May 22, 2012

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Fallen firefighters to be honored in Kingdom City

May 16, 2012 By

Missouri’s fallen firefighters will be remembered during two services at the Fire Fighters Memorial of Missouri in Kingdom City on May 19 and 20.

Richard Paul

On Saturday, May 19, a candlelight vigil in honor of all Missouri firefighters who have died while serving their communities throughout the state will be held at the Fire Fighters Memorial.

On Sunday, May 20, the names of three Missouri firefighters who died in the line of duty will be added to the monument wall commemorating firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting their fellow Missourians.

The firefighters whose names will be added to the Fire Fighters Line of Duty Memorial Wall are:

· Firefighter/Apparatus Operator Richard E. Paul, age 54, Kansas City Fire Department, Jan. 7, 2011. Firefighter Paul experienced a medical emergency during the annual fire department physical examination. Firefighter Paul was transported to a hospital in critical condition and later died at the hospital from heart failure.

· Captain Leslie “Les” Clark, age 80, Dixon Rural Fire Protection District, Jan. 20, 2011. Volunteer firefighter Clark suffered a medical emergency while responding to a reported structure fire in a tanker truck. He had served the Dixon Rural Fire Protection District as a volunteer firefighter for more than 20 years. Clark died from a heart attack.

Henry 'Jay' Branscum

· Firefighter Henry “Jay” Branscum, age 32, Northeast R-IV Rural Fire Association, Sept. 3, 2011. Firefighter Branscum suffered a fatal medical emergency while working at the scene of a structure fire. He collapsed shortly after battling the fire; his cause of death was later determined to be from a heart attack.

The public is invited to attend at the Fire Fighters Memorial of Missouri, one block northwest of the I-70 & U.S. Highway 54 interchange, Kingdom City.

The Candlelight vigil is set for 8:30 p.m. Saturday, May 19, and the Memorial ceremony is at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, May 20.

Filed Under: Briefs

Linked-deposit program reaches $1 Billion in loans for small businesses, farmers

May 14, 2012 By

Small business owners, entrepreneurs and farmers are getting a boost from Missouri’s low-interest loan program.

Loan volume is up more than 60 percent from four years ago, meaning more Missourians are taking advantage of the state’s linked-deposit program. State Treasurer Clint Zweifel says the program has put more than a billion dollars back into the state’s economy.

Businesses with fewer than a hundred employees can take advantage of the low-interest loans through partnerships with 350 community banks throughout the state. Zweifel says those who have benefited from borrowing the money have saved some $18 million in interest.

He says this is a vital tool for small businesses and farmers during a tough economy, and he says it’s a permanent committment … there’s no sunset on the program, and he’s pleased to see the state helping businesses and start-ups try to grow.

He says banks are loaning the money based on their own credit decisions, but the state makes the deposit for loans approved, keeping the interest rates down. Zweifel says the capital for the program comes from income through the state’s portfolio, which his office maintains and manages.

Zweifel says the program has made more than a billion dollars in loans available in the past three years, a milestone since he says he worked with the legislature a couple years ago to expand the linked-deposit program. He attributes the growth to that expansion.

“We have doubled our lender partnerships, we have guaranteed access to low-cost capital and we continue to make smart investments.”

Qualifying borrowers generally save 30 percent on the cost of the loan. About 130 lenders with 350 branches throughout Missouri use the Missouri Linked Deposit Program, and an extensive list of participating lenders and program eligibility guidelines are available at www.treasurer.mo.gov/LinkedDeposit.

