Surveillance camera footage leads to charges against Jasper man, accused of setting fire to his girlfriend's car, two others at Carthage body shop

Bond has been set at $50,000 cash or surety for a Jasper man who faces four felony charges after allegedly setting his girlfriend's car and two others afire May 23 at Grundy's Body Shop.

The probable cause statement indicates the Carthage Police Department did not have to wait long to identify Joseph Eugene Cochran, 37, Jasper, as the chief suspect.

The investigation was helped considerably by surveillance cameras that appear to show Cochran setting the fire, leaving Grundy's Body Shop, then making a U-turn and stopping to watch the blaze.

From the probable cause statement:

Grundy's Body Shop video surveillance showed a white male dump a liquid accelerant on two of the vehicles, focusing on Jamey Smith's 2007 Ford Escape. The other vehicle, a 2015 Hyundai Elantra, is registered to a James Knight of Carthage.

The third vehicle is registered to Matthew Chambers of Carthage, 2014 Dodge Durango. These three vehicles estimated damages totaled $21,787.04. No estimate of damage to Grundy's Body Shop south wall has been presented to Carthage detectives.

The white male was identified as Joseph Eugene Cochran, Jamey Smith's boyfriend. Video surveillance showed at approximately 3:58 a.m., Cochran entered the property at Grundy's Body Shop, 140 S. Main. Cochran is then seen on video attempting to start a fire on Smith's front passenger tire of her Ford Escape at 4 a.m. Cochran turned and attempted to ignite a flame under the driver's side tire of the Hyundai Elantra. Cochran ignited a flfame and ran east out of camera view.

Several minutes later, Cochran's silver/grey Jeep Wrangler is seen westbound on Mound and making a U-turn to view the vehicles on fire from a northern position.

The fire burned out and the Jeep left the area. On 5/23/2018 at 5:07 a.m., Cochran is observed again on camera pouring a liquid accelerant, believed to be Red Die Diesel, over the hood of Smith's vehicle and on the hood of the Hyundai. Cochran ignited the accelerant and left running east bound, after dropping the gas can on the scene, with all three vehicles on fire.

Cochran is charged with second degree arson and three counts of knowingly burning or exploding, all felonies.

Probable cause: Carthage man left loaded pistol out in the open; five-year-old shoots dog with it

A Carthage man was charged with felony endangering the welfare of a child after a five-year-old child took his loaded gun and shot a dog in the chest Tuesday.

The Carthage Police Department arrested Daniel Byrd, 26, 515 S. Poplar, after receiving a call that the five-year-old had shot the dog.

From the probable cause statement:

After investigation, it was determined that Daniel Byrd resides in an upstairs bedroom in the residence which sits adjacent to the children's bedroom. Byrd's bedroom had a doorknob that is not able to be fully latched or secured in any way. 

It was found that prior to the shooting, Byrd had knowingly left his HiPoint 9mm pistol unsecured and unconcealed on his bedside table. (The child) entered the unsecured room and located the firearm. (The child) then fired one 9mm round fro the firearm, striking the dog in the chest.

Bond for Byrd was set at $2,500 cash or surety.

Court documents: Joplin R-8 lawyers demand definition of "booty bump"

Attorneys representing the Joplin R-8 School District in a lawsuit filed by alleged victims of former North Middle School reading teacher Amanda Schweitzer are demanding to know what the plaintiffs' attorneys mean by the term "booty bump."

The reference to "booty bumping" came in a set of interrogatories sent to the district's attorneys.

Please produce all documents, recordings, videos, statements and other materials gathered, created, reviewed, or in any way associated with the investigation of any complaint regarding Amanda Schweitzer acting inappropriately towards students including but not limited to sexual assault, giving rides to students, spending time after school, spending time alone, booty bumping or any other complaint of inappropriate behavior related to Amanda Schweitzer.

The lawyers from the Springfield firm of Keck and Austin, representing the district, said "the request was vague, ambiguous and undefined with respect to the term "booty bumping."


It would appear that if Schweitzer used the term she was referring to the type of booty bumping that takes place when one person bumps his or her posterior into another person's posterior (according to the definition shown in the Urban Dictionary screenshot).

No court documents filed in connection with the case, including police reports, have made any reference to another form of booty bumping, defined in the Urban Dictionary as the act of injecting crystal meth into a person's anus, which presumably is designed to give that person a "bump' that is not received through an injection in any other part of the anatomy.

