Fourth Annual Photography Contest
January 24th, 2010Fourth Annual Photography Contest:
Vitality and Resiliency: People of North Missouri, is the theme of the 2010 Photo Contest. With the challenging economy many people are experiencing hard times, yet the people of north Missouri remain resilient in the face of adversity. People survive and thrive and maintain hopeful attitudes. Again this year there will be a category just for youth entries as well as a category for adults. One purpose of this year’s photography contest is to help promote tourism in this part of our wonderful state of Missouri. Winning photographs will hang in the representative’s capitol office for one year and many of the photos will be selected for use in tourism materials. Submissions for this year’s contest are due February 26, and the Reception and awards ceremony will be held March 4 at the Kirksville Arts Center.
Visitors to the Capitol make very positive comments on the beautiful images representing north Missouri. I hope that this year’s contest will help reveal people’s hopeful attitudes in this economically challenging time. We will update the information in each week’s issue of the newsletter. I welcome diverse entries from our wonderfully gifted photographers, both amateur and professional and hope this event will serve as an opportunity to raise awareness of northern Missouri as a wonderful tourism destination and a place with wonderful people.
This years contest features both Adult and Youth’s divisions. The winning photographs from 2009 are currently hanging in the Representative’s Capitol Office, while the 2008 winners hang our district office. The picture shown here, submitted by Brooke Goans, is the first prize winner from last year. It is still hangs in my Capitol Office.
2010 Legislative Session
January 24th, 2010Greetings from Jefferson City,
The 2010 legislative session is in full swing. As members of Health Appropriations Committee, my colleagues and I have logged almost 30 hours of testimony from members of the public and from the state departments of Health and Senior Services, Mental Health and Social Services. Also, in the Budget Committee we have attended informational meetings about current revenues and projections for the remainder of 2010 and throughout 2011. Although revenues remained down because of the economy, there are hopeful signs that predict small increases by the end of the year.
We celebrated Martin Luther King Day with a moving ceremony in the capitol rotunda, and I had the opportunity to attend a portion of the celebration of the day of service at Truman State University.
Please come visit us in the capitol or make contact with me when I am back in the district. Call or email at any time if we can be of service to you or for information about issues or legislation.
Hope you had a good week!
STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS
The evening of Jan.20th, Governor Nixon delivered his second State of the State Address. Gov. Nixon and members of the General Assembly have made clear that this year’s focus will be on one priority: creating jobs.
Number One Priority: 2010 Jobs Package
Gov. Nixon’s three part jobs plan focuses on expanding existing businesses, bringing new high-tech businesses to Missouri, and training workers for high-demand jobs.
Education -
A Long Term Investment in Missouri’s Economic Future
While other states are slashing education, Gov. Nixon’s budget would deliver record funding to Missouri’s classrooms, although the funding will not increase as much as indicated in the foundation formula. During this difficult budget process when cuts are being made across state government, there was only one area that Gov. Nixon took off the table for possible budget cuts: K-12 education funding. You may link to the response of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at http://dese.mo.gov.
Fiscal Discipline -
Balancing the Budget Without Raising Taxes
Gov. Nixon reaffirmed his commitment to balance our budget without raising taxes. A diverse economy and prudent fiscal management has allowed Missouri to continue investing in our priorities: education, job creation, health care and public safety. Other states are raising taxes, shutting down prisons, slashing education funding or cutting health care eligibility to deal with their budget challenges, but not in Missouri.
The governor’s other legislative priorities include tightening loopholes in the state’s drunken driving laws that allow many repeat offenders to avoid enhanced punishment, requiring insurance companies to provide coverage for the treatment and diagnosis of autism and an ethics reform package that includes restoring the state campaign contributions limits that were repealed in 2008 and prohibiting laundering campaign contributions to obscure the source of the funding.
Lt. Governor Peter Kinder gave the Republican response.
Check out the video or the full text of the Governor’s address here.
Nixon Presents $23.86 Billion Budget
In State Of State
Gov. Jay Nixon outlined a nearly $23.86 billion state operating budget for fiscal year beginning July 1. Although the proposed budget would increase overall spending by about 3 percent compared to the previous year, it includes funding cuts to most areas of state government.
