Emily Younker

Emily Younker is a journalism student at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

She is an assistant city editor for the Columbia Missourian and for Missouri Digital News during both the 2008 and the 2009 legislative sessions.

Stories edited by Emily Younker include:

• 5/13/2009: Newspaper Story - Columbia legislators say bipartisan cooperation led to financial gain for the city
• 5/11/2009: Newspaper Story - Concealed-carry bill stalls in Senate committee
• 5/06/2009: Newspaper Story - House Republicans reject health care bill, accuse Nixon of bribery
• 5/04/2009: Newspaper Story - The budget czar for Missouri's governor has a diverse background
• 5/04/2009: Newspaper Story - Missouri's first openly gay senator wed this weekend
• 4/29/2009: Newspaper Story - Without debate, Missouri's House restores $31 million for Columbia's Ellis Fischel Cancer Center
• 4/29/2009: Newspaper Story - Columbia projects one step closer to millions in funding
• 4/29/2009: Newspaper Story - Virginia Tech survivor joins anti-gun group at Capitol to stop conceal-and-carry campus legislation
• 4/27/2009: Newspaper Story - Federal funding for Ellis Fischel at stake after House dispute
• 4/27/2009: Newspaper Story - Committee hears Rep. Chris Kelly's resolution, which would fund higher education building projects
• 4/20/2009: Newspaper Story - A House Committee made strides toward killing a job-creation plan sponsored by the governor
• 4/15/2009: Newspaper Story - Lone Democrat at event booed off stage
• 4/08/2009: Newspaper Story - House committee passes bill to use federal stimulus money for fiscal year 2009
• 4/06/2009: Newspaper Story - State revenue shortfall will delay tax refund payments
• 3/31/2009: Newspaper Story - Senate committee approves bill that would allow AmerenUE to recover financing costs before the plant is finished
• 3/31/2009: Newspaper Story - Bill passed by House committee would fund MU construction projects left behind by the Lewis and Clark initiative
• 3/30/2009: Newspaper Story - Gov. Nixon announces those appointed to the Automotive Jobs Task Force
• 3/11/2009: Newspaper Story - House committee passes fiscal year 2010 budget bills
• 3/02/2009: Newspaper Story - A resolution is introduced that would allow the issuance of bonds to pay for higher education building projects
• 2/23/2009: Newspaper Story - One aspect of Missouri's stimulus plan focuses on tax credits for small businesses
• 2/18/2009: Newspaper Story - Nixon promises aggressive use of federal stimulus money
• 2/16/2009: Newspaper Story - State senators question federal stimulus stipulations over health care, education
• 2/02/2009: Newspaper Story - Senator's bill would complete capital improvement projects and reduce tuition
• 2/02/2009: Newspaper Story - Extended debate killed a resolution that would have allowed laptops onto the Senate floor
• 1/28/2009: Newspaper Story - A Senate committee met Wednesday to discuss how a proposed federal stimulus package could best be utilized
• 1/28/2009: Newspaper Story - Funds for higher education capital improvement projects under review by Office of Administration
• 1/26/2009: Newspaper Story - State legislative leaders await balanced budget, bipartisanship cooperation in Nixon's State of the State address
• 1/26/2009: Newspaper Story - Funeral industry representatives urge Senate committee to regulate the funeral industry
• 1/21/2009: Newspaper Story - Nixon vows against 2010 higher education budget cuts
• 5/14/2008: Newspaper Story - Republicans slowed passage of several bills and called for the ouster of House Speaker Rod Jetton on Wednesday
• 5/12/2008: Newspaper Story - Senate Republicans pushed forward with a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow voter ID laws in the state.
• 5/07/2008: Newspaper Story - Blunt calls on Harris to release e-mails
• 5/07/2008: Newspaper Story - Mo. House passes Senate version of Bombardier bill by huge margin
• 5/05/2008: Newspaper Story - Four groups made the Sunday deadline to submit petitions for November's ballot
• 4/28/2008: Newspaper Story - Three House Republicans have been asked by Democrats to recuse themselves from an important campaign finance vote
• 4/28/2008: Newspaper Story - U.S. Supreme Court upholds voter ID law, but Missouri lawmakers say it won't affect the state
• 4/23/2008: Newspaper Story - Missouri House endorsed a bill that makes an unapproved Kansas City power plant legal
