Many words, arguably too many words, have been written about Donald Trump and whatever ties he may or may not have to Russia. I’m going to lay out a brief timeline summary that should make the issue easier to grasp, and a case for why I believe it’s important to pay attention to this scandal.

Very brief version:

1. Donald Trump Jr. says that Russians own a huge share of Trump Sr.’s debt at a time when banks think he’s too risky to lend to.
2. Donald Trump, famous for insulting nicknames and aggressive style, refuses to say anything mean about Putin. This, while constantly belittling countries that are longstanding U.S. allies. Trump refuses to enact sanctions that both houses of congress passed near unanimously.

Somewhat longer version:

1. Vladimir Putin helps transition the Soviet Union to a corrupt oligarchy, taking billions of dollars from the other rich Russians in exchange for keeping their taxes low.
2. American Bill Browder objects to this and hires Sergei Magnitsky to try and get some of his money back.
3. Magnitsky is murdered.
4. Browder tells everyone what Magnitsky was killed for, and the United States passes the Magnitsky act, making it more difficult for Russian billionaires to move money into offshore tax shelters.
5. The Russians respond by passing a law that makes it difficult for American families to adopt Russian orphans. The idea is for Russian billionaires to use orphans as a bargaining chip while complaining that other people who didn’t make that decision are the ones who are using orphans as a bargaining chip.
6. Donald Trump “Has all the funding he needs out of Russia,” according to Trump’s son, Eric.
7. A Russian woman named Maria Butina begins introducing the leaders of right-wing organizations to Russian billionaires and starts to date one mid-level gun lobbyist who is twice her age. During this relationship she offers sex to at least one person in exchange for a position within a politically active organization.
8. Now running for president, Trump appoints an associate of a Russian puppet as his campaign manager. This associate, Paul Manafort, received millions of dollars on behalf of Ukrainian leader Yanukovich before the latter was forced to flee to Russia. Manafort also has a history of lying about his lobbying on behalf of foreign governments.
9. The Trump Tower meeting happens. According to Trump Jr.’s emails that he tweeted out, this meeting was about Russian adoption (the cover story for sanctions against money-laundering billionaires), and included several Russian lobbyists.
10. Trump publicly asks Russia to hack opposition servers. That very same day (page seven of this indictment) they attempt to steal additional communications from the other presidential candidate. This is also the last press conference Trump gives before the election.
11. On election night Maria Butina sends a private message to a Russian billionaire that reads in part “I am ready for further orders.” (Page 13 of her affidavit). A few weeks later they discuss shooting down Trump’s first pick for secretary of state, at around the same time Trump and Romney are seen having dinner together. Trump soon appoints Rex Tillerson, who has a Russian medal of Friendship, as secretary of state.
12. After the inauguration, Trump fires James Comey and publicly admits that he did it to obstruct the early Russia investigation.
13. Trump meets privately with a Russian diplomat and photography team in the white house and tells them top secret information about an undercover spy in ISIS.
14. Senate passes sanctions against Russia, which Trump refuses to implement. He instead continues to compliment Putin and insult NATO, an organization which has been called to war only once, ever, when it defended the United States. No other country besides the United States has directly benefited from NATO.
15. A few hours after openly criticizing Russia for a chemical weapon attack on British soil, Rex Tillerson is fired.
16. Early July 2018, Putin and Trump stand on stage together. Putin says he wanted Trump to be president.

 
 Now, as to why I believe the investigation matters:
            America is a nation of problems, old and new. Epidemics of opiate abuse, gun violence, sexual assault, and just about every other conceivable problem wrack our country. Our infrastructure is crumbling. We have a million other things to talk about. Traditionally, as a republic, America has faced its past problems by electing representatives that a majority of voters trust and lobbying them to act in the interest of the people whose votes they depend on. A government which is as much or more in debt to a foreign billionaire for its power as it is to Americans is a short-circuiting of this natural process, and with ramped up efforts at voter suppression and threats to begin removing citizenship from legal immigrants the disparity is only going to get worse.
            Subversion of an election is the ultimate treason against a democracy, a betrayal so deep it threatens every elected official, every citizen, every person. No decisions can be impartial and no precedent can be set. Trust in government is impossible.
            Worst of all, the people involved in this scandal have openly admitted almost every major step of it. Trump Jr. tweeted out his emails about the Trump Tower meeting. Donald Trump openly asked Russia to commit the same crime that Nixon resigned over (though Nixon had the decency to at least hire Americans for the theft instead of outsourcing it all). Trump admitted that he fired Comey to stop the investigation, which is the clearest possible example of the crime Obstruction of Justice. Putin said on stage that he wanted Trump to be president.
            One third of the country hears this evidence and thinks it’s a distraction from real issues and another one third hears this evidence and thinks it’s deep state lies to slander God’s own chosen king. Any other crime where the accused publicly admitted to half of this evidence would result in a guilty verdict within minutes- and note that five Trump associates have pled guilty as of the time I am writing this - yet because he has said he’s betraying America to foreign corporations in public, it’s all okay.
            The Russia scandal is a symbol of everything that’s wrong with modern politics wrapped up in a package that should be much easier to impeach over than any other terrible thing any recent president has done. It is an opportunity to band together as a nation and say that the people of this country still matter more than the money of someone else living somewhere else. It is a chance to agree that ideals of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness for all people are more important than any one person or any one moment in time. It is a chance for every person of integrity to put the long term good of their fellow man first.
            This is a chance to genuinely Make America Great, and all we have to do as a nation is believe and admit the basic truth of our own eyes and ears. 

