A Noble Cause

     President Ronald Reagan once said, “Double, no triple, our troubles and we’d still be better off than any other people on earth.  It is time that we recognized that ours was, in truth, a noble cause.”

     I was in Iraq participating in another noble cause as the 93^rd Legislative Session closed.  It seems, though, as the gavel fell, the pundits and press began the spin on the outcomes and measures taken by our elected leaders.

     Some said that division exists among leaders while others said that little was accomplished.  Yet, amid the mud-slinging and the politics of the day “we are still better off than any other people on earth.”  My friends ... amidst all things, our way of life ... our form of government is, in truth, a noble cause.  I can attest to this because I have seen the horrors and plights created by dictators and non-democratic governments in Bosnia as well as Iraq.

     First, we passed legislation that reformed our eminent domain law.  Missouri property owners won a major victory with the General Assembly’s approval of comprehensive eminent domain reform.  It clearly addresses the Kelo decision by the U.S. Supreme Court and includes requirements of condemning authorities that will help protect the property rights of individuals.

     Second, we passed legislation to protect our children from sexual predators.  A national movement has planted itself firmly in Missouri as the General Assembly approved “Jessica’s Law,” a measure to protect children against the threat of sexual predators.

     This bill increases the minimum penalty, prohibits sexual offenders from living or loitering within 500 feet of a school and denies bail to someone who has pled guilty, or been found guilty, of a sexual offense when the victim is younger than seventeen years old.  It also requires a prior offender to wear a GPS-tracking device.         

     Finally, we worked to make healthcare more affordable.  We passed legislation that would allow small businesses to join together to obtain low-cost group insurance rates.  This consortium plan will enable small business owners to provide healthcare to employees.

     In addition to these successes, we also paved the way to new ideas that may not have made it to the Governor’s desk, but opened new doors.

     The House passed a constitutional amendment to protect public prayer.  This amendment would address various court challenges to students being allowed to pray in schools.  Critics argued their right is protected.  However, various court cases and lawsuits by groups like the ACLU clearly show the need to define students’ freedom to pray in public places.

      In the last four years, we have protected marriage, reduced abortions, become better stewards of our tax dollars, reduced the size of government, increased job access, improved our economy and defeated all efforts to raise your taxes.

     Double, even triple our troubles and we are still better off than any other people on this earth.  Ours is, in truth, a noble cause.  The future is bright ... let us stay the course, both here and around the world.