The booty bump exchange (and none of those are licensed in the state of Missouri) is among documents filed as the attorneys for three families of boys who were allegedly victims of Schweitzer's sexual misconduct.

Schweitzer, 38, Joplin, faces federal and state charges for her alleged sexual activities


The lawsuit alleges Schweitzer was preying on teenage boys in her classroom and on social media:

In early 2017, Schweitzer began grooming the minors via social media and text message in violation of JSD policies.

As the school year progressed, the messages from Schweitzer to T.C. intensified in volume and became increasingly sexually suggestive.

In or around March of 2017, while at school, Schweitzer ran her hand through T.C.’s hair and nibbled on his ear. She later messaged him via Instagram and asked him if he enjoyed it.

Subsequently, T.C. blocked Schweitzer from communicating with him via social media.

Not to be denied, Schweitzer turned her attention to C.A. and from March 20 – 30, 2017, Schweitzer engaged in sexual intercourse with the minor twice, including once at her home, and engaged in sexual misconduct with C.A. in her classroom on school premises.

At or around the same time, Schweitzer approached J.L., who was a student in her class, and engaged in unwanted sexual touching of the minor.

The lawsuit alleges R-8 officials failed to take steps that could have prevented Schweitzer's alleged behavior.

At this point, the lawsuit is in the information-gathering phase, with attorneys for the families filing a motion asking that the judge require the district to answer their questions.

Court filings indicate that the district insists it cannot turn over Schweitzer's personnel files without her permission because she has "a fundamental right to privacy."

A request for documentation of all times Schweitzer checked in and out of the classroom during the 2016-2017 school year was termed "burdensome."

District lawyers claimed the request for documentation about any times Schweitzer acted inappropriately with students, including giving them rides, sexual assault or the aforementioned "booty bumping" was "overbroad" and seeks "privileged information" since it involves students.

The lawsuit claims the alleged sexual harassment of the boys follows a pattern of R-8 officials not dealing with similar situations of assault and misconduct taking place on district premises, the petition alleges.

The district's attorneys also failed to answer the request for documentation on any other cases involving complaints of a sexual nature against teachers, claiming it was "overbroad".

The lawsuit was the second such action filed against the R-8 district in recent months.

In April, a former Joplin High School student who was allegedly sexually assaulted at the school filed a lawsuit, claiming that district officials did little to help her after the February 24, 2016 assault and that district officials were aware that the boy who assaulted her "had engaged in prior sexual misconduct involving female students."

The former JHS student's lawsuit's claim that the district has had "at least nine incidents of sexual misconduct or assault since 2010" is repeated in the lawsuit filed on behalf of the three North Middle School students.

The lawyers representing the boys and their parents, Michael J. Fleming and George E. Kapke Jr. of Lee's Summit and Elizabeth Turner of Joplin, are also representing the alleged statutory rape victim in a lawsuit against Schweitzer, which was filed November 3 in Jasper County Circuit Court, which included the following description of Schweitzer's actions:

In early 2017, Schweitzer began grooming C.A. via social media and text message in violation of JSD policies. On or about March 29, 2017, C.A. was late for the bus and subsequently missed school.

Schweitzer messaged C.A. when she noticed he was not at school. Schweitzer subsequently drove to his home and picked him up without the consent of his mother.

While at her home, Schweitzer engaged in sexual intercourse with C.A. As a result of the encounter, C.A. has been sustained emotional injuries. In addition, C.A. was forced to finish the semester off campus after the encounter with Schweitzer came to light. He subsequently transferred schools.

Billy Long issues statement on resignation of Greitens, Parson becoming governor

Seventh District Congressman Billy Long released this statement following the resignation of Gov. Eric Greitens and the elevation to Mike Parson to governor:

It’s time for all Missourians to pull together as we have so many times in the past for our great state. I hope everyone will join me in supporting Lt. Gov. Parson in his new role. This is the Show-Me state after all – now let’s show them we can all work together for our citizens moving forward.

Jason Smith: President Trump takes step to save lives by directing federal money away from abortion providers

(From Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith)

Protecting innocent life. Whether just conceived or on your death bed, innocent life is something we must never stop fighting to defend. In the last two weeks some of the biggest strides in the fight to protect life have taken place, thanks in large part to a President who values the need to protect those who can’t fight for themselves.

