This was a good week for Liberty in Missouri.
by Paul Hamby
On Tuesday, the Missouri state milk board held a hearing on raw milk. The turnout was standing room only.
The controversy over raw milk boils down to people’s basic right to choose what they eat, from whom they can purchase their food and how it is produced.
Springfield News Leader covered the story here;
You can read my written testimony to the state milk board here;
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=31464
Ron Paul Forums heard us and offered some praise here;
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?p=2491283
Wednesday, was the Missouri State Sovereignty rally at the capital in Jefferson City.
More than a dozen campaign for liberty members attended along with a crowd of more than 500. The rally was put on and promoted by at least 14 grass roots organizations. Following the rally, hundreds of the fired up conservatives personally visited their state reps and senators asking them to support the push back legislation. One of the bills that was the main focus of the rally is SJR25 sponsored by Missouri Senator Jane Cunningham The bill “Prohibits laws interfering with freedom of choice in health care”
view it here; http://house.mo.gov/content.aspx?info=/bills101/sbills/sj025.htm
Here is a photo of the capitol rotunda with the standing room only rally.
Grass roots training was provided after the rally.
The press was in attendance and more than 30 stories have aired on TV, radio and newspapers throughout the state. The AP covered the event and sent the story nationwide. Kansas had similar rallies on Friday.
The movement to push back the federal government is alive and well, based on the 10th amendment of the US Constitution.
This event set the tone for the Missouri political climate in 2010. The Missouri Sovereignty project, founded by Thomas Grady, sent a letter to Missouri AG Christ Koster asking him to challenge the Federal government on the Universal Health Care Control bill Congress is trying to pass.
http://www.missourisovereigntyproject.com/call-on-koster.html
If you want to volunteer to help, join at www.missourisovereigntyproject.com Look at pledges tab to see if your rep and senator have signed on. If not, ask them to sign the MO Sov Pledge. If they have signed, let them know you are watching and appreciate their support.
Missouri Legislative leaders seemed to like the idea of asking our Attorney General to push back the Federal government, so they sent letters of their own this week.
http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/21004
The conservative group Club for Growth now has a pledge asking elected officials to push back the federal health care control bill.
“I hereby pledge to the people of my state upon my election to the U.S. Senate to sponsor and support legislation to repeal any federal health takeover passed in 2010 and replace it with real reforms that lower health-care costs without growing government.”
State Senator Chuck Purgason was the first to sign their pledge. Congressman Roy Blunt quickly jumped on the bandwagon. Purgason and Blunt are both Republican candidates for Kit Bond’s US Senate seat. http://www.stlbeacon.org/content/view/14218/314/
Seems that Thomas Grady has started a movement that everyone wants to pile on.
http://www.mogop.org/wp/2010/01/1672/
If the Universal Health Care Control bill somehow does get passed, there is a nationwide effort to challenge it in court on a number of issues. Oops, I used Hillary’s title of her 1990’s effort at Universal Health Care. Notice they stopped using that title. Perhaps that is because according to the Democrats, there are 45 million uninsured Americans. 15 million don’t want health care and prefer to pay their own way. 15 million are illegal immigrants and Pelosi/Reid’s bills leave about 16 million still uninsured. Hmmmmmm?
Missouri Citizens for Property Rights, represented by Ron Calzone, started gathering signatures for the epic eminent domain initiative at the capital rally Wednesday. The support for MOCPR eminent domain effort was overwhelming as people wanting to sign the petition surrounded his booth at the capital. This ballot initiative would stop government from using eminent domain for private use in Missouri.
The Missouri appeals court recently ruled in favor of MOCPR and cleared the way to start gathering signatures to get this issue on the ballot. You can read an update on this here;
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=31082 If you would like to help with this effort, contact Ron Calzone ron@mo-cpr.org http://www.mo-cpr.org
The Missouri Rural Crises Center organized a Family Farm Day Rally at the state capital on Tuesday afternoon. It was well attended – standing room only. Tim and Rhonda provided grass roots training and sent the attendees out to talk to their legislators one on one. They are fighting CAFOs in Missouri and opposing the establishment of a new livestock board that would take power away from legislators and give it to an appointed board.
Republican candidate for state auditor has given a new meaning to our popular term Audit The Fed. Icet promised this week that he will audit the federal stimulus dollars spent in Missouri if he wins the auditor race. http://www.stlbeacon.org/content/view/14198/314/
The current state auditor sought her 15 minutes of fame this week by proposing that businesses no longer be able to keep the small portion of sales tax they get for being forced to be the state’s tax collector. In a political climate of anti government, anti taxes, and the ever growing voice to help businesses so we can get more jobs, it is amazing how liberals like Auditor Montee continue their NeoMarxist anti-capitalist big government agenda
http://www.missourinet.com/2010/01/13/montee-questions-2-policy/
Friday Meanwhile in Massachusetts, the race to fill the late Edward Kennedy’s seat has taken an unexpected turn. The GOP had written of the seat, but the grassroots conservative movement did not. Scott Brown the GOP challenger gained steadily in the polls recently. GOP National chair, Michael Steele, on his radio tour of the nation was repeatedly dogged by questions on why the National GOP was not in the fight. Last weekend, Steele sent out a national appeal to help Scott Brown. This was followed up by appeals from quite an array across the Center Right spectrum of groups. Suddenly Brown was bringing in a million dollars a day, his poll numbers are soaring and the race garnered the national spotlight as a public referendum on the Neo-Marxist Health Control bill in Congress. Brown as US Senator would break the 60 vote filibuster proof majority the dems currently have in Congress. National pundits are now saying the MA race will be considered judgment on Barack Obama’s first year in office. In my opinion, it already is. The fact that a Republican has a fighting chance in the land of Barney Frank and Edward Kennedy speaks louder than words. Back to Missouri, Talk radio throughout the state has focused on the race with many encouraging Missourians to send money to support Scott Brown. Today the MO GOP sent out a letter asking for support of the Scott Brown race.
Brown’s democrat opponent has abandoned an issue oriented campaign and decided instead to attack you!
MA Democrats press release: Scott Brown made a “deal with the devil” with “radical tea party groups”
I do hope he made a deal with the tea party groups. Cause the deal we have been asking for is a pledge to follow the constitution, to balance the budget, to remove barriers for business such as high taxes and regulations. Now, that is a deal we can all live and prosper with.
KS rep Dennis Moore along with Gordon, Tanner, and Baird announced retirements. Conn Senator Chris Dodd and ND Senator Dorgan also chose not to run again in a climate of angry hostile electorate. The Grassroots conservative movement sent them pink slips. Now folks are asking, when will Missouri’s Skelton announce he is stepping down? Surely he can read the tea leaves! http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/21007
Upcoming events
Saturday, January 16 I&R training in KC with Ron Calzone of the Missouri contact Ron Calzone ron@mo-cpr.org http://www.mo-cpr.org
Thursday January 21 6 pm. State Sen. Chuck Purgason, a Republican candidate for the Missouri U.S. Senate seat now held by Kit Bond, will speak in St. Joseph on Thursday, Jan. 21.
Mr. Purgason will be the featured speaker at the January meeting of the Northwest Missouri Republican Club.
http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2010/jan/14/purgason-plans-st-joseph-speech/
Friday January 22 7 pm Time to have some fun! Come down and play Political Trivia Night at O’Dowd’s Zona Rosa. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online here;
http://acttrivia.eventbrite.com/
Thank you for fighting for Liberty!
Paul Hamby
Missouri Co-Coordinator
Campaign For Liberty
Harmony Health and Wellness 