Rep. Jeff Grisamore | Lobbying Missouri | St. Louis Public Radio

Rep. Jeff Grisamore | Lobbying Missouri | St. Louis Public Radio

Rep. Grisamore ranks 50th (out of 197 legislators) in lobbyist spending, having received 104gifts, valued at $4,080.

* The state releases data two months after lobbyists submit it, and our numbers reflect the last 24 months on record.

Since 2004

Rep. Grisamore received 203 gifts from lobbyists, valued at $7,870.

Want all the data? You can download it here.

Top 10 organizations spending the most on this legislator

MISSOURI BIOTECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION	$1,547
INDEPENDENT COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES OF MISSOURI	$467
MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$356
MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION	$347
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI	$332
AMERISTAR CASINO HOTEL	$327
AT&T	$318
CERNER CORPORATION	$314
MISSOURI RAILROAD ASSOCIATION	$290
GAINES CONSULTING	$250

Value of gifts by industry

Technology/IT	$1,547
Government/Education	$1,502
Healthcare	$1,377
Telecommunications/Cable	$987
Legal/Lobbying/Consulting	$758
Transportation	$403
Entertainment	$363
Energy	$230
Construction/Real Estate	$135
Other	$128
Food/Agriculture/Beverages	$120
Ideology/Single-Issue	$107
Labor	$103
Banking/Finance/Insurance	$68
Chamber of Commerce	$44

Sort by:                  Most expensive                 Most recent                 Name of organization             

