Find out more about Missouri's government at congress.org State legislature page State Constitution Secretary of State website

Robyn Hamlin [Message] Interim state coordinator Saint Louis, MO 63138

Paul Hamby (Paul Hamby) [Message] Interim state coordinator 2402 SW WATER STREET MAYSVILLE , MO 64469

Update from the Missouri Leadership Project

In the narrowest of votes, the Missouri state senate Republicans selected Rob Mayer as their new president pro tem mid-day today.

The vote was 13 to 13 and a draw of the cards fell to Senator Mayer over the current majority floor leader and "presumed" successor to the pro tem, Kevin Engler.

This is the first time in decades the presumed successor to the president pro tem position failed to secure that job.

The Missouri Leadership Project is very pleased with the Senate's choice and is confident that Senator Mayer will be fair to all and will respect the message sent by the overwhelming results in Tuesday's elections.

During Senator Purgason's filibuster of the "Ford Subsidy Bill" in last summer's special session, myriads of citizens and activists supported his all night vigil with a constant stream of emails. He read each of them on the floor of the senate. Senator Brad Lager observed that the people's involvement forever changed the way filibusters would be conducted in the senate.

Today, a similar precedent has been set. The people are taking back their government. They are getting involved. They are no longer going sit back and trust others to be good stewards of their liberty!

Thank you for your participation in this project! Stay tuned, there's more work to do.

The Core Team of the Missouri Leadership Project

Campaign for Liberty is a coalition partner.

22 grass roots Missouri organizations supported this effort.   
Campaign for Liberty is proud to support the efforts to bring fair leadership and debate to the Missouri Legislature in 2011.

The new Missouri Senate Leadership:

• Sen. Rob Mayer, President Pro Tem
• Sen. Tom Dempsey, Majority Floor Leader
• Sen. Jack Goodman, Asst. Majority Floor Leader
• Sen. Bill Stouffer, caucus chair
• Sen. Eric Schmitt, caucus secretary
• Sen. Mike Parson, caucus whip

The new Missouri House Leadership:

• Steven Tilley, Perryville House Speaker
• Shane Shoeller, Speaker Pro Tem
• Tim Jones, Majority Leader
• Jeanie Riddle, Assistant Floor Leader
• Jason Smith, Majority Whip
• Shelley Keeney, Caucus Chair
• Sue Allen, Caucus Secretary
• Ryan Silvey, Budget Chair
• Rick Stream, Fiscal Review Chair

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Audit the Fed, Then End It! by Congressman Ron Paul. Click here to read the full article.

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JOIN CAMPAIGN FOR LIBERTY TODAY

Thomas Paine once said, "Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it."

Click here to join today.

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Under the state flag above you'll find references to important information about the State of Missouri.  See Missouri's Congressional District map here.

The Oracle from Iowa in the New Year Posted by celticreeler

Posted 01/07/11 Last updated 01/07/11

The Oracle from Iowa is at it again, writing the local paper!

Dear Editor:

Have you known a time when politics was so much in the news?  We all know something is wrong but just can't put a finger on it.  We need to go back to when we really started going off the track, big time.  There were little things that happened before 1913, but that was the first big knock-out punch to our Republic.

Our Congress passed, and the states ratified, the 16th Amendment which allowed the federal government access to our purses, our privacy, our property rights, and our ability to save and prepare our families for the future.  Before that we had had an income tax, temporary, for added support during declared wars.  After the 16th Amendment was ratified, the money was confiscated, legally of course, with buckets of it stock-piled in Washington where it is now used not only for Constitutionally-allowable uses but to fund myriads of "agencies" that completely bypass the Constitution and have literally bankrupted our country.  Our Constitutition does not provide for these agencies, the tsars who regulate our lives, the undeclared wars that maim and mutilate our young people and depress the population so that they are unable to see the simple solution.  The solution is not to try to live with it but to put a stop to it.  Repeal the 16th Amendment and restore the Constitution!

