School Board Approves $77,794 Change Order

The $77,794.87 payment covers work performed that "exceeded the scope of work of their contract."

The Board of Education for the School District of University City Thursday approved a $77,794.87 change order with McCarthy/Kwame for work "performed that exceeded the scope of work of their contract." The vote was 5-1, with Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal voting against the measure. Board Director Tom Peters was not at the meeting.  According to School Board Agenda item 13-22: This cost issue is the result of information brought forward by McCarthy/Kwame regarding staff costs associated with the Barbara C. Jordan and Pershing Elementary School projects. This information was presented to the Board of Education during two presentations at Board of Education work sessions. McCarthy/Kwame presented information regarding changes to the construction…

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From the Senator's Desk

Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Title IX

A column from State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal.

Saturday marks the 40th anniversary of Title IX, a portion of the Equal Opportunity Act which was added to the U.S. Constitution on June 23, 1972. The policy states (in part) that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity.” The law is one of the most important civil rights successes in American education because it opened the door for young women to be included in the same activities as men. Other than the constitutional right to vote, no other piece of legislation has had a greater impact on the lives of women. Although the legislation doesn’t mention sports directly, statistics show …

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From the Senator's Desk

Saving the Sue Shear Institute, Busting Rush and Other Legislative Accomplishments

A recap of the 2012 legislative session by Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City.

As a member of the minority party in the Senate it is often difficult to pass legislation. Typically, the majority party will allow a minority member’s bill to be heard in committee and sometimes our bills make it to the floor for debate. However, most of the time the minority party is working to amend legislation onto other bills, filibustering or blocking bad legislation or trying to remove bad provisions from bills likely to pass. This year brought forth many challenges. Although several of the bills I sponsored did not make it to the floor, I was successful fighting for the citizens I represent in the 14th Senatorial District and the state of Missouri. Here is a list of some of my session highlights:

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From the Senator's Desk

2012 Legislative Session Wrap Up

Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal's column.

Sometimes a legislative session is noteworthy because of bills that were sent to the governor that improve the lives of Missouri citizens or make our state a better place to live and work. Sometimes a legislative session is noteworthy because of what did NOT pass, and I think the 2012 session falls into the latter category.  When the session got underway in January, we were told making Missouri a “right-to-work” state and eliminating the prevailing wage laws were key to creating jobs and improving the state’s economy. The truth is that both proposals would result in lower wages for Missouri workers, which would do nothing to boost the state economy since workers would have less to spend and the state would collect less tax revenue. …

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From the Senator's Desk

Helping With Kinloch's Cleanup

Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal's column.

Over the weekend, I helped residents and volunteers during Kinloch’s city-wide cleanup. The city is the oldest African-American community in the state of Missouri and was once home to a vibrant and flourishing black community. However, the city of Kinloch has been neglected for decades and has lost more than 75 percent of its population over the years. The city has very few resources and relies heavily on the work of residents and volunteers working to rehabilitate the area. Congressman Russ Carnahan also volunteered, and I was delighted to see him spend some time with residents in my district. Area businesses, religious leaders and several St. Louis County residents from multiple municipalities attended the cleanup as volunteers on …

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From the Senator's Desk

Secret Service Fiasco: President Obama's Missed Opportunity in Colombia

Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal's column.

The last week has been somewhat controversial for President Obama and the U.S. Secret Service. What most people have been hearing about is the behavior of the Secret Service members responsible for looking after the president of the United States during his recent visit to Colombia. Since the facts of the situation are widely known, I will forego repeating information that has embarrassed our country.   Last year, I traveled to Cali, Colombia, for the second time in my tenure as an elected official, and more importantly as an official that has a unique perspective when it comes to Afro-Latino issues throughout the Americas and the Caribbean. The purpose of my trips was to offer the perspective of political leadership in the United States …

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From the Senator's Desk

Attack on Teacher Tenure

A column from Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal.

The Senate spent several hours recently debating a bill (Senate Bill 806) that was originally designed to abolish the current teacher tenure system for public school teachers in Missouri. The bill was an attempt by special interest groups to bust up teacher unions and to micromanage how school districts across the state operate. As a school board member and a friend to many current and retired teachers, I was vocal in my opposition to this bill when it was brought up for debate on the Senate floor. If we want to really reform the education process in Missouri, we need to look at some of the root problems plaguing school districts across the state. Although state and federal budgets are tight nowadays, some school districts are still …

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From the Senator's Desk

One Year Anniversary of the Good Friday Tornado

Thoughts from Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City.

Last year’s Good Friday tornado taught us valuable lessons about safety, recovery, rebuilding and insurance. The tornado was one of the worst storms to hit the area in 40 years. We all watched, waited and hunkered down as the storm traveled from Maryland Heights, across Berkeley and through Ferguson, damaging homes and businesses and leaving downed trees and power lines in its path. Some of the worst damage occurred in the communities in North County, where some residences and businesses are still recovering from the damage. It truly was a miracle that no one was killed in our area, and I am still inspired today by the first responders who came from neighboring municipalities to help victims. I will always remember the professionalism and …

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Charter School Compromise Passes Senate Hurdle

Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, filibustered the bill for several hours on Wednesday.

From the Senator's Desk

Radioactive Waste in our Groundwater

Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal's column.

It takes an awful lot to anger me. For the last month I have been learning about radioactive waste in North St. Louis County. My friend and environmental stalwart, Kay Drey, told me about this issue a couple of years ago but I did not fully understand the scope of environmental and health ramifications of radioactive waste like I do today. Last week I toured three areas in my new senate district that have radioactive waste – specifically 43,000 tons of radioactive waste (uranium) that was illegally dumped into an unlined municipal dump. I have also discovered that one of the American Water intake sites — that is responsible for supplying drinking water for all North St. Louis County residents — is only eight river miles downstream. About …

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Billy Frank Thornton

8:12 pm on Thursday, March 28, 2013

Dioxin contamination was spead upon the streets of Times Beach, Mo. in 1971. Retired employee from the EPA "finked" on them in the 80's...hundreds of contaminated sites were filed "safely" away in the EPA vault. Results was the buying out of all businesses and families in Times Beach. Again, the town of Times Beach had one of the highest per capita rate of cancer.   more ›