Missouri Times - March 1, 2019

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The Missouri Times

MARCH 1, 2019

Mr. Missourah

A CONVERSATION WITH MIKE KEHOE

LINCOLN DAYS 2019 SPECIAL EDITION

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The Missouri Times

225 Madison, Jefferson City, MO | (573) 746-2912

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@MissouriTimes

Scott Faughn, Publisher | scott@themissouritimes.com | @ScottFaughn Rachael Herndon Dunn, Editor | rachael@themissouritimes.com | @TheRachDunn Alisha Shurr, Reporter | alisha@themissouritimes.com | @AlishaShurr Aaron Basham, Multimedia Producer | aaron@themissouritimes.com Kaden Quinn, Reporting Intern | kaden@themissouritimes.com Landon Bernskoetter, Reporting Intern | landon@themissouritimes.com

MISSOURI’S CASSVILLE

GUEST

THE MIDWEST’S TROUT CAPITAL

Trout season is coming. And that’s a big deal in the city of Cassville, nestled deep in the Southwest corner of Missouri.

Rachael Freeman The snowflakes of winter are replaced with banners welcoming fishermen to downtown Cassville each year in late February. One annual tradition is the coffee mug the local Chamber of Commerce designs and hands out as an important memento for the gunshot start as the sun rises on March 1.

Soon, visitors from all over the state of Missouri, and as far reaching as Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and beyond will travel to Cassville to cast their lines into the cold waters of the Roaring River.

This year’s opening day will be a Friday, which means Roaring River State Park will prepare to sell over 2,000 fishing license to those eager to catch their limit. The park campgrounds, the Emory Melton Inn & Conference Center, and all local cabins and resorts will soon be full of visitors hoping for their next big catch.

Opening Day of Trout Season in Cassville is a time-honored tradition for locals. On opening day, the public school is not in session. The halls of the school buildings are quiet and empty, while Cassville students welcome back old friends and meet new ones as they reach for the tackle boxes and go to their favorite fishing spot.

While in Cassville, visitors can also take a tour of the Barry County Museum. There you

will find on display coffee mugs from the past 20 years that have been handed out to anglers by the local chamber and their members. Locals head to the river before 4:00 a.m. to brew large pots of coffee over the fire. As the coffee brews, visitors know to look for the Les Jacobs Ford tent so they can add a new coffee mug to their collection. In less than an hour, nearly 900 coffee mugs will be in the hands of fishermen all along the river. High school students, chamber members and many others will spend the next hour walking along the banks with coolers full of coffee, asking anyone if they need a refill.

It’s not the coffee mug that keeps them coming back year after year and decade after decade. It’s the stories that are told over that piping hot cup.

It’s the friends they come to know helping the person next to them when their line gets caught. It’s the feeling they get when they reel in a relentless trout. It’s the warmth in the heart a grandfather gets when he sees generations of his family still gathering at the fishing hole together.

What will you be doing this March 1st? Grab your fishing poles and come home to America’s hometown. Enjoy a weekend of beautiful scenery, great food, great shopping, great food and amazing people in Cassville.

Opening Day of Trout Season in Cassville is a time-honored tradition for locals.

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The Missouri Times

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HOT LIST FREE SPEECH AND TRANSPARENCY

Between the passage of the Walter Cronkite New Voices Act, the honing of legislative correspondence policies, and the filing and promotion of ballot measure bills, both Republicans and Democrats in the House have their eyes on accessible democracy.

FILIBUSTER

There have been a few short (less than 12 hour) filibusters in the Senate thus far this session, but nothing like the 12+ filibuster, the first led by Democrats, over tort reform on February 26.

NONDISCRIMINATION

The Missouri Supreme Court affirmed two cases this past week affirming that it is illegal to discriminate based on sexual preference in employment. Read more about it at themissouritimes.com.

DOR

DOR Director Joel Walters took heat from inquiring legislative committees about the withholding tables (which was not his mistake), only to turn it around with an impressive, reduced budget request.