Submitted by Dr. Valerie French, OB/GYN

I’m a physician and a member the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the nation’s leading organization of women’s health care physicians. As an obgyn practicing in Kansas City, I'm honored to provide women with quality health care every day. But politicians are trying to pick and choose the health care options available to women and their families.
 
The Title X program has provided critical preventive care to US families for nearly 50 years, and now serves more than 4 million people annually.  The Trump administration has released a policy called the “gag rule,” which will strip critical Title X funds away from health care providers who offer information about the full range of reproductive health care options, including abortion. This “gag rule” is blatant censorship and if enacted, will prevent health care providers from carrying out their ethical duty to provide complete and accurate medical information to their patients.
 
If the “gag rule” were to be our new reality, my patients and patients around the country would be immediately affected.  Let me tell you about a woman I recently cared for, I’ll call her Sarah.  Sarah had given birth 2 months before I met her and had gotten her tubes tied after delivery.  You can imagine her surprise when her pregnancy test was positive.  When I told Sarah that she was pregnant, she wanted to discuss what her pregnancy options were.  As Sarah weighed the care of her 2-month-old, her financial situation and her health, she asked where she could safely obtain an abortion.  As her doctor, we talked about how and where she could get an abortion.  We talked about the necessary time away from her job and her family.  We never once considered what politicians might think of us discussing a safe, legal, medical procedure.  Everyone should have the right to information about their health care - including information about safe, legal abortion.
 
Politicians have no role in picking and choosing among qualified providers. Title X is the only federal program exclusively dedicated to providing low-income and young patients with access to essential family planning and preventive health services. Under this “gag rule,” more than 40% of Title X patients are at risk of losing access this critical care. Restricting access to care and information will increase rates of unplanned pregnancy, pregnancy complications, and undiagnosed medical conditions. Thanks to programs like Title X, our nation has achieved a 30-year low in unintended pregnancy. Teen pregnancy rates are the lowest in recorded history. These are TREMENDOUS achievements, and we need to keep fighting for more progress like this. We can’t afford to move backwards. The administration should advance policies that continue this positive trend, not undermine it.
 
I stand with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatricians, the American College of Physicians and many more professional medical organizations who demand that we put patients first and withdraw this “gag rule” without delay.  This “gag rule” jeopardizes our patient-provider relationship and could prevent millions of people from getting the care they need. Instead of preventing access to medical information, policymakers should be focused on increasing access to the resources that Title X recipients need to lead healthy and autonomous lives. 

Please join me in submitting a comment to oppose the Title X gag rule through this link. Comments close July 31. 

​

​Guest Post by Wendy Baird, Independence, Mo.
 
One of my biggest pet peeves is that it is near impossible to find information about candidates for local office. I know. Every year, I try to be an educated voter. And every year it is an ordeal, especially for the primaries when candidates are from the same party and therefore have many of the same positions on issues. It just shouldn’t be this hard.
 
I live in the 21st District in Missouri, which has three democrats running in the House of Representatives primary on Aug. 7. No republicans filed to run. The deadline to register to vote in the primary is July 11. You can register at https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/govotemissouri/register.
 
The three candidates running in the 21st district are:
 
Dan O’Neill, www.danoformo.com
Holmes Osborne, www.osborneformissouri.com
Robert Sauls, https://robertsauls.com


I reached out to all of them to ask them a few questions:
 

1. What sets you apart from the other two candidates?
2. What are the top three causes you will champion in the state house?
3. Democrats are currently in the minority, both in our state and nationally. What will be your strategy for working with republicans in the state house?
4. What do you think will be the most important issue facing our state in 2019, and what would you like to do about it?

 
All three replied back to me within 24 hours, which is, frankly, amazing. They all agreed I could share their answers publicly, which I hope makes the process of deciding who to support in August a little easier for others.
 
Their full responses, only edited for formatting, are below:
 
Dan O’Neill
 
Thanks so much for your interest!
 

1. How am I different the two other Candidates?
   
   I have lived in District 21 for 61 years, Osborne has lived in the District less than 2 years, Sauls has lived in the District 31 years. I feel the length of time that I have lived in the District gives me a unique perspective of the current and historic needs of the community. I have the attitude of a public servant and want to be the voice of Independence in Jefferson City. Of the 3 of us I am the only one with direct working experience with the General Assembly in Jefferson City. I have been working as an unpaid advocate of the Real Estate Industry at the state level for 12 years. Working with both Representatives and Senators on such issues as keeping property taxes low and protecting homeowner rights.

 

1. My top priorities?
   
   
   1. Funding Public Schools.
   2. Supporting working families.
   3. Stop huge tax incentives to large corporations without stalling Economic Development.
   4. Rebuild and/or repairs our roads and bridges.

 

1. How I will overcome being a “super-minority” in the General Assembly.
   
   I am a Real Estate Broker and a member of the Missouri Realtors Political Action Committee. Consequently I have been working with both sides of the aisle for many years. I don’t like the tags “Liberal” or “Conservative” because in truth my political personality is a mix of the two. As a Democrat to accomplish anything in the Republican controlled Assembly in Jefferson City I know that it will be necessary for me to cooperate, negotiate and compromise when required. The keyword is Civility. Actually I have been doing all of those routinely for my Real Estate clients for many years.

 

1. Most important issue facing Missouri in 2019.
   
   Transportation and Intra-structure
   Possible solutions
   1. Increase gas tax (I hate Taxes)
   2. Charge Licensing Fees on Commercial Vehicles.
   3. Toll Roads.
   4. Generate the needed revenue by elimination big tax give-a-ways to large corporation’s some of which are not even located in Missouri.

