I believe government exists to serve the common good.  With the right people and the right priorities, government can play an important role in broadening our economy, improving education and expanding health care.

Rep. Still has released the final Still in Action Report regarding the special Summer session.
Click here to read the latest report.

The Missouri State House of Representatives has posted the bill sponsorship information for 2010 95th Legislative Session. All bills sponsored or co-sponsored by Mary are listed here.

Read Mary’s guest column about Missouri’s payday loan industry in the July 4th Joplin Globe.

In Special Session today, The House of Representatives passed an economic development bill to provide as much as $150 million over 10 years for Ford, Inc. to encourage the automobile manufacturers to make new models at the Ford Plant in Claycomo, Mo.

The bill passed by a vote of 125 yes and 19 no and was sent to the Senate. Representative Still voted in favor of the bill. “The incentives are intended to protect the jobs of more than 4,000 auto workers and 23 suppliers throughout the state, including Dana of Columbia. In addition, the possibilities for a new Data Storage Center in Columbia are enormous” Still said. “These are high paying, high tech jobs with a long trail of supporting industries.”

In addition, the House passed the Public Retirement Systems Bill, changing provisions of the state retirement system to require future state employees to contribute 4 percent of their salaries to their retirement and work longer prior to retirement. The bill passed 92 to 54, but without the support from Rep. Still, “Pension reform is a serious matter to the many state workers in my district. It is not something to be rushed into without a great deal of study and consideration. That is not possible in a special session of this nature.”

The house will reconvene July 7 after the bills are taken up and voted on in the Senate.

The bill now awaits the signature of Governor Jay Nixon who has pledged to sign the bill into law. Rep. Mary Still served as ranking Democrat on the Health Insurance Committee which heard the bill and forwarded it the House floor.   Watch for this week’s newsletter for more details on this landmark legislation to extend coverage to children with Autism.”

Rep. Still joins the House of Representatives in honoring veterans of WWII, Tuesday, when the Honor Flight program visited Jefferson City.  Pictured seated in Rep. Still’s chair is veteran Robert Smith, former state representative 1952-1956 and speaker pro tempore, and next to him is Leo Teel, both from Columbia. Leo is Mary’s exercise partner at the gym.  The Honor Flight is a non-profit organization that raises funds to transport America’s veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit and reflect at their memorials.