giant omnibus bills carrying giant problems
This is a presentation we shared across Missouri several times over interim, between May of '23 and January of '24 when the new legislative session began. It's an overview of several problems we've got here in Missouri inside our legislature. These problems have led to an open door to policies that promote globalism and a Missouri-last philosophy.
My hope is that you'll watch, even if you need to watch in smaller sessions, so that you are more knowledgable and more empowered to use your voice both with your elected officials and in your social network. Citizens deserve to know the truth and they need to know why things aren't happening here in Missouri like we would expect they would be with a supermajority of republicans in office.
major problems In a nutshell
1. The rules are set up to empower 4 individuals and create a pay-to-play system. The rules can be changed. We need legislators who will have courage enough to do it.
2. Unconstitutional, omnibus bills are the majority of what is passing. Your legislator needs to vote NO on multi-subject bills that are not aligned with the original intent of the bill AND/OR if they haven't read the bill.
3. Policy that pushes centralization & standardization across our systems through inventorying, monitoring and controlling resources and/or human activity is a problem and those bills need to be stopped in their tracks.
I'll be recording more educational content on the bills that are moving through the legislature now, making their way to the chamber floors for debate.
It's time to stand up & speak up!
Eyes to see
I hope you've seen over time that I do my best to share truth as I see and experience it. The truth is, imho, that every legislator we have is a real human being and that means a mixture of wonderful attributes as well as those things that are being "refined." And make no mistake, God is refining us all and most days I feel like He's especially refining those of us who have been called to this government mountain.
If you or I were elected to these positions, we'd find ourselves in a world unlike any other we'd experienced before and faced with challenges at a level that would stretch and bend us in ways no one could expect. We'd all make mistakes, missteps and find ourselves regretting a vote now and then or wishing we'd done something differently.
I say that to reiterate that even when things happen I may not like or that would be perceived as negative, I'm especially trying to remember to see individuals in a way that reminds me they are first and foremost a creation of the Most High. Daily, sometimes hourly, I try to remember to pray for eyes to see what He sees and to walk in a manner that would bring honor to the One who called me to this place. But it isn't an "easy" place to be.
Confronting truth isn't always easy. But it is the truth that He says will set us free.
Love doesn't always feel like skipping through the tulips or dancing under the stars. Love sometimes looks like a deep dive into hard places to work on righting wrongs and setting things in right standing with the Lord. Facing problems isn't easy.
Fighting for freedom over tyranny isn't an fight that leaves one feeling as thought they've been to a spa. It often leaves you exhausted and on your knees begging for wisdom and discernment, praying and asking for clarity of what to say and how to say it, so that God can be glorified while we fight.
Unfortunately, tyranny is exactly what is happening in our Missouri legislature. Yesterday, it showed its ugly head on the Senate floor.
LISTEN TO SENATOR BRATTIN talk about what happened ON THE PODCAST
Senator Rick Brattin is the Senator from Cass. He stands at around the 20:40 mark and makes his motion to move to 2nd reading of SJR 28.
Senator Bill Eigel is Senator from the 23rd. He is the sponsor of the IP bill, SJR 83.
Senator Cindy O'Laughlin is Senator from Shelby and is the Majority Floor Leader, who adjourns.
Senator Mike Moon is Senator from Lawrence and can be heard after the motion to adjourn shouting in the background to be recognized, which he never was.
what can you do?
1. Call your Senator and ask him/her to vote to support the effort to go to Committee of the Whole & take up the Initiative Petition legislation.
2. Look up your senator contact information here: Legislator Look up Tool
bill hardwick's mrna amendment
Friday afternoon in the Missouri House of Representatives, God gave us a miracle!
There's not much that I'm thrilled with regarding legislation this session, but this is a major miracle & I can't sit by without giving thanks & praise to Him and the humans who were willing to stand in the gap for our kids!
Representative Bill Hardwick filed HB700 which would've protected employees as well as our school kids from being required to take mRNA vaccines. His original bill made it through both House committees, but Majority Floor Leader Jon Patterson refused to bring it to the floor for debate and a vote.