Announced on May 18, President Trump’s “Protect Life Rule” ensures that any federal family planning money (your tax dollars!) will be directed AWAY from centers which provide abortion services and instead diverted to pro-life maternal support facilities like the Rolla Pregnancy Resource Center, Birthright of Cape Girardeau, the Options for Women (Center for Life) in Ste. Genevieve and Perryville, and so many more important pro-life centers around Missouri. Cutting off federal dollars for facilities which provide abortion services has been a consistent and meaningful fight of mine, unfortunately our efforts were always stymied by a broken United States Senate, subject to rule of the minority with its filibuster tactics. The hardworking family first folks of Missouri don’t deserve to have their taxpayer dollars used to perform abortion services or support facilities which offer such options to expectant mothers. Cutting off federal funding for abortion providers was something started by President Reagan, upheld by the United States Supreme Court and is now finally being carried out by President Trump.

This week, President Trump also signed into law the “Right to Try Act”, legislation I supported in Congress which will give terminally ill patients the right to fight for life. Many terminally ill patients and their doctors know there are drugs and treatments for their diseases which may soon hit the market, but are still a few years away from final Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Unfortunately, in many instances those are precious years these patients don’t have. Bureaucratic red tape shouldn’t stand in their family’s way of doing everything they can to save their loved one. Every year over 1 million Americans die from terminal illnesses, the Right to Try Act will allow patients like these a chance to fight back and a new resource in their fight for life. Specifically the new law will allow terminally ill patients to access drugs which have undergone the FDA’s Phase I of safety testing, but are not yet through the final approval process. This is important new access to medicines which in many cases will save lives. Bureaucracy should never thwart innovation which can save lives.

Beyond the beginning and end of life, we have also taken important steps to protect innocent life from deadly Pediatric Cancers which rob children of their futures. Last week, Congress passed The Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access and Research Act. This important piece of legislation established grants to support Pediatric Cancer research aimed at getting a better understanding of cancers impacting children and the effects of different treatment on those cancers. With better information we can make sure these children are getting better care which will yield better life saving results.

While the first 18 months of President Trump have generated great economic and security successes such as the removal of over 1000 bureaucratic federal regulations, massive tax relief, greater border security and the decimation of the ISIS terrorist network, it is also important to not overlook the significant advances which have been made in the most important area of all, the fight for life. Formally implementing a ban on federal dollars to abortion service providers, appointing conservative pro-life judges like Neil Gorsuch, giving terminally ill patients access to medications which will save lives, and enhancing support for childhood cancer research are life changing victories for millions of Americans today and those not yet born. Our fight isn’t over, but with so many advancements I am excited for what the future holds in our battle for the right to life.

Greitens after signing 77 bills on last day: I'm proud of what we delivered

(From Gov. Eric Greitens)

Today, Governor Eric Greitens signed 77 bills into law.

“Our top priority has always been getting results for the people of Missouri, and our strong agenda has taken Missouri in a new and better direction. Today, I’m proud to put my name on many important laws and bold reforms.

We accomplished a lot this year. We passed the boldest reforms to Missouri’s foster care system in a generation, which the First Lady and so many worked hard for. We succeeded in delivering our tax cuts to create more jobs and higher pay for Missouri families. We passed critical efforts to shrink government by getting rid of useless political appointed positions, and we passed historic state workforce reforms to ensure that good service gets rewarded and that taxpayers get results. Our efforts to expand rural broadband were successful, and we signed bills creating greater access to health care for pregnant women, new benefits for veterans, protections for law enforcement officers from harassment, and expanded access to classes for kids.

The conservative reform agenda is working in Missouri, and I’m proud of what we’ve delivered,” said Governor Greitens.

The full list of bills is below:

HB 1250: Establishes the Missouri Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, which allows fiduciaries to access electronic records of the account holder

HB 1252: Changes the law regarding low-dose mammography screening

HB 1286: Modifies provisions of law relating to the detonation of explosives and actions for private nuisances brought against certain permittees

HB 1355: “Justice Reinvestment Act” Allows retired police officers to return to work when a disaster or emergency has been proclaimed by the governor or there is a national disaster

HB 1364: Modifies provisions relating to hazardous waste fees paid to the Missouri Emergency Response Commission

HB 1413: Requires authorization for certain labor unions to use dues and fees to make political contributions and requires consent for withholding earnings from paychecks

HB 1428: Allows the county commission of noncharter counties to appoint persons to vacated county elected offices.

