Billy Pat Wright

This probably won't come as a surprise, but a lot of the House Republicans who voted against the plan to provide health care for 35,000 working parents, at no cost to the state, previously promised to fight for preventive health services and make health care a top priority when they were running for office last fall.

Still, it's worth noting that there were at least five House Republicans, including Majority Floor Leader Steve Tilley, who made written promises to fight for expanded access to health care when they signed the American Cancer Society's "State Cancer Promise", and then voted against the restoration of cuts for 35k parents. 

• Steven Tilley, District 106
• Mark Bruns, District 113         
• Bill Deeken, District 114
• Charlie Denison, District 135                    
• Billy Pat Wright, District 159

The Missouri House Veterans Committee voted 6-5 yesterday against a proposal by Rep. Stephen Webber (D-Columbia) that would pay deployed state employees the difference between their regular pay and their military pay

Committee Chairman David Day (R-Dixon) opposed the bill because it would single out those on active military duty for "special treatment."

I have a real concern with separating out one relatively small segment and saying, "We’re going to give you this special safety net that we’re not going to provide anyone else."

If any segment of the population is undeserving of special treatment, it's those self-absorbed nogoodnicks on active duty. At least they kept the special treatment for deployed politicians intact.