Gary Exelby photo - "Doom, despair, and agony on me" sing several clients of the Stoddard County ARC as part of a series of skits from the syndicated TV show Hee Haw performed during Thursday evening's annual meeting of the ARC at the Dexter Eagles aerie.

The 2006 session of the Missouri legislature was not a bad one for Missouri's mentally retarded citizens, according to the lobbyist for the group.

But there were some disappointments, Gail Willis McCray told the annual meeting of the Stoddard County Association of Retarded Citizens (ARC) last Thursday evening at the Eagles aerie in Dexter. "This legislative session was different from the others I've seen," the featured speaker said.

That, McCray explained, was because after the House of Representatives changed hands in 2002, the new Republican majority retained impressive cohesiveness and unity. "That was because there were 80 freshman legislators out of 163 total," she said, "and because they lacked experience they looked to their leadership for guidance."

Then-speaker Catherine Hanaway provided that guidance, and, McCray said, the legislature accomplished a great deal. But as the House members gained experience in the way things worked at the House, unity was less easy to come by. "Speaker Rod Jetton had a class of 58 freshmen last year," McCray said with a grin, "and he liked that, but now he says he has 58 sophomores!"

Consequently, a few bills in which the Missouri Retarded Citizens had a stake did not pass, despite support in both houses and expectations of passage. One, House Bill 1367, provided bidding preferences to Sheltered Workshops, where work is done by people with disabilities like ARC clients.

Moving through the House quickly, when the bill got to the Senate another bill got attached to it. The bill, Senate Bill 642, would have gradually raised the reimbursement of the sheltered workshops from $13 to $18 per six-hour man-day worked by handicapped people.

"So when it went back to the House," McCray said, "time ran out on it."

Another, House Bill 1742, would have exempted from Medicaid eligibility testing any income a handicapped worker earned from a sheltered workshop. "It went to the Senate really quickly," McCray said, "but it got caught up in Medicaid Fraud Reform.

"No one could agree between the House and the Senate on Medicaid Fraud reform, so when that died it took House Bill 1742 with it."

She said the bills' sponsors had expressed a desire to try again in next year's legislative session.

On the other hand, McCray said, appropriations bills, namely House Bills 1002 and 1010, had favored her constituencies with increased funding to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and to the Department of Mental Health, respectively. "They went through smoothly," she said.

After McCray had finished her remarks the Association recognized volunteers, benefactors and staff members. Volunteers recognized were Bill and Wanda Nash, for their help with prizes for Bingo games. ARC also recognized volunteer Carole Chasteen for her work with the Community Integration program.

Benefactors recognized included Sam and Irene Huey for organizing ham and bean dinners for the benefit of ARC; Sherm Smith, Sr. for donation of three lift vans to ARC; and Donna Belcher of Quality Choice Hearing Aids for providing no-cost repair of hearing aids for ARC clients. And ARC recognized Sheila Shoaf, Sandy Owen, Jean Putnam and Bonnie Fairless for 10 years of service.

Dexter Mayor Joe Weber installed the new ARC board. The board president is Cynthia Chesser, vice president is Dana McClure, secretary is Mickey Stone, treasurer is Tonya Guthrie and immediate past president is Glenda McCollough. One-year board members are Cinda Temples, Marjean Mayer, Shirley McGonigal and Judy Crump. Two-year members are Dorthy McClard, Gary Crump, Larry McGonigal and Elvin Gaines.

As entertainment, the ARC clients performed a variety of skits based on the syndicated television show Hee-Haw.

gexelby@dailystatesman.com