We are pleased to announce the following endorsements for Scott’s 2012 re-election campaign:

Clint Zweifel, State Treasurer
Mike Talboy, House Democratic Leader
Joe Maxwell, Former Lieutenant Governor
Robert M. Levine, Democratic National Committee
May Scheve Reardon, former Missouri Democratic Party Chairwoman
Pat Yaeger, Former State Representative
Joe Treadway, Former State Representative
Vicki Englund, Former State Representative
Mike Vogt, Former State Representative
Steve Stenger, St. Louis County Councilman
Jake Zimmerman, St. Louis County Assessor
Marilyn Beck, Concord Township Committeewoman
Frank Lydon, Concord Township Committeeman
Sally Hodges, Lemay Township Committeewoman
Mike Koeller, Lemay Township Committeeman
Michelle Padgett, Bayless Board of Education Director
Kevin Johnson, Hancock Place Board of Education Director
Tammy Tobin, former Hancock Place Board of Education Director
Deidra Woods, former Hancock Place Board of Education Director
Doug Beck, Affton Board of Education Director
Bob Burns, former Affton Board of Education Director
Dianne Burns, St. George Alderwoman
St. Louis Police Officers’ Association

Many thanks to all for their support. Hopefully more to come . . .

Scott recently announced his plans to run for re-election to the Missouri House of Representatives to the newly-drawn 93rd District. The majority of the district remains the same as the one Scott already represents. It includes the Hancock Place School District, most of the Bayless School District, parts of the Mehlville and Affton School Districts and a parts of the 11th and 12th Wards in the City of St. Louis.

Running in the 93rd will resolve a conflict created by the new legislative district map, which put Scott and Represenative Genise Montecillo in the same district. It is an honor serving Lemay and Affton in the legislature, and we will work just as hard to serve the residents of the City of St. Louis who will now be in the same district.

The following is the text of my letter to the editor of the South County Times regarding Missouri’s special legislative session:

Like many, I am very disappointed Missouri’s special legislative session ended without passage of a comprehensive jobs, economic development and tax credit reform bill.  We all have friends, neighbors or relatives struggling with unemployment, underemployment or involuntary retirement.

People want results, not partisan bickering.  The jobs bill really was not a partisan issue.  There were legislators in both parties in support and in opposition.  Both the House and Senate supporte extensive tax credit reforms, incentives for data storage jobs, measures to prevent neighboring states from luring away employers, a re-investment fund for the plant and life sciences industies and scaled-back incentives for the Lambert cargo hub.

The House, on a bi-partisan 131-17 vote, opposed placing sunsets on the affordable housing and historic preservation programs that have greatly benefitted our region while creating numerous jobs.  The Senate insisted on sunsets, decided the issue was a dealbreaker and voted to adjourn rather than try to negotiate a compromise in conference.

Many in the House were concerned sunsets would allow the Senate to end the preservation and housing programs — and the jobs they support — simply by filibustering their re-authorization.  That the Senate was willing to sacrifice the entire package over sunsets suggests that ending those two programs was precisely the objective.

If so, there are two terrible ironies.  Out of the entire package, the only programs now certain to be in force going forward are the very ones the Senate sought to sunset and end. 

And rather than passing a compromise that would save taxpayer money and create jobs, tax dollars spent on special session were wasted. 

Missourians — especially those looking for work — deserve much better.  When the legislature reconvenes in January, it should immediately pass those elements of the jobs bill on which the House and Senate agreed.

Scott Sifton

I traveled to Joplin this Labor Day weekend to volunteer with the relief effort.  We shoveled debris, sorted relief supplies and helped get classrooms ready for the start of school.  Our team included folks from throughout Missouri and across the United States.  It was very touching to see how far some of the folks had come to help.

More than 3 months after the tornado, the extent of the devastation can still be seen throughout the city.  Street signs are still improvised.  Many of the structures have been removed, but debris remains.  You can see for miles in the center of town.

The picture on the right is of a city map hanging on the wall at the Americorps staging area.  The tan and red area shows where the tornado hit. 

Many thanks to all who have assisted in the recovery effort.  We are truly all in this together.

Today the House Health Insurance Committee heard our first bill, HB 426, just one week after we filed it. The bill prohibits an insurer from requiring any waiting period for health insurance coverage for maternity benefits and requires coverage to begin immediately from the effective date of the health insurance policy.

Under current law, a woman paying a higher premium to get insurance for pregnancy can still be denied coverage if she actually gets pregnant during the first year to eighteen months of the policy. Many thanks to Chairman Chris Molendorp who scheduled the bill for hearing, former Senator Patrick Dougherty who testified in favor of the bill on behalf of Catholic Charities, Jeremy Lafaver who testified in favor on behalf of the Partnership for Children and Affton resident Bridget Brown, whose poignant testimony made a tremendous impact.

I am pleased to be the first to co-sponsor House Bill 102, the Missouri Homestead Prevervation Act, which provides a property tax credit for qualifying seniors and individuals with disabilities.  The best part about the homestead credit is that unlike many similar proposals, it provides property tax relief for seniors without draining away resources from local public schools. 

Today it was my great honor to be sworn in as a State Representative in the 96th Missouri General Assembly.  Many thanks to all whose hard work and support helped make this possible.  I look forward to making a difference for the people of Lemay and Affton in the Missouri legislature.