Moral Tuesday Hits Missouri – Progressives And Ministers Take Their Flocks To Jefferson City

Your calls will be taken in the second half of the show – 816-931-5534

Across the country the Religious and Progressive communities are coming together on a wide range of issues and taking their concerns to their respective State Capitals. Moral Mondays in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida were instituted to address laws being considered by many to be harmful enough to whole classes of people as to be considered immoral. Legislation has been proposed and passed in many states that allow discrimination against people of color, LGBT people and the poor on religious grounds. Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act is one of those issues that have brought these communities together.

Last Tuesday, May 6th, Moral Monday came to Missouri when hundreds of people from across the state came to Jefferson City behind the Message – We exist to move human dignity to the center of the debate. With a list of seven bills they feel advances the human dignity of Missourians including Medicaid expansion, expungement of criminal records for certain non-violent crimes, bonding of formerly incarcerated citizens that learned a trade while incarcerated, background checks prior to gun purchases, a $10.25 Minimum Wage and more.

These citizens came to the capital not as a protest, although some did break the law and shut the MO Senate down by speaking from the gallery, they came to change the special interest driven dialogue and remind the legislators of the words on the state flag- “Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law.” This is not a one time visit or a once a year lobby day but a people’s movement that put the legislature on notice that they are tired of hurtful, ideological driven legislation and unconstitutional dalliances it is time to do the people’s business or you will be replaced with someone who will.

Today’s host Keith Brown El will be joined by Reverend Ester Holzendorf, Minister Keith Brown and TBA. They will talk about the proceedings in Jefferson City, the reasons behind the movement, the absence of the KC Media and how you can get involved. See the bills they support below.

1. HB-1394– Authorizes a one-time expungement of certain criminal records
including a conviction for any nonviolent crime, misdemeanor, or nonviolent drug
violation – Rep. Stanley Cox—Judiciary Committee, Chair.

2. HB-1901–Medicaid Expansion – Changes the laws regarding health care
coverage – Rep. Jay Barnes, Government Oversight Committee

3. HB-2159–Requires a criminal background check prior to the sale or transfer of a
firearm and requires the reporting of a lost or stolen firearm – Rep. Timothy
Jones, Speaker of the House

4. HB-1408–Increases the state minimum wage to $10.25 per hour – Rep. Bill Lant,
Workforce Development and Workplace Development, Chair

5. HB-2090–Requires the Board of Probation and Parole to periodically review the
case history of certain convicted offenders serving sentences of more than 15
years or life without parole – Rep. Timothy Jones, Speaker of the House

6. SB-681–Provides a process for the Parole Board to review the case histories of
offenders serving more than 15 years in prison and recommend clemency or
allow release on parole – Senator, Bob Dixon, Chair

7. HB-1402–Requires the Department of Corrections to perform specified actions to
improve the ability of working inmates to obtain employment upon release from
incarceration – Rep. Paul Fitzwater, Special Standing Committee on Corrections,
Chair

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

The Kansas City Veterans Affairs Annual Self Sufficiency Summit will be Tuesday May 13th , 8-11 AM, at the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center, 4801 Rockhill RD, KCMO. The Homeless But Employable Summit will address what services are currently being provided to homeless veterans and how services can improve. The VA would like to provide an opportunity for employers and employment service providers to collaborate on how to provide employment opportunities for candidates within this population. Please RSVP to [email protected]
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Mothers of Incarcerated Sons and Daughters will have their monthly meeting Saturday, May 17th from noon to 2pm at the Waldo Branch Library, 201 East 75th Street, KCMO If you have a loved one that is incarcerated and need advice and support MISD have members that may be able to help. For more information contact Beverly Livingston at 816-337-5876 or email [email protected]
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There will be a Patient’s Rights Rally in support of medical cannabis patient’s rights to protected access to safe medicine. The rally will be at 95th and Quivera, Overland Park, KS on Saturday May 17th from 12 noon to 3 PM. For more information contact Lisa Sublett at email [email protected] or text to 913-605-0238.


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