Washington Democrats did it again. With less than two weeks to go before they lose control of the House of Representatives, they decided to ram through yet ANOTHER $2 trillion reckless spending bill the day before Christmas Eve. What’s maddening is that they unveiled their massive, 4,000-plus page government funding bill just days earlier in the dark of night, leaving members of Congress too little time to research what’s actually in it.
Merry Christmas! It’s the special time of year when we gather together with our treasured holiday traditions and celebrate the birth of Jesus. Many of us have fond childhood memories of decorating the Christmas tree, volunteering to help the needy, or baking grandma’s secret Christmas cookie recipe. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.
The holidays are a special time in southern Missouri, and nothing makes me happier than Christmas in the Ozarks. One of our favorite things to do as a family is drive around the different communities and see the beautiful holiday decorations. The manger scenes, Christmas lights and inflatable Santas all make our communities brighter during the holidays. Of course, a highlight of any Ozark Christmas is a trip to Branson to see the decorations. We especially enjoy the Old Time Christmas celebration at Silver Dollar City. Our visit this year was just a little more special since I’ll represent Taney County in the Missouri Senate beginning in 2023.
The election of Republican Scott Fitzpatrick as Missouri State Auditor on a campaign to investigate public school curricula reminded me of prior state auditors who expanded the role of the auditor's office.
The holiday season can be very stressful; whether it is trying to find the perfect gifts, family drama, or financial stress, there is a good chance everyone will at least have one moment of stress during the holidays. Unfortunately, this stress also affects those struggling with drugs and alcohol.
Graduating high school students can get an idea of how much it may cost to attend a college or technical school using the school’s net price calculator, according to KHEAA. Net price calculators give families a clearer idea of expenses at each school, so they can compare, plan and save.
For years, conservatives have suspected that Big Tech has worked to silence their viewpoints and ensure that liberal ideology is dominant across the Internet. On Twitter, prominent conservatives have been censored, either where topics that are generating enormous interest on the platform are prevented from reaching widespread audiences or where accounts are suspended altogether for no apparent reason.
The start of the 2023 legislative session is still weeks away, but the lawmaking process has already started. Pre-filing of legislation for the First Regular Session of the 102nd General Assembly began on Dec. 1. So, far, more than 375 separate Senate bills and resolutions have been offered for consideration in the coming months, including 12 bills I sponsored. The legislation I prefiled include proposals to cut bureaucratic red-tape, expand rural health care and promote patriotic education in our schools. Over the coming weeks I’ll discuss these bills in my weekly updates. In this edition I highlight three proposals intended to expand health care access in rural areas.
The COVID-19 pandemic made for some “hard candy Christmases.” Still sweet, Christmas in confinement was nevertheless hard and disappointing. Christmas 2022 will likely be one of adjustment as families try to restore traditions after several years of disrupted celebrations, says Jeremiah Terrell, University of Missouri Extension human development specialist.
Over the last two years, we have watched President Joe Biden and his administration make a mockery out of our nation’s border security. Because of his refusal to enforce the law or keep in place strong policies adopted under the Trump administration, record numbers of illegal immigrants have crossed the border. There have been over a million gotaways, or illegal immigrants who crossed the border and evaded authorities. That’s more than the entire population of Delaware, Biden’s home state. In October, there were 230,678 illegal immigrant encounters at our southern border, a 334% increase from the average number of October encounters under President Trump. And we’ve had 20 straight months of over 150,000 illegal border crossings. In other words, it’s clear as day that the border is in complete chaos.