 
 
Holmes Osborne
 
Hi Wendy.  I looked you up on Facebook and saw that you were protesting outside of Senator Blunt’s office.  Very good.
 
I saw you on the Facebook page of [name redacted].  He is a friend of mine.
 
I’ve run for state representative twice in Lafayette County.  I did not win.
 
Of the three candidates, I’m probably the most liberal.
 
We’ve picked up endorsements from several prochoice groups.
 
Also, we are a Moms’ Demand Action Common Gunsense candidate.  We are looking for common sense ways to reduce gun violence.
 
The other two candidates back labor, as do I.
 
If I get elected, I plan on registering thousands of people in Independence whom I believe will vote our way!!!
 
Feel free to call me.
 
Holmes
[phone number redacted]
 
When I asked if I could share this email, Osborne replied:
 
We spoke to Indivisible KC several months ago.  Also add that we are for single payer and an increase in the minimum wage.
 
Robert Sauls
 

1. What sets you apart from the other two candidates?

 
I am the most experienced and the most qualified.  A little bit of information about me:  I was born and raised in Independence, Missouri.  I have lived here for approximately 30 years.  I grew up in a one bedroom house along with my mom and sister in Eastern Jackson County.  My mom taught me the value of hard work.  She worked tirelessly to put food on the table.  She taught me to use my voice to speak up for those who did not have one.  It is ultimately the reason I became an attorney. 
 
I made good grades in high school but I couldn't afford college, so I began my college career at the Metropolitan Community College.  I waited tables and worked at the John Deere factory in Kansas City, Missouri.  I earned grants, scholarships, and good enough grades to get into William Jewell College.  It was through hard work and dedication that I became the first person on either side of my family to graduate from college.  After college I went to law school and graduated with a law degree.
 
I am a prosecuting attorney.  In addition to being a prosecutor, I am also a captain and Assistant Staff Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force Reserves.  I have been a previous public defender, and an attorney who has handled abuse and neglect based on behalf of the state of Missouri.
 
Many people don't like lawyers.  I understand why people are frustrated with lawyers, but Missouri has never had fewer lawyers as law makers than they do right now.  Less than 8% of law makers are lawyers in the Missouri General Assembly.  That matters because it costs the state millions of dollars a year.  When law is vague, or unconstitutional, or just wrong, it has to be litigated, and much of this can be avoided if lawyers are more involved with creating law.
 
I will give you an example.  Currently it is a class D felony (up to 7 years in prison) to posses drugs.  It is a class E felony (up to 4 years in prison) to posses guns and drugs, which means a defendant can get 7 years for possessing heroin and only 4 years for possessing heroin and an AK-47.  That is ridiculous.  This matters because courts have no choice but to treat the higher level felony as a lesser included under the Blockburger test.  This means that I have to dismiss the count that gives the higher range of punishment if I win both counts at trial.  This can be easily fixed with additional language in the statute, but more importantly it would be avoided if more lawyers were involved in making law.
 
In the only union member in this race.  I'm the only lawyer in this race, and I personally understand the struggles that many of my constituents have had to face.  I grew up poor.  I worked my tail off to get here and I have dedicated my life to public service.  I could make twice as much in the private sector but I don't because I believe in working for you.
 
 

1. What are the top three causes you will champion in the state house?

 

1. Expanding Medicaid: this amounts to free money from the federal government.  19 states have chosen not to accept the free money to expand Medicaid and Missouri is one of them.  This amounts to $5 million dollars a day per year.  We could hire 10,000 doctors this year, or 30,000 nurses simply by accepting the free money that the federal government wants to give us.  The main reason this state has not accepted it, is because it is an Obama era initiative.  It is asinine that we do not accept it.  People are dying because they do not have proper healthcare and this is a direct way that we can change that.  When elected, I will fight for my entire term, if necessary, to ensure that we get our constituents this simple and free money, that the republican controlled legislature won't sign off on.

 

1. Criminal justice reform: while this is an extensive issue, I would like to focus on harsher penalties for violent crime and treatment based drug reform. 
   
   Independence has historically had about 4 murders a year.  This last year we had 12.  We have had 3 in Hawthorn within this year so far.  As a prosecutor I regularly seen defendants get 10, 12, and 15 years for murder.  I believe this is far too soft.  I would like to see us require mandatory consecutive sentences for violent/dangerous felonies, and a higher floor for armed criminal action.  We need to protect our community.  We can't stop crime, but we can put violent offenders In prison for longer periods of time. 
   
   Just as important as being harsher on violent crime, I also believe that we should work on treatment based drug reform.  Rather than see addicts going to prison for extended periods of time, I'd rather see us use the money on the front end to try and treat addiction.  It costs between $30,000-$50,000 a year to house someone in prison.  I believe we should focus our efforts on treating addiction rather than imprisoning someone only for them to come back out and use again.  You may be thinking "but isn't it up to them?"  Yes.  It is; however, we have a very successful drug court program in Jackson County.  If you successfully complete the program, you have a 90% chance of not coming back.  Our program should be implemented state wide.
   
   Additionally, most people are going to come out of prison at some point.  I think we should work to ensure that there is actual rehabilitation.  We should ensure that people who get out of prison will have completed anger management if they've got anger issues, or drug treatment if they have drug issues.  They should also get out of prison with a specified trade.

