Dear Missouri Eagles:

On April 26^th, the Missouri Senate passed the judicial reform bill, SJR 51. Thank you for all of your calls and emails that so positively influenced this wonderful outcome!

This bill, sponsored by Senator Jim Lembke, will change the composition of the Appellate Judiciary Commission which selects judges for the Missouri Supreme Court and the Missouri Court of Appeals. In the current Missouri Plan, 7 people select judges for the Missouri Supreme Court and 3 Appellate Courts: Three attorneys are elected by the Missouri Bar and three lay people are appointed by the governor. But the commission also includes the chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court, which gives attorneys a 4-3 majority on the commission. Therefore, the Missouri Bar and by extension the Missouri Association of Trial Lawyers and trial attorney special interest groups have used their influence for decades to nominate judges who would promote their liberal ideas. And nationally, there has been a push to implement the Missouri Plan in other states. SJR 51 will replace the judge member of the commission with a layperson, giving gubernatorial appointees a 4-3 majority. It would also stagger the terms of the laypeople so that a governor can appoint all 4 members during his term. Also, the bill would increase the number of nominees a commission nominates from three to four people.

Senator Jim Lembke has been leading the effort to reform judicial selection in Missouri for the past several years. If you can, please give Senator Lembke a call and thank him for his hard work on this bill. He can be reached at (573) 751-2315. Now the House will vote on this resolution, and if passed, there will be an amendment on the ballot in November. We will keep you informed!

Thank you again!

Gratefully,

Joan Langenberg
President, Missouri Eagle Forum

Annual Sweetheart Luncheon

 

Tuesday, February 7th, saw Missouri Eagle Forum's annual Sweetheart Luncheon, held this year at the Deer Creek Club in Ladue.  The luncheon honored Eagle Forum's founder and longtime leader, Phyllis Schlafly, highlighting her many years of dedicated service and impressive victories for the conservative and pro-family movement. 

Missouri held a presidential 'beauty contest' election the same day. The results are non-binding and do not award any delegates. (The Republican Party township caucuses will be held on March 17.)  Rick Santorum was in Missouri campaigning hard before the election and it was announced at the luncheon that Senator Santorum wanted to make a surprise appearance to honor Phyllis, but ultimately he could not make it.  Instead, he sent a personal letter that Donna Hearne read praising Phyllis for her many accomplishments.

After lunch, David Limbaugh addressed the crowd of 200.  His talk gave an overview of the appalling overreaches that have marked Obama's tenure in office.  Many people feel that every election has been hyped as crucial to America 's survival, and Limbaugh defended this theory saying it is not an exaggeration to see each of the past decade's election as pivotal. The war for America 's freedom and founding principles is only heating up and each election is a crucial element, as this presidency has made abundantly clear.  Moving toward November 6th, make sure you stay updated on the battle here at Missouri Eagle Forum's blog. 

The afternoon was a really fun tribute to an incredible woman, a look back at some of the truly inspiring victories that dedicated grassroots efforts can bring about, and a realistic look at the work that needs to be done.  One of the guests wrote later that the speaker was impassioned and remarked, "I was REALLY glad I came to the lunch, which by the way was fabulous."  Everyone thanked Joan Langenberg, Missouri Eagle Forum's president, for putting so much work into planning and hosting such a lovely event. 

David Limbaugh was sharp, engaging, and humorous on a very grim topic.  You are encouraged to see his blog and read his columns at: davidlimbaugh.com