at IBEW Local No 1, 5850 Elizabeth Ave., St. Louis, 63110

Doors open at 6: 00 pm and game starts promptly at 7:00 pm

Tables up to 8 @ $25 a person or $200 a table.

Prepay table by FEBRUARY 3rd for $175

Cash prizes [...]]]> Come to the 7th Annual OAKVILLE DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATION TRIVIA NIGHT

at IBEW Local No 1, 5850 Elizabeth Ave., St. Louis, 63110

Doors open at 6: 00 pm and game starts promptly at 7:00 pm

Tables up to 8 @ $25 a person or $200 a table.

Prepay table by FEBRUARY 3rd for $175

Cash prizes – 1st – $300 2nd – $200 3rd – $100

Beer (in Cans) & Soda will be provided. Please bring your own snacks.

For advanced reservations, please contact Matt Ramshaw 314-707-8526 or Ann Pluemer 314-223-1155.

See the attached flyer for details.

Join us for an evening of great food and great company.  Come enjoy home-cooked chili, drinks, and dessert and learn why she is the candidate for State Senate.

Wednesday, October 26th
KT Smokehouse (4574 Telegraph Rd)
4:00p.m. to 7:30p.m.
$20 per person or $30 per couple
RSVP to  sue@sueschoemehl.com

May 31,2011

Happy Memorial Day to all. I hope everyone had a restful weekend and had time to reflect on loved ones and those that have sacrificed so much for our country. Please take a moment to remember those in Joplin in your thoughts and prayers. Their community lost [...]]]> Legislative Summary From Representative Genise Montecillo

May 31,2011

Happy Memorial Day to all. I hope everyone had a restful weekend and had time to reflect on loved ones and those that have sacrificed so much for our country. Please take a moment to remember those in Joplin in your thoughts and prayers. Their community lost so much.

The long weekend has provided me with time to reflect not only on my loved ones but also the 2011 Legislative Session. I have found it somewhat challenging to summarize my first session, somewhat akin to describing a roller coaster ride while you’re still too dizzy to walk.

There were disappointments to be sure- not passing a sound economic development package, a budget that leaves education’s foundation formula underfunded, undermining Proposition B, and rather than focusing on getting Missourians back to work, we too often spent our time defending and fighting against attacks on workers.

We did, however, defeat the effort to cap minimum wage upholding the will of the people. I fought hard and successfully through the budget process to restore monies to the Early Literacy Program, Bright Flight Scholarships, and the Parents as Teachers Program. I am pleased my bill 648 was truly agreed upon and finally passed and awaits Governor Nixon’s signature. The bill removes phrases such as “mentally retarded” and Handicapped” from all state statutes, instead using people first language and substitutes these terms with “developmentally disabled”, “developmental disability” and “disabled. The change is consistent with Federal changes.

While the 2011 session has ended plenty of work remains. I began a new job during the interim and will be serving on interim committees. Additionally, as part of our Educational Appropriations Committee I along with my other committee members will be participating in an interim project further researching educational institutions and programs so that we can be better informed as we make resume our work next session.

As always thank you for your support and encouragement and please do not hesitate to contact anytime.

Below, please find additional summary of other legislative action. You can find a full list of legislative action at the Missouri General Assembly website.

Respectfully,

Genise

Bills Passed

MISSOURI Rx PLAN EXTENSION: Extends the prescription drug benefit for low-income senior citizens and the disabled until 2014. Had the program not been renewed, it would have expired on Aug. 28, eliminating the benefit for about 226,000 Missourians.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Overhauls state domestic violence laws with the aim of better protecting victims and punishing perpetrators.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING: Increases the maximum penalties for crimes related to human trafficking.

MEDICAID FEE: Reinstates the fees charged to hospitals that generate $3 billion annually for the state’s Medicaid program.

VOTER PHOTO ID: Puts a constitutional amendment on the November 2012 ballot asking Missouri voters to grant the General Assembly the authority to require voters to show government-issued photo identification at their polling place in order to cast a ballot. A companion bill also passed that, contingent on voter ratification of the constitutional amendment, would implement the photo voter ID requirement starting in 2014. If implemented, the requirement could disenfranchise many of the estimated 230,000 Missourians who don’t have a driver’s license or other form of government-issued photo ID.

CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING: Sets new congressional districts for the next 10 years starting with the 2012 elections. Based on the 2010 U.S. Census, Missouri will lose a congressional seat, dropping from nine to eight. The new congressional plan gerrymanders six safe Republican districts and does not protect the interests of all Missourians. Gov. Jay Nixon’s vetoed, but the General Assembly overrode.

EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION: Weakens the Missouri Human Rights Act by making it harder for victims of employment discrimination to prove unlawful discrimination and wins damages. Gov. Jay Nixon has already vetoed this bill.

CORPORATE TAX CUT: Eliminates the corporate franchise tax, which is only paid by large corporations. This will eliminate at least $80 million a year in state revenue, thus eroding the state’s tax base and requiring additional cuts in state services. Gov. Jay Nixon has already signed it into law.

ABORTION RESTRICTIONS: Removes the exemption in the existing law banning late-term abortions that allows such abortions if necessary to protect the health of the mother.

DOG BREEDING: Repeals most the significant provisions of Proposition B, which Missouri voters approved in November to place new regulations on the commercial dog breeding industry in Missouri. Gov. Jay Nixon has already signed it into law.

HOG FARMS: Places restrictions on lawsuits against large industrial hog farms for the damages foul odors and animal waste produced by such facilities cause neighbors’ property. Gov. Jay Nixon has already signed it into law.

CONCEAL-CARRY: Lowers the minimum age for obtaining a permit to carry a concealed weapon from 23 to 21.

DRUG TESTING FOR WELFARE RECIPIENTS: Allows recipients and applicants of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to be tested for illegal drug use.

BILLS THAT DIDN’T PASS

JOB CREATION: Would have enacted various provisions aimed at creating jobs and bolstering Missouri’s economy.

PAYDAY LOANS: Would have cracked down on the predatory lending practices of the payday loan industry.

SECOND INJURY FUND: Would have prevented the state’s second injury fund from going broke.

TAX AMNESTY: Would have waived penalties and interest on delinquent state taxes in an effort to bolster state revenue by encouraging taxpayers who are in arrears to pay up.

MINIMUM WAGE CAP: Would have capped the state’s minimum wage at the same level as the federal minimum wage, repealing part of law Missouri voters approved in 2006 that can allow the state wage floor to exceed the federal minimum based on inflation.

MEGA TAX: Would have eliminated the state’s income tax and replaced it with a substantially higher sales tax on virtually all goods and services, including those that currently aren’t subject to the tax.

LABOR CONTRACTS: Would have prohibited companies from entering into collective bargaining agreements that make membership in a labor union a condition of employment.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION: Would have excluded workers who suffer from occupational diseases from receiving workers’ compensation benefits.

CIRCUIT BREAKER: Would have eliminated a tax credit for low-income senior citizens who rent their homes.

ST. LOUIS POLICE LOCAL CONTROL: Would have ended state control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, which was first imposed by Missouri’s pro-Confederacy General Assembly in 1861 to prevent the department from being used against secessionist sympathizers. The bill would have granted control of the department to St. Louis city government, which currently funds the department but has no say over its operations.

CALLAWAY II: Would have allowed Ameren to charge customers for costs related to getting federal approval to build a second nuclear power plant in Callaway County. An existing state law approved by Missouri voters in 1976 prohibits investor-owned utilities from passing on the costs of building new facilities to customers until a plant is on-line and generating power.

TURNER FIX: Would have allowed school districts to refuse to accept students from unaccredited nearby school districts. Under an existing state law, districts are required to accept such students, but most districts claimed the discretion to refuse until last year when the Missouri Supreme Court ruled in Turner v. Clayton School District that they do not.

PRESCRIPTION PSEUDOEPHEDRINE: Would have required a doctor’s prescription to obtain common cold, flu and allergy medications containing pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in the manufacture of methamphetamine.