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Blunt Applauds House Passage Of Version Of His Manufacturing, Jobs Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) applauded the passage of a version of his manufacturing jobs bill in the U.S. House of Representatives last evening, and he continued to call for a vote on the legislation in the U.S. Senate.

“This bipartisan bill would put more people back to work by bringing together public and private agencies, businesses, universities, and other organizations to revitalize American manufacturing and innovation,” said Blunt. “I’m very pleased my House colleagues passed this common-sense, bipartisan provision, and I continue to urge Majority Leader Reid to allow a vote in the Senate as soon as possible.”

The bipartisan “Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act” (RAMI) was introduced by U.S. Representatives Tom Reed (N.Y.) and Joe Kennedy (Mass.) in the House. Blunt and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (Ohio) introduced a version of the bill in the Senate in August 2013, which passed the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee by voice vote in April 2014. For more information on the Brown-Blunt manufacturing bill, please click here.

“We’re thrilled to have such overwhelming bipartisan support for our bill to create high-tech, high-paying manufacturing jobs for Americans,” said Reed. “These are the kinds of jobs that will give generations to come the opportunity to create and innovate right here at home – not across the ocean. I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together with my colleagues Rep. Joe Kennedy and Senators Roy Blunt and Sherrod Brown. Our shared vision sets the stage for an American manufacturing renaissance and will position the United States in the best way possible to be the world leader in advanced manufacturing. In this economy, Americans need something to come together on, something to unite around to fight for jobs. RAMI is that uniting initiative.”

“In every corner of our country, the transformation of the manufacturing industry is creating jobs and expanding access to opportunity for millions of Americans,” said Kennedy. “Today’s bipartisan passage of RAMI by the House of Representatives is another step towards the kind of domestic manufacturing policy our country needs to stay on the cutting edge of a global economy. I am grateful for Congressman Reed’s partnership on this bill and look forward to supporting Senators Brown and Blunt as it progresses through the Senate.”

“This bill keeps innovation and production here at home,” said Brown. “Our nation is most successful when we work together – and a Network for Manufacturing Innovation would foster public-private partnerships that give small businesses, industry leaders, and research institutions the tools they need to compete on a global scale. These regional, industry-led hubs will leverage local expertise and will create thousands of high-paying, high-tech manufacturing jobs for American workers.”

Ferguson protesters call anew to remove prosecutor

Prosecutor Bob McCulloch
Prosecutor Bob McCulloch

CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) — Protesters seeking the immediate arrest of the Ferguson police officer who fatally shot an unarmed 18-year-old have disrupted another government meeting.

They also renewed calls Tuesday at the St. Louis County Council meeting to remove the county prosecutor, Bob McCullough, investigating the case.

The calls for Darren Wilson’s arrest and the recusal of St. Louis county prosecuting attorney began with the final utterance of the Pledge of Allegiance.

“For all,” crowd members shouted as the pledge concluded with “and justice for all.”

A protest also took place one week ago at the Ferguson City Council’s first meeting since Michael Brown’s death.

Brown, who was black, was fatally shot Aug. 9 by Wilson, who is white. It led to unrest in Ferguson and has spurred a national discussion about police treatment of African-Americans.

Kansas medical PACs concentrate spending on incumbents

Kansas Medical PAC election spending- click to enlarge
Kansas Medical PAC election spending- click to enlarge

By Andy Marso
KHI News Service

TOPEKA — Political action committees for medically related groups in Kansas tended to throw their money behind incumbent House members before this year’s primary — even if those members did not support all of the groups’ political initiatives.

Fifteen medically related PACs raised about $253,000 and spent about $125,000 this year in the reporting period that ended July 24. Updated reports are due to the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission on Oct. 23, before the upcoming general election.
Seven of the smaller medical PACs spent less than $1,000 and didn’t get into any direct support of candidates. Their spending was mostly on administrative matters, like registering with the ethics commission.

The other eight doled out donations of up to $500 for House candidates and $1,000 for those running for statewide offices.