Date	Organization	Value	Description	Category
May 30, 2013	AT&T	$264.00	4 tickets to St. Louis Cardinals and KC Royals game and refreshments at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.	Entertainment
November 24, 2013	GAINES CONSULTING	$250.00	Chief Tickets	Entertainment
May 11, 2013	INDEPENDENT COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES OF MISSOURI	$153.98	Concert Tickets	Entertainment
February 21, 2013	AMERISTAR CASINO HOTEL	$103.00	Tickets	Entertainment
February 21, 2013	INDEPENDENT COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES OF MISSOURI	$103.00	Tickets	Entertainment
February 21, 2013	MISSOURI RAILROAD ASSOCIATION	$103.00	Tickets	Entertainment
February 10, 2014	MISSOURI RAILROAD ASSOCIATION	$97.75	Concert Tickets	Entertainment
February 10, 2014	INDEPENDENT COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES OF MISSOURI	$97.75	Concert Tickets	Entertainment
February 10, 2014	AMERISTAR CASINO HOTEL	$97.75	Concert Tickets	Entertainment
February 10, 2014	MISSOURI PHARMACY ASSOCIATION	$97.75	Concert Tickets	Entertainment
November 14, 2013	MISSOURI COALITION OF CHILDREN'S AGENCIES	$87.00	Hotel expense for stay at MCCA conference to receive legislative award	Travel
March 15, 2014	AMEREN	$78.00	Tickets	Entertainment
March 15, 2014	MISSOURI RESIDENTIAL CARE ASSOCIATION	$78.00	Tickets	Entertainment
February 15, 2013	AMERISTAR CASINO HOTEL	$73.50	Tickets	Entertainment
February 15, 2013	MISSOURI FIRE SERVICE ALLIANCE	$73.50	Tickets	Entertainment
February 15, 2013	MISSOURI BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION	$73.50	Tickets	Entertainment
February 15, 2013	MISSOURI RAILROAD ASSOCIATION	$73.50	Tickets	Entertainment
April 8, 2014	MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOC.	$73.12	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
January 31, 2013	MISSOURI COLLEGE OF EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS	$65.50	Concert ticket	Entertainment
April 10, 2013	UNITED TRANSPORTATION UNION	$62.16	Crab Boil at Hooks Restaurant, Jefferson City, MO for 2013 Legislative Session	Meals, Food, & Beverage
May 11, 2013	INDEPENDENT COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES OF MISSOURI	$60.32	Concert Tickets	Entertainment
February 12, 2013	CITY OF KANSAS CITY	$59.99	Dinner	Meals, Food, & Beverage
February 12, 2013	CITY OF KANSAS CITY	$59.99	Dinner	Meals, Food, & Beverage
January 14, 2014	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$59.52	Dinner	Meals, Food, & Beverage
October 4, 2013	CERNER CORPORATION	$54.04	American Royal BBQ	Meals, Food, & Beverage
October 4, 2013	CERNER CORPORATION	$54.04	American Royal BBQ	Meals, Food, & Beverage
February 4, 2013	MISSOURI FIRE SERVICE ALLIANCE	$52.38	Tickets	Entertainment
February 4, 2013	MISSOURI RESIDENTIAL CARE ASSOCIATION	$52.38	Tickets	Entertainment
February 4, 2013	MISSOURI RESIDENTIAL CARE ASSOCIATION	$52.38	Tickets	Entertainment
February 4, 2013	MISSOURI FIRE SERVICE ALLIANCE	$52.38	Tickets	Entertainment
February 4, 2013	MISSOURI DENTAL ASSOCIATION	$52.37	Tickets	Entertainment
February 4, 2013	MISSOURI PHARMACY ASSOCIATION	$52.37	Tickets	Entertainment
February 4, 2013	MISSOURI PHARMACY ASSOCIATION	$52.37	Tickets	Entertainment
February 4, 2013	MISSOURI DENTAL ASSOCIATION	$52.37	Tickets	Entertainment
February 21, 2013	INDEPENDENT COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES OF MISSOURI	$51.50	Tickets	Entertainment
February 21, 2013	AMERISTAR CASINO HOTEL	$51.50	Tickets	Entertainment
September 11, 2012	PENMAN & WINTON CONSULTING	$51.05	Hotel Room for night before or after meeting	Other
September 11, 2012	PENMAN & WINTON CONSULTING	$51.05	Hotel room for night before or after a meeting	Other
February 25, 2014	STEVEN R. CARROLL & ASSOCIATES	$44.09	office refreshments	Meals, Food, & Beverage
April 18, 2013	MISSOURI BANKERS ASSOCIATION	$41.60	Dinner at Alexandro's, Jefferson City MO	Meals, Food, & Beverage
June 30, 2013	MISSOURI BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION	$40.00	Tickets	Entertainment
October 10, 2012	METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE - KANSAS CITY	$37.93	MCC-Longview Legislative Luncheon	Meals, Food, & Beverage
April 3, 2013	FLOTRON & MCINTOSH	$36.79	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
March 11, 2013	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$35.92	Dinner	Meals, Food, & Beverage
April 24, 2013	R J REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY	$34.12	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
December 17, 2013	CITY OF KANSAS CITY	$32.28	Lunch	Meals, Food, & Beverage
April 3, 2013	MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION	$28.15	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
March 4, 2013	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$27.82	Beverages	Meals, Food, & Beverage
May 8, 2013	MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION	$27.23	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
April 15, 2013	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$21.63	T-shirt for charity softball tourament	Other
April 22, 2014	CENTURYLINK	$20.75	Dinner in Jefferson City	Meals, Food, & Beverage
April 28, 2014	MISSOURI ASSOCIATION OF TRIAL ATTORNEYS	$20.34	Dinner	Meals, Food, & Beverage
February 19, 2013	NATIONAL MS SOCIETY	$20.00	MS Advocates dinner	Meals, Food, & Beverage
February 27, 2013	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$18.48	Dinner	Meals, Food, & Beverage
January 16, 2014	FLOTRON & MCINTOSH	$18.00	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
