Cybersecurity audit of Boonville School District raises concerns

(From State Auditor Nicole Galloway)

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway today released the first in a series of cybersecurity audits of school districts in Missouri. The audit of the Boonville School District in Cooper County raised concerns with the district's data protection practices, and includes recommendations to improve the security of student information and records.

"Schools must protect sensitive information, because if that data is compromised, there can be long-lasting and devastating financial and personal effects," Auditor Galloway said. "As a mother, I certainly don't want my children's health information or school records to end up in the wrong hands, and I know parents across Missouri feel the same way. Our auditors have completed the review of Boonville School District, and I am encouraged by the district administration's positive response and commitment to making critical changes that will better protect this information."

The audit found the district did not have an appointed security administrator, and had not properly secured sensitive technology hardware to prevent data theft or access by unauthorized users. The audit also identified concerns with a number of basic data security controls, including password change requirements, staff access to a computerized system, and monitoring of security logs to identify and address cyber threats for investigation.

Auditors recommended the district establish a data breach response policy, which could be immediately activated in the event of a cybersecurity threat or breach event. The audit also recommends the district implement a security awareness training program for district staff.

The Boonville School District in Cooper County was the first of five school districts selected for an initial round of Cyber Aware School Audits. Additional audits are in progress or planned for the following districts:

Cape Girardeau School District, Cape Girardeau County

Orchard Farm School District, St. Charles County

Park Hill School District, Platte County

Waynesville School District, Pulaski County

"My office has engaged in a collaborative process with the school districts involved in the Cyber Aware School Audits, " Auditor Galloway said. "Cybersecurity is not a status that can be achieved; It's an ongoing process, and my office will continue to work toward efforts to improve cybersecurity awareness and protections across Missouri.

Since taking office, Auditor Galloway has made cybersecurity a priority across all components of government, including Missouri schools. The Cyber Aware School Audits are part of an ongoing emphasis on data protection practices and keeping Missourians' information secure. Last fall, an audit of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education found the department was unnecessarily transmitting and storing student social security numbers in its Missouri Student Information System (MOSIS)- a practice the department has ended. The State Auditor's Office has also incorporated data security into the standard audit process.

The complete audit report is available online here.

Joplin city manager provides weekly update

(Joplin City Manager Sam Anselm provided the following update to the City Council Friday.)

Good afternoon, everyone. Please see below for this week’s update. This week was fairly light on meetings outside of my regular meetings with department heads, but there are a couple of meetings worth mentioning.

Key Meetings 

-On Thursday, staff and I met to review the information that we will present to the members of the Use Tax Committee, whom you appointed on Monday night. The first meeting for the group has been scheduled for April 7th at 6:00 p.m. I do not anticipate having more than three or four meetings, but we will be prepared to bring a recommendation to the city council in May regarding placing the issue on the ballot later this year.

-Earlier today, I met with staff from our planning department, the chairperson of our Historic Preservation Commission, and representatives from Heritage Strategies, to get an update on the progress of our new historic preservation plan. As I mentioned in a previous update, they have expanded the scope of their plan beyond a traditional preservation plan to include an economic development component as well. They’ve done a great job engaging numerous organizations around the community in the conversation and development of the plan, and I think you will be pleased with the results.

Miscellaneous 

-Attached is the most recent project update from Public Works. Please let me know if you have any questions about these items.

-Thanks to the team efforts of our organization and an emphasis on safety, our premiums for property and casualty insurance will see a decrease of 8.41% this year, representing a savings of approximately $58,000. Patrick Hurn and Director Allgood from our HR department have been spearheading the safety program, and I would like to take an opportunity to acknowledge their roles in this effort. But safety is a team effort, and the message and emphasis on safety is making a measurable impact on claims, so my gratitude goes out to other employees as well.

-Later today, our employee engagement committee will be undertaking the task of reviewing our city’s mission and vision statements to determine if there is a need for any updates or changes. I’ve mentioned this topic in previous updates, but I wanted to let you know that we’re moving forward.

 -Staff continues to work on putting together information for new council member orientations. This year I will be resurrecting the past tradition of inviting new council members to meet department heads during an all-day orientation to go over roles, projects, programs that each department is working on, etc., to better prepare our new council members for their positions. Other cities that have done this well have also invited existing council members to join the meeting, so as soon as we can set a date/time/location, I will look to invite current council members as well.