• 4/23/2008: Newspaper Story - Though lawmakers say sale of MOHELA's assets had no effect on state budget, public institutions might feel effects from loan agency's money crunch
• 4/21/2008: Newspaper Story - The Missouri House voted to extend laws against coercion of abortions
• 4/16/2008: Newspaper Story - UM System will see 4.8 percent increase in funding under budget approved by state Senate
• 4/16/2008: Newspaper Story - Gov. Blunt and Jay Nixon have called upon the state to resume executions after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled lethal injection constitutional.
• 4/14/2008: Newspaper Story - House gives initial approval to a bill that would put more non-lawyers on nominating board
• 4/09/2008: Newspaper Story - Missouri House perfected its omnibus immigration bill after opposition from St. Louis and Kansas City representatives
• 4/07/2008: Newspaper Story - Sen. Joan Bray requested an increase to the UM System budget
• 4/02/2008: Newspaper Story - Senate approved amendment despite party politics and opposition from majority floor leader
• 3/31/2008: Newspaper Story - Senate Finance Committee hears a package of bills that would overhaul Missouri elections
• 3/31/2008: Newspaper Story - The alternative teacher certification bill makes its way to House Committee debate
• 3/12/2008: Newspaper Story - Missouri House gives first-round approval to bill prohibiting illegal immigrants from attending public colleges
• 3/10/2008: Newspaper Story - Some lawmakers worry that Gov. Blunt's proposed funding might be excessive with the uncertain state of the economy
• 3/05/2008: Newspaper Story - Missouri superdelegates remain divided in choosing a presidential candidate
• 3/05/2008: Newspaper Story - Ed Robb's twins bill will be discussed in committee hearing
• 3/04/2008: Newspaper Story - Missouri lawmakers begin to move on preventing state taxation of the federal tax rebate
• 3/04/2008: Newspaper Story - Missouri's House votes to ban drugs that induce abortions
• 3/03/2008: Newspaper Story - Senate voted on Monday to expand DNA database to include juveniles who committed certain offenses
• 3/03/2008: Newspaper Story - MOHELA could originate loans to help with the agency's dwindling funds, an executive director said
• 2/27/2008: Newspaper Story - Sex offenders are major targets this legislative session
• 2/27/2008: Newspaper Story - Teacher certification addressed on Senate floor
• 2/25/2008: Newspaper Story - The Senate Judiciary Committee is looking at modifying taxes on munition sales to foreign governments
• 2/25/2008: Newspaper Story - Missouri senators spent Monday debating what do with violent power-bred dog breeds
• 2/25/2008: Newspaper Story - Bill outlines process not much different from one already in place
• 2/19/2008: Newspaper Story - Missouri adoption agencies search for adoptive care for children who are HIV-positive
• 2/19/2008: Newspaper Story - Rep. Hodges introduces a bill that would require insurance companies to cover infertility treatments
• 2/13/2008: Newspaper Story - Senator says MU trying to kill bill making tuition cheaper for veterans
• 2/06/2008: Newspaper Story - Missouri lawmakers look to tighten immigration laws by cracking down on businesses employing illegal immigrants
• 2/06/2008: Newspaper Story - Ed Robb sponsors bill allowing parents of twins to choose if kids should be in same class
• 2/04/2008: Newspaper Story - The Missouri secretary of state's office predicts 1.1 million Missourians to head to the polls tomorrow
• 1/30/2008: Newspaper Story - Rep. Jane Cunningham sponsored a bill putting the state Education Department in charge of extracurricular activities
• 1/30/2008: Newspaper Story - The Missouri Senate is looking at legislation to strengthen laws against cyber harassment
• 1/30/2008: Newspaper Story - Education Committee discusses bill to protect students from sex offenders
• 1/28/2008: Newspaper Story - The House Democrats held a press conference to discuss their education package for this session
• 1/23/2008: Newspaper Story - Democrats respond to Blunt's announcement
• 1/23/2008: Newspaper Story - Blunt is not the first Missouri politician to bow out early

Emily Younker Stories

• 4/21/2008: Newspaper Story - Missouri Corn Merchandising Council paid for study that suggests ethanol saves Missourians almost 10 cents per gallon.
• 3/10/2008: Newspaper Story - Some lawmakers, like Allen Icet, are worried that Gov. Blunt's proposed funding might be excessive with the uncertain state of the economy.

