THE 100 REPORT
Conservatives Stay United on SAPA
Despite the national media coverage, current talk suggests conservatives in the state house and senate are remaining united on the Second Amendment Preservation Act. There does not seem to be any real momentum to change the legislation in the upcoming session. We expect to see a moderate senator and representative propose legislation to water down the bill, but without the desire or votes to get it out of committee there is currently no real threat to see it undone.
The Virginia election, A Lesson To Be Learned
By State Representative Jim Murphy
Parents have been showing up, in record numbers, at school board meetings to express concerns about mask mandates, quarantine policies, curriculum, inappropriate materials, woke agendas, mental health, and child safety. Some school boards and administrators have marginalized and completely ignored parental concerns. They are told that critical race theory (CRT) is a hoax and is not being taught despite the fact that parents clearly see schools delving into social issues at every level. They see their traditions and values under attack by cancel culture. They have been told that their successes in life are due to privilege and a product of systemic racism. Parents are being attacked in the media for being passionate and are portrayed as angry mobs that threaten school board members. They have been called a threat to our democracy and are being investigated by the FBI.
Many school boards have responded to the COVID pandemic with little to no restrictions while others have instituted strict guidelines and restrictions. The majority of school districts in Missouri have no mask mandates resulting in no more infections than those school districts who have implemented them — leading parents to question why their children need them.
Even though Missouri has made funding available for schools to test for COVID and DESE implemented the “test to stay” program that allows exposed students to remain in school, school districts have sent thousands of students home to quarantine when exposed in school. Students are missing much-needed days in school even though the overwhelming majority never get COVID. Most students don’t even receive at-home support during their quarantine as required by DESE.
Parents are upset that their children are not receiving the quality education they are entitled to.
Concerned parents have sent my colleagues and me many examples of books that are available in school libraries that they feel are inappropriate. If the explicit sexual activities illustrated in these books were a movie, they would be rated NC-17. When parents suggest that they should be given a choice on exposing these books to their children, they are called book banners.
Parents see what is going on around them and want to be able to make decisions on their own children’s health and what is taught to them.
Parents in Virginia and in Missouri are sending a message that no longer will they be quiet, marginalized, vilified, insulted, and ignored. They no longer wish to finance this culture war with their tax dollars. Citizens are speaking out; schools need to be teaching ABCs, not CRTs. Government overreach must stop! Social engineering must stop!
Their message is clear, listen up or pay the price at the ballot box.
Worried Parents are Winning School Board Seats Across the Country
Texas resident Scott Henry had never run for any sort of political office and had no political aspirations of any kind. But last week, he was one of dozens of parents across the country who won school board races by campaigning on providing a voice to parents concerned about critical race theory, school mask mandates, and the lack of transparency from school board members. A successful businessman and parent who regularly volunteers at his local Baptist church, Henry says he only decided to run for the school board of Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, based in a suburb of Houston, when he realized that the “gentlemen and ladies” on the board were ignoring parental concerns. In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Henry cited “the lack of transparency and accountability in our board” as the catalyst for his decision to run. “A board should be open to the public and responsive to the public’s needs and wants,” he said. “We’re here for the parents first and foremost.” Across the state, in the Dallas suburb of Southlake, Andrew Yeager, a businessman and adjunct professor who grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, emerged victorious in a special election to fill a vacant seat on the Carroll Independent School District’s school board, cementing a 4-3 conservative majority on the board for the first time that he could remember.
