue for over an hour when Steve Tilley, the Majority Floor Leader, and one of the dozen who filed bills just popped into the meeting and joined the discussion. Now he has that right as a member of the leadership but this is the first time in 7 years I have seen such a thing happen. He makes no pretense he will do all he can to stop limits. Oh. It is his job to raise big bucks for the Republican House candidates and he is doing a very good job at it and limits would make his job more difficult. I understand. I just do not agree. 74% of the Missouri citizens voted for campaign limits in Proposition A a few years ago. Beyond me how they can keep a straight face in this argument.
The Chair of the Committee is doing a fantastic job in keeping this issue on track. I expect we will have the skeleton done this next week.
1. Progress in the General Assembly is the result of laser-like focus.
I can’t yet say whether ethics reform proposals like those in Flook-Kander will reach the Governor’s desk, but I can report significant progress.
No matter whether we are successful in pushing reforms through the legislature this year, I have already learned one lesson: getting anything done requires dogged determination and the discipline to focus significant blocks of time on a specific issue.
Prior to our hearing (of which video footage is available) in front of the special committee on ethics reform and government accountability, I “lobbied” each individual member of the committee. While fierce debates are taking place on the floor of the House regarding topics as controversial as healthcare, taxes, and social services, I give one-on-one pitches to colleagues about the virtues of Flook-Kander.
When the House isn’t in session, I go office to office working the issue. This part reminds me a bit . . . (READ MORE)
2. Partisans can’t possibly disagree on everything ALL the time.
No two people can agree on every issue all of the time, and fortunately, that means that no two people can disagree on every issue all of the time. I’m trying to focus on the latter part as often as possible.
Bipartisanship requires us to put major disagreements aside when working together on issues of agreement. I’ll give you a couple of my favorite examples from this year so far: (READ MORE)
3. I’m still working on the little things.
While some parts of this job are just as tough as I expected, there are small challenges that I never anticipated, as well. When you see people interviewed on television, it doesn’t look that tough.
But when I’m on camera, I always think of the scene in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, where Ricky (played by Will Ferrell) gives his first TV interview and his hands keep floating up next to his face and into the camera’s view as if they were filled with helium. “I’m not sure what to do with my hands,” he admits to the interviewer. “Just put them at your side!” he’s told. Easier said than done.
While I don’t struggle quite as much as Ricky Bobby did . . . (READ MORE)
Well, those are my latest lessons learned. Thank you for reading!
Sincerely,
Jason
P.S. It’s an election year. If you think I’m doing a good job, please consider making a contribution to my re-election campaign.
Paid for by Friends of Jason Kander, Diana Kander Treasurer
Today I introduced a Senate Concurrent Resolution urging the Missouri General Assembly to send a message to Washington, D.C., that it is time to end the outdated military policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
The following is the text from my floor speech. I will post the language of the concurrent resolution as soon as it is available online.
This summer I had the privilege of attending a moving event at the Harry S. Truman Library & Museum honoring the 61st anniversary of President Truman’s signing of Executive Order 9981 that ended racial segregation in the armed forces. The program explored the history and lessons learned of racial discrimination in the U.S. military. It also examined gender discrimination and the ban on openly gay service members — two of the remaining challenges of our 21st century fighting force.
Courageous individuals who have served their country under extraordinary circumstances attended the event. It is both fitting and proper that I briefly share three of their stories with you today.
Oliver Vincent Shields served as an African American during World War II. Shields landed at Normandy Beach during D-Day and was selected as one of the 2500 African-American volunteers to serve in the 14th Armored Division (known as the “Liberators”). He served in a segregated army, but fought as hard and brave as any other member of that Army. Oliver Vincent Shields supports a repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Chief Petty Officer Stuart O’Brien of the Royal Australian Army served alongside the U.S. military in Iraq in 2006. Australia is one of 27 countries that allow open service of gay men and women. This summer he told the story of a U.S. service member who received grief counseling and support from the Australian Navy Chaplain when his longtime partner was killed while on active duty. This American could not reach out to his own chaplain, his own country or even his own American friends because to do so would be an admission that he is gay and end his career. Chief Petty Officer Stuart O’Brien supports the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Finally, I want to tell you about Shonda Garrison. Shonda grew up in Branson, Missouri and enrolled in the U.S. Army right out of high school. She worked hard and advanced quickly. In the fall of 1990 she, like tens of thousands of other Americans, shipped out to Saudi Arabia and spent almost a year in the desert fighting for this country. Shonda loves her country and wanted to make a career in the military, but after 8 years of service, she had to make the agonizing decision to leave because she could no longer serve in silence. Shonda is gay and under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, she could not enter a committed relationship with the person she loves for fear of losing her career. Shonda Garrison is my partner and she supports the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Today in Washington, D.C. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee to discuss how we can end this country’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. The Senate Concurrent Resolution I am filing today urges the Missouri General Assembly to send a message to the U.S. Congress that it is time to end this unnecessary practice that actually costs American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and undermines our military’s readiness.
I’ll leave you with a quote from Aubrey Sarvis, Executive Director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. “In the 1940s President Truman demonstrated courage and leadership by desegregating the military so that all qualified Americans, regardless of their race, could serve their country with full equality. Today’s leaders can take encouragement from the example of President Truman, who, during an election year, put justice and equality under the law before political expediency.”
Let’s do the right thing – it’s time to end the ban.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -State Rep. Jason R. Holsman, D-Kansas City, has filed a new urban agriculture bill in the Missouri House of Representatives.
The bill, HB 1848, would create the Urban Farming Task Force. The goal of the task force would be to study and make recommendations regarding the impact of urban farm cooperatives, vertical farming and sustainable living communities in Missouri.
“Ideas like vertical sky farming and sustainable living communities just make sense for places like Kansas City and Saint Louis,” said Holsman “We can convert vacant buildings into large, sustainable hydroponic produce centers. The urban farms would create much needed jobs in the inner city and generate revenue in unused buildings.”
The concept of indoor farming has evolved along with the technology that makes it possible. Growing food indoors in nutrient rich waters requires little pesticides and provides a potential solution to storm water run-off management.
Holsman noted that foods grown on the East and West Coasts must travel over 1,400 miles to reach Kansas City leaving a substantial carbon footprint.
“Rather than eating food shipped halfway across the nation filled with preservatives and pesticides, we could have a year-round supply fresh produce while creating jobs for the urban core.” said Holsman.
The image below is a representation of a vertical farm in action. Vertical farms, sometimes called Skyfarms, utilitze advanced technologies including robotics, solar power, and hydroponic farming to produce crops in an energy efficient manner in urban and suburban settings. Vertical farms create jobs within metropolitan areas, reduce transportation costs for food, and help renew declining and blighted real estate in urban settings. Agriculture within inner cities can provide residents with cheaper and fresher food than was previously possible.
For more information please click the following links:
Misouri State Representaive Roman LeBlanc (43rd District) will be meeting with constituants on Saturday, January 30th from 10 to 11am. Location 16301 E. State Route 350, Raytown, MO. 64138. He requests RSVP by email: Roman.LeBlanc@house.mo.gov or call his office @ (573) 751-2124
But when I’m on camera, I always think of the scene in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, where Ricky (played by Will Ferrell) gives his first TV interview and his hands keep floating up next to his face and into the camera’s view as if they were filled with helium. “I’m not sure what to do with my hands,” he admits to the interviewer. “Just put them at your side!” he’s told. Easier said than done.
Today I introduced a Senate Concurrent Resolution urging the Missouri General Assembly to send a message to Washington, D.C., that it is time to end the outdated military policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
The bill, HB 1848, would 
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