Kimberling City Republican: Everyone I talk to wants "constitutional carry"

(From Rep. Don Phillips, R-Kimberling City)

The majority of people I represent in District 138 are gun-loving folks, (myself included). I’ve had numerous emails and phone calls supporting HB 1468, which would allow anyone with a clean record to carry a handgun concealed without a government permit. This is known as “constitutional carry.” Although the bill freely permits concealing a handgun, it is not as restriction-free as having a concealed carry permit. For instance, MO has a reciprocal agreement with most other states (there are 15 that don’t allow it) to carry a handgun concealed as long as the person has a permit to do so. That wouldn’t change with HB 1468. The concealed carry would only apply to Missouri without a permit. All states surrounding MO, except for Illinois, recognize our permit for concealed carry in their state.

HB 1468, would allow for those 18 yrs. of age and older to conceal a handgun without a permit as long as the person was lawfully able to do so. (Convicted felons would not be able to lawfully carry)Seven other states already have the constitutional carry and many more are working in that direction.

Here’s something many people don’t realize … Missouri is an “open carry” state, meaning it is legal to wear a handgun on the outside of your clothing, in plain sight, without a permit! HB 1468 is simply trying to marry that with being able to cover the handgun with clothing. With that said, I would not recommend walking into a business with a pistol holstered on your hip! What would most likely happen is a complaint would be filed for “disturbing the peace.” Even though it’s legal it isn’t welcomed in most places. It also makes it obvious you have a firearm and unless you’re well trained in gun retention, having a weapon in plain sight can create a potential problem.

HB 1468 would also allow a state employee to conceal a handgun in a state vehicle, providing the vehicle is locked.

I realize the push for freedom, but it seems to make sense to at least require a one-time, basic class in concealed carry at a minimal cost. That would allow a discussion of the legal aspects of the law and the obligations of the gun carrier. There are many responsibilities and ultimate legal issues necessary to understand, related to the proper and improper use of a firearm.

I will have to say though, that nearly all of those contacting me are in favor of HB 1468. I’m anxious to see it come to the House floor for debate. I also am concerned about amendments that may be added.

One representative, on the “other side of the aisle” has sponsored HB 1397, which is the craziest thing I think I’ve ever read when it comes to firearms bills! It’s a polar opposite of HB 1468 with all sorts of restrictions in place to even be able to purchase a firearm! As I replied to one concerned constituent, “We will witness the Lock Ness Monster swimming in Table Rock Lake with Sasquatch waving from the shore before we see HB 1397 become law!” Check it out; but be ready to shake your head in disbelief!

For more information, go to www.house.mo.gov and select “Bill Info” and then “Bill Tracking.”

Romance with the superintendent? R-8 lawyer accused of conflict of interest

A Kansas City area lawyer who has handled recent high profile cases for the Joplin R-8 School District is involved in a controversy over her romance with a superintendent at another school she represents.

Shellie Guin of the Guin Mondorf law firm is "dating" the highest paid superintendent in Missouri, David McGehee of Lee's Summit, according to the Kansas City Star.

McGehee told the Lee's Summit Board of Education about the romance
and says it has not created any problems, even though Guin Mondorf handles nearly all of the district's legal business.

As for his personal relationship with Guin, McGehee said that he notified board members of that last summer.

“It’s not like we’re hiding it from anybody,” McGehee said in an interview after a board meeting last month. “I don’t find that there’s any conflict of interest.”

McGehee said he has since worked with board members to ensure any district business that affects him is not handled by Guin.

McGehee said Tuesday he has always negotiated his contracts directly with the board — not through an attorney — and that his contract is later reviewed by another attorney at Guin’s firm, but not Guin herself.

(Board member Terri) Harmon said the school board brought in an outside firm to review the impact of the relationship between McGehee and Guin and decided there was no conflict of interest.

At least two board members do not agree with that assessment, with one, Bill Baird, calling for the resignation of McGehee, who makes $397,000 a year. McGehee, apparently not appreciating Baird's stance, has publicly called on Baird to resign.

