Jan 6, 2010 - Press Release James T. Morris State Representative 58th District
JEFFERSON CITY, MO. - State Rep. James T. Morris,
D-St. Louis, has been appointed to the House Ethics Committee, which
has jurisdiction to investigate complaints of misconduct, corruption or
neglect of duty against members of the Missouri House of
Representatives.
Morris is an ordained minister and currently
serves at Lane Tabernacle C.M.E. Church in St. Louis. He is serving
his first term in the House.
"Missourians expect their elected
officials to serve ethically and honorably," Morris said.
"Unfortunately, some lawmakers in recent years have failed to live up
to that expectation. As a member of the House of Ethics Committee, I
will strive to raise ethical standards in the state Capitol."
Monday, January 29, 2007
Significant wage increases and, for the first time, health insurance are part of agreement ratified on SaturdaySt. Louis Janitors, more than 3,000 members of SEIU Local 1, have negotiated an agreement with the Contract Cleaners Association in St. Louis.
Highlights of the agreement include:a 23% wage increase over the life of the contract the opportunity for health insurance for full-time janitors improvements in health and welfare and pension for all janitors, both part-time and full-time
A huge THANK YOU to the hundreds of JwJ members whose participation in rallies, marches and delegations were key to this success.
June 2006 - St. Louis Area Janitors march in the streets of Clayton. From left, Robert Sears, Steve Corso, June Florez, Clifton Williams, Oliver Pierce. Florez and Pierce were part of the negotiating committee for this contract. This is an important victory to savor, but the work is far from over. This contract includes a provision that increases the wages and benefits even higher if 85% of the office space in downtown and Clayton is being cleaned by union janitors. SEIU, JwJ and its Workers' Rights Board will be working with allies throughout the metro area to ensure we organize the handful of office buildings that still needto be organized will be brought under union contract.
Throughout the bargaining campaign the janitors reached out to engage clergy, community leaders and even artists in their Justice for Janitors campaign.
In June 2006 national leaders from the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, led by local UU leaders Rev. Suzanne Meyer, met with national executives at Enterprise Leasing to encourage them to respect their janitors' wishes to have a union.
Downtown rallies during the last few months to draw attention to the janitors' call for living wages, access to health care and an opportunity for full-time work included support from Rev. Tommie Pierson, Rev. James Morris, Rev. Beverly Stith, Pastor Teresa Mithen and many others... The Jobs with Justice Faith Committee worked hard to organize these efforts. Downtown rallies also enjoyed the support of other downtown union members, including CWA members from AT&T and the Wainwright state office building, CWA-Newspaper Guild members from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, APWU members from the US Postal Service and AFGE members from downtown federal buildings.
Over the last few years of JwJ's Bread & Roses program, artists Elizabeth Vega, Tilnise Scott, Chinyere Oteh, Jackie Masei, Fannie Lebby and Debra Morrowloving all worked with janitors to create visual art and theater that took their stories to the public in new ways. Banners by janitors Sammie Rives and Irene Rivas were featured in last year's Venus Envy exhibition, and hung proudly at the janitors' vote this Saturday. These collaborations were supported by the Regional Arts Commission and Missouri Arts Council.
The Workers' Rights Board continues to focus on supporting the organization of the few remaining buildings in Clayton and Downtown that don't work with union contractors. In buildings where janitors have said they want a union, and don't have one, members of the WRB Steering Committee are reaching out to building tenants to support their janitors' organizing efforts.
As a member of the clergy and our community, I would like to share with you three vitally important facts on stem cell research and how Amendment 2, the Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, will benefit us and our loved ones.
1. Medical research shows that embryonic, or early, stem cell research offers hope for cures for diabetes, sickle cell disease, cancer and many other devastating diseases and injuries that afflict hundreds of thousands of Missourians — including a child, parent or grandparent in over half of all Missouri families.
2. Amendment 2 will protect our access to future stem cell cures that are available to other Americans and allow Missouri doctors and researchers to pro vide and help find new stem cell cures.
3. Amendment 2 strictly bans human cloning and prohibits any research that would harm a human embryo or fetus in a woman’s uterus.
Treatments and cures for sickle cell disease and diabetes
— Two of the life threatening diseases that disproportionately afflict African Americans - are among those for which stem cell research holds great promise. I am sure that most of you know at least one person who is stricken with either sickle cell or diabetes.
— Amendment 2 protects the rights of our ailing loved ones to have their medical conditions treated with any future stem cell cures allowed under federal law and available to patients in other states.
As sickle cell disease expert Dr. Michael DeBaun at St. Louis Children’s Hospital stated, “Not since the Civil Rights Act has there been a more important initiative that will empower African Americans to have control over their lives, specifically their health”
You may have heard opponents of Amendment 2 make some misleading and false claims about stem cell research. Allow me to put those to rest.
Early stem cell research does not involve abortion. Early stem cells come from two basic sources: leftover fertility clinic embryos that would otherwise be discarded; and a laboratory process called Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer. SCNT is a recent medical breakthrough that provides a way to make early stem cells in a lab dish, by inserting genetic material from a patient’s own cell, like a skin cell, into a voluntarily donated, unfertilized human egg.
Opponents claim that making stem cells in a lab dish is the same thing as “human
cloning.” Medical experts and most others understand that human cloning means creating a duplicate human being — not making stem cells in a lab dish. And, Amendment 2 strictly bans human cloning and makes any attempt to clone a human being a felony crime.
In fact, many members of the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, the coalition of 60,000 Missourians who support a YES vote on the Stem Cell Initiative, are pro-life.
“I am a Pope John XXIII and Archbishop John L.May Roman Catholic who voted pro-life while representing Missourians in the US. Senate,” said former Senator Thomas Eagleton. “I believe that those who truly respect the sanctity of human life should encourage and support our researchers and medical institutions in their efforts to advance responsible science and develop cures and therapies.”
Former US Senator and Episcopalian minister John Danforth agrees. “My entire political career, I voted pro-life. And, that is exactly why I favor the Stem Cell Initiative. I believe in saving human life.”
I say “amen” to finding cures and saving lives. And, my deep commitment is shared by over 100 patient, medical, civic and faith organizations that endorse a YES vote on 2.
Within our own community, hundreds of clergy are actively supporting Amendment •2 — including Pastor Rice, Rev. Sammie Jones, Rev. W.B. Finney, Bishop A. Scott and Rev. Alvin Smith. They too believe that God calls us to healing and the moral stance on stem cells is to protect this life saving research.
John 10:10 declares, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” The Stem Cell Initiative ensures that all Missourians will have an opportunity to live life more abundantly.
My brothers and sisters, it is clear that we need to protect equal access to stem cell cures. We can — and we must — keep hope alive for stem cell cures for all people in our community and throughout our state who are suffering.
I urge you to consider these facts carefully and to visit the Coalition website at www.MissouriCures.com to read more about stem cell research and Amendment 2. I believe when you do, you will join with us on November 7 in voting YES on 2. It could save the life of someone you love.
Rev. James T Morris
Paid, for by Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, Sandra Aust, Treasurer.
