February 14, 2011
In this Week's Issue of the Capitol Child Advocate:
MISSOURI - The Week in Jefferson City - Governor Releases Funds for School Transportation - PFC Testifies on the Fair Tax - Budget Bills Introduced - PFC Priority Updates: Safety & Security - Newly Introduced Bills - Legislator Profile of the Week	RESOURCES  & EVENTS - MO Charter School Report  - Annual "Poverty Scorecard" - House Moves to Pass Budget Cuts - Child Advocacy Day - Pinwheels for Prevention  KANSAS - Kansas Update
The Week in Jefferson City: A Bird's Eye View from the Capitol
Jefferson City is starting to dig out from all of the snow that shut down the Capitol two weeks ago.  Things are back to normal with committee hearings, debates, votes in both chambers and the budget is starting to move.  We’ve seen some movement on PFC’s legislative priorities in the last couple of weeks and we’re expecting to have hearings this week and in the coming weeks on many of our issues.  Read on for more information about how you can help make a difference in the life of a child!
Governor Releases Funds for School Transportation
In the last few weeks, Governor Nixon has released $17.5 million for school transportation funding.  Now that the Governor has lifted his restrictions on this funding, the school districts have the authority to spend the additional money on transportation.  This is a positive step in the right direction for the overall state budget and hopefully shows that the Governor is open to releasing additional funds for children in need.  Specifically, we’d like to see funds for key programs that have positive impacts for children and families within the Department of Social Services and the Children’s Division released in the next month or two.  We will keep you posted as these programs are identified and let you know how you can communicate with the Governor’s office to speak up for Missouri’s kids.
PFC Testifies on the Fair Tax
House Joint Resolution 8 was heard in the House Tax Reform committee last Wednesday.  A wide array of people were on hand to testify against the proposal, including Partnership for Children, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the Missouri Retailers Association, Catholic Conference, Catholic Charities, the Missouri Budget Project, Missouri NEA, the Missouri Municipal League and others.  PFC is concerned about this proposal because of the implications it would have on services for children.  The plan would add a 10-15% tax on child care and health care, making it even more difficult for families to provide basic services for their children.  For more information on the proposal, click HERE to read the Missouri Budget Project’s latest analysis.
Budget Bills Introduced
Rep. Ryan Silvey (R-Kansas City) has introduced the bills that fund state government.  We are expecting that the committees overseeing the various departments will begin debating and making changes in the next week or two.  Stay tuned for more information.
PFC Priority Updates: Safety & Security
Foster Parent Recruitment and Retention Fund Bill, HB 431 (Franz):  This bill will help provide funding for organizations to recruit and retain foster and adoptive parents for children who are difficult to place.  Hearing scheduled for February 16. “Sam and Lindsey’s Law”, HB 234 (Kander):  This bill was created in response to the tragic deaths of two children in the Kansas City area several years ago and would make it easier for law enforcement to determine whether a parent has custodial responsibilities for their children during traffic stops.  The bill was introduced and referred to committee last week and has now been referred to the House Committee on Crime Prevention.  A hearing is expected in the next couple of weeks.
Newly Introduced Bills
Click HERE to view a run down of new bills that PFC is currently tracking in our issue areas of Health, Safety & Security and K-12 Education.
Legislator Profile of the Week: "Get to know me!"
Representative Ryan Silvey (R-Kansas City) is the chairman of the powerful House Budget Committee.  He is the primary bill sponsor for the budget bills and controls much of the budget process in the House of Representatives.  Often times, the priorities of the Budget Chairman become the priorities of the House of Representatives as a whole.  A friend of Partnership for Children, Rep. Silvey has long championed the presumptive eligibility program for Medicaid and is also a strong proponent of the child care assistance program (a PFC priority).  PFC named Rep. Silvey one of our “Legislators of the Year” last year for his help on passing a piece of legislation that puts the transitional child care assistance program into statute.  Getting to know Representative Silvey is a must for any advocate who is interested in the state’s budget priorities. Rep. Silvey's Biography (from www.house.mo.gov) Born April 17, 1976 in Kansas City, Missouri, Rep. Ryan Silvey, a Republican, represents part of Clay County (District 38) in the Missouri House of Representatives.  First elected to the House in a special election in 2005, Rep. Silvey is a former legislative aide to U.S. Senator Kit Bond.  Rep. Silvey serves as the chair of the Joint Committee on Capitol Improvements and Leases Oversight. Rep. Silvey is a member of the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce.  He has one daughter, Kennedy Allyson.  A 1994 graduate of Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Rep. Silvey received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interpretive Speech from the Bob Jones University in 1998. Representative Silvey’s contact information and a list of his committees can be found by clicking HERE.
Resources & Upcoming Events
Delivering on the Promise: How Missouri Can Grow Excellent, Accountable Public Charter Schools The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools has published a report analyzing Missouri’s charter school sector.  The report examines the development and status of Missouri's public charter school sector using the following indicators: academic performance, policy environment, finance and support.  It offers recommendations to improve the quality of schools by creating rigorous approval systems that will allow for accountable, high-performing public charter schools.  Click HERE to access this report. Annual "Poverty Scorecard" The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law has released its annual “Poverty Scorecard”.  The Poverty Scorecard rates every Member of Congress on how they voted on anti-poverty legislation. To see how Missouri and Kansas faired, click HERE to view the site.   House Moves to Pass Deep Budget Cuts Affecting Children & Families “President Obama today sent his proposed 2012 federal budget to Congress, and as expected, it contains many spending cuts and tax increases. Obama seeks a five-year freeze on non-security domestic spending, but unfortunately this is where most services for children and families are funded...”  Click HERE to continue reading this article.    Child Advocacy Day Mark March 31st on your calendar and plan to spend the day in Jefferson City with other advocates for children. Please click HERE for more information and to register for Child Advocacy Day! Pinwheels for Prevention On April 13, 2011 at 12 noon, Prevent Child Abuse Missouri will be planting and displaying 1,000 blue and silver pinwheels in the 2nd Annual Community Pinwheel Garden on the south lawn of the State Capitol in Jefferson City and you are invited. Click HERE for more information and to register.
Kansas Updates
Thanks to our partners at Kansas Action for Children for their update from Topeka on policies affecting Kansas kids. Click HERE to see their most recent e-newsletter.
Forward PFC’s newsletter to your friends! Please forward our newsletter to your friends and colleagues.  As more people are informed, we will have more voices speaking up on behalf of children.  Thanks! Sincerely, The Partnership for Children Team For questions about our legislative activities in Jefferson City, please contact our Director of Public Policy, Jeremy LaFaver, at lafaver@pfc.org or 816-531-9200, x 225.

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