A state audit criticized the hiring of Guin Mondorf without any bidding process, according to the Star article:

McGehee satisfied part of the audit when he signed a written agreement with Guin for her to act as a legal counsel for the district. Baird said he objected that the contract was never approved by the school board.

McGehee said that, despite the auditor’s recommendations, the district does not need to bid out its legal services.

Guin said that to avoid violating Missouri Bar rules, she was having other attorneys at her firm do work that dealt with McGehee directly.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article67842477.html#storylink=cpy

Guin Mondorf represented the R-8 Board of Education last summer when three Joplin residents filed for a writ of mandamus asking a judge to appoint Jim Kimbrough to the board of education and prevent the seating of Jasper County Commission appointees Gary Nodler, Sallie Beard, and Ron Gatz.

Guin is also featured prominently in my book Silver Lining in a Funnel Cloud for her role as the prosecutor at my termination hearing on May 23, 2013. Guin has presented seminars to superintendents and school board members on how to get rid of teachers.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article67842477.html#storylink=cpy

Joplin Globe continues milking money from grieving families

A couple of weeks ago, a source told me the Joplin Globe had sent a new rate card to area funeral homes.

Nothing unusual about that. Ever since the Globe started charging for obituaries a couple of decades ago, the price that is charged for them has continued to increase.

But there was something different about this increase, the source told me. For the first time, the Globe was going to charge for death notices.

There was a time, as some older readers will recall, that the death of a neighbor was considered to be news. Surveys showed that obituaries ranked at or near the top of the most well-read sections in newspapers.

When the Globe began charging for obituaries, it was the first step in a process that has seen the newspaper begin a steep decline in circulation. Some experts have said newspapers' power began to diminish with the advent of chain ownership; others talk about how technology has knocked newspapers for a loop. You can make a good argument for both of those explanations.

Perhaps those looking for a starting point for print journalism's downward spiral should examine what has happened to coverage of the deaths of citizens in the community.. When the Globe and other newspapers started charging for obituaries, they created a divide in their readership. At one time, it was said that the only time some people's names were ever in the newspaper was when they died.

That changed when greed entered the picture. Now the only people who were featured were those whose families had the money to buy their way into print or those whose families were able to spend money they could ill afford to pay one last tribute to a loved one.

The Globe denied that it was cutting the poor out of its pages by running one paragraph death notices, which included the person's name, address, age, and funeral service information.

In Thursday's Globe, for example, above the obituaries, the Globe noted, "The following are paid memoriums provided by family, friends, and loved ones."

Above the death notices, the following was written: "The following are free death notices provided by the Joplin Globe."

These words had been included every day in the Globe for quite some time.

As of Friday, there are no longer any mentions of obituaries being paid or death notices being free.

And while I haven't checked today's newspaper, the Saturday obituaries also included no such mention.

The Globe has apparently taken the next step by punishing grieving families- if you don't pay up, we are not going to mention your loved one at all.

This should surprise no one. The editorial bent of the Globe has swerved so far in the direction of a small group of people that consider themselves to be the elite of our community that it has shirked its duty in its examination of public figures such as David Wallace, Mark Rohr, Mike Woolston, and C. J. Huff.

The Globe's Sacred Cows

David Wallace, as you remember, was treated with deference as long as he was the golden boy for CART and the Joplin Progress Committee types. Since the Texas con artist skipped town, he suddenly became evil incarnate and the subject of frequent Globe articles- but the newspaper has never done any examination of the process that brought Wallace Bajjali to Joplin. Of course, such an examination would not only damage the reputations of the Globe's friends, but it would also reveal the culpability of the newspaper itself.

The Globe has not only stood firmly behind the CART and Joplin Progress Committee types, but it has attacked anyone who dares say anything negative about them. The Globe roundly criticized the Loraine Report, despite the fact that it was a completely professional job done by someone who was experienced in such investigations having worked in the U. S. Attorney's office.

Not even state auditors escaped the Globe's wrath. The Globe took every step possible to discredit the auditors' findings, especially when they began criticizing CART and its role in bringing Wallace Bajjali to town.

The Globe protected its sacred cows by taking the easy way out. The newspaper printed the auditors' findings, but gave equal weight to the responses from those who were mentioned, tilting heavily in the direction of the aggrieved members of the city's unelected elite.