The Kansas Hospital Association PAC spending of about $21,500 included donations to almost 40 House members, including several who are strong opponents of the association’s effort to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

“There’s a number of different topics and legislative issues in determining those individuals who support hospitals,” said Chad Austin, the association’s vice president of government relations. “Medicaid expansion, or KanCare expansion, is just one of those topics we look at.”

Austin said the group also took a great interest in Senate Bill 311, which gradually raises the cap on non-economic damages for medical malpractice from $250,000 to $350,000. The hospital association and several other medical groups supported the bill, under the assumption that the modest increase would keep the cap in place by satisfying the Kansas Supreme Court’s concerns about the cap remaining static for decades.

The bill had broad support in the House, passing 120-4.

Austin also said Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s work on that bill was part of what spurred the association to give $1,000 to the Republican’s re-election effort.

“We’ve had some other intersections with the AG’s office in the past as well,” Austin said.

Jerry Slaughter, executive director of the Kansas Medical Society, said preserving the non-economic damages cap has been “probably our largest issue” lately.

The medical society delved into dozens of House races by donating to incumbents this year but did not donate to Schmidt or anyone else running for statewide office. Slaughter said the society has a policy of avoiding statewide races financially.

“We encourage physicians to get involved in those races, but we do not provide support for statewide office candidates from our PAC,” Slaughter said.

Slaughter said that policy extends to the Kansas insurance commissioner, who leads the state agency that regulates health insurance.

The medical society PAC, pumped up by donations from doctors across Kansas, is the state’s most well-funded medical PAC, with about $167,000 in cash on hand at the end of July after spending about $47,000 during the primary season.

It’s a substantial amount, but nothing compared to the Kansas National Education Association teachers’ union PAC, which was sitting on $610,000 at the end of July.

Bob Beatty, a professor of political science at Washburn University, said the strategy by the 15 medical PACs of donating to House candidates rather than competing for broadcast air space in hotly contested statewide races was sound.

“These statewide races, they are sucking up a lot of money and attention, so in politics when you have resources like these PAC groups have, you want to see where you can make a difference,” Beatty said. “This year, it sure looks like it would be the Legislature.”

The Physician Hospitals of Kansas PAC also stuck mostly with donations to House incumbents but notably strayed from that philosophy in two races. The group supported Lonnie Clark in his bid to unseat Allan Rothlisberg in the 65th District Republican primary and Fred Patton in his bid to unseat Josh Powell in the 50th District Republican primary.

Patrick Vogelsberg, a lobbyist for the Physician Hospitals of Kansas, said the group generally has an incumbent-friendly policy but it “shouldn’t take control in all situations.”

“Any time we deal with an incumbent, it’s a fairly strong consideration to get involved and support a challenger,” he said. “But in these situations we felt alright about it.”

Vogelsberg said the group spent time vetting the candidates and was looking for “a candidate who is at least open to our issues” and does “not just summarily dismiss whatever our arguments may be.”

But the group also is looking for candidates who can win.

With about $40,000 in cash on hand, Vogelsberg said the Physician Hospitals PAC had to be “very precise” in its donations, and the decision to support Clark and Patton was vindicated only after the two prevailed in their primaries.

“Any time you’re trying to make recommendations on how clients should contribute, you definitely want to pick who’s going to be the winner in the end,” Vogelsberg said. “You don’t want to throw good money behind a bad candidate just because that candidate is favorable to you. In those situations we tried to pick who was the strongest candidate.”

Despite Short Week It’s Business as Usual For Kansas State

The Kansas State Wildcats are coming off of a bye week last week and are preparing for a Thursday night match up with 5th ranked Auburn at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

Due to the short week it required Coach Bill Snyder to move up his practice SNYDER 9-2schedule a couple of days.

“We started our week of practice on Saturday, which was Monday for us, and we worked on Sunday which was Tuesday for us and so on down the road. They’re in a normal game week mode starting on Saturday. Previous to that we had practice, we had taken a couple of days off but we had practice as well,” says Snyder.

Both Kansas State and Auburn had bye weeks last week which benefited both teams according to Snyder. He explained that a team can invest that extra time doing things that you haven’t put on the field before.

“So your opponent has no earthly idea that that’s what they’re going to see. I hope we see what we have seen in the past. Plus just seeing it is not the answer, we’ve got to be able to play well against it both offensively and defensively. Comes down to the same thing no matter who you are playing.”