 

1. Fighting for the middle class: while this encompasses many different issues, I believe this is perhaps the most important.  This state has become increasingly red.  For too long republicans have controlled the agenda in Jefferson City.  As a result of this we have seen constant attacks on the middle class. It seems as if "right to work" is on their agenda every single year.  The republicans passed right to work this year, and the people said... "NO."  The people got together, they organized, and they signed a petition to stop it.  Before the people could even vote on prop A, republicans attempted to add it to the ballot again in November as an amendment to the Missouri Constitution. 
   
   The 10 poorest states in the country have "right to work."  Supporting the middle class is not just seen as supporting unions and increased wages, but also increasing minimum wage, expanding Medicaid, and fighting to adequately fund schools.
   
   Republicans won't stop, and we need to put people in positions to fight.  In addition to being a skilled negotiator, I am a passionate litigator.  I am an advocate and I currently use my abilities to fight for victims who do not feel as though they have a voice.  I want to be your voice in Jefferson City.

 
 

1. Democrats are currently in the minority, both in our state and nationally. What will be your strategy for working with republicans in the state house?

 
On the day I filed for office, I spoke with many state legislators.  I made it a point to speak with democrats, but I also made it a point to speak with some republicans as well.  Bill Kidd is a neighboring representative and when I came to his office he asked me why I thought to reach out to him.  I told him for two reasons: 1.) My grandparents are in your district and even though they can't vote for me, they will have my sign in their yard, and perhaps more importantly 2.) I told him that I know you are a union supporter.  My father was UAW, my grandfather was UAW, and I am a member of Local 42.  I told him that while I know we will have our differences, I think it is important to establish a dialogue and be able to come together on like minded issues. 
 
I don't simply want to be a rubber stamp.  I want to be able to talk with moderate conservatives to try and get things done.  My job, education, profession, and life experiences best suits me for this role. 
 
I am a prosecuting attorney and have been one for approximately 6-1/2 years.  I was a public defender for approximately 3-1/2 years.  I have prosecuted and defended thousands of cases.  When I was a public defender I had to work with prosecutors, when I've been a prosecutor I've had to work with defense counsel and public defenders.  The point I am trying to relay is that working with opposition is what I do every single day.  I have had discussions with PDs (public defenders) who have told me that even though we may not always agree, they appreciate working with me.  They like working with me because I am fair, I play above the board, and I will always listen.  The same could be said of me when I was a PD. 
 
You've asked about my strategy in working with opposition.  This is not a new concept for me.  I have been doing this every day for the past decade.  I believe the first component to this is to treat each other with respect.  In life we would all go further if we would focus on our similarities rather than our differences.  Quite frankly I believe that many of the racial problems of today could presumably be solved if we would look at our similarities rather than our differences. 
 
It should not be any different with politics.  The staunch conservative across the aisle has a daughter in grade school.  As a father I believe  we likely have the same concerns.  Is my child going to get a good education, will my child be safe at school, will my child be subject to bullying, etc.?  It's about using those similarities and working toward a common goal.  Understanding that we may not always agree, but recognizing that at the end of the day we are all human, and that many of the things we want out of life coincide with one another.  Recognizing that no matter what, everyone gets a baseline level of respect.  I have had to prosecute people who have committed some very vile and disgusting crimes, but I've always treated them with respect.  I've always ensured fairness in my dealings, and I've never resorted to dirty unethical tactics and foul play.
 

1. What do you think will be the most important issue facing our state in 2019, and what would you like to do about it?
   
   There are far too many issues to rank.  Ultimately I have to go with healthcare.  While I think wages, salary, education, etc., are so very important to our state and the community as a whole, I think healthcare is literally the difference between life and death.  There are people who despise Obamacare, but quite frankly there are some very important components to the program.  Until the ACA was passed insurance companies could prevent you from obtaining health insurance if you had a pre-existing condition.  "How dare you for being sick sometime in the past!"  Pregnancy is even listed as a pre-existing condition.  Additionally parents could keep their kids on their insurance for much longer periods of time than they could in the past.  At minimal... we should expand Medicaid.  We should also work to ensure that healthcare is affordable for all Missourians.  When elected I will use my skill set to fight.  I am a fighter and I will passionately fight for my constituents just as I fight for my victims in court.  I want to earn your vote and your respect.  Here is some literature.  My email can be found through my website.  Contact me.  This also applies when I get to Jefferson City.  If I'm not fighting for you, I want you to contact me.  My website and FB information are on the flier [attached to the original email].  Please follow me on FB, and vote for me on August 7, 2018.  Thank you.

 
Respectfully,
Robert Sauls

Sample Script:

Hi, my name is [your name] and I live in [city, state, zip code]. We are on the path to recovery from five years of failed tax policy. We don’t want to go back. We need the additional revenue to adequately fund Kansas schools, begin much-needed infrastructure projects that were delayed, stabilize rising Kansas college tuition rates, and take care of vulnerable foster children. This is not the time for tax change. I ask you vote NO on Senate Substitute for HB 2228. Thank you.

Background:

After putting an end to the Brownback Tax Experiment just 10 months ago and seeing the state budget has begun to stabilize, some members of the Kansas Legislature want to play politics and offer a tax cut for the election season, even though they know our state cannot afford it and that we are not fully out of our fiscal crisis.

We need the additional revenue to:

• Fund Kansas schools so they can meet constitutional muster,
• Begin much needed infrastructure projects that were delayed due to ongoing transfers out of the State Highway Fund,
• Stabilize Kansas college tuition that have risen because of cuts of $63 million to higher education, and
• Take care of vulnerable foster children who are sleeping in offices and have been reported missing from the foster care system because of nine rounds of budget cuts.   

