Re-Elect Representative Stephen Webber

Stephen in the News

3/26/10: Columbia Daily Tribune: Tilting at Windmills
"Webber thinks he won a victory by even getting [his nondiscrimination bill] discussed. He is right. The road ahead might be long, but now at least a procedural roadblock has tentatively been pushed aside. I’m proud of our reps for fighting the good fight."

3/24/10: KOMU: Lobbyists Promote Nondiscrimination Clause
"Representative Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, is the bill's sponsor. He said: 'most Missourians are stunned to find out that you can ask somebody to leave a restaurant simply for being gay, most people have no idea that's currently the law.'"

3/23/10: Columbia Daily Tribune: Legislators Hear Gay Rights Bill Support
"Sponsored by Rep. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, the bill would prohibit discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on a person’s sexual orientation."

3/22/10: St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Gay Discrimination Measure Advances in Missouri House
"For nine years, various Democrats have filed a bill in the Legislature that would add "sexual orientation" to Missouri's nondiscrimination act. Until Monday evening, the bill had never had a House hearing. But Monday, Rep. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, presented his bill to the House committee on urban affairs and urged lawmakers to take "one step at a time" in advancing civil rights protections to gays."

5/20/09: KOMU: Children Legislation Improvements
“"One of the things we have to do is to make the most out of the federal dollars that are available to us, the budget is gonna to be tight, it's always gonna to be tight," says Stephen Webber, a Missouri House Representative.”

5/17/09: Columbia Daily Tribune: First-year lawmakers appraise their roles
Webber related much the same experience. “I really have learned whether you win or lose on an issue, there is a value to just being a voice down here,” he said. “Constituents really appreciate even if you are on the losing end of an argument, you stood up and made a case for them.”

4/29/09: KOMU: House Restores Center Funding
“Democratic Representative Stephen Webber, of Columbia, has been a champion of the center's funding.”

4/21/09: The Maneater: Biden, Nixon announce launch of jobs program
“Businesses participating in the program include Analytical Bio-Chemistry Laboratories, a Columbia-based research and development firm, where Nixon appeared with Rep. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, on Monday to discuss the program and tour the facility.”

4/16/09: St Louis Post Dispatch: MO House passes two minimum wage bills
“Rep. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, did manage to get in one barb: “The last 20 minutes has been a rough time for the people of Missouri.””

4/11/09: Columbia Daily Tribune: Measure ends limits on sale of schools
“Rep. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, also is a co-sponsor of the measure. To Webber, it’s a two-faceted issue: the possibility of more crime with empty buildings and letting anyone buy the building. “If there is the ability for other schools to come in and use these buildings,” he said, “then that makes sense.””

4/7/09: St Louis Post Dispatch: Veterans panel nixes pay bill for deployed state workers
“The bill was sponsored by freshman Rep. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, a Marine who served two tours of duty in Iraq.”

2/24/09: VetVoice: VoteVets Emerging Leaders Continue to Push State Legislation
“Afghanistan veteran Jason Kander and Iraq veteran Stephen Webber have been working hard on behalf of military families.”

2/16/09: KBIA: Proposed Bill Would Make Absentee Voting Easier
“A new bill proposed by Secretary of State Robin Carnahan and Representative Stephen Webber of Columbia may make voting easier for Missourians serving overseas.”

2/16/09: St Louis Post Dispatch: Robin Carnahan wants troops to get ballot by e-mail, fax
“The bill’s sponsor is Columbia Democratic State Rep. Stephen Webber, a freshman lawmaker who served two tours in Iraq before elected to the State House.”

2/12/09: Columbia Daily Tribune: Webber, Carnahan team up to pitch voting measure
“Webber has filed a bill that would allow Missourians serving in designated hostile fire and combat zones to receive their unvoted ballots securely through e-mail or fax. Right now, soldiers can fax or e-mail their voted ballots back to local election authorities, but only after they receive the unvoted ballots in the mail first. In order to be counted, though, a returned ballot would have to be postmarked by Election Day.”