The inclusion of those responses was not the problem with the Globe's coverage. It was the lazy approach the Globe takes to coverage of many stories. There is an audit. Say what's in the audit, give the people who are mentioned the opportunity to respond, then print the story, offering both sides.

Whatever happened to a newspaper actually digging in and finding out what the truth is? There is no evidence that the Globe attempted any such investigative reporting. It is rare that the Globe conducts any form of investigative reporting.

The death of the Joplin Globe?

And that brings us back to obituaries and death notices. In a July 2012 blog I wrote for Daily Kos, I addressed this issue. I ended the blog with this passage:

I am sure it will not be long before someone sets up a website where obituaries can be found and when that happens another reason to read newspapers will have vanished forever- the same fate as classified ads and eventually legal notices when people come to the realization that the only reason those are still in newspapers is to prop up their bottom line- the taxpayers would probably be served just as well in this day and age by having legal notices posted on internet sites.

Writing these words does not come easily to me. I have loved newspapers since I was six years old and my dad, a truck driver, brought me copies of the Kansas City Star and Tulsa World to read. We always had subscriptions to the Joplin Globe, Neosho Daily News and the Newton County News. I spent 22 years as a newspaper reporter and editor and loved every minute of it. The rapid decline of newspapers breaks my heart, but once they started being just another stock market commodity instead of a public service, they sealed their own fate.

When, and if, the newspaper industry dies, a victim of its own greed and incompetence, I am sure there will be some venue where its obituary will be written- and no one will have to pay to see it.

Inside Joplin Obituaries

Sixteen months after I wrote those words, I launched that website I wrote about- Inside Joplin Obituaries, which has printed more than 3,000 obituaries of people connected to Jasper, Newton, Barton, and McDonald counties and has included many complete obituaries of people whose deaths were only recorded in one-paragraph notices in the Globe.

It started with a small readership, but has grown until it now routinely receives more than 2,000 visitors daily and far more on certain days.

While I regularly receive obituaries from funeral homes throughout the four-state area, if you have a loved one whose obituary you want to see included on the website, contact me at rturner229@hotmail.com

I will never charge for obituaries. They are news, plain and simple. It is a shame that the Joplin Globe has forgotten that.

***
Keep the news and commentary of the Turner Report, the records and community coverage of Inside Joplin, and the complete obituaries in Inside Joplin Obituaries to continue to serve the Joplin area by subscribing to the Turner Report/Inside Joplin  or by contributing any amount. You may use the PayPal buttons below, or if you would prefer not to use PayPal or a credit card, you may send your contribution to 2306 E. 8th, Apt. G, Joplin, MO 64801.

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Joplin Progress Committee members prominent among Gaarder contributors

A fourth Joplin Progress Committee contributor gave money to Joplin R-8 Board candidate Mary Gaarder, according to the eight-days-before-election report filed Friday with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Henry Robertson gave $250 to the Gaarder campaign, joining the three people connected to the Joplin Progress Committee who gave to the retired teacher earlier- $250 from Michael Pence, who is also serving as Gaarder's campaign treasurer, $150 from Abbey Title Company owner Barbara Hicklin and $150 from Dorothy Willcoxon, whose husband Robert gave to the Progress Committee.

Robertson, Pence, Hicklin, and Willcoxon also backed efforts last summer by former Superintendent C. J. Huff and former board member Mike Landis to hand over selection of board replacements from the people's elected representatives to the Jasper County Commission. Their signatures were among 65 on petitions given to the Commission, including 13 Joplin Progress Committee members.

The Joplin Progress Committee, as Turner Report readers will remember, was formed in late 2013 to allow those who contributed $500 or more to the committee to take part in the selection of candidates for the Joplin R-8 Board of Education and Joplin City Council. The committee disbanded in September, but the Joplin Globe felt compelled to include its demise eight months later in an article about Joplin City Council candidates, along with quotes from one of its former leaders, Clifford Wert of Webb City, noting that the group had shut down and its members felt they could accomplish more by contributing individually to candidates.

In addition to Robertson, others contributing to the Gaarder campaign included the following:

Gina Bauman, CPA, $200

Larry Crowe, Overland Park, $200

Hal Roper, Roper Auto, $200

Jeff Crowe, Kansas City, $200

Susan Crowe, Kansas City, $200

Gaarder also reported receiving $1,449 from unnamed contributors who gave $100 or less.

