Answers of for the Week!

Hello everyone! It's time once again for the answers to the questions you asked on Monday. This will be our last question and answer post because the election is next week! However, if you have any last minute questions please feel free to ask them on our blog and we'll try to get an answer to you as soon as possible! Now, without further ado, here are the answers to your questions.

What is Carnahan's stand on education funding?

                                      --Katie Stark, Kansas City

   One of the issues that Carnahan is most passionate about is funding for education. She believes that every child deserves a good education and that money should not be the reason it doesn't happen. When elected she will work on reforms and funding for the No Child Left Behind Act because she supports the act’s goals of boosting student achievement through transparency and accountability, but she also has seen how underfunding and inflexibility have made it hard to reach those goals.  That’s why Robin wants to reform NCLB by reducing its emphasis on “teaching to the test,” and instead promote critical thinking and problem solving and ensure that student achievement is measured by more than just test scores alone.

  Carnahan is also an advocate for making sure that college is affordable for students. She believes that too many of today’s students and families struggle to afford the cost of higher education and that no parent should have to tell their child that college is financially out–of–reach. Furthermore, she believes that no student should be saddled with an unsustainable amount of debt after graduation. That’s why she supports funding for federal student aid and loan programs and will work to combat skyrocketing tuition costs. Carnahan will also be a champion for Missouri’s community colleges and continuing education programs by promoting initiatives like the A+ Schools program, which has unlocked access to higher education for thousands of Missourians.

What is Carnahan's position on Prop B?

                                     --Kate Seaton, St.Louis

 This question was really difficult to answer because there wasn't much information about Carnahan's position on the issue to be found. This is most likely because as Secretary of State Carnahan was involved in readying the proposition for ballot and didn't want to let her personal opinions influence the development of the proposition. In any case, there wasn't a conclusive answer to give to this question. However, that doesn't mean we don't want you to be informed because really Carnahan's position on Prop B doesn't matter, yours does. It's your vote that decides whether or not it will pass.  So that is why we still want you to be informed!

  Here is what Prop B would require:

• require large-scale dog breeding operations to provide each dog under their care with sufficient food, clean water, housing and space; necessary veterinary care; regular exercise and adequate rest between breeding cycles;
• prohibit any breeder from having more than 50 breeding dogs for the purpose of selling their puppies as pets; and
• create a misdemeanor crime of “puppy mill cruelty” for any violations?

It is estimated state governmental entities will incur costs of $654,768 (on-going costs of $521,356 and one-time costs of $133,412). Some local governmental entities may experience costs related to enforcement activities and savings related to reduced animal care activities.

Fair Ballot Language:

A “yes” vote will amend Missouri law to require large-scale dog breeding operations to provide each dog under their care with sufficient food, clean water, housing and space; necessary veterinary care; regular exercise and adequate rest between breeding cycles.  The amendment further prohibits any breeder from having more than 50 breeding dogs for the purpose of selling their puppies as pets.  The amendment also creates a misdemeanor crime of “puppy mill cruelty” for any violations.

A “no” vote will not change the current Missouri law regarding dog breeders.

If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.

You can find all of this information on Prop B and all of the other ballot initiatives for this year on the Missouri Secretary of State's website, where you can also read the full text of the bill there. In addition, it might be helpful to check out this website to see who supports the bill and get another description of what it all entails. 

Well we're just about to the end of our run with this blog. We hope that we've been helpful in this election and answered all of your questions. Now the only thing to do is get out and VOTE on Tuesday. Your voice needs to be heard and your vote could make all the difference!