Sometimes, it is important to stop and take stock of what is going right in the city and in the region.  Not too long ago, I became acquainted with an outstanding organization called "College Bound" that works with high-risk students to prevent dropouts and to ensure that these kids make it to college.  Since the inception of the program, College Bound staff have worked with more than 300 St. Louis students with a 100% success rate!  This is the type of program that we need to support and expand.

To learn more about College Bound, please click here.

Please click here to read a commentary that I wrote about College Bound that was printed in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch today.

Last summer, 64th district constituent Annie Seal approached me regarding the issue of insurance coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders. 

These disorders, including anorexia-nervosa, bulimia, and binge-eating disorders, have the highest death rate of any mental illness - nearly 10%. 

Yet, many insurance companies terminate treatment coverage prematurely - long before the person suffering from the eating disorder has received adequate treatment.  Without the appropriate treatment, many of these individuals relapse.  The recidivism rate is extremely high.  And without the appropriate treatment, many die.

House Bill 519 would require insurance companies to provide more coverage for the treatment of eating disorders.  Yesterday, May 5, a hearing was held on HB 519 before the House Special Standing Committee on Health Insurance. 

Annie Seal, Dr. Kim McCallum, who runs a nationally-recognized treatment program, other providers and professionals, as well as several individuals who suffer from eating disorders, and families who have lost daughters to eating disorders came to testify on behalf of HB 519.  Their testimony was incredibly powerful and effective in educating committee members about the ravages of eating disorders.  Witnesses provided compelling testimony about the cost-effectiveness for insurance companies and for the state of providing more extensive early treatment.  We were also joined by Representative Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood), who is a co-sponsor of the bill and lost a daughter to an eating disorder.

I am extremely grateful to all those who came to testify on behalf of this bill.  For those who have lost a family member, I know that it required incredible courage and strength.  They have turned their loss into advocacy.

Although it is late in the session to pass this bill, supporters of the bill are committed to doing whatever it takes to pass this legislation in the future. 

To read more coverage of the hearing from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, please click here.

This Friday, I will be participating in a forum on issues related to early childhood education, including a Quality Rating System; Childcare Subsidies; Universal Preschool; and Children's Mental Health.

The forum is sponsored jointly by the University City Children's Center, Urban Strategies, ARCHs, Citizens for Missouri's Children, the National Center for Parents as Teachers, Eliminating Racism-Empowering Women, and the Child Day Care Association.

Please come by to ask any question that you may have on these or other issues affecting Missouri children.

The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m., and will be located at the Urban Strategies office, 1415 Olive Blvd.  Hope to see you there!

For more information from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch regarding the forum, please click here.

On Monday, March 30, Metro was forced to make drastic cuts to MetroBus, MetroLink, and Call-A-Ride.  In conjunction with the cuts, Metro will also lay off approximately 500 transit personnel, cut $3.5 million in administrative costs, and defer $10.5 million in employee benefit obligations.  These cuts are the largest such cuts in transit service in the nation.

The local news media reports that as many as 12,000 jobs will be negatively impacted by these cuts.  In addition, thousands of elderly and disabled individuals rely on Call-A-Ride for transportation to medical appointments, shopping for basic needs, or just to get around.

As a member of the House Budget Committee, I am working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to secure funding to mitigate these devastating cuts.  I am hopeful that we will be able to use federal stimulus funds to provide at least a "one-time" bailout until Metro can go back on the ballot to ask voters for additional financial support. 

If you are affected by these cuts, or know others who are, please take the time to contact members of the Missouri General Assembly to ask them to take action. 

Restoring funding to Metro is critical to the health and future of the St. Louis region.

The Missouri House is is the middle of heated debate about the 13 budget bills that make up the state's $22-$23 billion operating budget. 

Right now, we are on House Bill 6, which includes funding for the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources.  Rep. Belinda Harris (D-Jefferson County) is voicing concern that the budget proposal underfunds the Department of Natural Resources, particularly in the area of dam safety.

Last night, I offered two amendments to the budget.  The first restored funding that had been cut in the Division of Regulation and Licensure in the Department of Health.  The proposed cut would have eliminated 45 positions, 28 of which do direct inspections and background checks in childcare facilities, long-term care facilities, and hospitals. 

The exact breakdown is below:

• Childcare facilities:  5 direct inspection staff;
• Long-term care facilities:  15 direct inspection staff;
• Hospitals and related facilities (ambulatory surgical centers, ambulance services, etc.):  6 direct staff inspectors;
• Family Care Safety Registry:  1 position (background checks);
• Board of Nursing Home Administrators:  1 position (license/discipline).

Failure to fund these positions means that some of our most vulnerable citizens - children, seniors, the disabled - would be at risk.  These positions are critical for oversight and inspection of facilities across the state of Missouri.  Fortunately, my amendment was accepted and the funding was restored.

I also offered an amendment that would restore funding for something called Children's Treatment Services (CTS).  CTS provides intensive in-home services to families to avoid child abuse and neglect as well as disruption of the family, particularly in those situations where a child has been in foster care and then returns home.  Sadly, thousands of Missouri children are abused each year, and I was very glad that the funding was restored for CTS in the budget for the Department of Social Services.