As a result, Rep. Hardwick chose to take the portion pertaining to school kids and add it as an amendment onto an education related bill. It was a big mountain to climb. Honestly, I had pretty much given up hope that it could happen.
he did it...and it passed!
SB 199, an education related bill sponsored by Senator Holly Rehder, had already made it through the senate and was up for debate in the House. Representative Bishop Davidson was handling it and he made a motion to add a large amendment that addressed several different things.
Rep Hardwick rose to inquire of Rep. Davidson and ask questions about his proposed amendment. While he was speaking, Hardwick's vaccine amendment was filed (thank you Rep Mazzie Boyd for the assist!) and offered as an "amendment to the amendment."
Rep Hardwick's presentation of his amendment was wonderful. The PQ halted all conversations about it and brought the issue to a vote. Thankfully, Hardwick called for a roll call vote, which records each legislator's vote. I've shown those votes below.
watch it happen
This is a video of Rep Hardwick presenting the amendment and the vote. I hope you'll watch!! He did an excellent job!
In the video, Hardwick mentions the Governor having the opinion that we shouldn't require Covid vaccines. He posted that opinion publicly on Twitter in the fall of 2022. He stated clearly that the government should not require Covid vaccines in schools.
We'll see if Governor Parson will stick to his word or try to squirm his out of protecting our kids to keep Pfizer happy.
here's the vote
republicans who voted 'no' with democrats
what's next?
I wish I could tell you that this was a done deal but we still have a ways to go. The bill now will go back to the Senate. Since it originated in the Senate and now has been changed by the House, the senate has 3 options. In order to pass a bill, BOTH chambers (House & Senate) have to agree on the final form - including every tiny detail.
When SB 199 is back in the senate, these are the options:
- Senate leadership could refuse to even take it up for a vote. This would kill the bill and our amendment.
- Senate leadership can refuse to adopt all the changes, but send it to a Conference Committee, consisting of 5 from the House & 5 from the Senate. The committee would meet, make a deal and then take the final version back to both chambers for a final vote.
- Senate leadership can choose to bring it up AND bring it to a vote.
please pray!
We only have 96 hours of session left. Time is running out & we need this amendment to pass for the sake of our kids! Please pray that God moves more mountains for this amendment to pass!
please take action.
You can help make your wishes known by making 2 phone calls and sending 2 emails. Tell them why you DON'T want schools requiring any type of mRNA vaccine and we want to keep Rep Hardwick's amendment to that effect. Be sure to politely ask for SB 199 to be brought to the floor for a vote or sent to conference committee.
1. Cindy O'Laughlin, Senate Majority Floor Leader
573-751-7985
2. Senator Holly Rehder
573-751-2459
last stop - the senate floor
There are a few bills have already passed the MO House floor and have made their way through Senate committee. The last big hurdle on their path to the Governor's desk is the perfection process on the Senate floor.
This is, in reality, your LAST OPPORTUNITY to effectively use your voice to stop another layer of your freedom & the Republic being stripped away. Please read & pass this information on to your like-minded friends and family!!
House Bills on Third Read in the Senate as of 4/17/23 are:
HB 301 (discussed below)
HB 253 - Open Enrollment
HB 827 - Missouri Virtual School Enrollment
HBs 903, 465, 430, 499- Foreign Land Ownership
HJR 43 - Modifies Initiative Petition & MO Constitution Amendment Ratification
hb 301 - privacy actS, blair's law & local control
HB 301 is a public safety bill. The underlying bill has some problems I'll list here, but my pet peeve on this one is an amendment added to it, a "privacy act", by Representative Rudy Veit on the House floor that is a huge violation of your First Amendment Right of free speech. It protects elected officials and squelches the voices of THE PEOPLE.
The Privacy Act details are listed here first while the rest are in chronological order.
Privacy Acts
There are 2 sections that deal with protecting privacy of elected officials. The first is specific to protecting judicial officers. The second is protecting "elected officials" across the state of Missouri, including ALL political subdivisions. This would apply to all elected officials from the Governor to your city council and school board members.
- Page 22. Section 575.095 protects Judicial Officers. We already have a current statute that is being amended with an addition. The regular text here is current statute while the bold print is being added.