HB 1446: Modifies provisions relating to non-election successions in certain political subdivisions

HB 1461: Modifies provisions relating to the Address Confidentiality Program

HB 1465: Modifies various provisions relating to degree offerings at public institutions of higher education

HB 1469: Modifies provisions of the Missouri military code by changing the name of the "Missouri reserve military force" to the "Missouri state defense force"

HB 1484: Changes the laws regarding the requirements for the operation of a bingo game

HB 1492: Changes the law regarding the Show-Me Heroes program

HB 1500: Modifies provisions relating to the practice of cosmetology and barbering

HB 1503: Establishes a fund for providing state-guaranteed small business loans to veterans.

HB 1504: Requires certain counties to adopt ordinances regulating land use around National Guard training centers.

HB 1531: Modifies provisions relating to civil proceedings

HB 1558: Creates the offense of nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images

HB 1617: Modifies provisions relating to telehealth

HB 1625: Establishes the Missouri Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program to provide low-income seniors with fresh, Missouri-grown produce

HB 1635: Modifies mandated reporting requirements for sexual assault victims in long-term care facilities

HB 1646: Modifies provisions relating to landowners' obligation to control brush adjacent to county roads

HB 1665: Establishes a visiting scholars certificate of license to teach

HB 1690: Modifies provision of the Missouri life and health insurance guarantee act.

HB 1719: Modifies provisions relating to professional registration

HB 1744: Modifies the A+ Schools Program by removing the requirement that the student's attendance of public high school occur in the three years immediately prior to graduation

HB 1769: Establishes the offense of filing false documents

HB 1797: Establishes the Nuclear Power Plant Security Guard Act

HB 1809: Changes the laws regarding the Bi-state Metropolitan Development District compact by adding Franklin County

HB 1832: Changes merchandising practices and credit user protection law and creates the offenses of defacing a credit card reader and illegal use of a card scanner

HB 1838: Authorizes the conveyance of certain state property

HB 1858: Requires the Department of Revenue to feature a map of all special taxing districts on its website

HB 1872: Establishes a grant program for the installation of broadband internet service

HB 1879: Changes the laws regarding financial transactions by public entities

HB 1880: Declares the intent of the general assembly to facilitate and encourage development of fiber optic infrastructure by rural electric cooperatives

HB 1887: Prohibits a property owners' association from preventing a property owner from placing political signs on his or her property

HB 1991: Modifies provisions relating to wireless facilities and related infrastructure

HB 2034: Modifies provisions relating to industrial hemp

HB 2116: Exempts certain types of vessels from provisions prohibiting passengers from riding in certain areas of a motorboat

HB 2171: Modifies provisions relating to the blind pension fund

HB 2280: Expands MO HealthNet benefits for pregnant women to provide substance abuse treatment for up to one year after giving birth

HB 2330: Designates a portion of State Highway 30 in St. Louis County as the "Officer Blake Snyder Memorial Highway"

HB 2347: Designates a portion of Interstate 44 in Greene County as the "Captain Aaron J Eidem Memorial Highway".

SB 564: Modifies provisions relating to public utilities

SB 573: Allows an income tax deduction for certain military personnel

SB 590: Modifies the Historic Preservation Tax Credit

SB 598: Requires that the Department of Transportation utility corridor be 12 feet wide with the location determined by the State Highways and Transportation Commission and modifies provisions relating to the public service commission.

SB 603: Modifies provisions relating to virtual education

SB 623: Changes the laws regarding foreclosure proceeds

SB 627: Modifies provisions relating to agriculture

SB 629: Modifies provisions relating to tax increment financing

SB 660: Modifies provisions relating to mental health

SB 683: Modifies provisions relating to the transportation of construction cranes

SB 705: Modifies provisions relating to rate adjustments outside of general rate proceedings for certain public utilities

SB 768: Allows telephone companies to select an alternate method of property tax assessment

SB 775: Extends the sunset on certain health care provider reimbursement allowance taxes and modifies the hospital reimbursement allowance tax

SB 793: Requires children under the age of 18 to be prosecuted for most criminal offenses in juvenile courts unless the child is certified as an adult