LINCOLN DAYS

The annual Republican conference is here, this year in St. Louis. It will be good to have Gov. Matt Blunt back in Missouri and at the podium. Even in an off year, the event has buzz.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Mike Kehoe @LtGovMikeKehoe February 25, 2019 - a historic day for the Missouri Senate. The first female doorkeeper of either chamber - House or Senate. @calebrowden and I were honored to welcome Pattie Parris, no stranger to the building plus a wealth of knowledge and respect for the institution. #MOLEG

Tweets of the Week Highlights in 280 characters or less.

Tony Luetkemeyer @TonyForMissouri Our first late-night session. Didn’t take long before we saw a midnight debate. #MoLeg Ian Mackey @RepIanMackey Rep. @DebLavender gaveled down and mic cut off for speaking on Medicaid in the context of abortion, whilst a freshman with an R behind his name is allowed to spend nearly 10 minutes talking about Michelangelo, the statue of David, and Polaroid pictures. #moleg Sara E. Baker @SaraEBaker1 “Free speech covers any range of points of view... let’s create a vigorous culture of free speech in our learning environments.” @phlchristo #hb136 #MOLeg

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LEGISLATURE

HOUSE COMMITTEE CONSIDERS CLOSED PRIMARIES FOR MISSOURI ELECTIONS Alisha Shurr

Missourians would be required to designate their party affiliation and only be allowed to mark a ballot for that particular party during primary elections, under legislation proposed

by Republican lawmakers.

Reps. Jered Taylor and Dan Stacy are seeking to create a closed primary voting system in the Show-Me State.

A variety of stakeholders voiced multiple concerns about Stacy’s HB 26 at a public hearing in early February. After that hearing, Taylor sought to address the issues raised with the original legislation and come up with an improved version of that bill.

That reworked bill, HB 922, was before the House Elections and Elected Officials Committee on Wednesday morning.

“We want people who have a vest-

ed interest in Republican principles to vote for Republicans. We want people with a vested interested in Democrat principles to vote for Democrats,” said Taylor.

One Republican lawmaker, who testified for informational purposes only, said that in his primary, he won one county by a significantly narrower margin than expected. Rep. Jeff Shawan said that he learned afterward there was an organized opposition that decided to vote for his primary opponent because they believe the other candidate would be easier for the Democratic candidate to compete against.

Under the proposed legislation, candidates for office must be affiliated with the party they plan to run as for at least six months prior to the last

Tuesday in February of that election year.

Voters would need to register their party affiliation 23 weeks before the primary election. Missourians would only be allowed to vote in a primary election for candidates in that party.

Those who have not registered an affiliation would only be able to draw an unaffiliated ballot.

“For the state [Representative] and above candidates, this is probably the best way to arrive at a candidate for those particular offices,” said Rep. Peggy McGaugh. “However, many, many local elections are decided in the primary. And this will definitely, definitely affect those unaffiliated voters…”

She voiced concern that for local elections it has disenfranchised those

Judge denies injunction to Planned Parenthood Landon Bernskoetter Missouri pro-life advocates won another victory on Friday when a federal judge again denied a nonprofit health care facility’s request to resume abortions services.

Federal Judge Brian Wimes refused to issue a preliminary injunction that would have allowed Planned Parenthood to resume offering abortions in Columbia.

This is Planned Parenthood’s third attempt in Planned Parenthood v.

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to get a preliminary injunction.

The section of previously passed and signed SB 5 requiring a physician performing an abortion to have hospital privileges within a 30-mile radius of the facility was upheld by Wimes. He found that that provision did not present a “substantial obstacle in the path of women seeking an abortion.”

Without the preliminary injunction, Planned Parenthood’s Columbia location continues to be unable to perform abortions unless they are successful in their lawsuit.

