Pettis County

Republican

 

Volume XXV, Number 2 July 2007

 

 

MISSOURI STATE FAIR

 

The Missouri State Fair is expected to be an exciting event for local Republicans. Chairman Carla Young is encouraging all local Republican officials to participate in the Missouri State Fair Parade to be held on August 9, 2007. Participants should line up at 4:30 p.m. The Parade will begin at 6:00 p.m. Additionally, Marsha Boeschen has asked for volunteers to work at the Missouri State Fair Republican Tent on the fairgrounds on Pettis County Day which is Sunday, August 19, 2007. If you are willing to volunteer, this is a great opportunity to meet Republicans from all across the State of Missouri. Please call Marsha Boeschen or contact Stan Cox.

 

Lieutenant Governor Kinder to Address

Annual John C. Ryan Picnic

 

The Pettis County Republican Party will sponsor the 66th Annual John C. Ryan Picnic on Wednesday, August 15, 2007, at 6:00 p.m., featuring Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder as the keynote speaker. This years celebration will be held in Shelter House No. 3 in Liberty Park, Sedalia, Missouri.

This summer picnic traces its origin to a picnic first held in 1942 hosted by the late Missouri State Senator John C. Ryan. The Ryan Picnic has become an annual Summer celebration of Republicans in our community.

Meat and drink will be provided. All participants are asked to bring their own table service and covered dishes to contribute to the meal. This event is free and is open to the public. For more information, please contact Chairman Carla Young.

TARGET DUES DUE

T.A.R.G.E.T. (The Association of Republicans Getting Everyone Together) was organized in 1993. The purpose of the Association included the promotion of the Republican Party by sponsoring social activities, providing financial support for Republican candidates on a regular and continuing basis, and assisting the Pettis County Republican Committee in other activities. Carla Young, Pettis County Chairman, encourages everyone to join T.A.R.G.E.T. The funds currently available in the treasury of the Pettis County Republican Central Committee are somewhat less that two years ago. Your membership in T.A.R.G.E.T. will infuse the cash necessary to lead us into the 2008 election and on to victory.

As an added incentive to joining T.A.R.G.E.T., you will receive a complimentary ticket (worth $7.00) to the T.A.R.G.E.T. Cookout and Reception featuring our Pettis County elected officials. This event will be held Thursday, September 20, 2007, at the Larry and Rosalee Wilson Farm, 27143 Prairie Road, Sedalia, Missouri, starting at 6:00 pm Hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, dessert and drink will be provided. Your paid membership is valid until September 1, 2008. Please send your form with your membership fee to Stanley Cox, 202 West Fourth Street, Sedalia, Missouri 65301. If you do not want to join T.A.R.G.E.T. at this time but want to purchase tickets to the Cookout and and Reception featuring our Pettis County elected officials. This event will be held Thursday, September 20, 2007, at the Larry and Rosalee Wilson Farm, 27143 Prairie Road, Sedalia, Missouri, starting at 6:00 pm Hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, dessert and drink will be provided.

 

Your paid membership is valid until September 1, 2008. Please send your form with your membership fee to Stanley Cox, 202 West Fourth Street, Sedalia, Missouri 65301. If you do not want to join T.A.R.G.E.T. at this time but want to purchase tickets to the Cookout and Reception, please contact Stanley Cox.

 

PETTIS COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY PLAN

 

On April 26, 2007, the Pettis County Republican Committee and a number of other local interested individuals met to adopt the Pettis County Republican Plan. This Plan is the basic outline of work to be done over the next nineteen months. All congressmen and approximately one-third of all senators will be seeking election in 2008. Additionally, all state-wide officials, except for the State Auditor, one-half of the State Senators and all State Representatives will be on the ballot. A candidate recruitment committee has been organized for the purpose of recruiting candidates for that election. The County Committee has agreed to participate in the Missouri 72-hour task force. Several people have agreed to help in this effort. If you are willing to assist in this grassroots effort, please contact chairman Carla Young . We do need a volunteer to coordinate the 72-hour Plan. Working together, the Pettis County Republican Committee will be successful in 2008.

