WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) introduced two pro-growth, pro-jobs amendments to S. 2569 today in order to help hire more American veterans and protect low and middle-class families from a costly and job-destroying carbon tax.

“These amendments would help create more good-paying jobs and economic opportunities for American veterans, as well as low and middle-class families in Missouri and nationwide,” Blunt said. “If Democrats were really serious about helping the Americans who are struggling to find work and make ends meet, they would join Republicans in taking action on these common-sense, job-creating measures.”

Yesterday, Blunt spoke at the Republican Leadership Stakeout and called on U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) to allow an open debate and amendment process on bipartisan bills that are currently stalled in the U.S. Senate. Click here to watch his remarks.

In April 2014, Blunt filed the “Hire More Heroes Act” as a standalone bill and as an amendment to the unemployment insurance bill. In May 2014, Blunt introduced an amendment to protect families from skyrocketing energy costs that would result from a carbon tax. Blunt introduced similar amendments to prevent a carbon tax in April 2014 to the unemployment insurance bill, and in March 2013 to the FY2014 budget.

Background on Blunt’s Amendments:

Hire More Heroes Amendment: The “Hire More Heroes Act” would encourage companies to hire more American veterans, while providing relief from the burdensome ObamaCare employer mandate. Blunt serves as a member of the bipartisan Congressional Veterans Job Caucus. Click here to view the “Hire More Heroes” amendment that Blunt introduced today.
Carbon Tax Amendment: Missouri relies on coal for more than 80 percent of the state’s electricity needs, and Blunt has long-fought against the Obama Administration’s burdensome energy policies. He recently joined his colleagues in a letter urging President Barack Obama to withdraw the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) devastating rule to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants, and co-sponsored the “Coal Country Protection Act,” which would block the proposed EPA rule unless appropriate agencies can prove it will not eliminate jobs, cost our economy, increase electricity prices, or reduce electricity reliability. Click here to view the carbon tax amendment that Blunt introduced today.

CHICAGO (AP) — Fast food workers from around the country will gather this weekend in Chicago to discuss how to escalate their campaign for higher wages and union representation.

About 1,300 workers are expected at a convention in suburban Chicago Friday and Saturday. They say they can’t provide for their family on minimum wage and want paid sick days and other benefits.

Industry officials say a $15-an-hour wage would hurt jobs, and that the solution is more education and job training.

Kendall Fells is an organizing director of the national effort who works for the Service Employees International Union.

He says higher-profile protests are coming that may include civil disobedience. So far, most of the protests have included one-day strikes and a protest outside this year’s McDonald’s Corp. shareholder meeting.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Zoo’s oldest lion has been euthanized after veterinary staffers were unable to treat him successfully for numerous health issues.

The Kansas City Star reports the lion, named Dumisani, was 18 years old and had lived at the zoo nearly his entire life after arriving in 1997 from Indianapolis.

Dumisani’s parents were from the wild, making his genes desirable for breeding. The zoo brought in two females from Africa in 1998 to diversify the gene pool, but the lions had feline immunodeficiency virus and were not suitable for breeding.

Officials allowed one litter to be produced before the females underwent a contraceptive procedure, but one of them became pregnant anyway.

Dumisana sired seven cubs in the two litters, creating one of the largest prides among American zoos.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Humane Society of the United States has contributed $375,000 to an effort to defeat a Missouri ballot measure creating a constitutional right to farm.

Online Ethics Commission records show the contribution was made earlier this week to Missouri’s Food for America. The money could significantly boost the opposition effort, because the committee had just a little over $35,000 in its account at the start of July.

The Aug. 5 ballot measure is backed by many of Missouri’s agricultural commodity groups and businesses. The supporting group Missouri Farmers Care had $478,000 available at the start of July.

The right-to-farm amendment was put forth partly as a response to a successful 2010 ballot measure backed by the Humane Society that imposed tougher restrictions on Missouri dog breeders.

KANSAS CITY (AP) – The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City is hosting a public meeting with members of the United States World War One Centennial Commission.

The museum says in a release that the events Sunday at the museum south of downtown Kansas City are open to the public and will also include a panel discussion with World War I experts about the impacts of the war, which started 100 years ago this summer.

The panel discussion and lecture will also be streamed live online.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has endorsed Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts as he battles an aggressive GOP primary challenge from tea party candidate Milton Wolf.

Huckabee announced his endorsement Thursday. He described Roberts as a conservative warrior and said he’s fought tirelessly for lower taxes and federal government spending.

Huckabee is a former Arkansas governor who now has a talk show on cable’s Fox News Channel. He ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 but won Kansas’ caucuses.

Roberts is seeking his fourth, six-year term. Wolf is a Leawood radiologist and has the backing of national tea party groups ahead of the state’s Aug. 5 primary.

Wolf spokesman Ben Hartman said Roberts won’t stop his slide in the polls no matter how many endorsements he receives.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Public university leaders in Kansas are being encouraged to start working on next year’s tuition proposals now, rather than wait until the spring semester.

Kansas Board of Regents chairman Kenny Wilk says the revenue stream from tuition is too significant to wait until the last minute to get it figured out.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports the regents traditionally have received tuition and fee requests from the universities in May before approving them in June.

Regents say they’d like schools to have a more definite idea of what they would request before the board formulates its budget proposal for Gov. Sam Brownback and the Legislature.

Universities in recent years have had to rely more on tuition from students as state funding has decreased.

KANSAS CITY (AP) – The Kansas City Council has proposed to settle a class action lawsuit over ambulance workers’ overtime pay for nearly $2 million.

The Kansas City Star reports the council offered the roughly $1.98 million settlement Thursday. The council’s finance committee will consider it next week.

An attorney for the 110 plaintiffs says they’re happy about the resolution.

Former paramedics and EMTs sued the city in 2011 following a merger between the fire department and ambulance services in 2010. The workers say Kansas City violated federal law in its overtime pay policies. They say the city didn’t pay them for all hours worked that exceeded 40 hours a week.

The fire department budget will cover $1.3 million. The rest of the money will come from a legal claims fund.