While I was getting ready to leave for the Farmington "Country Days" parade last weekend a neighbor stopped by and asked, "Whatever happened with the Slavery Apology Bill?"

It was then that I realized I haven't given an update to the public on it. Thankfully, I was able to tell my neighbor that it did not make it to a vote before the end of the 2007 legislative session here in Missouri.

The only reason that it died was because of people like you and my neighbor, who immediately got off of his tractor and called House Speaker Jetton's office to voice his opposition against this discriminatory bill.

I want to send out an official Thank You to my readers and all of those who banded together for this grass-roots effort to stand up for what was right.

I also thought it would be a good idea to give you a brief summary of this year's most important pieces of legislation and inform you of whether they were passed or just faded away.

Below is my summary and status of this year's most important pieces of legislation. You will note that the Monument Protection Bill is not listed. That is because it has already been watered down so much that it has no chance of restoring our flags at Higginsville and Pilot Knob.

The restoration of our Confederate Flags can only be accomplished at this point by order of the Governor, or through the private purchase of the land, or a portion of it, that the flags used to fly on. -Editor

2007 Missouri Legislation Update:

HCR-20 passes...

HCR-20 "prohibits the state implementation of the federal REAL ID Act of 2005 which requires uniform driver's licenses or state identification cards" was passed in the Missouri Senate on May 14th,2007 by a vote of 32 for and 0 against, and in the Missouri House on May 17th, 2007 by a vote of 148 for and 3 against. The bill is a great victory for States Rights and when one reads the full text of the bill , which was sponsored by Rep. Jim Guest and ironically, co-sponsored by Rod Jetton, it is easy to see that it is the closest thing to a secession document since our legislature voted to secede in Neosho , Missouri in October,1861. HCR-20 rightly calls  the REAL ID ACT :"an attempt to "commandeer" the political machinery of the states and to require the states to be agents of the federal government, in violation of the principles of federalism contained in the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as interpreted by the United States Supreme Court in New York v. United States, 488 U.S. 1041 (1992), United States v. Lopez, 514 U.S. 549" You can read the full text of this bill by CLICKING ON THIS LINK

HCR-26 (Slavery Apology Bill) dies in Missouri House

HCR-26 , the slavery apology bill that was introduced by St. Louis Democrat Talibdin El-Amin and co-sponsored by Republican House Speaker Rod Jetton died in the Missouri House of Representatives when this year's session ended last month.

While it received much media attention, and was rushed through the House Rules committee, in the end legislators obviously felt that the bill was not that important.

Of course the hundreds of calls made by the citizens of Missouri probably didn't hurt. I myself made at least three phone calls to Jetton's office and emailed almost every single representative in the State of Missouri twice. Many of my neighbors called as well. Many friends throughout the state called, and had their neighbors and family members call to voice outrage at this proposal.

In short it was a grass-roots effort from the bottom up, and it proved just what can be accomplished when everyone bands together for (or in this case, against) an issue.

A lobbyist informed me that Jetton's excuse for co-sponsoring HCR-26 was that he felt it would help the Monument Protection Act progress in the House. This is pure bunk for if this were the case, Jetton's "staffer"  would not have been telling everyone that "Representative Jetton feels this is about racial healing".

This shows just how much of a "God complex" House Speaker Jetton has. He obviously felt that he could "heal" race relations in the State of Missouri by co-sponsoring a bill that would have brought much more racial tension in the state that presently exist.

Jetton's actions alienated him from conservative voters in Missouri. Perhaps this is why the Missouri House of Representatives are picking a new House Speaker fifteen months early and prompting the Council of Conservative Citizens to  state, "What are they waiting for? Jetton needs to go now"  the Council of Conservative Citizens went on to state...

"Perhaps the current crop of Missouri Republicans in the state House will pick another race pandering liberal like Jetton or worse, and knowing that the House Republican leader would already be pre-ordained, this might preclude Missouri voters from retaining a Republican majority in the House in November 2008.

Otherwise, and notwithstanding that, it’s the height of arrogance to assume that other factors won’t arise, and the voters won’t hand the House back to the Democrats in 2008."

Animal I.D. Act Protected by Missouri's Own 'Axis of Evil'...

From the Missouri Bushwhacker Blog May 14, 2007

Rep. Quinn      Rep. Jetton      Charley Kruse

Why would Missouri Rep. John Quinn remove language from Senate Bill 156 that would protect Missouri farmers from the National Animal Identification System Act, a big brother federal policy that would require Missouri farmers to place RFID micro-chips in their livestock? Especially when it had already overwhelmingly passed in the Missouri Senate and the Missouri House of Representatives?

