SEN. DANFORTH IS LOOKING BEYOND SENATE RETIREMENT

John Danforth says he enjoyed his years of public service. Now, he says he wants to "come home."

"It's been a wonderful opportunity and I want to thank everyone for that opportunity," the U.S. senator said during a visit to Cape Girardeau Saturday.

Danforth, who stressed the importance of volunteerism to about 500 members of the Missouri Federation of Aid Association for Lutherans, also took the opportunity Saturday afternoon to emphasize his appreciation for allowing him to serve the public 27 years.

"(Home) is where the action is," said Danforth, who addressed the AAL State Convention held at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Cape Girardeau. "I want to become a part of my local community."

Danforth will become part of a law firm in his native St. Louis upon retirement from the U.S. Senate.

"Of course, I will still want to keep in touch with the affairs of the nation and world," he said, adding that he would keep talking about issues until the day he leaves the Capitol on Jan. 3, 1995.

Danforth shocked many of his friends and fellow lawmakers Jan. 31, 1993, when he announced he would not seek a fourth term in the Senate.

Danforth told the AAL that "people get involved with good work during their life," where they show love for God and their neighbors, "whether it's filling sandbags or lending a helping hand to their neighbors in other ways."

The theme of the 30th annual Missouri Federation of AAL Local Branches was "Volunteers Change Our World."

Total AAL fraternal assistance in Missouri in 1993 was $2.6 million, with volunteer projects ranging from raising funds for local flood victims to replacing a neighbor's roof to paying medical bills for a girl with a brain aneurysm.

AAL, headquartered at Appleton, Wis., provides its members with insurance products, self-help education programs and community service opportunities. There are 1.6 million AAL members nationwide, with 59,891 members in 275 branches in Missouri.

Danforth had a busy day in Southeast Missouri Saturday. From the address at the AAL Convention, he traveled to the Pemiscot County Port Authority near Caruthersville, where he discussed the port's operations and future plans. From there, he returned to Cape Girardeau, where he attended the Lincoln Day celebration held at the Arena Building.

AAL director Herbert J. Arkebauer introduced Danforth at the convention, briefly outlining his public service and achievements.

Danforth was elected attorney general of Missouri in 1968, in his first race ever for a public office. He was re-elected in 1972 and ran for U.S. Senate in 1976.

He was elected his first try. He was re-elected in 1982 and 1988, when he established a record for the number of counties carried in a statewide race in Missouri. He is the only Republican in Missouri history elected to three terms to the U.S. Senate.

Danforth has sponsored numerous legislative measures during his 17-plus years in the U.S. Senate. These include laws to encourage long-term economic growth, to strengthen America's world trade policies, to improve the protections of civil rights laws, to increase production of affordable housing and to enhance safety of all modes of transportation.

He ranks 25th in seniority among the 100 senators and serves on three key committees -- Finance Committee; Commerce Science and Transportation Committee; and the Select Committee on Intelligence.

As a senior member of the Finance Committee, he has devoted significant attention to U.S. tax policy and international trade policy. His trade legislation has been aimed at expanding U.S. exports, establishing the concept of reciprocity in trade by removing foreign trade barriers to U.S. goods and services and providing more and effective assistance to workers and firms hurt by imports.

He is also the principal author of laws to require strict on-the-job testing for drugs and alcohol used by key transportation workers, and he strengthen federal and state laws against drunken driving. As a ranking Republican member on the Commerce Committee, he has helped pass laws to improve the inspection of safety equipment on commercial trucks and buses.

He has also been active in efforts to address health care costs, improve education, stimulate rural economic development and reduce hunger and malnutrition throughout the world.