Jake Waters explained that as a player you have to block everything out and it is game day even though it is a Thursday. With the pushed back practice week Tuesday is ran like a Thursday. Waters said that in the class room it may feel like a Tuesday but when he gets to practice it’s just like a Thursday.

“Out on the field with how long we’ve been preparing with the off week, you know it does. It does feel like a Thursday knowing this is our last day to get on the field and correct everything and get ready to play our best ball game,” said Waters.

Kansas State and Auburn kick off Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. from Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN. The radio broadcast on the K-State Sports Network will begin at 4:30 p.m. and can be heard on 1420 AM KJCK, The Talk of JC.

 

KU joins effort to help low-income students

University of Kansas
University of Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas has joined a national effort to help students from low-income families graduate.

The university announced Tuesday that it and 10 other schools have formed the University Innovation Alliance. The group will work to find ways to help low-income and first-generation college students.

The alliance says studies show students from wealthy families are seven times more likely to graduate from college than low-income students.

Other members of the group include Arizona State, Georgia State, Iowa State, Michigan State, Oregon State, Purdue, Ohio State, University of California-Riverside, Central Florida and University of Texas-Austin.

The alliance has raised $5.7 million from major private funders.

Port of Kansas City to reopen for barge traffic

Screen Shot 2014-09-17 at 7.00.33 AMKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The port of Kansas City’s barge-shipping terminal will reopen after being closed since 2007.

The Port Authority of Kansas City said Tuesday it is partnering with Kaw Valley Companies of Kansas City, Kansas, to operate the Woodswether Terminal. It will initially employ five to seven people.

Port Authority vice president Marissa Cleaver Wamble says the partners hope to have the terminal open for barge traffic before this year’s shipping season ends in early December.

The Kansas City Star reports the city-owned terminal can store about 750,000 tons. It closed seven years ago because low water levels on the Missouri River reduced barge traffic.

Wamble says about $6 million in upgrades is needed to also reopen the port to rail traffic.

 

Missouri unemployment numbers improve

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A new report shows Missouri’s unemployment rate dipped slightly last month while the state lost 3,100 nonfarm jobs.

CLICK to ENLARGE
CLICK to ENLARGE

The state Department of Economic Development said Tuesday the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 6.3 percent in August from 6.5 percent in July. The August rate was also down from 6.6 percent in the same month last year.

 

Missouri’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment last month dropped to about 2.78 million, about a 3,100-job decrease from July. Losses hit the durable goods manufacturing, health care and social assistance industries.

The seasonally adjusted civilian labor force of more than 3 million also grew by about 1,000 in August. People with jobs and others who are unemployed and looking for work are included in those numbers

Mayor accused of stealing from Mo. town

NEOSHO (AP) – The mayor and treasurer of a small southwest Missouri town is accused of writing checks on a village account for more than $9,000 worth of personal expenses.

The Joplin Globe reports 80-year-old Jimmy Brown of Redings Mill was charged Tuesday with felony theft/stealing in Newton County Circuit Court.

Sheriff Ken Copeland says members of the Redings Mill village board contacted his department in July about missing funds. He says the investigation indicates Brown used the money to pay for things like dentist bills, utilities and other personal expenses.

Brown was issued a summons to appear in court and was not required to post bond. He did not return a photo message Tuesday seeking comment.

The 2010 census listed the population of Redings Mill at 151.

Kansas police chase ends with arrest near Topeka

police chaseTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Shawnee County authorities have arrested a man who they say led officers on a chase through two counties using a stolen vehicle.

Sheriff’s Lt. Danny Lotridge says on Tuesday a Silver Lake officer spotted the 54-year-old man walking at a park. There was an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Lotridge says the man stole a Jeep Grand Cherokee when he saw the officer and fled.

The pursuit ended in Jefferson County after authorities popped the vehicle’s tires. Deputies say they broke out two windows and threatened to send in a police dog before the man surrendered.

He was taken to an area hospital with unknown injuries that deputies say are unrelated to the chase. Authorities say he faces charges of motor vehicle theft, fleeing and various traffic violations.

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