GOP agenda: Several legislative goals have been accomplished

By Carl Bearden

The final curtain has fallen on the 93rd General Assembly, providing great successes for Missourians. New laws will ensure Missouri is a better state in which to live, work and raise a family. House Republicans have taken strong, principled stands on tough issues while being responsible stewards of the mandate we received two years ago.

In 2005, Republicans promised a needs-based funding formula for education. We delivered. Republicans promised an overhaul of workers' compensation. We delivered. Republicans promised a reform of Missouri's civil justice system. We delivered. Republicans promised real tools in the fight against methamphetamine. We delivered. Republicans promised to protect minors from being taken across state lines for an abortion without parental permission. We delivered.

In 2006, Republicans promised eminent-domain reforms to ensure that what happened in New London, Conn., could never happen in Missouri. We delivered. Republicans promised to enact a Jessica's Law with tough penalties against child sex offenders. We delivered. Republicans promised a strong ethanol standard that reduces dependence on foreign oil while not increasing fuel costs. We delivered. Republicans promised to fight abortions by providing tax credits for individuals that donate to pregnancy resource centers. We delivered. Republicans promised to expand Missouri's low-income heating-assistance program for seniors. We delivered.

These accomplishments demonstrate what House Republicans stand for and how they keep their promises. Each of these 2006 accomplishments was achieved with broad bipartisan support, including that of House Minority Leader Jeff Harris on many bills. The legislature met the expectation of Missourians by working across party lines to address eminent domain, Jessica's Law, the ethanol standard, the fight against abortion and heating assistance for low-income Missourians.

Unfortunately, bipartisan support was not present when it came to ensuring the integrity of our elections. Do you remember Ritzy Meckler, an attractive, red-headed, mixed-breed canine? Under current law, anyone could have utilities turned on and paid for in the name of Ritzy Meckler and then take that utility bill to the polls and cast a vote in the name of Ritzy Meckler.

Remember when the polls were held open in St. Louis in November 2000? An attorney claimed his client could not vote because of the long lines and feared he would be unable to vote unless the polls were kept open late. The real reason his client was unable to vote was because he had been dead for more than a year. Yet the minority party claim there is no such thing as voter fraud.

Bipartisanship was absent in the passage of a comprehensive ethics-reform bill. Members of the minority party voted to continue to support legal laundering of contributions and voted to allow lobbyists to use legislative caucuses to hide gifts given to individual lawmakers rather than the bill that requires lobbyists to report specific expenditures.

The minority party fought against funding scholarships for poor and middle-class students attending higher-education institutions in our state. Despite the fact that higher-education institutions have been raising tuition and fees at alarming rates, the minority party decided that we should not provide additional assistance to these Missouri students. They attacked the plan as a "voucher" program. They ignore the fact that existing scholarships like Bright Flight, Gallagher and Missouri Guarantee have been used by students at public and private institutions since their inception. The scholarship proposal would not have shifted funds to private institutions. The bottom line is that the minority party chose to support institutions over the hard working parents and students of this state.

One area where bipartisan support can't be reached is tax increases. House Democrats sponsored House Bill 1960 that would have enacted a $960 million tax increase on hard-working Missouri families. When the bill started gaining momentum among Democrats, it died a mysterious death as the Democratic sponsors withdrew their massive tax-increase proposal from consideration.

In contrast, House Republicans delivered a balanced budget without a tax increase. The 2007 budget increases funding for elementary and secondary education by $181 million, the largest education budget in state history. The 2007 budget increases funding for Missouri's Medicaid program by $282 million, the largest single increase in this year's budget. The 2007 House budget increases funding to assist Missouri's seniors with increased nutrition funding; new senior centers, property tax relief and Alzheimer's grants.

The 93rd General Assembly has provided Missourians with new laws that will ensure a brighter, better future for our state. Legislative accomplishments clearly show what Republicans stand for and their willingness to work in a bipartisan fashion to address problems head on.

Carl Bearden of St. Charles, Mo., represents the 16th District in the Missouri House of Representatives, where he serves as speaker pro tem.