Table of Contents QUICK Q/A GUIDE 3 WHAT DOES CHURCH TEACHING HAVE TO DO WITH POLICY? 3 ELECTIONS IN MISSOURI 4 WHAT DOES THE STATE GOVERNMENT DO? 5 MISSOURI CONSTITUTION AND AMENDMENT PROCESS 6 STATEWIDE OFFICES AND KEY TERMS 7 WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT AND OTHER BALLOT “STUFF” 9 TIPS FOR ADVOCATING ON A STATE LEVEL 10 RESOURCES: POLICY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE STATE 10 TERMS AND TERM LIMITS IN MISSOURI 12 APPENDIX 1: MO ANNUAL ELECTIONS CALENDAR 13 APPENDIX 2: WHO ARE YOUR MODERATES? 14 APPENDIX 3: MISSOURI CONGRESSIONAL MAPS 16 MO SENATE 17 MO HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 18 APPENDIX 4: ELECTED OFFICIALS JAN. 2018 19 MO HOUSE 22 OTHER MISSOURI ELECTED OFFICIALS 26 DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN 28 MISSOURI SENATORS AS OF DECEMBER 2017 28 MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AS OF SEPTEMBER 2017 31 APPENDIX 5: COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS 32 SENATE ASSIGNMENTS 32 HOUSE ASSIGNMENTS 33 2018 BILLS AND BALLOT INITIATIVES TO WATCH 597 MO CATHOLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 59 MO CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOLS 59 APPENDIX 6: MISCELLANEOUS 61 2 Quick Q/A Guide • How do I find my elected officials? o http://www.senate.mo.gov/LegisLookup/default.aspx/leg_lookup.aspx • Where do I register to vote? o https://www.mo.gov/government/elections-and-voting/ • How do I find my polling place? o https://www.mo.gov/government/elections-and-voting/ • Where do I go to track state Bills? o http://www.house.mo.gov/Billcentral.aspx o https://legiscan.com/MO • Where can I access the Missouri State Constitution? o https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/PuBlications/MissouriConstitution_02.16.20 17.pdf • Where can I find an Advocacy 101 Guide for general advocacy tips? o https://ignatiansolidarity.net/advocacy/ • Where can I get district maps? http://www.house.mo.gov/content.aspx?info=/maps/maps.htm What Does Church Teaching Have to Do With Policy? According to the USCCB document Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility: “As a nation, we share many Blessings and strengths, including a tradition of religious freedom and political participation. However, as a people, we face serious challenges that are Both political and moral. This has always been so and as Catholics we are called to participate in public life in a manner consistent with the mission of our Lord, a mission that he has called us to share. As Pope Francis teaches, An authentic faith . always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow Better than we found it. We love this magnificent planet on which God has put us, and we love the human family which dwells here, with all its tragedies and struggles, it hopes and aspirations, its strengths and weaknesses. The earth is our common home and all of us are Brothers and sisters. If indeed “the just ordering of society and of the state is a central responsiBility of politics,” the Church, “cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice.” (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 183) Read the full document at: bit.ly/faithfulcitizenship 3 Elections in Missouri There are various voter registration tools, but the most official registration option for Missourians is the Secretary of State’s weBpage1, https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/register. Most election information is availaBle here, and is also shared Below. Missouri Voter Registration Deadlines • In Person: 28 days Before Election Day • By Mail: 28 days Before Election Day. • Online: 28 days Before Election Day Missouri Voter Registration Rules2 To vote in Missouri you must: • be a citizen of the United States • be a resident of Missouri • be at least 17‑1/2 years of age (you must Be 18 to vote) • not be on probation or parole after conviction of a felony, until finally discharged from such probation or parole • not be convicted of a felony or misdemeanor connected with the right of suffrage • not be adjudged incapacitated by any court of law • not be confined under a sentence of imprisonment Absentee Ballots Someone requesting an ABsentee Ballot must have the aBsentee request form into the election authority no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to any election. A copy of the voter’s ID must also Be sent in with the Ballot if not already included in the request.3 Election Calendar Please see Appendix 1 for a current elections calendar. What Do You Need at the Polls? Directly from the Missouri Secretary of State’s weBpage4 “Effective June 1, 2017, the following forms of identification are acceptaBle for voting purposes in Missouri: • Nonexpired Missouri driver license; 1 Register to Vote. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.sos.mo.gov/eLections/goVoteMissouri/register 2 Missouri ELection Center. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.vote.org/state/missouri/ 3 Absentee Voting. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/govotemissouri/howtovote#ABsentee 4 Absentee Voting. (n.d) Retrieved from https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/govotemissouri/howtovote#ABsentee 4 • Nonexpired or nonexpiring Missouri non-driver license; • Nonexpired document which contains the voter's name and photograph and is issued By the United States or the state of Missouri; or • Nonexpired or nonexpiring military ID card which contains a photograph You may also use these forms of identification and sign a statement provided by the election judge at your polling place: • Identification issued By the state of Missouri, an agency of the state, or a local election authority of the state; • Identification issued By the United States government or agency thereof; • Identification issued By an institution of higher education, including a university, college, vocational and technical school, located within the state of Missouri; or • A copy of a current utility Bill, Bank statement, paycheck, government check or other government document that contains the name and address of the voter If you do not possess any of these forms of identification, But are a registered voter, you may still cast a provisional Ballot. Your provisional Ballot will Be counted if you return to the polling place and show a valid photo ID or if the signature on the provisional Ballot envelope matches the signature on your voter registration record.” What Does the State Government Do? State governments operate similar to the U.S. government. There are three branches: the executive Branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial Branch. The United States also has various levels of government: federal, state, and local. These governments all create policies. Policies that effect citizens are decided at the state and local levels more than most people realize. Decisions around schools, youth and senior services, justice systems, healthcare, Benefits, taxes, and emergency personnel are just a selection of the topics discussed at the state levels. Some decisions, such as education, are made at all levels of government. Federally, money is allocated for programs. State wide, money is distriButed to districts. Locally, school districts decide how the money will Be used and where Based on how it was distriButed. Since you pay taxes to your state, advocating at the state level as to where you would like those taxes to go is important and often times overlooked. The state can decide to cut a Budget for programs, such as the arts or sports, which federal money as well as tax money support. Similar situations happen with healthcare. The federal government, through the Affordable Care Act, decided that they would offer states 100 percent federal financing until 2016. They would then gradually decrease funding to 90 percent until 2020, but states would not pay more than 10% of the cost of Medicaid Expansion.5 This federal money would extend coverage to up to 307,872 Missourians. Although the program is primarily funded by the federal government and significant 5 Missouri and the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. (2018, ApriL 15). Retrieved from https://www.heaLthinsurance.org/missouri-medicaid/ 5 impacts on individuals and the economy were projected, the State of Missouri did not pass Medicaid Expansion as of the end of 2017.6 For the above to happen, there was advocacy at the federal level in the legislature as well as checks and Balances from a Supreme Court decision concerning the AffordaBle Care Act. Once the money is allocated federally, the state government decides how to use the money throughout the state and if they will supplement what the U.S. Government has provided with state revenue. In the aBove example, there was also advocacy on the state level to expand Medicaid, which did not pass. We would Be remiss though to say the solution is simple and not mention that the state Budget has to Balance. Legislators have to decide what programs they have money for, and what programs they do not. Your advocacy comes in stating where you would like to see state money allocated. Some bills may not cost money while many have cost saving factors. Thus, when talking to legislators, it is important not only to use moral arguments as to why a program is important, But to also think about where funds can come from. Missouri Constitution and Amendment Process The Missouri State Constitution can Be accessed at: https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/PuBlications/MissouriConstitution_02.16.2017.pdf The document guiding Missouri's government is the Missouri Constitution. The constitution being used today in Missouri was adopted in 1945 and is the fourth constitution for the state. The first constitution was created in 1820. Within the current state constitution, there are 13 articles: • Article In - Bill of Rights • Article II - The Distribution of Powers • Article III - Legislative Department • Article IV - Executive Department • Article V - Judicial Department • Article VI - Local Government • Article VII - Public Officers • Article VIII - Suffrage and Elections • Article IX – Education • Article X – Taxation • Article XI – Corporations • Article XII - Amending the Constitution • Article XIII - Public Employees Article XII discusses amending the constitution.