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Prayers for Those Affected by Connecticut
School Shooting
Please pray for those affected by the school shooting on Dec. 14, in Newton, Conn.
The shooter killed as many as 27 people, at least 18 children, at the Sandy Hook Elementary School that was the educational home to more than 600 children in kindergarten through fourth grade. The suspect is among those dead.
There were countless adults and children injured. There are few details on the 24-year-old shooter, though his mother was a teacher at the school, and some of the victims were from her class.
We ask that you add the school, community and families to your prayers.
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Opening a Dialogue with Public Schools
The Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC) is initiating a dialogue with public school superintendents and others about how to renew Missouri's commitment to local schools-public, private, and parochial.
The MCC is gathering input on possible legislation and policies that could ensure the continued viability of local schools as well as ways in which public and private/parochial schools could cooperate to benefit the children of their community.
As a first step in this process, the MCC is seeking to identify public school superintendents who may be interested in such efforts. If you know such a superintendent, please contact the Missouri Catholic Conference at:
Missouri Catholic Conference
600 Clark Ave
PO Box 1022
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (573) 635-7239 or (800) 456-1679
Fax: (573) 635-7431
mocatholic@mocatholic.org
www.mocatholic.org
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Schools "R" Us!
If, in the fall, you visit a small town on a Friday night what do you see? The lights from the high school football stadium beckon. If you go there and talk to people in the stands, many will tell you their kids are doing fine. Some are making plans for college; others are hunting up job prospects. Some of those playing on the field may have attended a Catholic elementary school, but now they are part of this school and they feel at home. They know the other kids; this is their town.
Across Missouri local schools represent the heart and soul of communities. They do more than educate children. One recent Saturday morning while visiting my daughter and her family in Palmyra, I took a walk and happened by the public high school. The parking lot was full of cars and pickups. When I got back to my daughter's house I asked her husband, who is a teacher and a coach at the high school, what was going on. He said it was the annual craft and antique show. Along with churches, the schools are where people gather. (To read the rest of this article, click here).
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Joplin Provides Model of Public-Private
School Cooperation
Catholic schools and public schools are often viewed as being in competition with each other. While this may be necessary when it comes to school sports, ensuring that children are successful requires the effort of the entire community and all the schools in that area. Joplin, Missouri, is a prime example of how public-private school cooperation benefits all students.
"We have always had a great working relationship with the public schools," notes Principal Gene Koester of McAuley Catholic High School. "For years all the schools in the community have cooperated well when it comes to Title I & II federal education programs." These programs help students with reading, language and other developmental problems.
"Joplin public schools made it easy for our students to get the services they were entitled to. They were also very good about taking care of the costs of our teacher development in these areas," he noted. "The Joplin public schools are always informing us of educational programs or meetings that might be of value to our students and teachers. They take a very Christian, professional attitude toward us." (To read the rest of this article, click here.)
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The Dollars and Sense of
Medicaid Expansion - Series #2
A report by the University of Missouri School of Medicine and Dobson DaVanzo & Associates has been published that evaluates the economic impacts of expanding Medicaid in Missouri. The Missouri General Assembly will consider whether to expand Medicaid in the 2013 session. In this series the MCC examine various aspects of the report.
Most of the cost of the Medicaid expansion will be borne by the federal government. For the period of 2014 to 2020 the federal government will pay 96.1% of the expansion costs, pouring over $8 billion into the Missouri economy. Meanwhile, the state of Missouri during this time period will cover only 3.9%, representing a state expenditure of $332.9 million.
The $332.9 million state expenditure for the Medicaid expansion may seem like a lot of money, but it would represent only a tiny fraction of what the state of Missouri allocates each year in state funds. In the current fiscal year, for example, the state budget includes over $8 billion in state (not federal) funds.
The most compelling fiscal argument against the Medicaid expansion is not its impact on the state budget, which is modest, but how all the federal spending would increase the federal deficit. If the Obama Administration and Congress can find a path to avert the fiscal cliff, then some expansion of Medicaid may be possible. If an agreement is not reached, then the Medicaid expansion becomes much more problematic.
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What is the Hyde Amendment and Why is it
So Important?
The Hyde Amendment is a rider to the federal Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriation bill (the bill that funds Medicaid) that Congress has included in the bill each year since 1976. The Amendment prevents federal tax dollars from being used to pay for abortions, or for health plans that include coverage for abortion. Before the Hyde Amendment was enacted, the federal government paid for an estimated 300,000 abortions per year through the Medicaid program after the Roe v. Wade decision was handed down in 1973.
The Hyde Amendment has enjoyed bi-partisan support over the years, and goiverns current Medicaid appropriation. It is critically important that the Hyde Amendment be included in any future Medicaid appropriation bills, especially since states will now be deciding whether or not to expand the Medicaid program.
The MCC will be asking the members of our citizen's network to oppose any efforts by Congress to eliminate the Hyde Amendment from future appropriation bills.
Stay tuned for more!
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Another Year in Prison for Patty!
A Christmas plea for mercy! In 2011 we encouraged our network members to contact Governor Jay Nixon urging that he grant clemency to Patty Prewitt. Patty is still incarcerated, marking 26 years in prison for the murder of her husband. She has consistently maintained her innocence and many individuals share this belief. All who know Patty affirm that she is an extraordinary woman of faith and compassion who has served as an outstanding role model in a difficult environment. Even for those who believe in her guilt, justice has been served. There is no need to keep Patty in prison until her 2036 parole date. Christmas would be an ideal time to release this 62-year-old grandmother into the loving arms of the family that has stood by her all these years. Please contact Governor Nixon by clicking here and urge him to grant clemency to Patty. For more information about Patty click here. |
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