January 22, 2013	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$17.21	Beverages	Meals, Food, & Beverage
May 1, 2012	MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION	$16.50	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
January 23, 2013	SITE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION	$16.45	Missouri Transportation Coalition	Meals, Food, & Beverage
May 15, 2013	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$16.31	dinner	Meals, Food, & Beverage
May 23, 2013	FLOTRON & MCINTOSH	$16.00	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
February 25, 2013	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$15.76	Beverages	Meals, Food, & Beverage
October 10, 2012	METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE - KANSAS CITY	$15.17	MCC-Longview Legislative Luncheon	Gift
March 12, 2013	MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION	$15.10	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
February 27, 2013	CENTENE CORPORATION	$15.09	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
February 4, 2013	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$14.78	Dinner	Meals, Food, & Beverage
March 13, 2013	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$14.77	Beverages	Meals, Food, & Beverage
May 13, 2013	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$14.62	Dinner	Meals, Food, & Beverage
March 7, 2013	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$14.40	Beverages	Meals, Food, & Beverage
February 27, 2013	FLOTRON & MCINTOSH	$14.33	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
April 30, 2014	MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION	$14.25	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
May 7, 2013	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$14.05	Beverages	Meals, Food, & Beverage
January 15, 2014	MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION	$13.85	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
February 6, 2013	MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION	$13.50	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
May 15, 2012	STINSON MORRISON HECKER	$13.07	Dinner.	Meals, Food, & Beverage
February 20, 2013	STEVEN R. CARROLL & ASSOCIATES	$11.00	Beverages	Meals, Food, & Beverage
August 30, 2013	STINSON MORRISON HECKER	$10.57	Lunch.	Meals, Food, & Beverage
March 5, 2014	MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION	$10.19	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
April 8, 2014	NORANDA ALUMINUM	$10.00	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
March 27, 2013	MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION	$9.95	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
January 28, 2013	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$9.48	Beverages	Meals, Food, & Beverage
September 11, 2013	FLOTRON & MCINTOSH	$9.29	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
January 31, 2013	MISSOURI COUNCIL OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS	$9.14	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
December 5, 2013	MISSOURI BUDGET PROJECT	$9.00	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
February 12, 2013	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$8.89	Refreshments	Meals, Food, & Beverage
March 13, 2013	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$8.71	Beverages	Meals, Food, & Beverage
November 17, 2013	MISSOURI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY	$8.00	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
February 12, 2014	STRATEGIC CAPITOL CONSULTING LLC	$7.99	Lunch at Arris Pizza - JC	Meals, Food, & Beverage
April 2, 2013	MISSOURI CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION	$7.69	Registration fee for Legislative Charity Softball Tournament.	Other
April 22, 2013	FLOTRON & MCINTOSH	$7.50	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
January 16, 2014	FLOTRON & MCINTOSH	$6.98	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
February 27, 2013	PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILDREN	$6.50	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
January 22, 2013	MISSOURI CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL NETWORK	$6.30	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
January 16, 2013	STEVEN R. CARROLL & ASSOCIATES	$6.00	J. Pfenny's, Jefferson City, MO	Meals, Food, & Beverage
April 3, 2013	FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER	$6.00	Lunch	Meals, Food, & Beverage
May 2, 2012	MISSOURI FARMERS CARE	$5.00	Missouri State Capitol Lawn / BBQ Lunch for all General Assembly and Staff	Meals, Food, & Beverage
January 29, 2013	AT&T	$5.00	Beverage at Doubletree, Jefferson City MO	Meals, Food, & Beverage
February 13, 2013	MISSOURI BUDGET PROJECT	$5.00	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
April 24, 2013	ASSOCIATION OF MISSOURI ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES	$5.00	fish fry	Meals, Food, & Beverage
April 30, 2014	ASSOCIATION OF MISSOURI ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES	$5.00	Fish fry	Meals, Food, & Beverage
April 16, 2013	FARMERS INSURANCE	$4.00	Beverage	Meals, Food, & Beverage
April 22, 2014	FAIR ENERGY RATE ACTION FUND	$4.00	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage
January 7, 2014	FARMERS INSURANCE	$3.25	coffee meeting at Panera	Meals, Food, & Beverage
May 9, 2012	TRI COUNTY LODGING ASSOCIATION	$3.00	ice cream social-Capitol rotunda	Meals, Food, & Beverage
April 22, 2014	FLOTRON & MCINTOSH	$3.00	Not disclosed	Meals, Food, & Beverage

