Victory and Action Needed!

April 16: Thanks to the many concerned Missourians who have called their legislators and the 500 people who showed up to the Rally for a Compassionate Missouri Budget, the Senate passed a dramatically improved version of the budget, with significant funding for health and social services. This is a real victory!

Now we must take action to make sure the Senate's improvements are included in the final version of the budget. Please thank the Senate leaders who worked hard to improve the budget and to urge them to stand firm on their version of the budget when they meet with members of the House of Representatives to reconcile the two versions.

Click here to read more about the Senate's version of the budget and to take action.

After you take action, please be sure to invite your friends to take action! This is not the final step in this process and we need everyone involved.

Budget Update and Rally Photos

Thank you to everyone who has called state senators, who attended the rally, and who has spread the word about this year's budget to others.

Photos from the April 5 Rally for a Compassionate Missouri Budget are online at http://ga6.org/faithbeyondwalls/mohcfa_photos.html. Please check them out!

It is not too late to call state senators and urge them to pass a compassionate Missouri budget that takes care of our most vulnerable citizens. Please follow the instructions in the action alert above to make a difference!

Action Alert: Contact the Senate Appropriations Committee!

Last week, the Missouri House of Representatives passed a 2010 Missouri budget that contains major cuts to critical social services. These cuts would be immoral at any time, but they are especially cruel during an economic downturn when more people need help and fewer people can give charitable donations.

Now the Senate is working on their version of the state budget. We have a chance to get these cuts restored in the Senate by calling our State Senators and telling them "Don't cut social services!"

Please call members of the Senate Appropriations Committee (names and numbers below) as soon as possible. If you don't know what to say, try this:
"My name is ____ and my address is ________. I oppose any cuts to social service programs. We should use Missouri’s share of federal dollars to protect services for vulnerable people, provide a safety net for struggling families and give more families access to affordable health care. Spending the federal money on services and health care creates and protects jobs."

The following Senators need to be called - if you can't call all of them, please call some of them!

Gary Nodler, 32nd, Chairman
gary_nodler@senate.mo.gov
573.751.2306

Rob Mayer, 25th, Vice-Chairman
rob.mayer@senate.mo.gov
573.751.3859

Tom Dempsey, 23rd
tom.dempsey@senate.mo.gov
573.751.1141

David Pearce, 31st
david.pearce@senate.mo.gov
573.751.2272

Chuck Purgason, 33rd
chuck.purgason@senate.mo.gov
573.751.1882

Scott Rupp, 2nd
scott.rupp@senate.mo.gov
573.751.1282

Kurt Schaefer, 19th
kurt.schaeffer@senate.mo.gov
573.751.3931

Frank Barnitz, 16th
frank.barnitz@senate.mo.gov
573.751.2108

Joan Bray, 24th
jbray@senate.mo.gov
573.751.2514

Tim Green, 13th
timothy_green@senate.mo.gov
573.751.2420

Yvonne Wilson, 9th
yvonne.wilson@senate.mo.gov
573.751.9758

Rally Speakers Confirmed!

The rally program is shaping up! This won't be your ordinary, 3-hour long rally. We're keeping the program to under an hour and will have performances in addition to speakers.

Here are the speakers and performers who have committed so far:

• Community Gospel Choir: http://www.communitygospelchoir.org/
• Lorrie Bielicke and Ana Jennings with the Disability Project, doing the "Disability Rap"
• Dr. David Greenhaw, President, Eden Theological Seminary
• F. Sessions Cole, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, assistant vice chancellor for children's health at the Washington University School of Medicine, and chief medical officer at St. Louis Children's Hospital
• Rabbi Susan Talve, Central Reform Congregation
• Rev. Janet Scurlock, Shalom Church (City of Peace)

Rally Flyer Online!

Please spread the word about the rally! You can download a flyer at http://www.centralreform.org/documents/RallyforaCompassionateMissouriBudgetFlyer.pdf.

House Floor Debate Highlights - and Lowlights

Last week, the Missouri House of Representatives debated the budget on the House floor. Here is a "highlight" and a definite "lowlight" of the debate:

First the lowlight, sure to get your blood boiling:
Missouri Rep. Rob Schaaf calls SCHIP (children's health insurance) "slavery": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3imEWN_0AgU

And a definite highlight: Rep. James Morris speaks about the importance of caring for those in need during difficult times: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMVfBGjZz6s

Please add your voice to that of Rep. (and Rev.) Morris and join us at this Sunday's rally!

Facebook event

Hi all,

For all the Facebook users out there, we've created a Facebook event called "Rally for a Compassionate Missouri Budget." Please look it up, let us know if you plan to attend, and invite your Facebook friends to join us. We want to get a big crowd on the 5th to show our legislators that we do care about our fellow Missourians!

You can go directly to the Facebook event at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=65441716726&ref=ts.

Thanks!