Friends, Changing Times: It has been my honor to serve you I believe the most pressing issue facing in the Missouri Senate for the past six our great city is poverty, which points • Until the 1970s, approved years. As a Kansas City native, I am to the challenges of homelessness, roles for women were wife committed to helping shape a positive affordable and accessible health care, and mother, teacher or nurse. culture for the city and its residents. and sufficient early childhood education • Today, no occupation is I have dedicated my life’s work to programs that effectively prepare off-limits to women, from public service, spending the first 35 children for success in high school, doctor to lawyer to CEO to years of my career with the Kansas college and life. Fragmented efforts are — perhaps — President of the City School District as underway to address United States. a teacher, consultant each of these issues, but and principal, and little will be achieved on retiring as Director of this unless we all work Elementary Education together. in 1985. Over the years I have In the Missouri had many role models Senate, where I represent the interests who were older than me. I have learned of approximately 163,000 Jackson that one is never too old to observe Advice to Young Women: County citizens, I currently serve admirable characteristics in younger as Secretary of the Senate Minority people. With that in mind, the person • Never be afraid to ask Caucus. I am privileged to serve I intend to emulate the rest of my life is questions of people. on a number of important Senate our First Lady, who possesses the charm, • Never take no for an answer committees, including Appropriations; intellect, empathy, style and grace that I or let someone tell you that Education; Health and Mental believe every woman should embrace. you cannot do something you Health; and Seniors and Families. It desire to do. is in these committees where policies Thank you. • Learn how to express yourself are developed that directly impact the with confidence. lives of Kansas Citians, particularly • Become involved in your the African-American community. community, at your school and in local political races. • Find someone you admire Inside This Newsletter: and study their work habits, their philosophy of life, how Page 2 — they overcame challenges and Foreclosure Prevention what inspires them. • Stay in school and graduate. The Right to Vote • Run for office and become the next generation of women Page 3 — leaders for our community Legislative Information and the world. Committee Work
Page 4 — Contact Sen. Wilson and Other Elected Officials Foreclosure Avoidance Counseling
In the Kansas City, Missouri area, HUD-approved housing loan modification or refinancing program, the counselor counseling agencies are available to provide you with the will work with you to compile an intake package for your information and assistance you need to avoid foreclosure. mortgage loan lender and/or service provider. As part of the president’s comprehensive Homeowner Foreclosure prevention counseling services are provided Affordability and Stability Plan (HASP), you may be eligible free of charge by nonprofit housing counseling agencies for a special Making Home Affordable loan refinancing or working in partnership with the federal government. These modification, to reduce your monthly payments and help agencies are funded, in part, by HUD and NeighborWorks you keep your home. America. There is no need to pay a private company for If you need help understanding the Making Home these services. Affordable programs, you can use counseling agencies in If you are in danger of losing your home to foreclosure, the 9th Senatorial District that will provide you with free call one of the counseling agencies right now and seek the foreclosure prevention services. If you are eligible for the immediate help that you need.
Senator Wilson’s Gubernatorial Appointments for 2010
Senator Wilson nominated Alvin Brooks to Gwendolyn Richards (left) was tapped to Senator Wilson nominated Donna Bushur serve on the Kansas City Board of Police serve on the Alzheimer’s State Plan Task (left) to the Child Abuse and Neglect Commissioners. Force. Review Board.
The Right to Vote
One of the most critical ways we can influence provided: The right of citizens of the United States to vote governmental decision-making is through voting. Voting is shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by our formal expression of preference for a candidate for office any state on account of sex. or for a proposed resolution of an issue. Voting generally Today in the United States, the fight continues as all takes place in the context of a large-scale national or regional mentally competent adults have the right to vote with election; however, local and small-scale community elections only one exception: convicted criminal offenders. In 46 can be just as critical to individual participation in states and the District of Columbia, criminal government. disenfranchisement laws deny the right to vote to In the United States, the 13th, 14th, 15th and all convicted adults in prison. Thirty-two states 19th Amendments were important to the civil also disenfranchise felons on parole, and 29 rights movement and the right to vote. The 13th disenfranchise those on probation. And, due to Amendment ended slavery in the United States, their individual laws, in 14 states even ex-offenders while the 14th Amendment allowed blacks to have the who have fully served their sentences remain barred for life same rights as whites. The 15th Amendment allowed black from voting. citizens to vote, while the 19th Amendment extended the We still have a long way to go to ensure the constitutional right to vote to women. right of every American. This further enforces the Womens’ suffrage in the United States was achieved importance of casting your vote and making your voice gradually, at state and local levels, during the 19th and early heard. 20th centuries, culminating in 1920 with the passage of the Make sure you exercise your right to vote in EVERY 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which election. Every vote counts every time. Senator Yvonne S. Wilson — 2010 Legislative Report — Page 2 Serving Kansas City and Missouri: Committee Assignments