On April 7, the Kansas Senate passed 24-16 the Substitute for HB 2228. This bill now goes to the House. Call or email your state representative and tell them to vote NO on this bill. This is not the time for tax change. We are still recovering from five years of failed tax policy.

Not sure how to reach your state representative? Go to ksleglookup.org or click on the image above.

Sample Script:

Hi, my name is [your name] and I live in [city, state, zip code]. I am outraged that [Senator Denning or Senator Wagle] is holding school funding hostage. Our children's education is much more precious than political games. I urge [him, her] them to do the right thing and take up the House bill that gives an additional $500M to schools. Thank you.

Background:

We are outraged.

The reason we are in this mess is because GOP leadership voted FOR the Brownback Tax Experiment that went into affect in 2012. Since then, year after year, they have been told the drastic tax cuts was going to cause a fiscal hole that would affect our public schools, but they chose to ignore it.

Kansans are done putting up with their stalling techniques.

First, they didn’t tackle school funding at the beginning of the session. Then, they waited for the study they commissioned at the cost of $200K in tax-payer money, where they picked an out-of-state researcher. They specifically decided not to choose Kansas Center for Economic Growth, KCEG, who has be doing amazing research on this issue because they didn’t agree with their numbers. And, when the study was finally released and it pretty much lined up with KCEG’s analysis, they didn’t like it.

So, here we are.

Yesterday, the House passed a $500M increase for schools and now, they say they won’t even take up the bill until they rip apart the checks and balances that exists in our state. The courts have been on the side of our constitution and it's through their orders that our schools have continued to function.

Attacking the courts with this constitutional amendment is like attacking the messenger instead of the message. The message is, our schools are not equitably funded as our constitution states.

We refuse to allow our children’s education to be used as a pawn in your politics. Do your job and fund our schools now.

Hosted by Stand Up KC

Last year, with Governor Greitens at the helm, Missouri passed a number of laws that weakened the Missouri Human Rights Act so that it became more difficult for employees prevail on cases against employers for violations of the Missouri Human Rights Act, like discrimination based upon race or gender or retaliation for filing a workers' compensation claim. These laws were favorites of the republican legislature for years, but they had been historically vetoed by Governor Nixon.  

Now, in Senate Bill 831, the Missouri Senate is proposing to potentially make suing an employer a little more difficult.  The Senate Bill proposes to allow employers to require arbitration in all at-will employment disputes.  Under current law, arbitration agreements are generally only allowed when there is an employment contract and even in that case, an arbitration agreement is only enforceable under limited circumstances.

SB 831 would in many cases take public courts entirely out of the process of settling disputes between employers and employees. The proposed legislation provides that in an arbitration agreement between an employer and an at-will employee the arbitrator shall make all initial decisions as to arbitrability, which includes deciding whether the parties have agreed to arbitrate, whether the arbitration agreement is enforceable, and whether specific claims are arbitrable. The arbitrator must be selected by mutual agreement of the parties or using a strike and ranking process when the parties cannot agree. The act establishes certain criteria for when the arbitrator shall determine that the arbitration agreement is valid. On motion by a party showing that the arbitration agreement does not expressly delegate the issue of arbitrability to the court, the court shall stay the action and order the parties to proceed to arbitration.

Arbitration agreements have pros and cons for both parties, but far more cons for employees.  Arbitration requires one or more arbitrators, all of whom cost money.  Some arbitration agreements require three arbitrators who each charge $5,000 a day.  Most agreements would require the parties split the arbitration fees, arguably more difficult for employees.  

What makes this bill somewhat hideous in this day and age is that arbitrations are usually secret.  They allow men of the Harvey Weinstein variety to keep their actions secret.  Also - most arbitrators in the state of Missouri are men.

Finally, depending on the agreement, many arbitration decisions are final.  They cannot be appealed.  Accordingly, an employee has no recourse if they do not get the outcome he/she believes he/she deserves.

This is an outline of the current law proposed by the legislature.  It may run afoul of some federal employment laws.  It could also change many times between now and the end of the legislative session.  Nonetheless, it is something we should be keeping an eye on as the Republican led Missouri legislature continues to push through its favored legislation.  

            Governor Greitens’ second State of State Address was, of course, immediately overshadowed by the news of his 2015 affair and potential blackmail of a former mistress.  However, the question must be asked, what was overshadowed?
            Greitens failed to address so many issues important to Missouri during the address.  Greitens said not one word about Missouri’s health care crisis, the opioid crisis, nothing to address sexual harassment in Missouri’s Capitol.  Nothing was discussed by Greitens regarding the ethics scandals that have dogged him throughout his gubernatorial tenure (even before the news of the 2015 affair).   Although Greatens ran on ethics reform, his only mention of ethics whatsoever was to call for a ban on legislators receiving gifts from lobbyists.  Finally, nothing was mentioned about Missouri’s failing prison system, education system or its failing highways.
            So, what did Greitens talk about?  Taxes.  When the federal government tax cuts (tax sham) are set to cut millions of dollars in revenue for Missouri, Greitens touted his plans for the “boldest state tax reform in America.”  While short on specifics, Greitens said he wanted lower taxes on businesses and individuals.  Problematically, the proposed tax cuts will even further reduce revenue so desperately needed by Missouri to meet its $27 Billion budget.  Greitens’ tax cut will severely slash funding for important agencies in Missouri that help the most marginalized in Missouri. 
Other than taxes, Greitens made a passing reference to “strategic investments” in Missouri schools and he cheered himself for doing away with one and three regulations to somehow increase the number of jobs in Missouri.  He also offered some platitudes to support law enforcement and veterans. 
            Greitens’ State of the State revealed a governor who has accomplished little for the people of Missouri, who has few plans to accomplish more for the people of Missouri and is on track to further reduce Missouri’s revenue to help fix the many issues plaguing Missouri. When will there be good news? 
governor.mo.gov/news/archive/governor-eric-greitens-2018-state-state

by
Kathryn Ammon

Until recently, employers and insurance providers were required to cover all forms of birth control as preventive healthcare. But just a few weeks ago, the Trump administration took steps to immediately give my university or my parent's employer the power to decide my birth control coverage.