The Problem: If you disseminate by ANY means, ANY of these "private" details listed here (some of which are actually public information) you could be charged with a Class D Felony, which carries the potential of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
- Page 23. Section 578.710 - This section covers all elected officials in Missouri. See full text of this section below.
The definition of "personal information" in current statute is:
Both these sections create a huge problem for citizens who are actively working to participate in any type of government process. The way this language is written, I could be committing a felony if I publish this blog - which is naming Representative Rudy Veit and yes, I AM hoping to influence him along with other elected officials in their job performance.
I would potentially be committing a felony if I told you I ran into Senator Moon and his wife, Denise, while I was at a meeting in town and we discussed SB 49, The SAFE Act.
Ultimately - any good attorney could make the case that we are always trying to influence their job performance and if you share or share their name or phone number - you could end up in prison.
blair's law
Blair's Law is a well intentioned section of the bill which tries to protect citizens inside city limits from stray bullets fired primarily from celebratory gunfire. However, it doesn't protect citizens from firing weapons on their own property if those bullets do not leave their property.
A suggested language addition written by Ron Calzone would be to add a 4th point on Line 34 of page 22 which reads,
"4. Notwithstanding this section, or any other statute to the contrary, no order, ordinance, or regulation by any political subdivision of this state shall prohibit a person from discharging a firearm in an otherwise lawful manner as long as the projectile does not leave property by such person or property owned by another person from whom he or she has received permission to discharge a firearm."
local control
The first section of HB 301 allows the Governor to appoint a special prosecutor based on certain circumstances pertaining to total homicide cases. It would be advisable in order to protect local control to the fullest measure possible that this appointment would be made not only by the Governor but also with the advice & consent of the Senate, and also triggered by something other than total case load. Another possible trigger might be the number of cases not being addressed.
take action
1. Email YOUR Senator as well as EVERY Republican Senator and let them know you oppose 3 specific areas of HB 301. Look up your legislators HERE.
Republican Senators are listed HERE.
The pattern for senate email addresses is FIRST NAME (.) LAST NAME@Senate.Mo.Gov
- Delete the privacy acts in sections 575 & 578. They are potentially harmful to our first amendment rights and need to be stripped from the bill. Our elected officials are already protected - as we all are - from any criminal harm.
- Copy & paste the additional language above and request it to be added to Blair's Law, section 571.031.
- Request more protections for local control be added to Section 56.601 by making the suggested changes above.
victory!
Tuesday morning around 7:30 am I would've been like Martha and the Vandellas' Dancing In The Street as I headed to my vehicle if I hadn't been so exhausted from being awake all night through the democrat filibuster on The SAFE Act, SB 49.
After a long night of listening to the litany of stories about pets, vacations and all manner of things as democrats held the floor and republicans negotiated with, most likely, Washington University's lobbyist, The SAFE Act was perfected with 23 of 24 republican senators voting yes. It even had 18 senators sign on as co-sponsors just after the perfected version was agreed up and before the vote.
The Third Read & Pass vote in the Senate AND it was first read in the House on Thursday, March 23rd.
What an answer to prayer! God showed up in such miraculous ways throughout this process. HE IS SO GOOD!
thank you!
Before we go any further I want to be sure to say a big heartfelt "Thank You" to our republican senators who each played a role in the passing of the bill.
Senator Mike Moon championed this bill and has been carrying it for the last 3 years. Senators Hoskins & Carter joined him in filing this session. Four others were truly fighting for this bill even before Spring Break, but we couldn't have gotten through the fight without the rest. They all played a part in the victory and they deserve a big pat on the back! It was truly a team effort.
thank you, sponsors!
mike moon
Senator Moon is the CHAMPION of this legislation. He has sponsored this bill for three years. He had a heart for this bill when no one else was even looking and he has consistently stood in the gap for Missouri's kids. We couldn't be more thankful for his heart and persaverence to stand even when he was standing alone.
denny hoskins
Senator Hoskins filed his own version of the bill which was combined with SB 49 through the committee process. Although this was his first year filing it, he was committed and stood strong to fight for what is right throughout this bill's journey through the senate.