Gaarder raised $3,449 since the 40-days-before-election report and spent $3,327.47, including $187.43 to the Jasper County Treasurer for a voters' list, $542 to the Joplin Globe for newspaper advertising, and $350 to Social Climber Pro for social media.

Her expenditures also included paying off two debts from the previous filing period, $1010.51 for signs and $1,080 for social media.

Dermott spends nearly $4,000 in R-8 board race

Empire District Electric Company attorney Sharrock Dermott raised $3,374 and spent $3,909.05 in his race for a three-year seat on the Joplin R-8 Board of Education, leaving him with $1,996.79 in the bank, according to his eight-day-before-election report filed Friday with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Dermott reported the following contributions:

Steve Bock, Joplin, Newton County Sheriff's deputy, $200
Gil Stevens, Keller-Williams Realty, $200
Ron Gatz, Empire District Electric Company, $250
Hal Roper, Roper Auto Group, $200
Leigh Frogge, homemaker $200
James Steele, retired, $500
Kim and Spencer Satterlee, owners Satterlee Plumbing, Heating, and Air $200
Shannon and Barrett Satterlee, owners Satterlee Plumbing, Heating, and Air $200

Dermott also received $1,374 from unnamed donors giving less than $100, according to the report.

The $3,909.05 in expenditures included $2,217.41 to Sign Designs for signs and banners, $264.71 to Dixie Printing for campaign cards, and $1,289 to the Joplin Globe for newspaper advertising and "e-mail blast," according to the report.

Sunshine Law requests indicate correspondence between Huff, White House has vanished

Don't you just hate it when you really need to get a message to Joe Biden and you can't find a way to get it to him?

That was the problem, former Joplin R-8 Superintendent C. J. Huff faced as he tried to find a way to get his thank-you message directly to the vice president, rather than have it go through normal channels.

Biden was the featured speaker at the October 2014 dedication of Joplin High School, and in addition to providing a powerful message (and increasing the Joplin Tornado death toll from 161 to 161,000), Biden touched Huff's arm and consoled him when the ceremony brought the superintendent to tears.

But when it came time to thank Joe Biden for his speech (and his touch), for some reason it was difficult.

In an e-mail dated October 24, 2014, three weeks after the dedication, Huff wrote to Paulette Aniskoff, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, broaching the subject:

Paulette. I have a thank you note I'd like to get to the Vice President. Any thoughts on the best way to get it in his hands. I 'm sure he gets plenty of mail! CJ

When that e-mail failed to do the job, Huff sent another to Massie Ritsch of the Department of Education dated November 6:

Massie. Hate to bother you again, but I've tried to work my White House channels to try to get a note to the VP but haven't received a response. Do you have a contact I could email directly? CJ

On February 1, Huff decided to go for some face time with the vice president, sending an e-mail to Carrie Twigg, associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement:

Carri. Just checking in.. .1'm in DC until tomorrow afternoon and wanted to check in one more time to see if VP Biden was available for a quick visit. Thanks again. CJ

Whether Huff ever met with Joe Biden is not evident from his e-mails, which were obtained by the Turner Report as a result of a Sunshine Law request. In fact, those and one other e-mail marked the only correspondence between Huff and anyone connected with the White House or the U. S. Department of Education concerning the high school dedication.

In the request, I asked for copies of all correspondence between C. J. Huff and anyone at the White House or between C. J. Huff and anyone at the Department of Education between March 1, 2014, and February 29, 2016, when my request was sent. I chose the two-year period because of a recent Joplin Globe article, in which school officials said they only kept e-mails for two years (which certainly limits anyone intending to do historical research on the school and the Joplin Tornado).

The material provided to me by the district did not include even one e-mail written by Huff to the White House prior to the October 24, 2014, message noted above.

Earlier e-mails obtained by the Turner Report from a Sunshine Law request to Gov. Jay Nixon's office show that Huff told Mike Nietzel of the governor's office that he was in touch with the White House and there was a possibility that President Obama would be at the dedication ceremony. Unless, there was no written documentation of that effort, which would be unusual to say the least, it no longer exists.

