Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Republic High School's Garrett Metscher for winning the high jump at the 2013 Class 4 State Track and Field Championships.

Through his hard work and dedication, Garrett placed first in the high jump with a new school record of 6'7\1/2\''. Throughout the season, he dominated the field and his effort resulted in the event's top seed heading into the state championship. In the state championship event, Garrett did not disappoint, besting the 15-man field and taking the title.

I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating Garrett Metscher, winner of the high jump at the Missouri Class 4 State Track and Field Championships.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ozark Christian College Men's Basketball Coach Chris Lahm on his 500th career victory.

Chris achieved his 500th win after a 78-68 victory over Hillsdale Baptist in the Association of Christian College Athletics Tournament 3rd place game. Not only did Chris lead his team to 3rd place in this tournament, Chris and his team finished another tremendous season with a 3rd place finish in the 2013 National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division II National Tournament, as well. With these accomplishments, Chris was named the 2013 NCCAA Division II Southwest Regional Basketball Coach of the Year.

Chris' 27-year career as head basketball coach at both Nebraska Christian College and Ozark Christian College translates to thousands of hours of practice, games, and travel in addition to the hundreds of players he has helped throughout his time serving as head coach and mentor.

Through his hard work and dedication, Chris has left a positive impact at Ozark Christian College and the community. Chris should be proud of his accomplishments in recruiting, coaching, and guiding a phenomenal group of young men throughout the past 27 years. I commend him on a job well done.

I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating Ozark Christian College Men's Basketball Coach Chris Lahm on his 500th career victory.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the 50th wedding anniversary of Gary and Judi Samuel.

Gary and Judi Samuel were married on June 1, 1963. Since then, Gary has served as the president of Portable Livestock Shelters and Judi is a partner at Debco Management, Inc. Gary and Judi are also members of Second Baptist Church in Springfield.

Gary and Judi have two children, a daughter, Sherry, and a son, Greg. They are also blessed with five granddaughters.

I am proud of Gary and Judi Samuel and am honored to call them my neighbors in the 7th Congressional District of Missouri. This milestone shows what true devotion Gary and Judi have to one another. I wanted to take this opportunity to commemorate their 50th anniversary. May God bless them with many more happy and loving years together.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the hard work and perseverance of Paul Comstedt, Derek Hammeke, and Kip Johnson, owners of Amplify Gymnastics, and as the recipients of the U.S. Small Business Administration's 2013 Phoenix Award.

In May 2011, Paul, Derek, and Kip were preparing for the grand opening of their business, Amplify Gymnastics. Tragically, just days before the opening, an EF5 tornado tore through the Joplin community, destroying 20 percent of the city. In addition, their entire building was destroyed and a single slab of concrete was all that was left of the gym. In fact, on the day of the tornado Kip stopped by the gym to complete some finishing touches. During that time, the tornado ripped through the gym and a two-ton truck that Kip used for cover was thrown 20 feet. Thankfully, he survived.

After surviving the catastrophic event, the men were forced to rebuild their entire gym. Paul, Derek, and Kip applied for an SBA disaster loan to cover rebuilding costs and operating expenses. After 9 months of rebuilding, Amplify held its grand opening with over 200 young athletes registered. In the following months, Amplify added 300 more athletes and grew their staff from 10 to 23 employees. In just a few months following the grand opening, Amplify Gymnastics surpassed their five-year goal.

The efforts of these three men encompass all the characteristics of true entrepreneurs. Despite overwhelming odds, Amplify Gymnastics has become a place in the community where local kids can train their bodies and exercise their minds. I am grateful for the contributions they have given to the Joplin community.

The Small Business Administration's Phoenix Award is awarded to businesses, public officials and volunteers who are tested by disasters like the Joplin tornado but work to overcome the disaster by rebuilding and helping their communities recover.

I would like to take this opportunity to express how grateful I am by the courage and ingenuity of Paul Comstedt, Derek Hammeke, and Kip Johnson. May God bless them and the continued recovery of the Joplin community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce President Rob O' Brian, recipient of the U.S. Small Business Administration's Phoenix Award.

Like all Joplin residents, Rob had his life drastically changed on May 22, 2011, when an EF5 tornado touched down leaving only a path of destruction in its wake.

The aftermath of the Joplin tornado left the area with nearly 5,000 jobs in jeopardy of being lost and damage to over 550 local businesses. As president of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, Rob used his quick thinking and resourcefulness to help business owners recover from the destruction left behind from the tornado.

Through the leadership of Rob, the Joplin Chamber was able to set up a Small Business Administration Business Recovery Center just days after the tornado. This center enabled the chamber and its staff to help all business owners in their time of need. In fact, over 500 affected companies are still operating today and 90 percent of the jobs affected by the storm were saved.