Elected to the Missouri Senate in November 2004, after serving five years in the Missouri House of Representatives, I holda leadership position as Minority Caucus Secretary and represent a portion of Jackson County in the Missouri Senate. Below are accomplishments of the number of important committees on which I serve. Senate Appropriations Committee Senate Education Committee and the This committee is responsible for allocating some $23 Joint Committee on Education million in state revenues to various state departments, Both of these committees consider th agencies and programs. Some 9 District appropriations all legislation relating to elementary include: and secondary education in Missouri, • Metropolitan Community Colleges...... $33,093,398 as well as higher education. • Foundation Formula (Kansas City area)...... $539,688,484 One of our top legislative priorities is • Bruce Watkins Cultural Heritage Center...... $100,000 to provide an adequate and affordable Senate General Laws Committee education to our children as clearly spelled out in the Missouri Constitution. However, we are This committee considers bills that do not fall failing our duties in this respect. In fact, our public schools into a specific category, such as Senate Bill 579, were forced to make drastic cuts and will not receive the which would have repealed the law currently increased funding called for under the 2005 funding prohibiting Kansas City police officers from formula. The Kansas City, Raytown, Hickman Mills and participating in some political activities. Center districts were forced to make drastic cuts to their While I had to recuse myself from voting on the issue budgets. There are many dedicated, hard-working teachers because of a conflict of interest, my belief is that this is struggling to succeed against the odds, who truly care about a local issue to be decided by our local citizens and not children and who are trying to make a difference. But they legislators across the state. cannot do it alone. As lawmakers, we failed these teachers and our children Joint Committee on Corrections this year. Nonetheless, the Senate Education Committee This panel is composed of Senate heard testimony on Senate Bill 614 — a bill I have sponsored and House members and has for several years — which modifies the definition of legislative oversight of corrections “bullying” as used in school district anti-bullying policies facilities and policies in Missouri. to include cyberbullying and electronic communications. During annual facility reviews, I This bill passed under the omnibus education bill, House have visited Crossroads, Cameron Bill 1543. and the Western Diagnostic Center
corrections facilities. These are my biggest accomplishments from the Second Regular Session of the 95th General Assembly: Senate Health, Mental Health, Seniors and • House Bill 1543: This bill makes changes to laws relating Families Committee to elementary and secondary education and includes my This committee considers all legislation dealing with language to require schools to adopt policies to prevent health and mental health issues, as well as matters relating cyberbullying (Senate Bill 614). to seniors and families. For example, the committee this • House Bill 2297: This bill authorizes the establishment of the Kansas City Zoological District, which may be year heard testimony on Senate Bill 693, which I sponsored, composed of the counties of Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte. that would have enacted the Foster Care and Adoptive This is similar to legislation I sponsored in Senate Bill Parents Recruitment and Retention Fund. In addition, I’ve 1002. again sponsored a bill to grant eligibility for food stamps • House Bill 2005: This funding bill for the Office of for individuals satisfactorily completing a substance abuse Administration, Missouri Department of Transportation treatment program. Missouri now prohibits food stamp and Department of Public Safety includes $3 million benefits for felons involving possession or use of a controlled for the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. substance. Unfortunately, this spending was vetoed by the governor. Senator Yvonne S. Wilson — 2010 Legislative Report — Page 3 PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Jefferson City MO 65101 SENATOR YVONNE S. WILSON Permit No 220 201 W CAPITOL AVE RM 330 JEFFERSON CITY MO 65101
Your 2010 Community Directory
Contact Senator Wilson Non-Emergency Police Numbers President Barack Obama 201 W. Capitol Ave. East Patrol: 816-235-5530 Vice-President Joe Biden Room 330 Central Patrol: 816-234-5510 White House: Jefferson City MO 65101 Metro Patrol: 816-234-5520 202-456-1414 Phone: 573-751-9758 South Patrol: 816-234-5550 Fax: 573-522-4626 United States Senators District phone: 816-924-5467 Kansas City Hall: Claire McCaskill: District fax: 816-924-5283 816-513-3600 816-421-1639 On the web: Kansas City Housing Authority: Christopher S. Bond: www.senate.mo.gov/Wilson 816-777-2914 816-471-7141 E-mail: Kansas City Action Center: [email protected] 311 United States Congressman Staff: Kansas City Emanuel Cleaver: Darsel Phauls Community Development: 816-842-4545 Ronald Finley 816-513-3200 Kansas City Housing State Officials Emergencies: 911 Code Violations: Governor Jeremiah W. FBI: 816-221-6100 816-513-1500 “Jay” Nixon: Fire Department: 816-842-2121 Kansas City 816-889-3186 Ambulance: 816-361-1111 Bulky Item Collection: Lt. Governor Peter Kinder: Jackson County Sheriff: 816-513-1313 573-751-4727 816-524-4302 City Union Mission (Homeless): Secretary of State Robin Highway Patrol (Local): 816-474-9380 Carnahan: 573-751-4936 816-622-0800 Jackson County Executive State Auditor Susan Montee: Michael D. Sanders: 573-751-4824 Poison Control Center (MO): 816-881-3333 State Treasurer Clint Zweifel: 800-366-8888 573-751-2411 K.C. Power & Light: Attorney General Chris Koster: 816-471-5275 573-751-3321