Chances are most college students who are on birth control today have never had to pay for their birth control because of the Affordable Care Act’s birth control benefit. But, depending on how students get their insurance, they could now lose their coverage.

I’m a non-binary person, and before I left for college I wanted a highly effective way to prevent pregnancy, because I was certain I did not want a child and wanted to focus on my studies. I chose a Mirena IUD, a long term, but expensive device, and because of the ACA I did not have to pay for it. I have been protected for 2 years and my IUD is good for three more years of highly effective birth control.

In fact, access to birth control is an issue that affects everyone, including trans and non-binary people.

The ACA means that birth control is covered. End of story. But many people think of birth control as a women’s issue, but it is not just women who were biologically born female who need access to birth control. This issue affects people of all genders, and we need to make sure that young people who do not look like how we imagine a woman or someone who needs birth control to look like STILL receive access to this service.

Birth control is about more than just preventing pregnancy. I have friends who are trans men who use birth control too. One has polycystic ovarian syndrome, and relies on birth control for his health, and another who chose to get an IUD to stop his periods and help with his gender dysphoria until he can get on testosterone.

All the reasons women use birth control are reasons why trans and non-binary people need birth control. And they need access to centers like Planned Parenthood that provide care to everyone, no matter their gender.

by
Jeri Graham

My first office was to Senator Moran’s office in late January. I heard about the visit through Johnson County MoveOn. Joco Moveon’s advice was to pick a subject you have a personal connection to, write a letter, read a letter to the staff, handover the letter to the staff. I generally have kept to that format because it helps me organize my thoughts.

Back in January I started thinking, what subject do I have a personal connection to? My father had died in the past year and before that he was ill and my mother was his primary caregiver. I saw how valuable Medicare is. I saw that it worked. I couldn’t imagine not having it at all or having to deal with a voucher system or other difficulties while you are dealing with a serious illness. So the gist of the letter was don’t take Medicare away from my mom!

So I write the letter, I practice reading it at home. The day of the office visit, I’m driving there; I have Hamilton cranked up in the minivan, getting psyched up. I arrive and there are a lot of people there. We cram into Sen. Moran’s office (some spilling out into the hall) and right next to me is a TV reporter and a big TV camera from one of the Lawrence stations.

At this point I have to say I am not a fan of public speaking. At all. However, I am determined. I had spent too long taking in information at home, stewing over it, grousing about it. So I am going to read that dang letter. I do get my chance and I read the letter. I feel good. I’ve done it, I’ve communicated with my senator.

After that, I can stop focusing on me and really start listening to others in the room. People telling their stories, giving information to their lawmaker on how the laws affect their lives or the lives of people they know. At every office visit I learn something from the people in the room.

I’d like to read a short letter I was able to slip into the hands of a very fast moving Kevin Yoder on his way into an interview with KCUR. It is very snazzily entitled, The People I’ve Met and Why You Should Meet Them, Too.

Congressman Yoder:

When a group walks through the doors of your office, we meet as a group, but we come as individuals. Some of those individuals are novices like me who feel it is time to take some responsibility and get involved. Others have been lending their voice, their knowledge to the democratic process for years.

There are Veterans, Military Spouses, Independents, Democrats, Republicans, Parents, Students, Doctors, Nurses, Social Workers, Engineers, Educators, Business People and more.

I’ve met people with incomes in the top 3% of Kansans and those whose lives are affected in a very fundamental way by changes in economic policies. Those with secure healthcare and those whose healthcare options are precarious. Those who bring statistics and those who bring valuable, often very touching, personal experiences.

I’ve met people who speak eloquently, loudly, quietly, passionately, nervously, boldly, and each of them want what you want: to make our community better.

Please come talk with them. Please attend a townhall soon.

by
Patricia “Peezy” Mullins


A lawyer in Kansas City was shot dead. Gun violence touched my community more closely than ever before.

We all live in a variety of communities. Some are very large and some much smaller. Personally, I am a citizen of the world and of the United States, two large communities. I live in the Kansas City metropolitan area, I work as a lawyer and my church is St. Peter’s Catholic Church, where both of my children attended primary school. Gun violence is wreaking havoc on our communities.

In 2016, there were 58,794 incidents involving guns. Of those incidents, 15,082 resulted in death and 30,618 resulted in injuries.* This is not universal. Other countries are not plagued by the gun violence in the United States. Americans are 10 times more likely to be killed by guns than citizens of other developed countries and U.S.A.’s murder rate is 25 times higher than other developed countries.

While Americans may be more violent than other individuals, the more likely culprit is America’s ridiculously lenient gun laws. Missouri is very close to the top of the list for gun laws that do nothing to prevent anyone from owning a gun. In fact, Missouri’s legislature has recently and effectively undertaken efforts to weaken gun laws.