Plurality of Voters Want Biden Out of Office Next Year
A new USA TODAY/Suffolk Poll found that a plurality of U.S. voters want Democrat President Joe Biden out of office in 2022 as his approval rating continues to fall to new lows. The top 10 responses to the survey were: Resign/retire/quit – 20% Economy/jobs – 11% Unite/help the country – 8% Immigration/border control – 8% COVID/mandates – 6% Infrastructure bills – 5% Inflation – 4% Health care – 3% Climate change/environment – 3% Bipartisanship – 3% The poll, released on Sunday, found that the overwhelming majority of registered voters do not want Democrat President Joe Biden to run for a second term as his disapproval rating nears a staggering 60%. The poll also found that Republicans are nearing a double-digit lead over Democrats for the upcoming 2022 midterm races. Other top lines from the poll included: “Nearly half of those surveyed, 46%, say Biden has done a worse job as president than they expected, including 16% of those who voted for him. Independents, by 7-1 (44%-6%), say he’s done worse, not better, than they expected.” “Nearly two-thirds of Americans, 64%, say they don’t want Biden to run for a second term in 2024. That includes 28% of Democrats.”
We Need to End the Vaccine Mandate For Our Military
By Congressman Billy Long
With ever-increasing aggression by America’s enemies, military readiness is a vital national security issue. I don’t think most people would disagree with that sentiment. The Pentagon has said that they are implementing a vaccine mandate for service members to increase military readiness.
The problem with this logic is the mandate will have the opposite effect, making our military less ready to respond to global threats. I have been vaccinated with three rounds of Pfizer’s vaccine. When I became eligible to receive it I did what I recommend to anyone that asks, and that is talking to your doctor and see if you are a good candidate to receive it. My doctor said I was a very good candidate for it so I listened. It was a personal decision on my part, not a government mandate, and our brave fighting men and women deserve the same option as to whether to take it or not.
I have been inundated by members of the military and their families begging for some relief, for sanity to prevail. People that are having long-term military careers ended at the drop of a hat are contacting me very despondent already. Your whole life has been built around a career sacrificing for your country and fighting for freedom then you’re told you are done. What kind of freedom have they been fighting for? Freedom?
Estimates show that nearly 30 percent of our Armed Forces are unvaccinated for COVID-19. The Pentagon has taken a hard line against these service members, giving them an ultimatum. Get vaccinated or hit the road. Unlike the requirements for federal employees and contractors, there is no option for regular testing or masking, and exemptions for medical or religious reasons are nearly impossible to come by. As I said earlier, the Pentagon claims that this is to improve military readiness, but I cannot see how discharging up to 30 percent of our military would be at all in our national security interests, let alone improve military readiness. We will lose thousands of great members of our military.
The debate around vaccine mandates is not just about the numbers though. For many people, this is incredibly personal. When I travel back to Missouri each week, I hear from active-duty personnel and their families who share their stories about what this mandate will do to them. Some have told me about their family history with the military, how they are now on the 5th generation of military service, service that will soon come to an end because of this mandate. Unvaccinated people have their reasons why they have not gotten the shot. One woman told me about her daughter who is not getting vaccinated because she is breastfeeding and isn’t sure how the vaccine will affect her infant. Many are unvaccinated because they have already had COVID and therefore have the antibodies to fight against it. Currently, the Department of Defense administers 17 vaccines to members of the military, all with clear health and religious exemptions. Unlike those 17 other vaccines, this COVID vaccine mandate does not have clearly stated exemptions.
It is for these reasons that earlier this week, I submitted a discharge petition to force a vote on bill H.R. 3860, which would prohibit any requirement that a member of the armed forces receives vaccination against COVID-19. Should the discharge petition reach 218 signatures, the bill will be brought before the full House of Representatives for a vote. I am proud to lead this charge on behalf of our fighting men and women.
To me, this mandate boils down to some very simple questions. Should a nursing mother lose her job because she waited to get the vaccine until after she was done breastfeeding? Should people who have recovered from COVID lose their job because they don’t want to get the vaccine? Should those with sincerely held religious beliefs lose their job because of those beliefs? The answer to all these questions is NO. Unfortunately, the Pentagon has not granted many exemptions for these reasons, and 30 percent of our military could soon lose their jobs and way of life because of it. I am fighting to stop this madness so that our military men and women can continue to fight for our nation.
The 100 Newsletter is intended to be a conservative review of the most up to date, inside information of what is going on in Missouri Politics and does not reflect an endorsement of any campaign or committee.