Missouri lawmakers fail to revive bill preventing federal gun law enforcement

(Reuters) - In a defeat for gun rights advocates, Missouri lawmakers failed on Wednesday to override Governor Jay Nixon's veto of a bill that would have prevented federal enforcement of gun laws in the state.

The Republican-led state Senate voted 22-12 to override the bill, falling one vote short of the two-thirds' majority needed. Earlier in the day, the Republican-controlled state House voted 109-49 to override the bill, reaching exactly the required number.

The bill would have allowed the state to prosecute federal officials who attempted to enforce federal gun laws in Missouri. It also would have allowed suspected criminals to sue federal agents who arrest them on gun charges.

"The fight ain't over. We'll be back to visit it again and again," said Republican state Senator Brian Nieves.

Opponents of the bill said it undermined enforcement of gun laws. They also pointed to concerns voiced by police chiefs and sheriffs across the state.

"The reality is, this bill says that every federal law, whether reasonable or not, cannot be enforced in Missouri," Democratic Representative Mike Colona said during debate on the state House floor.

Via: Reuters

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Arne Duncan dodges questions, calls Education Department’s participation in Obamacare ‘minimal’

After a number of GOP lawmakers expressed concern about the Education Department’s involvement in the implementation of Obamacare, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said that the department’s participation is “minimal.”

Duncan’s response, however, left many of the lawmaker’s questions unanswered.

In July, a group of Republican senators led by South Dakota Sen. John Thune sent a letter to Duncan requesting a slew of information on the Department of Education’s involvement with Obamacare.

“While we understand that the effects of the President’s health care law will be felt by parents, teachers, and their families, we are unfamiliar with how the Department of Education’s involvement in implementation will further the mission of educating our nation’s students,” they wrote, requesting specifics on cost and scope of the effort.

In a letter to Thune, Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, and the additional 18 signatories — including Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, the ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee — Duncan offered a partial response to the senators’ concerns.

“Recognizing the intersection of wellness and student achievement, the Department is coordinating with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to share information with our stakeholders about the ACA. This is consistent with the Department’s longstanding practice of sharing helpful health information from the Federal government with its stakeholders,” Duncan wrote.

He noted that the department participates with HHS to assist in the first lady’s Let’s Move! campaign and it has disseminated information about illnesses and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Duncan added that he believes Obamacare will “will help to improve educational outcomes for our nation’s students.”

According to Duncan the department has been offering “basic materials developed by HHS for our stakeholders to use at their discretion” and that the department has not devoted a lot of resources to the task.

Via: Daily Caller

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Senate conservatives argue Cantor plan is cover for red state Democrats

Not only do Senate conservatives believe that the latest government funding legislation from Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., doesn't do enough to defund Obamacare, they also say it will undermine Republican chances to take the Senate in 2014.

Under Cantor's plan, the House would pass two separate bills: a continuing resolution that funds all of the federal government including Obamacare, and a resolution that amends the CR to defund Obamacare.

Both bills would be brought to the floor under a rule that would force the Senate to reject the Obamacare defunding CR before it could send the clean CR to President Obama.

House leadership believes this gimmick is necessary to get vulnerable Senate Democrats on the record supporting a fully funded Obamacare.

But conservative Senate aides point out that Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, already accomplished this in March during the last CR fight, when he introduced an amendment that would have defunded Obamacare for this fiscal year.

So at best, Cantor's gimmick accomplishes nothing.

Worse, it may give red state Democrats an opportunity to cast a vote for defunding Obamacare, thus giving them cover for the 2014 campaign.

Senate conservatives do not expect that Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., will need every Democrat vote to defeat the Obamacare defunding resolution, so that will allow red state Democrats to cast a vote that better suits their state.

"It is bad enough they don't support our strategy," one conservative senate aide said, "but do they have to actively undermine it too?"

Via: Washington Examiner

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DC MAYOR VETOES WAGE BILL AFFECTING WAL-MART

Mayor Vincent Gray vetoed a bill Thursday that would force Wal-Mart and other large retailers to pay their employees at least $12.50 an hour, calling it a "job killer" that would not advance the goal of a living wage for District of Columbia workers.

The bill put Washington at the center of a national debate on how far cities should go in trying to raise pay for low-wage workers _ and whether larger companies should be required to pay more. Supporters _ including unions, clergy and other labor advocates _ said Wal-Mart could afford the higher wages, while opponents said the bill unfairly singled out certain businesses and would have a chilling effect on economic development.

Wal-Mart fought the legislation vigorously, pledging not to build three of the six stores it has planned for the nation's capital if the bill became law. But Gray, a Democrat, said the bill would have a much larger impact than many people realized.

"The bill is a job-killer, because nearly every large retailer now considering opening a store in the district has indicated they would not come here or expand here if this bill becomes law," Gray said, citing Target, Home Depot, Wegmans and others.

The D.C. Council approved the bill in July on an 8-5 vote, one short of a veto-proof majority. It will consider overriding the veto on Tuesday.

Councilmember Vincent Orange, a lead sponsor of the bill, said Wal-Mart's threats had prevented the mayor from standing up for the working poor.

"Wal-Mart put a gun to the mayor's head, and the mayor capitulated," said Orange, a Democrat. "Wal-Mart and the mayor should be ashamed that they're going to provide poverty wages to people who get up every day and go to work."

Via: Breitbart

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