Following is a regional summary of loans made since January 2009:

  • Kansas City Region (Bates, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Henry, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette, Platte, Ray): $101 million, impacting 2,000 jobs and farmers.
  • Mid-Missouri Region (Audrain, Benton, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole, Cooper, Dent, Gasconade, Howard, Maries, Miller, Moniteau, Montgomery, Morgan, Osage, Pettis, Phelps, Pulaski, Saline): $295 million, impacting 4,200 jobs and farmers.
  • Northeast Missouri Region (Adair, Chariton, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Linn, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Pike, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby, Sullivan): $129 million, impacting 2,300 jobs and farmers.
  • Northwest Missouri Region (Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Livingston, Mercer, Nodaway, Worth): $62 million, impacting 1,100 jobs and farmers.
  • Southeast Missouri Region (Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Iron, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Stoddard, Wayne): $125 million, impacting 2,100 jobs and farmers.
  • Southwest Missouri Region (Barry, Barton, Cedar, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Douglas, Greene, Hickory, Howell, Jasper, Laclede, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, Oregon, Ozark, Polk, Shannon, St. Clair, Stone, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Webster, Wright): $131 million, impacting 2,100 jobs and farmers.
  • St. Louis Region (Crawford, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Warren, Washington): $179 million, impacting 3,700 jobs and farmers.
Filed Under: Economy, News

McCaskill speaks out against ‘Spooky PACS’ on Comedy Central (VIDEO)

May 9, 2012 By

Sen. Claire McCaskill has launched ads attacking political action committees donating money to her opponents in the race for U.S. Senate. She says for those donors to remain secret is wrong, and that votors in Missouri have a right to know who is backing their candidates on the November ballot. In an appearance on “The Colbert Report,” she tells host Stephen Colbert she’s working to shed light on the situation.

“I had a blast talking with Stephen Colbert last night,” McCasill says. “It’s an important — and funny — interview. But it’s also crucial that we join together and fight back against the secret money flowing into this election.”

 

The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
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Filed Under: 2012 Campaign, Featured, News, Politics & Government

Voters likely to decide whether to raise cigarette taxes, minimum wage, cap payday loan rates

May 7, 2012 By

The Secretary of State’s Office has submitted four initiative petitions for verification. Spokesman Ryan Hobart says if the signatures are verified, they’ll go on the November ballot. Voters would decide whether to increase cigarette taxes, minimum wage, cap payday loan interest rates, and give local control back to the St. Louis Police Force.

Spokesman Ryan Hobart says 143 petitions were filed this year, a record number, but only the aforementioned four have made it this far in the process.

He says it’s been going up every year: by comparison, 14 initiatives were submitted in 2004.

This year’s petitions will now be sent on to the local election authorities in counties and cities across the state so signatures can be verified against their voter registration records. Petitions that meet the legal criteria will be certified by Aug. 7.

Signatures for the following petitions were submitted for verification:

· Statutory Amendment to RSMo Chapters 84, 86 and 105, Relating to Municipal Police Force: http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2012petitions/12init_pet.asp#2012088.

· A Statutory Amendment to RSMo Chapters 149 and 196, Relating to Cigarette and Other Tobacco Product: www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2012petitions/12init_pet.asp

· A Statutory Amendment to RSMo Chapters 367 and 408, Relating to Payday, Title, Installment, and Consumer Credit Loans: http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2012petitions/12init_pet.asp

· Statutory Amendment to RSMo Chapter 290, Relating to Minimum Wage: http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2012petitions/12init_pet.asp

For a petition seeking to change Missouri statute, valid signatures from registered voters equal to five 5 percent of the total votes cast in the 2008 governor’s election from six of the state’s nine congressional districts must be submitted. Depending on the combination of districts, the number of signatures required ranges between approximately 91,818 and 99,600 valid signatures.

Payday loan interest rates have been a hot-button issue in the legislature in recent years, but bills have not been passed.

A group called Missourians for Responsible Lending says it’s gone too far, taking advantage of society’s most needy citizens.

“The payday lending industry and the hired guns working for their shadowy front group pulled out all the stops to protect their 400 percent interest rates,” says  James Bryan, treasurer. ”They’ve threatened churches and faith leaders, lied to and harassed voters on the streets, and worked to disenfranchise the citizens who signed petitions — but we have prevailed.”