It appears that he had help from House Speaker Rod Jetton and Charley Kruse of the Missouri Farm Bureau.

According to an article found on the Missouri Libertarian Party website (posted on May 4th, 2007)...

"In Missouri, legislation to stop NAIS has been highjacked by Legislators loyal to Farm Bureau. Farm Bureau helped get many of these House Members elected. As we tried to stop NAIS with legislation introduced by Senator Chuck Perguson who, after explaining this complex issue to his fellow Senators, got his Bill 428 passed 29 for and only 2 opposed! When this legislation got to the Missouri House, Ag committee chair Rep. John Quinn completely gutted it and turned it into legislation that would establish NAIS in Missouri! This legislation is HCS for Senate Bill 428 and will be going nowhere, killed in committee.

Speaker of the Missouri House Rod Jetton, who is a loyal Farm Bureau supporter, apparently has refused to help in any way after repeated attempts to explain to him the issues involved. Ag Chair John Quinn and Speaker Jetton could be solely responsible for killing this very important legislation. Hopefully, Speaker Jetton and Rep. Quinn will reconsider NAIS and help to stop it. We are talking about the government controlling the food supply forcing everyone, great or small, to comply with unbelievable regulations, and subject themselves to searches and seizures at the whim of unelected regulators that will be forcing compliance to this program. Do we not even have the right in America to raise our own food anymore without government permission or intervention? Why would we ever allow this as a free people?

It is my understanding that Missouri under Secretary Matt Boatright told the house members from the floor that without NAIS Missouri will become unable to sell or move livestock out of Missouri! He just confirms what I have been saying! He knows where this program is headed! While being touted as ''Voluntary'', it will shortly be ''MANDATORY'' in compliance with the agreement that his office has signed with USDA! Have you as a legislator seen this agreement? Ask them for it! Each State must address this issue and make sure that Farmers and livestock owners do not have to ''mark'', their animals to be able to buy or sell. Our previous disease programs have been most effective and are disease specific and they do not contain the devastating aspects of NAIS."

The article also details Charley Kruse, of the Missouri Farm Bureau's involvement in this very anti-independent farmer legislation...

"In Missouri, legislation to stop NAIS has been highjacked by Legislators loyal to Farm Bureau. Farm Bureau helped get many of these House Members elected. As we tried to stop NAIS with legislation introduced by Senator Chuck Perguson who, after explaining this complex issue to his fellow Senators, got his Bill 428 passed 29 for and only 2 opposed! When this legislation got to the Missouri House, Ag committee chair Rep. John Quinn completely gutted it and turned it into legislation that would establish NAIS in Missouri! This legislation is HCS for Senate Bill 428 and will be going nowhere, killed in committee.

Speaker of the Missouri House Rod Jetton, who is a loyal Farm Bureau supporter, apparently has refused to help in any way after repeated attempts to explain to him the issues involved. Ag Chair John Quinn and Speaker Jetton could be solely responsible for killing this very important legislation. Hopefully, Speaker Jetton and Rep. Quinn will reconsider NAIS and help to stop it. We are talking about the government controlling the food supply forcing everyone, great or small, to comply with unbelievable regulations, and subject themselves to searches and seizures at the whim of unelected regulators that will be forcing compliance to this program. Do we not even have the right in America to raise our own food anymore without government permission or intervention? Why would we ever allow this as a free people?

It is my understanding that Missouri under Secretary Matt Boatright told the house members from the floor that without NAIS Missouri will become unable to sell or move livestock out of Missouri! He just confirms what I have been saying! He knows where this program is headed! While being touted as ''Voluntary'', it will shortly be ''MANDATORY'' in compliance with the agreement that his office has signed with USDA! Have you as a legislator seen this agreement? Ask them for it! Each State must address this issue and make sure that Farmers and livestock owners do not have to ''mark'', their animals to be able to buy or sell. Our previous disease programs have been most effective and are disease specific and they do not contain the devastating aspects of NAIS."

HCR-33 dies in Missouri House...

Unfortunately, HCR-33 died in the Missouri House of Representatives before the end of this year's session was complete. This was another bill that was crucial for States Rights. HCR-33 urged, "Congress to use all of its efforts, energies, and diligence to withdraw the United States from any further participation in the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America"

Governor Matt Blunt signs SB-257 into Law...

Recently Missouri Governor Matt Blunt signed SB-257 into law. SB-257 was passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives in Missouri. SB-257 makes it illegal for State and Local governments to confiscate the weapons of citizens during a time of emergency. The bill goes into effect on August 28, 2007

Clint, Missouri Bushwhacker

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