jill carter
Senator Carter also filed her own bill as a freshman senator. We are proud that she took a risk in filing such controversial legislation in her first year and we are looking forward to what's to come from her. Her bill was combined with Senator Moon's as well.
thank you for always standing
There were a group of senators who were always fighting for this bill to move forward. They readily answered questions regarding their support and they signed Senator Moon's letter to prioritize this bill after Spring Break. We appreciate their strong commitment to fight for this bill and for never wavering.
bill eigel
Senator Bill Eigel was a strong force for The SAFE Act from the very beginning. He fought at every step for the success of SB 49, including standing and speaking against the ANTIFA anti-protestors at the Missouri Kids FIRST Rally.
rick brattin
Senator Rick Brattin never wavered in his support. He took every opportunity he had to support and move this bill forward.
ben brown
Senator Ben Brown is a freshman senator and he's doing a great job! We are thrilled with his willingness to stand strong on hard issues. He added his signature to commit to make this a priority after spring break and took every opportunity to support the bill throughout the process.
andrew koenig
Senator Koenig made a strong statement over spring break when he committed publicly by signing Senator Moon's letter, that he would commit to make this a priority upon their return from the break. We appreciate your stand, Senator Koenig!
nick schroer
Senator Schroer stood with the other 6 senators in prioritizing this bill after the break. His office was QUICK to respond to our inquiry in the weeks before the bill came to the floor when we asked if he would support the original bill, including puberty blockers and hormones.
thank you, co-sponsors!
After the bill had been negotiated and agreed to, these senators signed on as co-sponsors before the perfection vote. We appreciate their commitment to add their names to the list of supporters & vote for the perfection of the bill early Tuesday morning.
thank you for voting yes
The final vote for passage through the senate was taken mid-morning on Thursday, March 23rd. In addition to all previous senators mentioned, and although the 18 shown above could have passed the bill without additional support, these senators listed below did contribute a yes vote in the final passage.
Senator caleb rowden
senator justin brown
senator lincoln hough
senator mike bernskoetter
senator mike cierpiot
it's not ideal
I'm so thrilled this passed the Senate I can hardly stand still but I don't want to lead you to believe this is a perfect situation. It's not.
Through the perfection process, the bill was changed significantly. The original bill did three things:
- Banned puberty blockers from children under 18 years of age.
- Banned cross-sex hormones from children under 18 years of age.
- Banned gender transition surgeries from children under 18 years of age.
- Consequences for breaking the law considered unprofessional conduct & license to practice is revoked.
The negotiations during the filibuster produced these three additions:
- Four year sunset clause pertaining to the puberty blockers & hormones was added. This means that on August 28, 2027, this provision of the ban will expire UNLESS the legislators in the 2027 session make it permanent. This isn't good. It means we'll have to fight this battle again in the 2027 legislature and if we lose, these drugs become legal again for kids.
- Grandfather clause was added. This allows children who were already on the prescriptions to continue them if they were already using them at the time this law is passed. This isn't too bad and in some cases, is necessary for the safety of the kids. Some of these drugs are very dangerous they are abruptly stopped.
- Cause of action for patients to bring suit against medical professionals if they are sterilized or suffer harm by any of these medical procedures. Patients would be able to sue for unlimited amounts. They would be allowed to bring a suit against a medical professional until age 37 or 15 years after the treatment has ceased if they are found to be sterile.
it's not over
Although I am so very thankful that this has passed, the battle is not over with this bill. It still has to go through the House process, including two committees.
Representative Brad Hudson will be the House handler of this issue and there may be challenges ahead.
We may need your help as this legislation moves forward, so please share this information with your pastor & church friends, your family, neighbors and others who are like-minded in wanting to protect Missouri kids. Ask them to subscribe to the blog or join the FB Group.
thank you! THANK YOU! THAnK YOU!
There aren't words to say enough about what YOU have done by speaking up and showing up when we needed you. We couldn't have accomplished this in this timeframe without your help.
Thank you so very much for joining the battle for our kids with me!