 

CANDIDATE RECRUITMENT

 

The Pettis County Candidate Recruitment Committee will have their organizational meeting on September 4, 2007, at 5:30 p.m. at 202 West Fourth Street, Sedalia, Missouri 65301. The purpose of this Committee will be to recruit candidates for the general election of 2008. The Committee co-chairs are Rusty Kahrs and Terry Kelley. They have vowed to find qualified candidates for all elective offices. The following positions are to be filled in the year 2008 and are presently occupied by Republican incumbents: State Representatives from the 116th, 117th, 118th and 120th Representative districts (Tom Self, Kenny Jones, Stanley Cox and Shannon Cooper); Western District Commissioner; Eastern District Commissioner; Sheriff; Assessor and Coroner. Additionally, Democrats hold the following positions to be elected in the year 2008: County Surveyor; Treasurer and Public Administrator. Please plan to come to the organizational meeting. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contactl Rusty Kahrs or Terry Kelley .

 

 

COMMENTARY Report of the General Assembly

 

The first session of the 94th General Assembly is now history. When I decided to seek the office of State Representative last year, I did so in hopes that I could, as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives, be an instrument for positive changes for the citizens of the 118th District and to the State of Missouri. In an effort to inform my friends, let me provide some detail about the legislation passed by the Missouri General Assembly, which is now on its way to the Governors desk.

During the last week of the session, the Senate passed House Bill No. 444, which allows Missourians age 62 or older to deduct from their State taxable income an increasing percentage of their retirement income which they receive from Social Security or from government retirements, from their State income tax. This tax relief is phased in over a six year period, and affects all Missourians with an income of $85,000 or less, or married couples with an annual income of $100,000 or less. Before this change, Missouri was one of only 15 states that still tax Social Security benefits. Through the passage of House Bill No. 444, we righted the wrong and brought justice to approximately 220,000 older Missourians by eliminating this unnecessary tax, and returning a portion of the hard earned dollars back to our citizens.

Also during the last week of our session, House Joint Resolution No. 7 was adopted. In an effort to insure and government decisions are not made in other languages, the House this year proposed a constitutional amendment that would make English the official language of Missouri. Upon voter approval, this amendment will designate English as the language for all official proceedings in Missouri. This would mean that for the government to act officially, it will have to communicate in English. It will also mean that the language of record is the English language, and that no one has a right to demand government services in any other language. As one who worked hard for the passage of this resolution, it is my belief that a common language is the cornerstone of a cohesive and united country, and clarifying that English should be that language just makes common sense.

Because we value the sanctity of human life, the Missouri House this session approved legislation that enacts strong pro-life policies to protect the innocent. House Bill No. 1055 will officially establish the Missouri Alternatives to Abortion Service Program, to assist pregnant young women in learning about alternatives that might exist as well as providing them a safe place to go and ask questions and have them answered. The bill also contains provisions that will insure that our children receive information about sexual health from qualified teachers, parents and physicians, rather than organizations that provide abortions. Specifically, the bill prohibits entities that provide abortion services from providing sex education materials or instructions to schools, and allows schools to have the option of presenting the students with sexual education information consistent with federal abstinence law. These provisions are important to our effort to reduce the number of abortions in Missouri and send a strong message that we respect and value all human life.

Over the last few years, the Missouri General Assembly has taken several steps to fix our failed Medicaid program by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse within the system. A system that was bankrupting our State and failing to protect our most vulnerable citizens this year was transformed into one which will provide dramatically improved care for the sick and poor. This session, the Missouri General Assembly substantially reformed the Medicaid system into a new program known as MoHealthNet. MoHealthNet places an emphasis on prevention and responsibility and helps Missourians get healthy and stay healthy. It provides stability to a system that was sorely lacking and replaces emergency rooms as a primary health care contact for ailing Missourians. Now our MoHealthNet system will focus on comprehensive diagnosis and treatment, and Missourians across the State will be healthier as a result.

The sound fiscal policies implemented by this and previous General Assemblies has resulted in an incredible economic surge for Missouri that has allowed us to turn this State from a $1 billion dollar shortfall to millions of dollars in surplus revenue. This year, we were able to craft a budget that includes record amounts for education and health care, while also providing a tax cut for retired Missourians. The surplus revenues also allowed us to take the financially sound approach of saving money for potential emergency situations in the future. While our economy is currently booming, we cannot take this prosperity for granted. Rather than force future General Assemblies to make tough decisions and cut programs in case of recession, our Rainy Day Fund will provide an additional $200 million dollar safety net that could plug the holes left by decreased revenues. Just as you put aside money for emergencies occurring at home, we have put aside money for our State.

I certainly appreciate the opportunity to have served these last several months as your State Representative. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at this link.

 

Stanley Cox

State Representative, 118^th District