SB 800: Modifies provisions relating to juvenile court proceedings

SB 802: Modifies provisions relating to women's and minority business enterprises

SB 806: Modifies provisions relating to guardianship and conservatorship proceedings

SB 814: Modifies provisions relating to driver's licenses for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing

SB 819: Modifies provisions of law relating to foster care case management and criminal background checks

SB 840: Modifies provisions relating to dietitians

SB 843: Modifies the composition, duties or repeals outright certain administrative boards, commissions, and councils

SB 862: Modifies provisions relating to electrical contractors

SB 881: Modifies provisions relating to transportation

SB 882: Modifies provisions of the Missouri Higher Education Savings Program

SB 884: Modifies provisions relating to taxation.

SB 891: Designates the week beginning the second Saturday in October as "Buy Missouri Week"

SB 907: Authorizes the conveyance of a certain state properties

SB 917: Modifies provisions relating to coal ash

SB 981: Modifies provisions relating to methods of self-insurance for workers' compensation

SB 982: Enacts provisions relating to payments for health care services

SB 990: Modifies provisions relating to the attachment of school districts to community college districts

SB 999: Designates certain memorial infrastructure

SB 975: Repeals expired, ineffective, and obsolete statutory provisions

SB 1007: Modifies the merit system

Billy Long: Trump made the right move by pulling out of Iran deal

(From Seventh District Congressman Billy Long)

On October 18, 2015, the U.S., along with the United Kingdom, China, Russia, France and Germany, formally adopted the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran Deal. This one-sided deal was intended to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting international sanctions on Iran equal to billions of dollars. What did the U.S. get out of this? Nothing. Iran, on the other hand, got a much better deal.

Iran went from having a weak economy and poor positioning in the Middle East to growing its GDP by 12.5 percent the first year after the deal was agreed to according to the International Monetary Fund. Iran, which has been known for sponsoring terrorism, now had a rapidly growing economy and the funds to more fully support terrorist activities.

While the deal was intended to halt Iran’s nuclear program, it did very little to achieve that goal. Under the Iran Deal, international inspectors were given scheduled access to nuclear facilities and had to request access for undeclared facilities, which included military sites. For inspectors to secure access to these facilities, it would sometimes take up to 24 hours, leaving Iran plenty of time to manipulate the facility to comply with the agreement.

Understanding the threats the Iran Deal would pose to our allies across the globe, bipartisan majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate voted against this horrible deal. Instead of going back to the table to negotiate a better deal, President Obama agreed to it anyway.

The State Department describes Iran as the “foremost state sponsor of terrorism.” A perfect example of this is Iran’s support of Hezbollah, which is a terrorist organization based in Lebanon. For decades, Hezbollah has had the singular goal of fighting Israel, dating back to the 1980s. With the help of Iran, Hezbollah, which is essentially an arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, has expanded its presence to Syria and Iraq.

But this isn’t the first time Iran has used a terrorist organization to do its dirty work. The Houthis, which is a terrorist organization based in Yemen, is another organization Iran supports to spread its influence. As the U.S. continues to work with its allies in the Middle East to deescalate the situation in Yemen, which is arguably one of the worst humanitarian crises we have ever seen, Iran has used the Houthis to destabilize the region even further and attack other nations.

Iran has proven time and time again that it has no interest in working with the U.S. and its allies. Staying in the Iran Deal only props up the regime and gives it significant financial resources to use against U.S. interests.

President Trump ran on the promise of getting the U.S. out of this horrible deal. And on May 8, 2018, President Trump followed through on this promise and announced the U.S. would leave the Iran Deal. This sent a message to Iran and to the international community that we will no longer tolerate Iran’s reckless behavior and its violations of human rights.

In one of last acts as governor, Greitens pardons woman who killed abusive rapist father, four others

(From Gov. Eric Greitens)

Today, Governor Greitens commuted sentences and issued pardons for several Missourians. The Governor released the following statement:

“The ability to make wrong things right, for Missourians who have not gotten fair treatment from our criminal justice system, is one of the most solemn and precious abilities of a Governor. I believe in justice, and I believe that with these actions today—justice will be done.

