Ben Baker | |
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Member of the MissouriHouseofRepresentatives from the 160th district | |
Assumed office January 9, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Bill Reiboldt |
Personal details | |
Born | Indianapolis,Indiana |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Naomi [1] |
Children | 4 |
Education | Ozark Bible Institute |
Website | Official website |
Ben Baker is a Republican politician who has served as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 160th district since 2019.
Baker is a graduate and former dean of students at Ozark Bible Institute,and a former mayor and councilmember in Neosho,Missouri. He was first elected to the Missouri House in 2018,where he sits on committees for administrative rules,elementary and secondary education,downsizing state government and economic development. [2]
On May 23,2024,Baker's daughter Natalie and son-in-law Davy were killed in a gang attack in Haiti,where they had been working as missionaries. [3]
In 2020,Baker proposed House Bill 2044 to "require libraries to create review boards to regulate library events and anything else in the library considered age-inappropriate sexual material". [4] [5] He said that he was motivated by Drag Queen Story Hour,however it was not addressed by the bill. The Missouri Library Association opposed the legislation as each library system already has established protocols for appropriate services to minors. [6]
In 2021,Baker sponsored a bill to curb business liabilities for COVID-19 infections. It was countered by dueling legislation and failed to pass Missouri Senate. [7]
Baker sponsored a 2022 bill called a "Parents' Bill of Rights" that would place restrictions on school curriculum and open opportunities for parents to serve civil lawsuits on schools. Critics identified duplication in the bill with existing state laws,as well as "solutions seeking a problem," to which Baker described the bill as a preventative measure. [8]
In 2023,Baker introduced a bill to block municipal bans on pet shop animals. Baker acknowledged that sales of live pets are a "heavily regulated industry" and described his bill as a preventative measure. [9] He further acknowledged that he had not researched existing Missouri law on the matter. Petland,one of the businesses involved in the bill who also lobbies in Missouri legislature,has been linked to bacterial infection outbreaks and other concerns. [10]
Baker attempted to expand a 2023 bill restricting healthcare to transgender youth to also block transgender health care for incarcerated adults. [11] Baker also introduced legislation to block approval and ranked-choice voting. [12] The opposition for his bill to override restrictions on concealed carry in places of worship included CVPA students who had recently survived a school shooting. [13]
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940,is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to their student athletes. $1.3 billion in athletic scholarship financial aid is awarded to student athletes annually. For the 2023–24 season,it had 241 member institutions,of which two are in British Columbia,one in the U.S. Virgin Islands,and the rest in the continental United States,with over 83,000 student-athletes participating. The NAIA,whose headquarters is in Kansas City,Missouri,sponsors 28 national championships. CBS Sports Network,formerly called CSTV,serves as the national media outlet for the NAIA. In 2014,ESPNU began carrying the NAIA Football National Championship.
The rights of lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Utah have significantly evolved in the 21st century. Protective laws have become increasingly enacted since 2014,despite the state's reputation as socially conservative and highly religious. Utah's anti-sodomy law was invalidated in 2003 by Lawrence v. Texas,and fully repealed by the state legislature in 2019. Same-sex marriage has been legal since the state's ban was ruled unconstitutional by federal courts in 2014. In addition,statewide anti-discrimination laws now cover sexual orientation and gender identity in employment and housing,and the use of conversion therapy on minors is prohibited. In spite of this,there are still a few differences between the treatment of LGBT people and the rest of the population,and the rights of transgender youth are restricted.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in the United States rank among the most advanced in the world,with public opinion and jurisprudence changing significantly since the late 1980s.
In the United States,the rights of transgender people vary considerably by jurisdiction. In recent decades,there has been an expansion of federal,state,and local laws and rulings to protect transgender Americans;however,many rights remain unprotected,and some rights are being eroded. Since 2020,there has been a national movement by conservative/right-wing politicians and organizations to target transgender rights. There has been a steady increase in the number of anti-transgender bills introduced each year,especially in Republican-led states.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Minnesota have the same rights and responsibilities as non-LGBT people. Minnesota became the first U.S. state to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in 1993,protecting LGBT people from discrimination in the fields of employment,housing,and public accommodations. In 2013,the state legalized same-sex marriage,after a bill allowing such marriages was passed by the Minnesota Legislature and subsequently signed into law by Governor Mark Dayton. This followed a 2012 ballot measure in which voters rejected constitutionally banning same-sex marriage.