In addition to the reopened businesses, more than 100 new employers have opened their doors since the storm. The new businesses cited the resilience of Joplin residents and the support of Rob and the Joplin Chamber as key reasons for their decision to locate to the region.

The Small Business Administration's Phoenix Award is awarded to businesses, public officials, and volunteers who are tested by disasters like the Joplin tornado but work to overcome the disaster by rebuilding and helping their communities recover.

Rob's acts of courage, selflessness and perseverance in the aftermath of this disaster make him an outstanding recipient of this award. I am grateful for his leadership and service to Missouri's 7th District.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Connell Insurance, the 2013 recipient of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce's W. Curtis Strube Small Business Award.

Connell Insurance is a full service, independent insurance agency that was founded by Pat Connell in 1971. The launch of Connell Insurance came after Pat saw his father, Bob, lose his successful houseboat manufacturing business to a fire in the late sixties. This disaster took an even worse turn with the insurance difficulties that occurred after the fire. With this tragedy in mind and being an entrepreneur by nature, as well as family tradition, Pat launched Connell Insurance Inc. to serve his community.

Throughout the years, Connell Insurance garnered a reputation for excellence in serving the rapid growth of the hospitality industry in Branson. The growth of Branson was equally matched by the agency itself. It was this growth that spurred Pat's brother, Tim, to join the agency in 1987. In 1995, Connell Insurance became even more of a family affair when Pat's son, Chad, joined the family business.

Connell Insurance is recognized within Southwest Missouri for its focus on community, its unique service offerings, and its philosophy of being a trusted partner and advisor to its clients. The agency's forward-thinking enabled it to be among one of the first agencies to go ``paperless,'' completing the transition nearly a decade ago. In fact, the agency is currently the only Ozarks Greenscore certified insurance agency in Southwest Missouri.

Connell Insurance is the 2013 recipient of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce W. Curtis Strube Small Business Award. The W. Curtis Strube Small Business Award celebrates the importance of small business in the Springfield community and highlights the unique entrepreneurial spirit that flourishes here.

I am honored to recognize Connell Insurance and their 31 employees, and want to take this opportunity to acknowledge their hard work, innovation, business philosophy, and contributions to our community.

On a personal note I would like to mention that not only is Pat a great businessman, he and his wife Patty were even better next door neighbors to my Mom and Dad for several years.

Mr. Speaker, all Americans are aware how our current Tax Code is too complex and punishes people who save, invest, and achieve economic success. However, the recent news coming from the IRS illustrates another pressing reason for tax reform. Our current Tax Code puts too much power and potential for abuse into the hands of unaccountable, unelected bureaucrats.

The American people deserve a tax system that cannot be a political weapon to be used against them. That is why I'm a proud cosponsor of the Fair Tax. The Fair Tax would eliminate the IRS by replacing the current Tax Code with a simple consumption-based tax. The Fair Tax would be collected equally from all Americans, with no opportunity for the government to attack or discriminate against innocent citizens.

The Fair Tax is a reform measure that offers a rare chance to unleash economic growth, create good jobs, and at the same time protect the rights of American people. I urge this body to swiftly pass the Fair Tax.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th Anniversary of Empire District Electric Company's Ozark Beach Dam.

In early 1911, two businessmen from St. Louis formed the Ozark Power and Water Company and obtained permission from Congress to erect a hydroelectric dam across the White River at Ozark Beach.

Unfortunately, the financial backing the men had secured was lost. At this point, the Ambursen Hydraulic Construction Co. of Boston became involved with the project. They took the plan for the dam to the Henry L. Doherty & Company of New York, a company that had been investing in electric and gas companies in Missouri and Kansas, primarily due to the lead and other mining operations that were springing up in the states. The Doherty Company, which later formed the basis of the Empire District Electric Company through the consolidation of several utilities, began work on the dam.

The dam was completed and the White River was officially closed off on March 20, 1913, creating Lake Taneycomo. Power began flowing on September 1, 1913.

Upon completion, the dam housed five, 25-cycle turbines that were rated at two megawatts each. Energy from the dam was carried north to the Nichol Street Substation in Springfield on steel towers and then west to Joplin. This line carried 66,000 volts of electricity which involved considerable pioneering since transmission facilities were limited in the ``Ozark'' country. The 150-mile line was also considered an engineering achievement, since transformers, insulators, switching, and the general design were just being developed for such a high voltage.

With the exception of some reinforcement work completed on the dam in the early 1920's, the dam remained unchanged until the early 1930's when the original 25-cycle equipment was replaced. The power house interior was redesigned to house new vertical water wheels and four, four-megawatt, 60-cycle generators were installed.