Another group called Give Missourians a Raise speaks out against the practice.

“As payday lending executives and other CEOs get richer, regular people in Missouri are struggling to make ends meet across Missouri,” says James  Morris, treasurer. “It’s wrong to pay people less than $8 an hour and charge them 400% interest rates. These initiatives are important step forward to an economy that works for all of us.”　

Filed Under: Elections, Featured, News

Republican state representative announces he’s gay, urges colleagues to drop ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill (AUDIO / VIDEO)

May 3, 2012 By

A proposal in the House called the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” has a political satirist poking fun at Missouri … and a Republican representative coming out. The bill would prevent students in Missouri from forming gay alliance clubs or discussing homosexuality in schools.

Comic Stephen Colbert tore the bill apart on his nationally syndicated show, “The Colbert Report.” (Scroll down to see a video of the segment that aired on Comedy Central.) Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Zachary Wyatt Greencastle in Northeast Missouri says he’s gay, proud, and … still a Republican.

“I’m still a Republican legislator, I’m still going to vote on Republican issues,” he says.

Wyatt says amid a struggling economy when jobs bills are so important, he doesn’t understand why legislators are focusing on gay issues. And he says the GOP needs to take a good look at its ideals in relation to its members.

“The thing is, it’s getting legislators … to open their eyes and know there are people even within their own cauces who are gay,” he says, “and they need to be able to accept it. You know, the republican party is a big tent, and in my mind, everyone is welcome.”

“Even since the founding of our party, ind rights and freedoms,” Wyatt says. “It’s the foundation of our party and I think we need to start living more by it.”

The “Don’t Say Gay” bill doesn’t stand a chance at passage this late in the session, but it’s attracted a lot of attention to the Show Me State.

Wyatt was joined by other legislators in denouncing the bill. A statement was issued that said, “Bigoted statements and actions from Rep. Steve Cookson (R-Fairdealing), Rep. Dwight Scharnhorst (R-St. Louis) and other HB2051 supporters are exactly why Missouri needs strong, comprehensive anti-bullying legislation that protects all students from bullies. Anti-bullying legislation passed the Missouri General Assembly in 2006, but failed to include a list of students most often singled out and targeted for bullying. Without such a list in the law, school districts, administrators, and teachers do not have a clear understanding or training in how to recognize and handle all bullying situations. The Safe Schools Act would clarify these issues and reduce the negative impact of bullying upon LGBT students.”

Cookson is the bill’s sponsor; co-sponsors include: Speaker Steve Tilley (R-Perryville), Majority Leader Tim Jones (R-Eureka), John Diehl (R-Town and Country), Dwight Scharnhorst (R-St. Louis), Andrew Koenig (R-Winchester), Lyle Rowland (R-Cedarcreek), Charlie Denison (R-Springfield), Lindell Shumake (R-Hannibal), Kurt Bahr (R-St. Charles), Don Wells (R-Cabool), Eric Burlison (R-Springfield), Dave Schatz (R-Sullivan), Doug Funderburk (R-St. Peters), Jeff Grisamore (R-Lee’s Summit), Mark Parkinson (R-St. Charles), Paul Fitzwater (R-Potosi), Bill Lant (R-Joplin), Mike McGhee (R-Odessa) and Jay Houghton (R-Martinsburg).

Wyatt says a burden has been lifted from his shoulders and he decided not to live a lie about his sexuality anymore. He says his friends and family have been very supportive, as well as several of his colleagues in the House.

Cookson says he won’t withdraw the bill, but Wyatt says he’s grateful for the leadership shown by Rep. Scott Dieckhaus (R-Washington), who says he’ll make sure it doesn’t get a public hearing.

AUDIO: Jessica Machetta reports (1:23)

AUDIO: Listen to the full interview (8:24)

 

Filed Under: Education, Featured, News, Politics & Government
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