Lee's Summit R-7 School District: Why Do Small School Districts Do More?

Lee's Summit R-7 School District: Why Do Small School Districts Do More?



I was at the Lake of the Ozarks this weekend.  I have sixteen acres down there.  It's not on the water.  It is in the woods and it is peaceful and quiet.  My taxes down there are so much less than they are in Lee's Summit.  If my cars were titled down there my personal property tax would be less than half of what I pay in Lee's Summit.



I went to the store to get some groceries.  The young girl at the register and I were talking.  She told me that her young brother was autistic.  She said that he was 12 years old.  He was diagnosed at 4.



She said that she wanted to be an Occupational Therapist.  She said that OT had made such a difference in her brother's life.  I asked her where he went to school.  She told me that it was the local elementary school.



I was so happy for her.  But, it saddened me.  My son didn't get OT after 5th grade.  Oh, the professionals that I took him to said that he needed it, but Lee's Summit R7 just didn't see it that way.  Of course, they didn't give him any services in middle school and very few in high school.



I wondered why a child in a very small school district would get more services and be given a better chance at success than a child that was in a school district that was supposed to be one of the best in Missouri.  It is isn't because that small district has more money.  They don't.  Their tax levy is so much less than Lee's Summit's.  Their tax levy is $2.8700.  Lee's Summit's tax levy is $6.0627.



It makes one wonder.  Maybe it is because we have a $12 million pool, an $8 million administration center, $250,000 band uniforms, artificial turf on our football fields, or our Superintendent is the highest paid in Missouri.



Whatever the reason is it makes me sad that my son didn't get what he needed and it wasn't because of resources.  I have paid more in taxes and my son was left behind.  I should have saved my money and moved to a district that cared.

My Aspergers Child: The Silent Bullying of Asperger's Boys and Girls

My Aspergers Child: The Silent Bullying of Asperger's Boys and Girls



All of the highlighted things happened to my son in the Lee's Summit School District.  He eventually dropped out because it was affecting him emotionally, psychologically, and physically.  I know, from talking to other parents, that this is continuing today.





My Aspergers Child: The Silent Bullying of Asperger's Boys and Girls

The Silent Bullying of Asperger's Boys and Girls

“My Asperger’s son continues to be bullied at school, but nobody there seems to take it seriously. His teach said that ‘he seems to start the arguments by annoying some of the other students.’ O.K. Fine. Maybe this is true, but that doesn’t justify bullying. How can I get the school to take this seriously?”

Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, disability harassment is against the law in all schools, school districts, and colleges and universities that receive public funds. “Special needs” kids who are bullied or harassed have legal rights to grievance procedures and due process on the local level. They can also file complaints with the Office of Civil Rights.

Nevertheless, in spite of all these laws and policies, the National Education Association estimates that every 7 minutes of every school day, a youngster is a victim of bullying, and 85% of the time there is no intervention by other children or grown-ups. Your youngster's school may have anti-bullying policies that do not help much on a practical level.

Kids in special education are the most frequent victims of bullies. Kids with Aspergers (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) are inevitably victims of bullying. One expert puts the percentage at 100%. The reason is that AS and HFA kids fit the profile of a typical victim (i.e., a "loner" who appears different from other kids). Like hungry wolves that attack a limping sheep that can't keep up with the herd, the boy or girl with clumsy body language and poor social skills appears vulnerable and ripe for bullying. What's worse is the youngster often suffers in silence and does not tell his mother or father about the torment.

Luke Jackson, a thirteen-year-old boy with AS explained it like this: “Aspergers kids don't realize which things they are supposed to go home and tell. ‘What have you done at school today?’ wouldn't automatically bring about the answer, ‘I have been bullied’ unless that subject was specifically brought up.