California is seen as one of the most liberal states in the U.S. in regard to lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) rights,which have received nationwide recognition since the 1970s. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in the state since 1976. Discrimination protections regarding sexual orientation and gender identity or expression were adopted statewide in 2003. Transgender people are also permitted to change their legal gender on official documents without any medical interventions,and mental health providers are prohibited from engaging in conversion therapy on minors.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Massachusetts enjoy the same rights as non-LGBT people. The U.S. state of Massachusetts is one of the most LGBT-supportive states in the country. In 2004,it became the first U.S. state to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the decision in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health,and the sixth jurisdiction worldwide,after the Netherlands,Belgium,Ontario,British Columbia,and Quebec.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in Texas have some protections in state law but may face legal and social challenges not faced by others. Same-sex sexual activity was decriminalized in Texas in 2003 by the Lawrence v. Texas ruling. On June 26,2015,the Supreme Court of the United States ruled bans on same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional in Obergefell v. Hodges.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Missouri face some legal challenges not experienced by other residents throughout the state,excluding St. Louis,Kansas City,and Columbia. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Missouri,in accordance with 2003's Lawrence v. Texas decision.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in Tennessee may experience some legal challenges that non-LGBT residents do not. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in the state since 1996. Marriage licenses have been issued to same-sex couples in Tennessee since the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26,2015.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. state of North Dakota may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in North Dakota,and same-sex couples and families headed by same-sex couples are eligible for all of the protections available to opposite-sex married couples;same-sex marriage has been legal since June 2015 as a result of Obergefell v. Hodges. State statutes do not address discrimination on account of sexual orientation or gender identity;however,the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBT people is illegal under federal law.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of South Dakota may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in South Dakota,and same-sex marriages have been recognized since June 2015 as a result of Obergefell v. Hodges. State statutes do not address discrimination on account of sexual orientation or gender identity;however,the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBT people is illegal under federal law.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Idaho face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT people. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Idaho,and same-sex marriage has been legal in the state since October 2014. State statutes do not address discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity;however,the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBT people is illegal under federal law. A number of cities and counties provide further protections,namely in housing and public accommodations. A 2019 Public Religion Research Institute opinion poll showed that 71% of Idahoans supported anti-discrimination legislation protecting LGBT people,and a 2016 survey by the same pollster found majority support for same-sex marriage.
A unified primary is an electoral system for narrowing the field of candidates for a single-winner election,similar to a nonpartisan blanket primary,but using approval voting for the first round,advancing the top-two candidates,allowing voters to confirm the majority-supported candidate in the general election.
Mike Moon is an American politician serving as a member of the Missouri Senate,who previously served in the Missouri House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Adam Schnelting is a Republican member of the Missouri House of Representatives. He currently represents the 69th district,which primarily encompasses Harvester,Weldon Spring,and portions of St. Peters and St. Charles in St. Charles County,south of Highway 94. Schnelting was originally elected to serve the 104th district in the Missouri House of Representatives in November 2018.
Bobby Bostic is an American writer who was sentenced to a term of 241 years. On December 12,1995,Bostic,aged 16,along with 18-year-old Donald Hutson robbed a group of people in Missouri at gunpoint,and shortly thereafter robbed and briefly detained a woman in her car. The pair were caught later that day. Hutson was offered a plea deal and accepted 30 years in prison. On the advice of family,Bostic declined the same offer and elected to go to trial. He was given a sentence of 241 years by Judge Evelyn Baker,making him eligible for parole when he was 112. Bostic was serving the longest sentence in Missouri given to a juvenile for non-homicide offenses.
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2022 Missouri Constitutional Amendment 3, also known as the Marijuana Legalization Initiative, was a ballot measure to amend the Constitution of Missouri to legalize cannabis at the state level in Missouri. The measure was on the November 7,2022,general ballot and was approved by voters with a margin of 53–47 percent.
The 2020s anti-LGBT movement in the United States is an ongoing political backlash from social conservatives against LGBT people. It has included legislative proposals of bathroom use restrictions,bans on gender-affirming care,anti-LGBT curriculum laws,laws against drag performances,book bans,boycotts,and conspiracy theories around grooming. Between 2018 and 2023,hundreds of anti-LGBT laws were considered,with more than one hundred passed into law.