We have decided to issue five pardons, and commute four sentences. Their stories each deserve to be told. Today, I want to highlight a few. Jessie McKim is currently serving a life sentence, without the possibility of parole, for a crime he did not commit. He has been behind bars for 20 years. He was convicted of murder, but since then, six experts have concluded that the cause of death identified at the time was completely wrong. Time and truth go hand in hand. It breaks my heart to know that Jessie, and others like him, served a day in prison for now-discredited accusations. We cannot undo what has been done. We cannot give him back that time. What we can do, is give him a chance to start again.

There are also cases of injustice. Alvis Williams was convicted of burglary—stealing a Sony Walkman, VCR, and other electronics—and sentenced to 80 years in prison for a burglary. He has already served 23 years. The prosecutor hoped, at most, to send him away for 20 years. He was sentenced to 80. That is 60 years longer than the prosecutor asked for, and 70 years longer than he could possibly be sentenced today. Alvin Williams has served his time.

These sentences were commuted. We also issued pardons: to wipe a person’s slate clean. It is the ultimate tool for reversing unjust acts, and for recognizing people who are deserving of our state’s mercy.

I pardoned Stacey Lannert today. She served 18 years in prison for killing her father—a father who abused and raped her constantly for years, and kept her silent under threat of death. When Stacey—still a teenager—discovered her father raping her younger sister, she grabbed her father’s gun and shot him dead. Since that day, Stacey has committed her life to serving others. Her sentence was commuted in 2009. She is a public defender. She has been an incredible resource to our team as we have worked in office to determine other Missourians who may deserve grace. She didn’t ask us for a pardon before we decided to issue one, but there is no one more deserving.

Each of the people on this list has a story to tell, and I look forward to each of them having the chance to do that. Each of them has overcome injustice, and many have overcome abuse. Each of them has something to give to this state, and to the world.”

Rodney Lincoln – sentence commuted to time served.

Rodney Lincoln was wrongly convicted of capital murder and has served 34 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. DNA evidence and one eyewitness were used to convict him. Now, we know the DNA evidence was wrong and the eyewitness—the daughter of the victim—says he is innocent and wants him to be free.

Jessie McKim—sentence commuted to time served.

Jessie McKim was wrongfully convicted of murder two decades ago. Cause of death evidence has been re-examined, and experts believe it is clear that he is innocent.

Alvis Williams—sentence commuted to time served.

Alvis Williams’ sentence is grossly harsh. He is currently serving an 80 year sentence for stealing a Walkman, VCR, and other electronics--a crime which, under today’s laws, could not result in a sentence of more than ten years.

Verdia Miller—sentence commuted to time served.

Verdia Miller has served 35 years for a murder that she did not commit or participate in. She is now 75 years old, and had 15 years remaining on her sentence.

Stacey Lannert—pardoned.

Stacey Lannert was the victim of constant rape and abuse. When she finally killed her abuser, she was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Since then, her sentence has been commuted and now, as a public servant and advocate for justice, the charge will be removed from her record altogether.

Judy Henderson—pardoned.

Judy Henderson’s sentence was commuted by Governor Greitens in December 2017. Henderson was sentenced to life in prison for her role in a robbery-turned-murder. Her boyfriend—the man who committed the robbery, killed someone, and shot Henderson herself in the process--went free. She could have been out of prison decades ago if her lawyers had not lied to her about the offer of a plea deal.

Mark Whittle—pardoned:

Mark Whittle has been an exemplary public servant, even receiving the honor of Department of Mental Health Employee of the Year in 2009. He has a clean record, since he successfully completed probation for a DWI offense in 1996.

Gary Thomas—pardoned.

Gary Thomas is a former Marine whose only brush with the law is a fistfight in 2008. His record since then has been flawless.

Betty Coleman—pardoned.

Betty Coleman’s sentence was commuted by Governor Holden in 2004. She served 27 years in prison because her abusive boyfriend murdered someone, and she unknowingly and inadvertently played a role in the incident.

St. Louis Democrat: Greitens punished pregnant women, restricted healthcare access, issued tax cuts for the wealthy

(From Rep. Stacey Newman, D-St. Louis)

GOOD NEWS

Amidst all the "strangeness" of the session, two traditional election year GOP priorities failed to make it across the finish line = guns and abortion.