After the materials I requested were sent to me by Pat Waldo, the district's records custodian, along with a bill for $25, I sent Waldo the following message:

Ms. Waldo,

I am a bit concerned about the information I received from my Sunshine Law request.

First, there appears to be no documentation of any communications between C. J. Huff and the White House, the vice president's office, or the Secretary of Education concerning how Biden and Duncan came to be in Joplin for the opening of the new high school. The first mention of that in the records is three e-mails concerning Huff trying unsuccessfully to get in touch with Vice President Biden following the ceremony.

Since I earlier obtained records through a Sunshine Law request to the governor's office that show that C. J. used the district e-mail to contact the governor about the event and did so numerous times, I find it hard to believe that he did not do the same with the federal government.

Do these records no longer exist or were they overlooked?

I would have assumed there would have to be considerable communication before the ceremony and that both sides would have wanted it documented.

I would have also thought there would be other communications between C. J. Huff and the Department of Education in the last months before his retirement.

If there are some communications that were not included because they were sent to and from the vice president's office, could you please let me know that and conduct a search for that information (even though $25 a pop is a bit steep for the kind of information I received from Gov. Nixon's office at no charge).

Thanks for your time and consideration.

I received the following response from Waldo:

Mr. Turner,

I spoke to Dr. Ridder about your concerns regarding your Sunshine Law Request. He asked me to assure you that Joplin Schools is dedicated to full transparency to the public.

All of C. J. Huff's government emails were reviewed dating back to March 1, 2014 to complete your Sunshine Law request.

The logistics of Vice President, Biden and Secretary of Education, Duncan's attendance at the JHS Opening Day Ceremony were handled by the Community Development Staff.

I was a bit skeptical about that response, since anyone who knows anything about C. J. Huff is not going to believe that when the possibility exists of bringing the President of the United States to Joplin High School, or the vice president, or the secretary of education, that Huff is not going to play an active role in the effort, especially since the e-mails that were sent to me indicated that Huff was plying his own White House and Education Department sources, which had obviously been developed much earlier than October 24, 2014. I submitted the same request for information concerning the R-8 Community Development Staff's communications with the White House and the Department of Education.

I received the following response, this time from the district's lawyer Norman Rouse:

Mr. Turner I have been asked to review your record request and respond. It is my understanding your current record request is as follows: “ All communications between the Community Development staff and anyone at the White House, the vice president’s office or the Department of Education over the past two years” 

Based on a previous request I am going to assume that means back to March 1 2014. This is a very broad request and therefore it will take time to research our records to satisfy your request. 

We have decided that Kelli Price is the employee best suited to efficiently and competently research your request. Pursuant to RSMo 610.026 the school is allowed to bill the actual cost of research time. The hourly rate for this research is $30 an hour. We estimate it will take 3 hours to do the research. However be aware it may take more time or less time to research your request. Rest assured you will only be billed the actual time necessary to do the research. In addition there will be a cost of 10 cents a page to make copies and the billing rate to make those copies will not be $30 an hour but the hourly rate of a clerical position. We will have the records available to you before April 15th 2016. Once the records are available we will notify you and advise you of the cost associated with the research and record duplication. We will release the records upon receipt of payment.

Obviously if there is any information you can provide that will narrow search we would welcome it to reduce our research time and your costs. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me.

I sent a message late this morning rescinding my request. I cannot afford to pay the hourly rate for Price, whose hourly rate went up considerably when C. J. Huff, in one of his last acts, increased her salary from about $48,000 per year to approximately $63,000.

What have I learned from all of this? One, it appears that some important documents have either been misplaced or deleted. Two, the district is paying $30 per hour for someone to handle public relations. Nice work if you can get it.

***

Since there will undoubtedly be a few Turner Report haters who will say the information I was seeking is not important and is just another attack on C. J. Huff, I remind readers that on Tuesday night, the Joplin R-8 Board of Education will hear another report from CFO Paul Barr on whether the district will receive millions of dollars from FEMA, money that not only covers "errors and  omissions," but also the millions extra that were paid as part of Huff's push to get the building open on time and cash in on publicity from the dedication ceremony.

The documents would have provided a much needed glimpse at what the superintendent was telling the people in Washington about what was going on in Joplin at that time.