4/8/09: On Monday I finally ventured out into this wonderful little town called Jefferson City.

The time was approximately 4:30 p.m. The phone here in the office rang. It was my fellow staff member Max Reiss, who was in Columbia and calling to ask if I could pick up the results of his Sunshine request at the Missouri State Highway Patrol. I agreed, quickly mapquested (is that a word?) the address to figure out how to get there and ran out to my car.

My mapquest directions proved to be slightly confusing. I circled the Capitol building a couple of times in a bewildered manner before I finally found Broadway. From there, it was a piece of cake until I reached the Highway Patrol building. Max had directed me to go to the annex, but I exited the road one driveway too early and found myself in the very hilly parking lot of the main building. Turn around, exit, take the next driveway.

I pulled into a small, nearly empty parking lot facing the small, tinted-windowed entrance of the annex. Walking toward the entrance, I saw the hours of operation posted on the window -- open until 4 p.m. I was too late. But suddenly, a man dressed in a Highway Patrol uniform mysteriously poked his head out of the door. "Are you here to pick something up?" he asked in a voice that revealed that he already knew the answer.

I followed him inside the otherwise-closed-to-the-public building and gave him my name. He handed me a sealed manila envelope on which was enigmatically scrawled Max's name.

Then I got in my car and drove back to the Capitol. And my exciting little journey was over. (By the way, you can read Max's story here.)

3/04/09: My days down here usually end in a timely fashion. That was not the case Monday. There was little going on, so most people left early. By 6 p.m., I was the only person left in the office, waiting for the Senate to adjourn so that my two remaining reporters would be done. At about that time, Columbia's representative, Chris Kelly, came bursting into the office. He thrust a paper copy of his newest resolution into my hands and said I better get on it. I said of course. So I pulled Emily Coleman out of the Senate and set her on the story. Our biggest challenge was finding a source for the story other than Rep. Kelly, who very nicely made himself available by phone. Emily tried, to no avail, to track down the budget chairmen of both chambers, so in the end she wandered around the Capitol until she found Cape Girardeau's Sen. Jason Crowell, who was still in his office and was able to comment on the legislation. The story came together -- a huge relief to us both, I think, given its importance and how much coverage it received in other media. You can read Emily's story here.

2/23/09: One of my copy editing responsibilities is to clean up NewsBook. Most of NewsBook's entries are good content-wise, so I usually go through and tweak them for style. Frequently, this means changing the way legislators are identified -- from "Republican Senator So-and-so" to "Sen. So-and-so, R-City." It's just a radio vs. print mentality. The radio reporters identify legislators the way they would as if they were naturally talking about them in conversation. And that works for radio stories, which are heard and not read. But for print, which includes NewsBook, legislators are to be listed in a very specific way, according to the AP stylebook. Some might argue it doesn't make much of a difference -- but I like to play by the rules.

2/18/09: Apparently I earned a gold star today -- simply for bringing in another audio recorder. Not one of my more challenging assignments, but everyone seemed happy to have another working recorder in the newsroom.

2/16/09: Welcome to my Missouri Digital News blog. I am not a statehouse reporter, so I won't be able to share with you stories about interactions with legislators or difficulties in tracking down information. My primary role at MDN is print and web editor. I edit the print reporters' stories to ship off to the Columbia Missourian, and I keep the MDN Web site clean and consistent. My secondary roles are multi-bureau communication liaison (a title I made up for myself) and designated paper-bringer. In this blog, I will share with you my experiences related to what I perceive to be the delightful task of editing copy. Random, non-copy-related stories might pop up from time to time. Stay tuned.