NO restrictive abortion bills passed, even though we had a flurry of them earlier in session.  NO harmful firearm bills passed, including the famed "Guns Everywhere" bill.  We did have a "pop-up" arming additional school staff amendment which was added to a major education bill the last week but the sponsoring Senator poo-poo'ed it during the final conference committee.  NO one knows his reasoning but his focus was on keeping his bill clean ---we exhaled!  NO major voting restrictions bill passed because House Elections Committee was barely functional with bizarre proposals which the committee failed to take seriously. Whew!

I debated hard all session in favor of raising the age for child marriage as the amendment was added to numerous bills - and was finally successful.  Last year it passed the House unanimous but this session hard core conservatives rallied against it because of restricting parents rights (which made for very bizarre 1950's era floor debate).

I also debated hard in favor of adding "Consent" Language to our  education statute for high schoolers.  It was successfully added by Sen. Jamilah Nasheed during Senate debate to HB1606 and passed the last days of session.  I was very pleased language was removed from the original bill which required students be taught to "resist" unwanted advances.

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BAD NEWS

HB2010 & HB2011 passed which essentially "defunded" Planned Parenthood health clinics---denying patients all across the state access to birth control, cancer screenings and STI testing. These budget bills contained measures via MO Departments of Health & Senior Services and Social Services aimed at blocking patients from preventative care at Planned Parenthood health centers.  We argued hard against this illegal attack restricting healthcare providers (federal law ensures patients covered by Medicaid have the right to choose their provider).

In addition, HB1288 passed which extended the sunset for fake crisis pregnancy center (CPC) tax credits to 2025 and upping their maximum to $3.5 million.  FACT: these centers have no state regulations, are not required to have medical staff, most are religiously affilitated and are not subject to HIPPA laws.  The American Medical Association states "CPC's practice medicine without a license which is illegal, unethical and shocking".

2018 budget bills gave these predatory centers $8.9 million in tax credits, including $6.8 stolen from federal TANF funds (designed to temporariy feed hungry kids).

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ALL TRULY AGREED & FINALLY PASSED BILLS (SEE ALL HERE) WERE DELIVERED TO THE GOVERNOR MAY 30th PER MO CONSTITUTION.

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JUST IN:  GOV. GREITENS (at least he IS the governor until 5pm Friday, June 1st) ISSUED A STATEMENT AFTER SIGNING 77 BILLS earlier today:

“Our top priority has always been getting results for the people of Missouri, and our strong agenda has taken Missouri in a new and better direction. Today, I’m proud to put my name on many important laws and bold reforms.

We accomplished a lot this year. We passed the boldest reforms to Missouri’s foster care system in a generation, which the First Lady and so many worked hard for. We succeeded in delivering our tax cuts to create more jobs and higher pay for Missouri families. We passed critical efforts to shrink government by getting rid of useless political appointed positions, and we passed historic state workforce reforms to ensure that good service gets rewarded and that taxpayers get results. Our efforts to expand rural broadband were successful, and we signed bills creating greater access to health care for pregnant women, new benefits for veterans, protections for law enforcement officers from harassment, and expanded access to classes for kids."

My Response: While most of the session was spent dealing with his indictments & investigations, Gov. Greitens punished pregnant women, restricted healthcare access, protected law enforcement at the expense of targeting minorities, issued tax cuts that only benefit corporations and the wealthy and so much more. His priority was protecting a punitive conservative agenda without regard for his traditional Jewish values he used to flaunt.

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GOOD BILLS THAT PASSED

FUEL TAX (HB 1460): Puts a measure on the Nov. 6 ballot asking voters if they want to increase the state fuel tax by 10 cents per gallon over several years, taking it from the current 17 cents per gallon to 27 cents a gallon in 2022.FINAL HOUSE VOTE 88-60.  I VOTED YES.

REVENGE  (HB 1558): Makes it a felony crime to disseminate or threaten to disseminate a explicit image of another person without their permission. FINAL HOUSE VOTE 138-0. I VOTED YES.

CHILD MARRIAGE (SB 655): Raises the minimum age for child to be married in Missouri without obtaining a court order from 15 to 16 and prohibits marriages between a person who is age 21 or older and a person who is age 16 or younger. FINAL HOUSE VOTE 135-3.  I VOTED YES.

RAISE THE AGE (SB 793): Changes the minimum age at which teenage defendants are automatically prosecuted as adults from 17 to 18. Seventeen-year-olds could still be certified by a court to stand trial as an adult in the case of certain serious offenses. FINAL HOUSE VOTE 139-4.  I VOTED YES.

