Clay County Lawmaker Joins Kinder’s Challenge to “Dear Colleague” Letter May 27, 2016

Clay County St. Rep. T.J. Berry says the Obama administration’s new regulation on transgender bathroom preference in public schools could encourage pedophile and child molesters.
“If I’m a pedophile and found in the other bathroom, now I just claim I’m transgender and it allows me to access it (the other bathroom)”
Berry is one of 108 Missouri state lawmakers who signed onto the letter from Lt . Peter Governor Kinder.
Kinder’s letter demands the Obama administration rescind the ‘Dear Colleague” letter sent out to US school districts earlier in May.
“your administration is seizing local control from public schools,” Kinder charges in the letter.
The letter says students who be able to use the bathroom of their preferred sexual identity rather than their gender at birth.
The “dear Colleague” letter from the Obama Education and Justice departments warned that district that do not comply are risking their federal funding.
11 states have sued the Obama administration challenging the regulation.
Kansas and Missouri, however, are not among them.

Senate Avoids Planned Parenthood Contempt Showdown April 22, 2016

(AP) – The Missouri Senate announced Thursday it is suspending contempt proceedings against a Planned Parenthood CEO after reaching an agreement to review some documents a legislative committee investigating the organization subpoenaed last year.
The fetal tissue disposal policies of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri will be made available along with other documents, including blank patient forms and written protocols for abortions. Republican and Democratic Senate leaders will designate people to review the documents during business hours in the office of the regional organization’s attorney, but they will not be allowed to copy them, according to the agreement.
Some documents will be available for review as soon as noon Friday, while others will take longer to produce, the agreement said. All the documents must be provided by May 9.
Senators voted last week to summon to the chamber Mary Kogut, CEO and president of the regional Planned Parenthood, to justify why she had not complied with the Senate’s subpoena and explain why she should not be held in contempt, a rare move that could carry jail time.

Missouri Budget Approved April 22, 2016

(AP) – The Missouri Legislature has passed a budget that boosts education funding and cuts off state money for Planned Parenthood.
The $27 billion spending plan approved Thursday now goes to Gov. Jay Nixon. It would take effect July 1.
The budget includes a 4 percent increase for higher education institutions, though the University of Missouri system’s administration would see a $3.8 million cut.
It adds $71 million to the nearly $3.3 billion of existing basic aid for K-12 schools. But that is still more than $400 million below the legal guidelines for school funding.
Lawmakers blocked Medicaid funding from going to any entity that offers elective abortions. That money already is prohibited from paying for abortions, but Planned Parenthood currently accepts Medicaid payments for services such as vaccinations and exams.

Missouri Lawmakers Reject Medical Marijuana April 22, 2016

(AP) – The Missouri House has rejected a proposal to legalize medical marijuana.
The legislation failed on a 66-87 vote Thursday after lawmakers scaled it back to only permit cancer patients in hospice to use the drug.
The pro-legalization National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws said of the 23 states to permit medical cannabis, only Florida’s laws were comparably narrow.
Some supporters of expanding access to marijuana said they could not support such a limited measure. Other opponents said permitting any form of legalized marijuana would lead to higher use among teenagers and, potentially, even looser drugs laws in the future.
But some lawmakers said inaction on marijuana legislation could embolden activists who are seeking to put a more expansive measure on the ballot.

Blunt Not Sure He’s Going to GOP Convo April 20, 2016

Missouri Republican Senator Roy Blunt has not decided whether or not to attend the GOP’s convention in Cleveland.

The Hill newspaper quotes Blunt says, ““I don’t have any idea. I usually don’t go for very long if I go. I am not a devoted attender of the conventions,” he said, noting he has a primary election in early August. “There’s going to be a lot going on.”

The Hill characterizes Blunt’s re-election campaign against Democratic Secretary of State Jason Kander as, “tougher than expected” .

The Hill reports the head of the Republican Senate Campaign Committee, Roger Wick, is advising vulnerable republicans to stay away from what could be a divided convention.

He recommends they attend more unifying events.