One-thousand Missouri National Guard members have learned, or are learning, that they are headed to Kosovo next year. It’s the largest single deployment of Missouri Guard members since World War One.
1K for Kosovo
Blunt Proposes $121 Million Increase for Schools
Governor Blunt says strong state revenue encourages him to propose a four percent increase in school funding next year, even though some signs indicate the economy might be slowing.
Blunt has used the backdrop of Thorpe Gordon Elementary School in Jefferson City to announce that he will ask the legislature to approve a 4.3% increase in core education funding, a total of $121.3 million. The money would go into the school foundation formula, the core education budget. If the legislature approves the increase, core education funding would rise to nearly three billion dollars.
Blunt says the state economy remains strong, bringing in adequate tax revenue to support such an increase. Blunt says education is his top spending priority, "My budgets are built around education funding, because it is an important long-term investment for the state to make."
State revenue numbers support Blunt’s contention that the Missouri economy will produce enough revenue to support his proposed education spending increase. Yet, many economists worry about a few troubling economic indicators. Blunt acknowledges that the sub-prime mortgage mess worries him. He is quick to add, though, that it appears the housing market has been slowed, but that fewer Missourians have lost equity in their homes than residents in other states.
Another point made by Blunt is the cushion he left in the current budget. The legislature this past session approved Blunt’s recommendation to leave a $200 million cushion in the state budget that could be used should the economy slow and revenue into state coffers fall.
Law Banning Protests at Military Funerals on Hold
Missouri’s 2006 law prohibiting protests at military funerals ( SB 578 ) is on hold. A three-judge panel of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has issued a preliminary injunction halting enforcement of the legislation.
The challenge was filed by Shirley Phelps-Roper of the Phelps family of Topeka, Kansas. The Phelps family routinely protests military funerals throughout the country, claiming God is killing American soldiers because of U.S. tolerance of homosexuality.
Scott Holste with the State Attorney General’s Office says the ruling will be appealed to the entire Eighth Circuit Court. He says once that appeal is filed, it should only be a matter of weeks before Missouri learns whether the appeal will be entertained by the Court as a whole.
The ruling by the three-judge panel reverses an earlier federal district court decision denying a motion for a preliminary injunction.
Branson in Christmas Controversy
Branson’s city council could vote next week on whether the city supports Christmas. Two aldermen propose the ordinance that calls on businesses to support what they call "a traditional American Christmas."
The city attorney is warning aldermen that the city could be sued if it passes an ordinance that violates the First Amendment to the Constitution, which forbids government from favoring one religion over another.
Bill Calls for Drug Tests for High School Athletes
State Senator Matt Bartle (R-Lee’s Summit) says the case of baseball player Barry Bonds is a reason to require all Missouri high school athletes to be subject to random drug tests. Bartle is introducing a bill for next year’s Legislature requiring that testing.
Bonds is suspected of using steroids. Bartle says people need to realize the issue extends beyond the professional level in sports.