2/5/09: Columbia Daily Tribune: Webber votes “no” on tax credit bill
"When they may shut down Mid-MO Mental Health facility and slash" University of Missouri "extension by 50 percent, it's the wrong time to hand out cooperate tax credits like candy," Webber said.

2/2/09: KC Star: Veteran reps. Introduce bills to help military families
“"Missouri currently has an unfair system under which some state workers get paid while on active duty but most don’t," Webber said. "We must make the system more equitable so that we don’t discourage state employees from military service."”

2/2/09: Columbia Daily Tribune: Democrats pitch military legislation
“Webber filed a bill last week that would require the state to make up the salary difference for employees who are deployed. Currently, the state stops paying workers their salaries after three weeks of active duty. In many cases, military pay is less than state salaries, so the activated military person ends up taking a pay cut during his or her service.”

1/19/09: The Maneater: Columbia representatives find their committee assignments
“Stephen Webber, a Democrat from the 23rd District, will serve on the Homeland Security Committee and the Special Committee on Workforce Development and Workplace Security. As reported here a few posts back, Webber will also serve on the Rules Committee.”

1/7/09: Columbia Daily Tribune: Higher dd a priority as legislative session begins
Rep Webber: “In these times, Columbia needs us to step up. We need to make sure the university isn’t singled out" in budget cuts "as best we can”

12/30/09: Columbia Missourian: Life Changes: Stephen Webber – Missouri’s 23 rd District House of Representatives
“In winning the election, Webber said he feels he has been "entrusted" by the community. He also said he understands the responsibility he has to the people in Columbia.”

12/11/08: The Maneater: MU makes case against cuts to freshman legislators
“Rep.-elect Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, said he would look for ways to shield MU from a major decrease in appropriations. Webber said the state excessively cut MU's budget during the last economic crisis in 2002 and he would not let it happen again.”

12/3/08: Columbia Missourian: Proposed legislation to restrict payday loans
“Columbia state representatives-elect Chris Kelly, Mary Still and Stephen Webber, along with Rep. Paul Quinn, D-Monroe City, have pre-filed legislation they hope will help people struggling to control debt.”

12/1/08: Columbia Daily Tribune: Bill would cap payday loan rates
“Still, Kelly and Rep.-elect Stephen Webber also are proposing legislation to add "robo-calls" to Missouri’s No Call List. Under their measure, a live person would have to make an initial call and ask a resident whether to accept an automated message.”

11/20/08: Connect Mid-Missouri: Freshman legislators want more university funding
“Democrat Columbia Rep.-elect Stephen Webber said, “There are a lot of things that need to be done. There are capital improvements. The one thing that I’m concerned about is faculty and staff salaries. We need to make sure we don’t lose good people. It’s just a matter of trying to get the most out of the state budget.””

11/13/08: Columbia Daily Tribune: The Tribune’s View: Early Voting
“Newly elected Democratic state Reps. Mary Still, Stephen Webber and Chris Kelly want to change Missouri election law to allow early voting.”

2008 Campaign News

KOMU: Proposed changes from Webber, Still (11/10/08)

KBIA: New lawmakers discuss election reform (11/10/08)

Tribune: New leaders get jump on reform ideas (11/10/08)

Tribune: Adjust the aperture to focus on the negative (11/10/08)

Tribune: The Election: What happened, in a nutshell (11/7/08)

Missourian: Dems edge Republicans in four of five area House races (11/5/08)

Missourian: Unopposed 23rd District candidate keeps busy on Election Day(11/5/08)

Maneater: Columbia sends new faces to Jeff City (11/5/08)

Maneater: Missouri NAACP arranged voters to speak with candidates (10/30/08)

Southeast Missourian: Federal programs ease voting for those serving in military overseas (10/24/08)

KOMU: Attack phone calls spur support (10/21/08)