In 1995, the plant received further modernization. Following installation of some control equipment, the plant became remotely operated from the Company's Systems Operation Center in Joplin.

Starting in 2002, each one of the turbines was replaced with stainless steel turbines with additional horsepower improvements. The turbines were replaced one per year with the last one coming online in March 2005.

With the exception of several modernization upgrades, the dam stands much the same as it was when finished in 1913. It provides the Empire District system with 16 megawatts of power and the Taney County area with a beautiful recreational area.

I would like to take this opportunity to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Empire District Electric Company's Ozark Beach Dam.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an important issue: the attack against America and its citizens by terrorists in Benghazi. Four Americans, including our Ambassador, Chris Stevens, have been killed. The American people deserve the truth about Benghazi and to know who was responsible, not convenient stories blaming the violence on some filmmaker's free speech rights. The people who died deserve justice.

As we investigate this attack, and the response of the civilian and military leaders in command, we must determine whether the paralysis that seemed to characterize the government's reaction was the result of individual bad decisions or a broader institutional problem.

Our military and our soldiers are the most capable in the world, but if their commanders refuse to send them into battle, they cannot safeguard American lives or interests.

The American people and our allies abroad need to know that the United States has the resolve to act in the face of uncertainty. Our enemies need to know that when they attack Americans, they do so at great danger because Americans do not leave our people behind.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Springfield- Greene County Park Board's 100th Anniversary.

The Park Board was founded on May 22, 1913 and immediately assumed the maintenance and preservation of Washington and Lafayette Parks, both created shortly after the Civil War. By the end of World War II, it administered Springfield's ten historic parks, including: Dickerson Park Zoo, Doling, Grant Beach, Fassnight, Lafayette, Phelps Grove, Sequiota, Silver Springs, Smith, and Washington.

Tremendous growth took place from the 1950s to the present, particularly under the leadership of longtime Parks Director Dan Kinney, who more than doubled the size of the system during his tenure from 1971 to 2005. The name changed to the Springfield-Greene County Park Board in 1996, when voters approved expansion of the system beyond city limits.

The Park Board now counts more than 100 sites and many more facilities within its county-wide system, ranging from neighborhood playgrounds to multi-use recreational facilities. The system includes three golf courses, three Emily centers, a zoo, a farm park, a botanical center, several sports and athletic complexes, two indoor aquatics centers, six outdoor swimming pools, multiple school-park sites and more than 100 miles of recreational trails.

The Park Board has earned state and national recognition, most notably the ``Gold Medal Award'' for best overall parks and recreation department of its size in 2000 from the National Recreation and Park Association. In 2003, the City of Springfield, Missouri--Greene County was named ``Missouri Sportstown USA'' by Sports Illustrated magazine. The United States Olympic Committee has designated the Park Board as one of its select Community Olympic Development Program sites for the sports of tennis, volleyball, archery, and ice hockey.

Each year, park facilities host more than 50 national, regional, state and local tournaments in softball, baseball, soccer, hockey, tennis, volleyball and golf, and it maintains an active partnership with more than 200 volunteer groups and entities in the area, enhancing recreation and outreach both within and beyond parks facilities.

For 100 years, the Park Board has skillfully managed the beautiful parks and recreation facilities throughout the Springfield area, and I am confident that the next 100 years will be even more impressive.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Drury University's Men's Basketball and Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Teams on their national championships.

Drury University is the only school in the NCAA at any level in this 2012-13 school year to have won three national championships.

The Panthers Basketball Team won in dramatic fashion over Metro State to win 74-73 after they overcame a 17-point deficit to win on a last minute free throw in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 7. This is Drury's first NCAA-II National Basketball Championship, and it also marked Drury's 23rd straight win of the season. They won through their hard work and the sheer determination to win.

I want to commend Head Coach Steve Hesser, Assistant Coaches Ja Havens and Steven Gum, and Graduate Assistant Brandon Kimbrough for guiding the team through its extraordinary season. Coach Hesser did a remarkable job, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches honored Coach Hesser as its National D-II Coach of the Year, an award he certainly deserves.

Drury University's Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Teams, coached by Brian Reynolds, swept the titles on March 9 in Birmingham, Alabama. This was the ninth straight national championship for the Drury Men--a record for NCAA Division II schools--and the fourth national title in the last five years for the Drury Women. I also want to commend Assistant Coach Jason Hite, Diving Coach Richard Hackett, Graduate Assistant Michal Winiewicz, and Graduate Assistant Marta Stepien for all their work this year.

I also congratulate Coach Reynolds, who was named National Coach of the Year for both the men's and women's competitions for his efforts this year. Coach Reynolds has developed a truly unique and dominant program.