As of January 2017, in Missouri, it is no longer necessary to have a permit to own a gun or to carry a gun concealed on your person. It is not necessary to have a license to possess a rifle, shotgun or handgun. You need no training to obtain a gun. You need no license or permit to purchase a gun. Once you have purchased your gun, do not worry about registering it – no one needs to know you own a gun. You can also carry your concealed weapon, without a license or permit, and if you want to threaten or “warn” someone, you can display your gun “briefly” to let others know you are “carrying.”

I do not want this article to be a “how to” guide for anyone to get a gun, but suffice it to say, there are almost no limitations on the ability to own or possess a gun in Missouri. The lack of need for training or registering guns is particularly distressing, but also concerning is that Missouri has passed the “castle doctrine.” In other words, you can shoot “an invader” in your home or office without retreating or giving the intruder a warning.

Kansas gun laws are virtually identical.

Here’s the thing. Almost everyone who reads this blog agrees that the gun laws of Missouri are awful beyond reason. What each of us must do, therefore, is convince one “reasonable” conservative to at least considering gun laws before casting a vote. We must recognize, even when it seems incomprehensible, that many good people have decent reasons for voting Republican. We must attempt to make them see that the more lenient the gun laws, the more likely Las Vegas, Orlando, San Bernardino and even, Brookside, are to occur.

During this era when the behavior of the likes of Bill O’Reilly, Harvey Weinstein, and Predator- in-Chief Donald Trump is coming to light, it is important that everyone, especially women, know what to expect in the workplace and what recourse they have when they suffer sexual harassment and/or discrimination.

One would think that Missouri, recognizing the struggles of workers, would want to provide further protections for workers. To the contrary, in the last legislative session, Missouri’s lawmakers chose to decrease the protections of workers and lessened their ability to recover financially if the employer is found to have committed unlawful behavior.

The main change and the most exciting for employers is that the new law does away with Missouri’s “contributing factor” standard for adverse employment decisions. The “contributing factor” standard has been relatively easy for employees to meet. Employees needed to show only that discrimination contributed to termination, demotion. Under the new version of the law, the employee plaintiff will be required to establish that the claimed act of unlawful bias was a “motivating factor” for the challenged employment decision. This change makes it much harder for employees to prove discrimination.

The other ways Missouri has just harmed employees is by creating limitations on the amount of money employees can recover if the employees prevail against the employers after make it past all the hurtles in the law. For most small to medium size employers, employees can recover only $50,000 for emotional distress.

Missouri law has not gotten better for women suffering sexual harassment in the workplace, still one of the most common forms of discrimination. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination based on sexually explicit behavior. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment only when such conduct creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment. This is where the sexual conduct is so pervasive or severe that it creates an abusive working environment. So, in other words, it needs to be very, very bad. It is also not lawful for an employer to make sex a condition of employment or promotion, which is really the least lawmakers can do for women.

"I'm a disabled veteran from Raymore Missouri."

"I'm a full time lawyer and a new mom."

"I was an academic librarian for 25 years."

"I don't have much experience really."

"I have a pickup truck  and carpentry or paint skills and would like to help in anyway possible."

"I have over 10 years’ experience freelance writing and truly love researching ideas and sharing them with others."

"I’m a passionate liberal wanting to participate in the resistance movement, but am an extreme introvert."

"If it's cookies you need, I am an excellent follower of the recipe on the back of the Tollhouse bag."

"I am a woman, an African American, a senior citizen and this administration and this fool pres does not represent me nor wants to represent me."

These quotes are from just some of the emails we received in response to our call for volunteers.  Thank you so much for stepping up. You have warmed our hearts and brightened our lives. This movement is for all people, and each of us has an important part to play.

We want to hear from more of you. Email us at volunteer@indivisiblekc.com.

And, remember, keep making those calls, keep showing up, keep advocating for yourself and those you love, and know that you are not alone. We are shoulder to shoulder in this together.

Senator Pat Roberts, Senator Jerry Moran,

I am profoundly sad and utterly baffled.  I don’t know what kind of people my federal representatives in Washington, D.C. are, and that includes you.  I used to believe that people from Kansas had some of the same values and beliefs that I, another Kansan, do.  But you don’t – it seems you don’t care about your constituents, or your fellow U.S. citizens, in the least.  If you did, you would have taken up the issue of gun control long before now, before people were shot in Lawrence, Kansas, or Las Vegas.  I would have thought that the killing of children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut would have motivated you to address this issue, to propose a bill, to co-sponsor a bill… to do SOMETHING besides express your sympathies.  They were beautiful children, for God’s sake!  And you did nothing, except talk.

When Sandy Hook didn’t move you, I was sure that the shooting of members and staffers of Congress at the baseball practice last June would surely make you pay attention.  Those are your own peeps – surely a shooting that was so “close to home” would move you!  But no.  No movement, nothing but hollow words of sympathy for the victims and some mild public outrage to mollify your constituents.

Please explain to me how money from the NRA matters more to you than the murder of children or the shooting of your fellow Congressmen or 59 people in Las Vegas?  Help me understand the morality of a man – you – who is more interested in getting re-elected than he is in the well-being and safety of the people he was elected to serve.

All this talk about 2nd Amendment rights and “they’re going to take away all our guns” is unmitigated horseshit and you know it.  There are a number of actions that could be taken to protect the citizenry, none of which you seem willing to consider at all:

• Universal background checks – for all sales, at all venues, for every person.  If you want a gun, you wait a week while we check you out.  Doesn’t matter whether it’s a gun show or an auction or a retail outlet: UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS.
• No one, NO ONE except the police and the members of our military need automatic weapons, or even semi-automatic weapons (which clearly can be altered to function automatically, as we have just seen with the Las Vegas shooter).  NO ONE.
• The law currently being considered (and backed by the radical SOBs at the NRA) to legalize the use of gun silencers is morally repugnant.  In a case like the Las Vegas tragedy, it would make it more difficult for the “human targets” as well as the police to identify where gunshots are coming from.

