THE EGGLESTON REPORT – THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS

THE EGGLESTON REPORT – THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS

 

This report continues a preview of a few of the issues that I predict the legislature will address when we reconvene for our next session in January.  This week I will report on Daylight Savings Time.

Each second Sunday in March we spring our clocks forward one hour, and each first Sunday in November we fall back to standard time.  This method of altering our clocks was humorously suggested by Benjamin Franklin to save candles, but Daylight Savings Time (DST) did not come into permanent use in America until 1967 (except for Hawaii and non-Navaho areas of Arizona, which stay on standard time year round).

DST is purported to make more efficient use of the daylight, and save electricity.  But in recent years, some have begun to question whether the effort of changing clocks back and forth is worth the promised benefits.  Some claim it causes heath issues or scheduling and transportation problems.  A bill has been filed in the Missouri House the last few years to take us out of observing DST.  The latest version would lock us into Daylight Time (the spring forward time) if three of our eight neighboring states did the same.

Currently, on the longest day of the year (June 21), the sun rises in Missouri at 5:36AM and begins setting at 8:28PM Central Daylight Time.  On the shortest day of the year (December 21), the sun rises at 7:15AM and begins setting at 4:43PM Central Standard Time.  If we eliminate Daylight Savings Time and permanently stay on standard time, the sun would rise on June 21 at a very early 4:36AM and begin setting at 7:28PM.  If we stay on daylight time, the sun would rise on December 21 at a very late 8:15AM and begin setting at 5:43PM.  A great web site to see this is https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/kansas-city.

I believe the legislature will re-address this issue in the 2022 session.  So what do you think we should do?  Should we keep our system of daylight savings or abandon it?  If we abandon it, do we permanently stay on Standard Time or Daylight Time?  And should we only change if other states change, or should we just do it on our own.  If you have any thoughts you would like to share on this topic, you can email me at [email protected].

Until next time, health, happiness and prosperity to you and your family.

Please contact me at:

201 West Capitol Avenue, Room 414

Jefferson City, MO  65101

Phone: 573-751-4285

Email: [email protected]

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PICTURES FROM THE DISTRICT

 

 

To All who have served,

for All you have done,

to protect All of us,

and All we hold dear,

we All say,

Thank You.

 

OTHER NEWS FROM THE CAPITOL

 

Missouri Leads Effort to Halt Federal Vaccine Mandate

The State of Missouri has joined an eleven-state coalition to file a lawsuit against the administration of President Biden to halt their vaccine mandate on private employers with more than 100 employees. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is leading the coalition, which marks the first states to file suit against the vaccine mandate on private employers.

A Petition for Judicial Review was filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit on the morning of November 5, and a Motion for Stay is expected to be filed soon. The lawsuit challenges the Emergency Temporary Standard propagated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration which requires private employers with 100 or more employees to mandate their employees to get vaccinated or implement weekly testing and mask requirements. Non-compliant businesses could face steep fines.

According to the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, there are 3,443 private employers in Missouri with over 100 employees, meaning that roughly 1,289,588 employees could be impacted by this vaccine mandate.

The petition states, “This mandate is unconstitutional, unlawful, and unwise. The federal government lacks constitutional authority under its enumerated powers to issue this mandate, and its attempt to do so unconstitutionally infringes on the States’ powers expressly reserved by the Tenth Amendment. OSHA also lacks statutory authority to issue this mandate, which it shoe-horned into statutes that govern workplace safety, and which were never intended to federalize public-health policy.”

Attorney General Eric Schmitt said, “The federal government should not be forcing private employers to require their employees to get vaccinated or foot the cost to test those employees weekly. Local business owners have told me that the vaccine mandate would decimate their businesses, including some that have been around for decades, and they’re certainly not alone – there are thousands of businesses in Missouri alone that could be negatively affected by this mandate”.

Schmitt added that he filed the lawsuit to “protect personal freedoms, preserve Missouri businesses, and push back on bureaucratic tyrants who simply want power and control.”

The lawsuit is asking the court for an immediate stay pending judicial review.

In addition to Missouri, attorneys general from Arizona, Montana, Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alaska, New Hampshire, and Wyoming also joined the lawsuit. Attorney General Schmitt previously filed suit to halt the vaccine mandate for federal contractors.

Helping to Return Unclaimed Military Medals

As the nation pauses to honor its heroes on Veterans Day, Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick is asking Missourians to help return unclaimed military medals and insignia held by his office. The Treasurer’s Office currently holds 251 military medals and insignia including five purple hearts, four bronze stars, and more than 100 other service medals.

Fitzpatrick said, “As we honor and remember America’s military veterans, I want to remind Missourians of the over 200 military medals and insignia currently being held by the Unclaimed Property Division. It is the Treasurer’s Office policy to never sell or dispose of these medals—and it is a priority to return them to their rightful owners.”

He added, “I encourage Missourians to search the list and see if you recognize a name. Together, we can get these medals returned to the heroes who earned them. As always, we thank America’s military veterans for their service to this great country.”

Each year financial institutions, businesses, government agencies, and other organizations turn over millions of dollars in cash, securities, and the contents of safe deposit boxes to the Treasurer’s Office. These entities are required to turn over Unclaimed Property to the Treasurer’s Office after there has been no contact or documented transaction with the owner for five years. The contents of safe deposit boxes often contain family heirlooms and keepsakes. Some of the most precious items recovered are military medals and insignia.

A full list of medals, names, and last known addresses of the safe deposit box owners can be found at ShowMeMoney.com/medals.

 

Missouri Continues Strong Economic Recovery

Missouri continues to make positive strides toward a vibrant economy as it recovers from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Mike Parson this week pointed to decreases in unemployment and continued business expansion as proof that the state is on the right track with its recovery.

Parson said, “Throughout the pandemic, we took a balanced approach that protected the health and safety of Missourians without sacrificing their livelihoods. We didn’t force businesses to shut their doors or Missourians out of the workforce.”

He added, “Thanks to our common sense measures, Missouri is now in a strong economic position with a 3.8 percent unemployment rate, thousands of new jobs created, and billions of dollars in business investment.”

In September 2021, Missouri’s unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent from a high of 12.5 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Missouri’s unemployment rate prior to the pandemic was 3.7 percent. Only 15,000 Missourians are currently drawing unemployment benefits, down from 124,000 at the beginning of 2021 and 385,000 in 2020 at the height of the pandemic.

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Missouri’s metropolitan areas experienced sharp job losses. Since then, Missouri has recovered 77 percent of all jobs lost during the pandemic, outpacing five of Missouri’s bordering states. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, companies continued to invest and expand in Missouri, with over $3.6 billion in new business investment and more than 12,500 new jobs created.

Missouri’s revenue numbers continue to be strong as well. General revenue collections for October 2021 increased 22.7 percent compared to those for October 2020, from $631.9 million last year to $775.3 million in 2021. The state continues to be on pace to fully fund the state operating budget.

“Our general revenues are up and businesses are investing in Missouri, showing producers and consumers alike are confident in the direction of Missouri’s economy,” said Parson. “Even though we are seeing success, with more than 129,000 job openings across the state, we still have work to do. We are continuing our investments in our talent pipeline that drives Missouri’s economy and brings opportunity to all Missourians. We are moving forward in this state.”