1913 was a really bad year!  Again Congress passed and the states ratified the 17th Amendment.  Our Founders, who had studied governments more than you and I, feared democracy or majority rule or mob rule, so they created two houses of Congress.  One, the House of Representatives, which would be elected by popular vote in each Congressional District, and represent a certain number of people.  The other, the Senate, to be selected, two from each state and independent of numbers, by the respective state legislatures.  Jefferson's idea was to have "indestructible" states, independent of each other but, as he put it, "several as to ourselves but one to all others."  He was so wise!  He had the foresight to know that the different states should have autonomy when dealing with their special concerns because of their geography and differing strengths and weaknesses.  With the 17th Amendment, the states become a hodgepodge of "one man, one vote" going to the Federal government for hand-outs.  Impossible!  we must repeal the 17th Amendment.  We must not let unthinking "leaders" tell us otherwise. 

Let us be the kind of citizens the Constitution was written for.  Let's say no to bureaucrats who buy our vote and bankrupt our great country.  The individual voter is the important part of the operation.  Political parties only do our bidding.  Let's make 2011 a real New Year!

Sincerely,

Red light cameras deny due process Posted by alexander75

Posted 12/16/10

Florida allows local governments to stomp on citizens' rights

By Alex Snitker

The Clearwater City Council approved the installation of red light cameras by a vote of three to two last week.  The three council members who voted in favor of the Orwellian surveillance system seemed to be unimpressed with the overwhelming public outcry against them, and the evidence their constituents gave regarding their ineffectiveness and risk. Nor were they impressed with the civil liberties arguments the citizens in attendance presented.

This is the latest example of political elitists that believe they know better than the common man.  They have forgotten that they work for us.

Most of the citizens at the council meeting made outstanding points.  Their arguments were factual and issue based.  Studies were presented that showed an increase of rear-end collisions when red light cameras are placed at intersections.  Citizens talked about the infringement on our civil liberties shared by some on the board.  I am convinced now more than ever that red light cameras have nothing to do with safety. This effort is about control, power and money.

Council members John Doran, Bill Johnson and Frank Hibbard showed that they are not only out-of-touch with the citizens of Clearwater, but also with the concept of liberty and Constitutional values. They should be voted out of office at the next election.

During the meeting Doran sounded more like a banana-republic dictator than a public servant when opined that government needs a bigger stick to make sure we the people do as we are told.  Doran relayed his personal experience of having run a red light and causing an accident.  He cited that as an example of why we need red light cameras, even though he stated that his inattentiveness caused the accident.   How exactly would red light cameras cause him not to be distracted and run a red light?  They wouldn't have.

However, red light cameras will increase the amount of rear-end collisions, as people are so concerned about being ticketed they will lock up their brakes to avoid running a light and getting an automatic government revenue generation certificate (AKA, a ticket).

In short, red light cameras will cause more accidents and lead to higher insurance rates.  The police will have to respond more often and waste time they could be using preventing actual crimes.  Perhaps the roads would be safer if Doran would just quit driving.  Johnson wants to influence behavior using the force of law.  I personally think he enjoyed the fact that 100 percent of the citizens spoke out against the red light cameras. He was quite demeaning to the citizens in attendance. He seemed to be agitated that we, the lowly citizens, would dare question his decision.  He would ask leading questions to the "experts" in attendance.  These experts, of course, work directly for the government. But even they had to admit that the data is mixed on the safety benefits of the red light cameras. However, there is no doubt about the revenue they generate by skipping that troublesome due process thing, and heading right to the penalty part.

Mayor Hibbard did express some concern about the civil liberty impact, but at the end of the day he didn't care. He was not swayed by the overwhelming opposition conveyed by the people in attendance.  I think the Mayor knew his decision was wrong, but he treated the end result as a foregone conclusion.  Hibbard knows the revenue this will create for the city.  During the economic disaster this country is facing, the city must increase revenue by finding new and creative ways to transfer more of the hard-earned dollars from individuals to our bloated government.

None of this would be possible if the Florida legislature passed Republican state Rep. Robert Schenck's bill outlawing red light cameras throughout Florida. Instead the Florida lawmakers approved a bill that provides standards for municipalities and counties to allow the use of cameras to enforce traffic violations at intersections. Good 'ol Charlie Crist signed the red-light camera legislation into law, ensuring that the owner of a vehicle that runs a red light (not necessarily the driver) has the privilege of adding $158 to the government's coffers.