The Springfield community is proud of the Drury teams for reaching such a high level of success. Drury University won three national titles and three national championships in the span of a month. Drury's national championships are remarkable achievements, and the teams will have memories to last a lifetime.

I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Drury Panthers on their outstanding athletic performances this year.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Walnut Grove Lady Tigers Basketball Team for winning the Missouri Class 1 Girls State Championship.

The Lady Tigers clinched the title with a thrilling finish, making a free throw with 1 second left for a final score of 47-46. Members of the team include Miranda Allison, Audree Crain, Carrigan Comstock, Ellen Hayter, Heather Harman, Lexi Harman, Shelby Harman, Megan Shuler, Madisyn Freeze, and Karsyn Hejna.

Through their hard work and dedication on and off the court, the Lady Tigers developed into a truly great championship team. The Lady Tigers ended the season 30-2, which set a school record for most wins in a season.

I also want to commend Head Coach Rory Henry and Assistant Coaches Deidre Parks and Jeff Cope for a job well-done on developing such a strong basketball program.

The Walnut Grove community is justifiably proud of this extraordinary group of young and talented student-athletes. I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Walnut Grove Lady Tigers as they celebrate their Class 1 Girls State Championship.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Floyd VanDerhoef for his service to our nation and his honorary membership into the 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum's Board of Directors.

Floyd served as a first lieutenant and captain in A Company, 56th Armored Infantry Battalion. Floyd's battalion was one of the first units in Patton's First Army to cross over the Rhine into Germany, where it helped liberate between 40,000-50,000 prisoners held en route to the Dachau concentration camp.

Following his service, Floyd remained close with the veterans who served alongside him, and he was instrumental in establishing the 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum in Abilene, Texas. He donated his own memorabilia and even paid for gold stars on the museum's floor to honor his fallen comrades.

It is important for all of us to take a moment and say thank you to our veterans like Floyd VanDerhoef who sacrificed for our country and our freedom. From the time of our nation's founding to today, these brave men and women have earned the enduring gratitude of our nation, and we honor their selfless service.

I am honored to recognize Floyd VanDerhoef for his service to our nation and for his commitment to honor his fellow veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Crane Lady Pirates Basketball Team for winning the Missouri Class 2 Girls State Championship.

The win capped off a commanding season in which the Lady Pirates won 30 games, including a 21-game winning streak. Members of the team include Maggie McMenamy, Allie Hagler, Addie Reel, Riley Israel, Loni Johnson, Jalee Johnson, Kylie Vaught, Lexi Vaught, Emma Lander, Sam Bunting, Justeen Mahan, Kylee Moore, Shelby Roder, and Keren Belin. It was through their hard work and dedication that they achieved such a high level of success.

I also want to recognize Head Coach Jeremy Mullins and Assistant Coaches Billy R. Redus and Maranda Vaught. They developed a powerhouse program, and they should be commended on developing these young women into strong leaders on and off the court.

The Crane community is justifiably proud of this extraordinary group of talented student-athletes. I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Crane Lady Pirates as they celebrate their Class 2 Girls State Championship.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Neosho High School wrestling team for winning the Missouri Class 3 State Championship.

Their win is the third state wrestling title in four years, which is a remarkable feat. They showed grit and determination throughout the season, and they came from behind to win the title once again. Members of the team include: Kyler Rea, John Williams, River Buttram, Dakota McGarrah, Nate Rodriguez, Jason Box, Kyle Hostetter, Sam Williams, Chance Branstetter, Jacob Brock, Ben Elledge, Christian Lopez, Aaron Clardy; and managers Emily Massey, Raegan Kibler, Madyson Reiboldt, and Macy Smith.

I want to recognize Christian Lopez for winning the individual title in his weight class. With the team championship on the line, it was his win that gave his team the points they needed for victory. It was a commanding performance under pressure.

I also want to congratulate senior Nate Rodriguez for winning the individual title in his weight class. The four-time Academic All-State student finished his high school career with three state championships and a final record of 210-13, which places Nate as Missouri's all-time career record holder, which is an extraordinary accomplishment.

The coaching staff, which includes Head Coach Jeremy Phillips, Assistant Coaches Cody Crocker, Josh Sonis, Brett Watkins, and Tyler Gordon, Volunteer Assistant Brandon Russow, and Trainer James Bolin, has developed a powerhouse wrestling program, and they should be commended on an amazing accomplishment and a job well done.

The team, with the help of its coaches and the support of their families and community, persevered through the turmoil of the season and the trials of the state championships. Together, they grew as individuals and as a team, and their successes show what can be achieved through hard work, dedication, and belief.