If your AS or HFA youngster appears under extreme stress, if he is missing school because of headaches and stomachaches, if he has physical injuries and torn clothing, he may be a victim of bullying. If your youngster is stealing money from you, he may be using it to pay off a bully.

Once you determine that your youngster is a victim of bullying, you have to be careful not to make the situation worse. Writing in his book “Freaks, Geeks and Aspergers,” Luke describes what happened after his mom spoke up to his tormentors: “The bullies left me alone for sometime after that. But no amount of threatening by my brother, by the educators, fear of expulsion, pleasant reasoning, absolutely nothing made any difference and they never left me alone. In the end they were physically pushing me around and punching me and it was about the worst time of my entire life.”

Luke endured not only physical beatings, but also name-calling, teasing, tripping so his lunch tray fell all over, having his books destroyed and chairs pulled out from underneath him. He ended up changing schools.

One major problem that Luke's mother and other moms and dads of AS and HFA kids face is that a school may have an anti-bullying policy, yet the staff looks the other way when it happens. Some school administrators are simply more tolerant of bullying than others. Some schools, including Columbine, tolerate a "pecking order" in which athletes and popular children have special privileges and develop a sense of entitlement that leads to a "bullying atmosphere." In such a school, if moms and dads report bullying, the principal may advise them to enroll their youngster in karate or otherwise teach him to stand up for himself. The underlying attitude is that it is the victim's fault. One principal told a mother of an Aspergers boy, "Your son is a little different and it bothers other kids, so he brings this on himself because of who he is." Also in such a school, educators and coaches may bully the “different” youngster too.

Another problem in approaching educators and school administrators is that an AS or HFA youngster does not have the social savvy to tell his side of the story effectively. Bullies typically lack empathy and real feeling, but many are good at crying on cue and playing the victim. Often the Aspergers student gets expelled, and the bully receives no punishment unless the Aspergers student has an effective witness.

In a survey by York University, only 23% of children agreed with this statement: “educators usually - or almost always - intervene when bullies attack.” However, 71% of the educators in the survey agreed. Part of the problem is that educators do not witness most bullying, because it usually happens off campus (which also means the school may not be legally liable for it). AS and HFA kids are most vulnerable when they walk alone to and from school. The other most likely times bullying occurs is during unstructured times (e.g., lunch hour, recess, passing between classes). Bullying peaks in junior high school.

There are things you can do to protect your youngster. It is a good idea to demand an anti-bullying clause in your youngster's Individual Education Plan (IEP). This is a proactive way of having solutions in place and holding the administration to its word in the event your youngster is bullied anytime throughout the year. If your school does not have an anti-bullying program, try to work through the PTO to get one in place. Some schools have a “bullying coordinator” (usually a volunteer) who monitors the lunchroom, restrooms, corridors and playgrounds, and makes sure there is consistent intervention.

If your youngster is a victim of bullying, don't approach the mom or dad of the bully – or the bully himself. According to the research, parents of bullies are often abusive people themselves. Talk to your youngster's teacher and principal in private. Ask for an adult aide to accompany your youngster at all times, if necessary. If the bullying does not stop, you can involve the police or file grievances through your local Office of Civil Rights. If your youngster is in danger, you can home-school him until the situation is under control or transfer him to a private school. If you have to file a lawsuit against the school and the mom and dad of the bully, find a lawyer whose expertise is in special education law.

P.S. Warning to parents: According to statistics, it is very likely that YOUR child with Aspergers or High-Functioning Autism HAS BEEN or IS BEING bullied. Why don’t you know about it? Because your child won’t tell you! Why won't he tell you? Because he thinks it's a normal, everyday activity that some peers engage in. So, you need to investigate this now – BEFORE your child has been tormented for weeks or months or years! If after your investigation, you discover there has been no bullying against your child, then thank God for it.