Clearwater Councilman Paul Gibson understood that the red light cameras would not make it safer at intersections. He stood against it and made his argument.  It fell on deaf ears.

Councilman George Cretekos, who was initially a supporter of red light cameras, changed his mind after researching the subject.  He offered an alternative solution of extending the yellow light by one second and extending the delay of the opposite green light by one second.  That method has been proven to reduce accidents at dangerous intersections by a significant amount.

His rational and fact-based arguments were no match for the council members who lust for more revenue. It was obvious to me that Doran, Jonson and Hibbard have already made up their minds.  These cameras were going to be implemented, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

I personally spoke at this meeting and informed the council that the founders of this country would vote against it. I warned them that this vote may well be the deciding factor in their re-election.  They were not swayed.

We can no longer stand by while our civil liberties continue to be eroded. We must fight for every inch of ground, from the White House lawn to the town square.

Virginia Federal District Judge Rules Health Care Mandate Unconstitutional Posted by dljholt

Posted 12/13/10 Last updated 12/13/10

In 2009, Virginia Campaign for Liberty launched a legislative campaign to challenge federal authority to mandate that every citizen subscribe to a federally approved health care plan. VA C4L named the bill "the Virginia Healthcare Freedom Act," and Delegate Bob Marshall's HB10 gave Virginia the standing necessary for our Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's court challenge to the mandate.

I am delighted to announce that Virginia made history today when Richmond's Federal District Judge, Henry Hudson, ruled Obama's individual mandate UNCONSTITUTIONAL!

In other words - we won this round!

It's important to note that, whether intentionally or as an oversight, Congress failed to include the routine severability clause, boilerplate which says that if any part of the bill is nullified by the courts, the rest of the bill continues to be in effect.  It may come down to the Supreme Court to decide whether to strike just the mandate or block the entire bill.

This is a great victory for Virginia and for the nation. With other states introducing similar legislation, Judge Hudson's decision will likely influence other federal judges in the matter as it heads to the Supreme Court.

You can read the judge's opinion here.

Letter to the Editor on H.R. 6416 Posted by celticreeler

Posted 12/09/10 Last updated 12/09/10

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <!--[endif]-->This appeared in the local paper 12/8/10

Dear Editor:

The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Bill of Rights states that “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

Here is a translation:  Your government cannot search you or seize your property as evidence unless there is probable cause to suspect that you are guilty of a crime; additionally, a warrant giving permission is usually necessary. 

What is going on in the airports in this country is unreasonable and warrantless searching by federal agents (TSA employees).  Individuals mysteriously selected for increased screening are sent through the scanning machine, which exposes them to an unknown dose of radiation, or, should they object (“opt out”), are subjected to an “enhanced pat down.”  The enhanced pat down would certainly be molestation, or worse, if it occurred in any other circumstance.  

My conclusion?  “We’re all criminals now.”  How offensive this is.

Thanksgiving is past, but Christmas and all other future travel is ahead.  Americans must make their voices heard, if this government intrusion is to change.  What is to be done?  The high officials seem distant and uninterested.  A bill has been introduced, however, which will remove immunity from all federal employees for these violations of the rights of American citizens as they board airplanes.  H.R. 6416 is the “American Traveler Dignity Act.”  This bill offers in one brief paragraph a remedy for this calamitous state of affairs.  It creates an incentive for everyone in the TSA’s employ to honor the rights of their fellow citizens.  The bill can be read if you go to the Library of Congress website () and enter the number of the bill in the search box.  Readers should contact their Congressional representative, ask her to 1) sponsor this bill, 2) work to see that it makes it to the floor, and 3) vote for its passage.

ACTION ALERT! Eminent Domain Ballot Initiative Posted by CHUCKtheFED

Posted 12/10/10

From Ron Calzone........urgent

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The SOS is setting us up for more prolonged litigation - playing right into the hands of MML! You phone calls are needed today!

Tell her to use the ballot title the court ordered last January.

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan
...Phone: (573) 751-2301
Fax...: (573) 526-3242

The Secretary of State is obligated to draft a fair an impartial description of the effects of a petition. She is also has a special responsibility to protect and provide for the people's right to the initiative petition process. She is violating both.

For details: http://www.mo-cpr.org/

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