OPIOID PRESCRIPTIONS (SB 826): Limits certain initial prescriptions of opioids to no more than a seven-day supply for the treatment of acute pain.FINAL HOUSE VOTE 128-5.  I VOTED YES.

SHACKLING PREGNANT WOMEN (SB 870): Prohibits the Missouri Department of Corrections from shackling a pregnant offender in her third trimester during transportation, medical appointments, labor or for 48 hours after delivery, except when the offender poses a substantial flight risk or is deemed a danger to herself or others. FINAL HOUSE VOTE 131-13. I VOTED YES.

BAD BILLS THAT PASSED

PAYCHECK DECEPTION (HB 1413): Imposes new procedural barriers to the efficient and timely collection of dues by public sector labor unions, requires such unions to recertify every three years and prohibits workers from receiving paid time off for job-related union activities. Unions representing police, firefighters, corrections employees and first responders are exempt. FINAL HOUSE VOTE 87-62.  I VOTED NO.

PREVAILING WAGE (HB 1729): Prohibits contractors and subcontractors on public works projects from being required to pay workers the local prevailing wage under certain conditions. FINAL HOUSE VOTE 97-50. I VOTED NO.

INDIVIDUAL INCOME TAX (HB 2540): Cuts the individual income tax rate paid by most Missourians to 5.1 percent and makes up for some of the lost revenue by reducing how much federal tax Missourians can deduct from their state taxes and scaling back certain other tax breaks. The primary income tax rate currently stands at 5.9 percent and was already scheduled to drop to 5.5 percent under a 2014 law. FINAL HOUSE VOTE 101-40.  I VOTED NO.

CORPORATE TAX CUT (SB 884): Cuts the corporate income tax rate from 6.25 percent to 4 percent and modifies how corporations calculate their taxable income. FINAL HOUSE VOTE 96-42.  I VOTED NO.

STATE MERIT SYSTEM (SB 1007): Eliminates Missouri government’s merit employment system and makes most state workers at-will employees who can be fired at any time without cause. FINAL HOUSE VOTE 98-38.  I VOTED NO.

RIGHT-TO-WORK VOTE CHANGE (SCR 49): Moves the election date on a statutory proposition to adopt a so-called “right-to-work” law that would make it a crime punishable by jail time for an employer to negotiate a labor contract that requires workers to pay dues for the union representation they receive. Under the referendum petition forcing statewide a vote on the measure, which the GOP General Assembly enacted in 2017 and didn’t intend to go before voters, the vote was scheduled for the Nov. 6 general election. This measure moves it up to the lower-turnout Aug. 7 primary election. FINAL HOUSE VOTE 96-47.  I VOTED NO.

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MY VERY LAST "LAST DAY" OF SESSION

After nine years of serving in the House (I was first elected in a special election November 2009), it was a tiring but emotional last day of session.

I was a bit verklempt as my husband Burt and daughter Sophie (a middle school counselor in Kansas City) were able to both join me in the Capitol. They were with me when I was sworn in on my first day in January 2010 and it meant the world they stood with me on my last day of regular session.

I am still processing all the emotions but it has been an absolute honor to be elected and serve 4.5 terms in the Missouri Legislature.  

Warrensburg Republican supports new Missouri governor

(From Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg)

“Today marks a new beginning for the Show-Me State. After a very successful legislative session, we have set the bar high for supporting Missouri businesses and attracting more jobs to our great state. Only by working together can the legislative and executive branch build a better future for Missouri.

“The last several months have been challenging, and I know we still have some challenging times ahead. I will not let the difficulties of the last few months define our state and the good, hard-working Missourians who live and work here. We are the Show-Me State, and with your help we are ready to show the rest of the world how Missouri really is a great place to live, work and raise a family.

“Some people may want to continue to dwell on the past, and I realize it is sometimes hard to let go of any animosity developed during this time. I, like many of you, found no joy in these frustrating and awkward circumstances. To move our state forward, we must learn from the mistakes made, put any differences aside and show the world Missouri is a leader with successful businesses, top-notch schools and a quality way of life.

“Governor Mike Parson is a good man with a true public servant’s heart. As a farmer and former county sheriff, he is a law and order type of guy with high moral character. As your state senator, I’m ready to work with Gov. Parson and lead Missouri forward to even brighter days to come.”