Hartzler: I will fight for religious beliefs against Obamacare mandates

(From Fourth District Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler)

This week a historic case was heard before the U.S. Supreme Court. What is at stake? Religious freedom and the sanctity of the First Amendment. The Little Sisters of the Poor, a religious order that serves the poor in 31 countries, has asked the Supreme Court for protection from ObamaCare’s mandate requiring purchase of abortion inducing birth control drugs as part of their health insurance. This is a violation of the Little Sisters’ religious beliefs. The Little Sisters are being put in a position in which they must comply with a heavy-handed government mandate or pay up to $70 million a year in fines. This is unacceptable!

I joined House colleagues from both sides of the aisle to support the Little Sisters of the Poor and stand for the religious freedoms we have had for over 200 years. I join all supporters of freedom of religious belief in praying that the Supreme Court puts the rights of these women above government bullying and defends our First Amendment rights.

Also this week, I was proud to co-sponsor legislation to protect health care providers who choose not to conduct abortions as part of their health care practice. The Conscience Protection Act gives doctors, nurses, and hospitals the right to say "no" to assisting or providing abortions. It should be clear that forcing a health care provider, church, or private employer to violate their conscience and participate in something many consider horrific is unacceptable. This bill preserves conscience rights already given by law and offers additional protections for those on the front lines of the medical profession which are needed. It is essential that our religious freedoms be protected and respected.

Billy Long: I will oppose any action to tie American dollars to Cuban oppression

(From Seventh District Congressman Billy Long)

President Obama traveled to Havana, Cuba, this month to meet with President Raúl Castro and other Cuban leaders, marking the first time in almost nine decades that our two nations’ leaders have stood side-by-side in a diplomatic effort. To the Cuban people, President Obama remarked that he’d “come to bury the last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas.” However, frictions of the past cannot – and should not – be buried at all if doing so emboldens Cuban leaders’ continued disregard for human rights and rejection of democratic freedom.

The only thing similar about Cuba’s brand of communism and American capitalism is their ‘ism’ suffixes. Otherwise, Cuba’s oppression of workers, systematic imprisonment of free-speaking “counterrevolutionaries,” and heavy restriction of media reporting embody the same neglect for liberty that America has justly stood against since Fidel Castro took power in 1959.

Just before Air Force One touched down in Havana, more than 50 “dissident” activists were assaulted and arrested in the streets by Cuban authorities. On top of that, reports of known arbitrary detentions in Cuba jumped more than twofold last year; more than seven thousand politically motivated arrests were documented – a number estimated to be well below the true number of detainees due to Cuba’s barring human rights watchdog groups from accessing prison data.

Furthermore, Cuba’s economy clings to state ownership of industries that cater to the wants of Cuba’s military leaders and political elite, resulting in the vast industrial underdevelopment and repression of citizens found commonplace in communistic nations.

Representing Southwest Missouri, for instance, I know the importance of agriculture to America’s economy, and that the industry’s success relies heavily on the direction and expertise of entrepreneurs who run ranches and farms. But despite President Obama announcing a list of cosmetic-based agreements to ‘normalize’ our two nations’ agricultural sectors during his visit, it’s unfathomable that this administration would propose that America’s agriculturalists work toward mutual gain with Cuba’s – ultimately making every dollar of profit complicit with the repression of Cuba’s farmers.

The gap between U.S. and Cuban ideologies couldn’t have been more evident than during President Obama and Castro’s joint speeches – where Castro opened remarks with a litany of accusations and issues where the two countries would never agree. While this administration’s efforts may be in good faith, our human rights and civic freedom divides cannot be cast-aside with diplomatic press ‘avails.’

With the same lack of foresight exercised by this administration’s dealings with Iran and other world dictatorships, they’ve lifted sanctions on Cuba, have prematurely dropped them from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, and have made their capital home to a new U.S. Embassy. All of these actions only further legitimize decades of Cuba’s ruthless oppression and disregard for its citizens’ God-given rights rather than give them hope for a better future.

President Obama’s visit should have underscored President Castro’s unjust neglects through meetings with democratic activists and called for free speech. Regardless, though, until the Cuban government can prove to their people and the world that they’re committed to 21stCentury standards of dignity, I will oppose any actions that would tie the American dollar to the oppression of Cuba’s working-class citizens.