EASY VOTING
Students should be able to exercise their civic duty to vote and make their voices heard. And they should be able to do it easily and without being misled, confused or barred from voting. That is why, this week, I introduced the EASY Voting Act, or Equal Access to Support Youth Voting Act. HR 3978 allows students to vote in a federal election using their current student photo identification. It would also make it a federal crime for any individual to purposely discourage a student from voting by providing false or misleading information.
In the last year, dozens of new voting restrictions have been proposed by states throughout the country, making it harder for Americans to register to vote and to cast a ballot. Thirty four states have proposed legislation that would require voters to present photo ID in order to vote, and seven states have enacted photo ID laws. Yet, statistics show 11% of Americans don't have a government issued photo ID. And that number jumps to 18% for Americans between the ages of 18-24.
EASY would allow students to use their student photo ID – it's that, well, easy. It is essential our political process is beyond reproach and this would, in no way, jeopardize that important priority. We must also work, though, to protect the right to vote for all eligible citizens. Instead of protecting our electoral system, some photo identification laws do far more harm than good by disproportionately preventing one of our most vulnerable communities from voting – students.
7 REASONS THIS WEEK TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE GREEN IMPACT ZONE
Work continues in the Green Impact Zone – transforming part of the urban core from deterioration and disinvestment into safer and more sustainable neighborhoods.
*Community leadership training – training more than 250 residents of the zone and other KC neighborhoods
*Neighborhood capacity-building projects – such as neighborhood cleanup events
*Community-wide events – door-to-door outreach to inform residents about available services
*Job skills training – training young adults in concrete repair work
*Extensive data collection – documenting current conditions and accurately measuring progress
*Youth programs – offering environmental education and leadership training to high-school students
*Attracting national and local developers – getting investors into the zone and Kansas City
STOCK Act
There is a lot in the news lately about the STOCK Act. As you know, I believe honesty and transparency are of critical importance for elected officials, so I wanted to pass along some quick points about this legislation that I cosponsored and voted for this week. The House and the Senate have passed different versions of the STOCK Act so the debate will continue, but below please find some of the current highlights of the House version of the bill.
*Ban Insider Trading: Prohibits Members of Congress from trading stocks and other securities on the basis of confidential information they receive as lawmakers.
*Reporting on Stock Sales: Requires Members of Congress to disclose the purchase or sale of stocks, bonds, commodities futures and other securities within 30 days of notification of the transaction.
*Executive Branch Coverage: Similar disclosure requirements would apply to many federal employees in the executive branch, including the White House, cabinet departments and independent agencies.
*Initial Public Offerings: Prohibits lawmakers, top federal officials and their aides from receiving special access to initial public offerings due to their positions.
*No Bonuses for GSEs: bans the payment of bonuses to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac executives while the two GSEs are under government conservatorship.
KANSAS CITY KIDS TAKE BRILLIANCE TO WASHINGTON
Twelve local students are getting national attention after their incredible work in researching ways to improve food safety. The group got the distinguished recognition this week at the President's White House Science Fair. Sixth graders Ma'Kese Wesley and Isis Thompson went to Washington to represent their LEGO robotics team from the ACE Collegium Campus in Kansas City. Their invention is a UVC Light Sanitizing Lunchbox. The UVC light, I'm told, has a germicidal property that kills surface bacteria by not allowing the bacteria's DNA to replicate. The team invented the lunchbox to keep kids safe when they eat their lunch they brought from home at school. This 6th grade team wrote a provisional patent that was accepted by the USPTO, so the lunchbox is officially "patent pending." Congratulations to these young people, and all of the teachers and administrators who are working with them, for their creativity and commitment to making learning fun. And not just fun – their brainpower is proving to be a benefit to all of us.
President Obama introducing himself to the girls from the ACE Robotic Scholars.
WHAT YOU WON'T HEAR ANYWHERE ELSE
I would like to share a humorous story that I heard concerning the sixth graders that went to Washington. According to what I heard, the President had come over to the team's display board at the White House Science Fair, and after introductions, he placed his hand on the top of the lunchbox. When the team arrived back to KC, they saw the picture of the President's hand on the lunchbox lid. They were so amazed that the President's hand had touched their invention that they placed a post-it note that says "President touched here" with an arrow to where the President's hand had been. The team is very protective of that spot!
The ACE Robotic Scholars team put a post-it note that says the "President touched here".
INDEPENDENCE STUDENT HONORED FOR SERVICE
There were more than 26,000 young people across the country participating and Kayla Schrimshaw of Independence has brought home a bronze! This week she was named a Distinguished Finalist in Missouri in the 17th annual Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Kayla will get a bronze medallion at a local ceremony. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards began in 1995. It is an effort to emphasize the importance this country puts on service to others. The hope is to encourage all young Americans to give back to those in their own communities. Congratulations to Kayla – keep up the good work!!
GOOD NEWS FOR BLUE SPRINGS
The City of Blue Springs has been awarded a Walking Audit workshop. The technical assistance from the Environmental Protection Agency was announced recently and will be delivered during a day-long community workshop. The goal is to assist the city with ideas on local policies and procedures to improve the economy, the environment and quality of life.
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SCORECARD
I was honored this week to get a perfect score of 100 from the League of Conservation Voters (LVC) on the 2011 National Environmental Scorecard. As you know, working to preserve and protect the environment is of critical importance to me. LVC has issued a scorecard for every Congress since it was founded in 1970. There were many issues voted on in this Congress, from public health protections to clean energy to land and wildlife conservation. I remain steadfast in my efforts to keep our air, water and land safe, not only for this generation, but for generations to come.
CIVILITY CORNER
My Junior High teacher, Ms. Alma Holland, came into the world with one purpose and one purpose only – to torment me. Whether she was sent by God or some other power, I am not sure. But there is no doubt about her earthly mission.
Just because I thought English literature was a waste of time for me, she gave me extra assignments and then picked my work apart, and much more harshly than she did others. Whenever I failed to live up to her unaccommodating standards, she took advantage of the fact that my mother's office was down the hall and reported me. I must, at this point inform you that my mother was of no help. She repeatedly sided with Ms. Holland and joined in the conspiracy to ruin my life. Once I went home and complained to my parents that Ms. Holland had punished me for something I did not do. My mother seemed to have been on my side for the first time. She reassured me, "I'll speak to her." The next day, the two of them called me to the classroom where Ms. Holland admitted that she had indeed punished me for something I had not done. I quickly figured out what I ‘didn't do' – was my homework. I had not turned in my report on Homer's Iliad. Well, Ms. Holland, here I am "one hundred years" later writing to my Congressional Colleagues about the Trojan War.
As Ms. Holland taught us, the Trojan War never really happened, but it is nevertheless a great story. As this great myth goes, Thetis has a beautiful baby boy whom she names Achilles. In an attempt to immortalize him, Thetis takes her newborn to the Styx River where she dips him in the water. Unfortunately, the area on his heel where her fingers held him remained dry. Years later after Achilles becomes a great warrior, Paris, the Prince of the Trojans shot a poison arrow which hit Achilles in the only place on his body subject to a fatal wound, his heel.
It is worth wondering about the Achilles Heel of the United States of America. Where is our deadly weakness? I certainly hope that it is not the inability of Congress to work across party lines to solve knotty problems.
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Emanuel Cleaver, II
Member of Congress
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