When the framers of the Constitution met and wrote that great document, including the Bill of Rights, the 2nd Amendment had to do with very different kinds of guns than we have now, and it was meant to allow individuals to protect themselves in their homes and to form a “well-regulated militia” when called upon.  Furthermore, the Supreme Court has ruled that the 2nd Amendment is NOT unlimited and does not prohibit all regulation of either firearms or similar devices.  But you have allowed yourself to be bullied and threatened by the NRA into believing that there should be no regulations AT ALL.

If you continue to choose not to act to protect the lives and safety of your constituents, then I can think only that you lack the courage and fortitude to stand up for us. And if that’s true, then step down, because you don’t belong in Congress.  It takes people who are brave enough and strong enough to stand up to wrong-doing and who have a moral center to govern our country.  Based upon your lack of action on this very important issue, you are clearly not one of those people.

Sheilah Philip

Indivisible KC needs You! Check out our list of volunteer needs to see what you can do to help the movement. We have opportunities available for people with all kinds of skills and availabilities, including online-only so you can resist from home!

by
Paffi Flood

In the Spring of this year, when IndivisibleKC began to strategize at the state level about its direction for the next 12-18 months, one of the core issues that came into focus was integrity in elections. The reasons are two-fold: Kansas has made the office of Secretary of State the most powerful in the nation by giving it prosecutorial power, and Kansas has steadily passed laws since 2013 to keep many from registering to vote or from actually voting, including law-abiding citizens. These laws have to a large extent affected young people, people of color and the elderly.

If election integrity is our focus and if what’s preventing integrity in our elections is infringement on our rights to vote, it made perfect sense to team up with the one organization that has been fighting discrimination against voting for over a hundred years, the ACLU.

The Kansas chapter alone has fought four Voter Suppression cases and won EVERY single one of them.

To address our current situation, ACLU of KS created The Kansas Coalition for Citizen Participation, a broad-based coalition made up of organizations from across the state that share a common dedication to protecting and expanding the right to vote. The members will work together to develop an action plan to mobilize Kansans to organize within their communities to increase citizen participation.

IndivisibleKC is proud to be a partner.

Together, the Kansas Coalition for Citizen Participation campaign will fight to:

Repeal Kris Kobach’s Failed Election Policies

• Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s failed policies prevent tens of thousands of Kansans from completing the registration process and create obstacles for voters at the polls.
• 14 states plus the District of Columbia have election-day registration—including Idaho, Montana, North Carolina, and Wyoming
• In all of these states, citizens have taken part in elections in greater numbers than ever before.
• Many people can’t make it to the polls on Election Day because of their jobs, household responsibilities, or lack of mobility.
• Expanding the early voting period would lead to greater participation in our state’s elections.
• Kansas should withdraw from this this wasteful, unnecessary, and badly broken system, and spend not one dollar of public money on it. Allow for Permanent Advance Voting

Expand Early Voting and Election-Day Registration

• Election-Day registration allows citizens to register to vote and cast a ballot at the same time, on and up to Election Day.

Withdraw from the Wasteful “Crosscheck” System

• Kris Kobach has maintained a system, “Interstate Crosscheck,” that removes citizens from the voter rolls based on bad data, resulting in many registered voters being turned away at the polls
• People from across Kansas—members of the military, citizens that change residences frequently, the elderly, young people, voters of color, low-income Americans, and busy professionals—are often unable to submit the necessary paperwork to establish their permanent vote-by-mail status. We should cut the red tape and unnecessary obstacles, making it easier to vote-by-mail.

IKC’s work will involve educating the public about the importance of civic engagement and encouraging legislators to take action towards promoting stronger civic health.

The Kansas Coalition for Citizen Participation will be unveiled at the same time that our friends at the ACLU launch a national initiative, Let People Vote.

IndivisibleKC plans on going and wanted to pass the invitation along to you. Click HERE for details on how to attend.

by
Laura Robeson

This past Thursday, I made my sixth trip this year to Senator Moran's office. I had no intention of speaking and decided at the last minute to use my lunch break to go to support others. As I stood looking around the room, listening to one story after another, I was struck with deep sadness and frustration. I had one question. "Why do I have to keep coming here to ask Senator Moran to protect my son's life?"

My son, Danny, was born prematurely and is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and cortical vision impairment. Danny uses a wheelchair, he needs total support with all his care, uses a g­tube for his nutrition and fluids, and he requires constant monitoring of his health due to the risk of seizures.

The Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill is devastating for the real, tangible effects on Danny's life and his future. It's also devastating because of what it implies.

With each of these fights for to protect Medicaid, it feels as though I have to explain why my child deserves to live. It seems as though we live in a world where his inherent value is not accepted. That his life is viewed as a burden.

The truth of it is, none of us can do anything without the collective us. We all need support. We all need help. We all need our community. Some more than others, but that is how this works. Danny is no burden. Danny is exactly who he was meant to be. He has a right to an independent and healthy life.

By funding Medicaid, we tell people with disabilities that they are valued. That their lives have worth. They are an important part of our world.

I look forward to the day I no longer have to explain how important my son's life is to our elected officials, but today is not that day. Like many of you, I am exhausted by this. But we have to push on and keep up the pressure. I will keep calling. I will write another letter. I will show up again and again. Today is not the day I stop fighting for Danny.