This week, we had a terrific hearing on Nathan's Law.  Testimony was provided by State Auditor Susan Montee, Shelley Blecha (Nathan's mother), Corinne Patton, a child care expert, and Carol Scott, Executive Director of the Missouri Child Care Resource and Referral Network, among others.  Additional advocacy groups including SIDS Resources, Inc. and the Children's Advocacy Centers went on record in support of the bill; no one showed up to voice any opposition.

Committee members asked insightful questions and several suggested that they would like to see this bill go even farther.  One committee member questioned whether the $10,000 cap on potential penalties was high enough to deter bad actors.  All committee members seemed generally supportive of the legislation. 

The next step will be for Chairman Jay Wasson to decide whether or not he will vote this bill out of committee.  I will keep you posted.

Please click here to check out a great story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about this week's hearing.

This Wednesday, HB 383, "Nathan's Law," will have a hearing before the House Special Standing Committee on Professional Registration & Licensing, chaired by Representative Jay Wasson.  Expected to testify in favor of the bill are State Auditor Susan Montee and Shelley Blecha, Nathan Blecha's mother. 

If you are interested in attending this public hearing, please come to House Hearing Room 4 at noon on Wednesday.  Please call my office at 573-751-1400 or 866-630-2097 if you have questions.  

Some of you may remember a bill that I was working on last year that would have created a tax credit for research and development in biotechnology in Missouri.  It would have allowed eligible companies to apply to the Missouri Department of Economic Development for a tax credit to be applied to qualified research expenses, with a $10 million cap on the credit.  This bill had strong bipartisan support and passed out of the House, but died in the Senate during the last week of session.

This year, I have reintroduced the bill, HB 312.  The Chairman of the Job Creation and Economic Development Committee (a co-sponsor of the bill) decided to give this bill a hearing during the very first meeting of his committee.  This past Tuesday, the committee voted in favor of my bill, with one "present" vote, and no opposing votes. 

HB 312 supports biotechnology research that I believe is vital to the economic expansion of our state.  Furthermore, it holds the promise of cures and treatments for many of society's worst diseases, including cancer, Parkinson's, diabetes, and Alzheimer's.  In addition, biotechnology is the path to agricultural and environmental sustainability - through biotechnology, we can pursue the development of renewable and clean energy sources.

This week, I was named the "New Democrat of the Week" by the Democratic Leadership Council for my work to support biotechnology research.  To read more, please click here.

To read the text of the HB 312, please click here.

On January 22, 2009, I filed House Bill 383, known as "Nathan's Law."  This bill honors the memory of Nathan Blecha, a four-month old infant who died in an unlicensed child care facility last year.  Nathan's parents, Steve and Shelley, have been tireless advocates for child care safety ever since Nathan's death. 

Thanks to Steve and Shelly, I began looking into the laws and regulations that govern Missouri child care facilities.  I discovered that despite two audits conducted respectivcely by former Auditor Claire McCaskill and current auditor Susan Montee that point out weaknesses in Missouri laws and regulations, the General Assembly has failed to act, and as a result, Missouri law does not adequately protect our children.

While parents obviously have the primary responsibility to keep their children safe, government also has a key role as a partner in protecting our children.  Many parents rely on government to ensure that child care facilities adhere to the appropriate health and safety standards, so it is critical that we have strong laws and regulations.

While it should not require the death of a child to force the state to take action, I hope that Nathan Blecha's tragedy will open the eyes of elected officials and regulators to the fact that loopholes in Missouri law leave Missouri children unprotected.

Please click here to listen to a January 26, 2009 interview with Charlie Brennan of KMOX, 1120 AM, about Nathan's Law.

To read more about Nathan's Law in the Post-Dispatch, please click here.

To read HB383, Nathan's Law, please click here.

As we head into Election Day, we can expect an historic election - perhaps with unprecedented turnout. 

Missouri, as usual, is in the toss-up category.  Will we retain our bellwether status, choosing the president as we have in every election for the last 100 years with just one exception? 

What is clear is that American voters are engaged and participating actively in the elections process.  In Missouri, our Secretary of State has predicted turnout rates higher than 75%. 

Whether they are getting their information from television, radio, internet, text messages, or friends, people are paying attention.

As you go to vote, please call 1-877-MO-CHANGE (1-877-662-4264) if you encounter any problems.  You can vote up to 7:00 p.m. tonight, and as long as you are in line by 7:00 p.m., you'll get to vote and your vote will be counted.

When you go to vote, bring ID.  Any ONE of the following is acceptable:

Any State Driver's License;
Any State ID card;
US Government ID;
Missouri college ID;

OR a current copy of ONE of the following with your name and address:

Utility bill;
Bank statement;
Government check;
Paycheck;
Other government document.

THANK YOU FOR VOTING!

One too many peanut butter sandwiches later, I completed the food stamp challenge.  It was really tough.  There were several nights when I went to bed hungry.  There were other times when I just didn't want to eat the options I had:  pasta, peanut butter, or eggs.  I short-changed nutrition in order to fill myself up.    And I noticed that my mood changed through the week - the pleasure I normally take in eating my meals was stripped away as variety and freshness disappeared from the menu. 

It was very clear why low-income people experience malnutrition.  Buying low-cost foods means more starch and carbohydrates (at Aldi's, macaroni and cheese was only 35 cents a box!) and less protein and produce.  On $3.62 a day - the current food stamp allocation, a person simply can not afford red meat, fresh fish, and most fruits and vegetables.  No wonder the rates of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease are so high!

To read more about the food stamp challenge, please click here for an article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.