Breaking: Kolkmeyer officially announces for State Representative in Lafayette County

News Release:

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2011

Glen Kolkmeyer, a lifelong resident of Wellington, announced today that he will file as a Republican for the newly formed 53rd legislative district. This district is most all of Lafayette County and the northeast corner of Jackson County and the northern portion of Johnson County.

Kolkmeyer will be running in an open seat as State Representative Mike McGhee (Odessa – R) of the current 122^nd district, and State Representative Joe Aull (Marshall – D) of the current 26^th district are both termed-limited in 2012.

Kolkmeyer commented on his announcement: “As a small business owner I have seen first-hand what government regulation can do to small businesses and farmers. Jobs, jobs and jobs are my first priority. As a business owner I know what it takes to grow a business. We need to help small businesses create jobs and get Missouri back to work. Secondly, I would work to keep the failed financial policies of Washington, D.C. out of Missouri. We have to live within our means at home, and government needs to do the same.”

Kolkmeyer owns and manages Energy Transport Solutions, in Wellington, a family-owned small agri-business operating 12 transports in six Midwest states. In 2007, the Kolkmeyers sold their gasoline and diesel business to MFA Oil Company. In 2008, they sold the Wellington Oil & Gas Co and Tri-County Propane to Amerigas Propane.

Kolkmeyer is the past president of the Missouri Propane Gas Association, Jefferson City, where he currently serves as chairman of the Legislative Committee.

In 2008, Governor Matt Blunt appointed Kolkmeyer to serve on the newly formed Missouri Propane Gas (safety) Commission. Glen served as chairman of the commission for two years and is currently serving on the executive committee.

Kolkmeyer is no stranger to public service devoting more than 39 years to the fire service. He retired as Fire Chief in 2002 after serving for 20 years, from the Wellington - Napoleon Fire Protection District. He is still active today as a board member for the fire district.

Glen and his wife Lisa have two grown children and three grandchildren. They are members of Calvary Baptist Church in Odessa.

Kolkmeyer says he is confident that his years of business experience and public service will benefit the citizens of Lafayette County and the 53^rd legislative district and looks forward to running for office.

Filing begins February 28, 2012.

"Redistricting: David Pearce is only Incumbent in new Senate District", from North Missouri Politics

News Release:

- New maps released late this year place Sen. David Pearce as the only incumbent in a new senate district. The area will include Carroll, Chariton, Johnson, Lafayette, Livingston, Saline and Pettis Counties.

The new territory, Senate District #21, will include four counties currently represented by term-limited Sen. Bill Stouffer: Carroll, Chariton, Lafayette and Saline. Sen. Brad Lager currently represents Livingston; Sen. Mike Parson is the current senator for Pettis. The incumbent, Sen. Pearce, currently serves as the senator from Johnson County.

As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Sen. Pearce is familiar with the issues facing schools in rural Missouri, including State Fair Community College, Missouri Valley College and the University of Central Missouri. He also serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, helping to craft the state’s more than $20 billion budget, including funding for local schools.

“I visited the new counties within a week of the new maps coming out,” said Pearce. The new area is a lot like the one I already represent – rural, hard-working people living within their means and wanting government to do the same.”

“I have a lot in common with my colleagues that have worked so hard to represent this area in the past,” said Pearce of Stouffer, Lager and Parson. “They have built a reputation of service and leadership in agriculture and other issues that I want to continue in the senate.”

As a student and son of a vocational agriculture teacher, Pearce served as the state’s FFA President. He also served as the executive director of the Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce, as a member of both the Warrensburg Board of Education and the Whiteman Air Force Base Community Council. He currently is a Vice President at First Community Bank in Warrensburg and a member of the Missouri Veterans Commission. He leads the majority caucus in the senate on veteran’s issues.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/senatordavidpearce.

Report: "Ready to Return to Missouri's Capital" by Sen. Bill Stouffer

January not only means a new year, but it also means it is time for the next legislative session in Jefferson City.

The Second Regular Session of the 96th General Assembly will begin on Jan. 4, 2012, and end in May. It has only been a couple of months since lawmakers were in the Capitol dealing with tax credits and job creation, as part of the special session. I have no doubt most of the topics of the special session will carry over into January.

I plan to hit the ground running with several measures that have already been prefiled, including:

• Senate Bill 442, which would establish photo identification requirements for voting. Because of the governor’s veto, the plan to enact this — upon voter approval — was scrapped; however, it will still be on the November 2012 ballot. Senate Bill 442 would ensure the proper steps would be enacted into law, requiring photo IDs to vote, assuming the ballot measure were to win approval.
• Senate Bill 443, which would make changes to several transportation issues, including drunk driving. The biggest change would be made regarding limited driving privileges for repeat offenders. The federal government ties funding for the states’ roads to complying with these “non-mandate mandates.” Similarly, the feds hope to tie funding to bans on cell phone and texting use for some or all drivers.
• Senate Bill 444, which would make changes to binding arbitration cases involving MoDOT. This would provide more flexibility on how Missourians can resolve disagreements with the department and put more money on our roads instead of towards lawyers.
• Senate Bill 481, which would create a tax credit for contributions to care providers for the developmentally disabled, legislation I have filed in previous years. This allows folks that take care of the state’s “kids” to be paid in tax credits instead of cash. Then, they can use the tax credit certificates to leverage more private funding, costing the state nothing.

Another important legislative initiative I am working on would allow rural school districts to establish themselves as a charter school, bringing more control to local communities. The education community has had a mixed reaction to this proposal. However, we do have struggling schools right here in rural Missouri and this option might provide local school boards the opportunity to move forward instead of backward.

These are just a few of the measures I have already filed. For a complete list, go to www.senate.mo.gov/stouffer and click on the sponsored bills link under my legislation tab. A list of all of my previous columns and audio updates are also available online.

As always, I thank you for your continued calls and e-mails to our office. Without you, I would not be able to address the issues that are important to rural Missouri. We take every concern and comment seriously.

I pray we make the right decisions when we return to Jefferson City. It will be another difficult year. With your help, we will be able to make Missouri even better for our children and grandchildren, not only now, but in their future.