A Washington University fraternity will be hosting a panel of state legislators this week as part of their student political awareness campaign.

As part of their yearlong “I Will…” awareness project, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will welcome State Senator Jeff Smith (who is actually a Wash. U. professor) and State Representatives Margaret Donnelly, Talibdin El-Amin, Jamilah Nasheed, and Clint Zweifel on Thursday at 7:00 PM in Room 100 of the Brown building.

Yesterday, February 25, the Missouri National Education Association announced that it was giving an early endorsement to the reelection campaign of State Representative Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis). The MNEA cited Nasheed’s “consistent and proven support for educational issues” in making their decision. No candidate interviews will be conducted with anyone who files against Nasheed.

Chris Guinther, President of the Missouri NEA stated, “Missouri NEA believes that a great public school is a basic right for every child. Our 34,000 member organization is pleased to recommend Jamilah Nasheed, who understands the responsibility that legislators have to make our public schools great.”

Nasheed said, “A sound education is one of the basic building blocks of quality life. It opens doors and provides opportunities. I look forward to continuing to work with the MNEA to improve the educational system in Saint Louis and the entire state of Missouri.”

Missouri is one of only a few states to levy tax on food purchased for consumption at home. This week, Representative Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis) introduced a plan to move Missouri closer to eliminating the sales tax on groceries.

House Bill 2190 would phase out the 1% sales tax on food over a period of six years and replace it with a 1% state sales tax on hard liquor and wine. This proposal would bring the sales tax rate from 1.225% per dollar to just under a quarter of a percent — the lowest of the 14 states that currently charge sales tax on food.

“Our working poor are struggling to make ends meet and we should provide them with tax relief where it will matter most,” said Nasheed. “The money Missourians can save from the reduction of this tax will add up with each trip to the grocery store and it will mean a substantial savings to all of us in the long run.”

The state sales tax on food was last lowered from 4.225% during the 1997 legislative session. The monies generated by the sales tax on food currently fund the school district trust fund. This funding would be replaced by the new sales tax on liquor and wine.

Sales taxes are often considered “regressive” taxes because they tax consumers at a fixed rate, disproportionate to their income.

There is a crisis in public education in America, in Missouri, and especially in St. Louis. With 2008 being both an election year and, because of term-limits, the final legislative session for many legislators, it should come as little surprise that several bills have been filed recently taking stabs at the causes and symptoms of an undereducated population of young people.

State Representative Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis) filed legislation this week that seeks to hold schools accountable for the academic success rates of their students. The bill would require the district’s accountability officer to ensure schools within the district are raised to an acceptable level of academic performance within two years.

“Right now we have far too many children in our district who are reading below grade level and the only way we can change this disturbing trend is by holding our schools accountable for the academic success rate among these children,” said Rep. Nasheed.

It’s not clear where additional funding for Nasheed’s mandate would come from or how districts would be penalized for failing to meet the requirements.

State Rep. Rodney Hubbard* (D-St. Louis) has introduced a bill aimed at reducing the number of dropouts by tying school attendance to something most teenagers value more than homework — the privilege of driving.

Hubbard’s House Bill 2078 makes eligibility for a driver’s license for 15-18 year-olds contingent upon proof that they have complied with certain school-related standards, including attendance and passing grades.

Though it has fallen in recent months, the dropout rate in St. Louis Public Schools remains high. Just as high are tensions between the two boards leading the district — one elected, and one appointed. Legislation has been introduced to put the power to run the city schools back into the hands of the elected board.

Senate Bill 1129, sponsored by State Senator Maida Coleman (D-St. Louis), seeks to repeal the law which authorized the creation of the Special Administrative Board led by real estate developer Rick Sullivan, who Governor Matt Blunt appointed to run the city schools. Just this week, Sullivan and the SAB surprised many, including Superintendent Diana Bourisaw, when the asked her to reapply for her job, effectively firing her after just 19 months.

“I have little confidence that the governor’s handpicked henchman will do the right thing for our students when he chooses a new superintendent,” said Senator Coleman.

*Hubbard is a client of A D French & Associates