One exception is elementary and secondary education, which would see a modest $18 million increase to the $3 billion in state funds distributed to local school districts. And although the governor recommends a 5 percent reduction in funding for public colleges and universities, the state’s higher education institutions have agreed to freeze tuition for the second year in a row in exchange for keeping the cut at that level.
To keep the budget for the current fiscal year in balance, Nixon cut an additional $50 million from the operating budget and eliminated another $150 million in spending on construction projects.
Nixon said job creation must be the No. 1 priority of the legislative session in order to boost Missouri’s economy and improve state revenue collections. Nixon’s 2010 Jobs Plan calls for putting more emphasis on helping existing Missouri businesses expand, providing additional incentives for technology and research firms and greater investment in job training.
Public hearings and overviews of each of the state departments have already been ongoing in the House and the Senate. Now, withe the Governor’s recommendations before us, work on the FY 2011 budget will begin in earnest. The appropriations committees will complete their recommendations to the budget committee, and then the budget committee will prepare the budget bills for debate on the House floor. After the budget bills pass the House, usually by early March, they will be sent to the Senate for their consideration.
Rep. McClanahan Launches “100 Days on Health Care”
July 1st, 2009KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – State Rep. Rebecca McClanahan, (D-Kirksville), announced a new health education initiative to address the growing requests for information on health care reform.
Called “100 Days on Health care,” this forum will be based online using the message service Twitter, which is linked to her Web site and Facebook accounts. Beginning July 1, Rep. McClanahan will post daily updates exploring the state of healthcare in Missouri, harnessing the power of social networking to create an experience that is accessible and easy to use for people of all ages. July 1st is also the fourth anniversary of the devastating state budget cuts that resulted in approximately 180,000 fewer Missourians having access to health care.
“We’re seeing a real sense of urgency developing about access to and cost of healthcare. I’m getting more and more calls from families and business owners who frankly are scared about what will happen next, whether or not they’re insured right now. On top of that, there’s a lot of conflicting messages out there about this issue on a state and national level,” said McClanahan.
McClanahan said Twitter provides an opportunity to get the word out in an easy and fun way. “My constituents young and old are already following me on Facebook and Twitter, including my 83 year-old mother. It’s really easy to get started,” said McClanahan.
“I’ve spent my life working on health care issues, which is why I wanted to use my experience as a nurse and educator to reach out directly and share the facts, answer any questions North Missourians may have, as well as offer my perspective on a way forward. Finally, I really want to hear from local residents as far as their experiences, concerns, and ideas for improving access to health care.”
For more information, contact Representative McClanahan at www.RebeccaMcClanahan.com or call toll free 1-866-845-5738. She can also be reached through her Capitol office at 201 W. Capitol Ave., Room 101-A, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
A nurse and educator by background, Rebecca McClanahan was first elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2006. Rep. McClanahan is one of just two members of the House of Representatives MO HealthNet Oversight Committee, a panel created by a 2007 state law to oversee Missouri’s public health care system.
Electronic Records
April 10th, 2009I thought you might like to know about an amendment I worked out. This amendment allows for the use of electonic records in legal proceedings–a great way to save our precious public funds! Check out the press release by clicking the link below!
Office of Health Professions Workforce Planning
April 6th, 2009
Last week, I filed legislation which would create an Office of Health Professions Workforce Planning. This office would be in charge of addressing the shortages and uneven distribution of health care professionals. You can read the release by clicking on the link below. Enjoy! Read the rest of this entry »
Fighting Bureaucracy, Helping Healthcare
March 26th, 2009I thought you might enjoy some of my press releases. This press release announces the formulation of a Health care Policy Authority which would streamline and improve health care in our state.
Read the rest of this entry »
This Legislative Session…
March 9th, 2009has been busier than ever. My position on budget is providing me with new opportunities to give North Missouri a voice in the business of the state, but it also has added significantly to the hours I spend in the Capitol. Between that and my new newsletter, I am keeping very busy.
I will be positing regular updates to this area of the website, and added functionality is high on my list of priories. You can expect to find copies of past editions of my newsletter, as well as regular (at least weekly) updates on events from my office. You can also follow me on Twitter to receive day to day updates.
Things are only going to get better, so check back soon!
-Rebecca McClanahan