“We appreciate the District Court’s ruling that permits the same standards of care for women that is associated with other invasive surgical procedures,” said Dr. Randall

Williams, DHSS Director. As stated in his attestation to the Court, “This is not a burden, but a responsibility that physicians dedicated to caring for their patients exercise daily to ensure their patients’ safety by timely providing care at a time patients need it the most, during complications.”

The Columbia Planned Parenthood has failed to secure a physician with those privileges since 2015, when a University of Missouri healthcare executive committee unanimously agreed to terminate abortion privileges. Later in 2015, Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit against the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to preserve the Columbia clinic’s license to provide abortions.

The reasons for this denial of privilege was made clear by the same Federal Court in October 2018. The Columbia Planned Parenthood failed a state inspection due to the presence of black mold, as well as bodily fluids in equipment used to treat patients.

Missouri has an unusually high instance of complication from abortions. Since 2009, more than 60 ambulances have been called to the Planned Parenthood in Saint Louis.

According to Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office, Missouri of complications at 2.1 percent. Specifically, the AGO argued that the Columbia Planned Parenthood had a long history of health and safety violations.

The judgment was praised by Missouri’s governor.

“This is a huge victory for protecting women’s health and the right to life,” said Governor Mike Parson.

“It’s sad that Planned Parenthood continues to fight against ensuring that a woman’s abortion provider has privileges to a nearby hospital when complications arise. As a former member of the Missouri General Assembly, I was proud to cast votes in support of protecting life and women’s health that have now been upheld in the court of law.

“As other states in our nation, like New York and Virginia, venture further and further away from the American ideal to uphold the right to life, I’m honored to lead a state with so many people committed to standing up for those without a voice. Thanks to decades of conservative, pro-life leadership, Missouri recently hit an all-time low for the number of abortions.”

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that vote based on who the candidates are instead of which parties they represent. McGaugh noted that folks will vote for the person they go to church with, who is a family member, or a neighbor and that candidate will not necessarily be in the same party they traditionally side with.

Going further, McGaugh presented the scenario that if a person chooses to be unaffiliated, or who missed the changes for whatever reason and has no party designated, shows up to the polls for a primary, they could end up with nothing to vote on if there are no ballot measures and no unaffiliated candidates.

“That person leaves the precinct without voting,” said McGaugh.

“But they made their choice. That choice was made because they didn’t

choose to affiliate with a party,” said Taylor. “That is not the fault of the bill…unfortunately if you choose or you decide not to make a decision, then there are consequences in life for decisions you don’t make.”

They went on to say that he doesn’t think it is accurate to say the proposal would disenfranchise voters because there will be no one who will not get the opportunity to vote. Missourians simply may not get to vote in the party they want to vote in.

Rep. Dan Shaul, who chairs the committee, noted that they don’t think that the current system is broken but that closed primaries would be a way to make the system better.

Mitten files measure to protect civilians from sexual assault by law enforcement State Rep. Gina Mitten, D-St. Louis, recently filed legislation that would prohibit law enforcement officers, parole officers, probation officers and correctional officers from engaging in sexual activity while on duty. Under House Bill 2520, the offense of sexual conduct while on duty is classified as a Class D felony, which is punishable by up to 7 years in prison.

“It’s an absolute shame that a few individuals whose duty it is to serve and protect use their status to put our citizens in uncomfortable and dangerous situations,” said Mitten. “To add insult to injury, many of those who commit these heinous crimes receive no punishment whatsoever.”

Mitten filed House Bill 2520 following the emergence of multiple reports highlighting incidents of sexual misconduct by law enforcement officers without punishment. According to a year-long investigation conducted by the Associated Press, over 1,000 officers lost their badge within a span of six years due to sexual misdeeds. Additionally, the AP found that 35 states including California, New York and Missouri have yet to adopt a system that would decertify or adequately discipline officers. Because so many areas have no systems to track these incidents, there is every reason to believe the

actual numbers are far higher.

A St. Louis Post-Dispatch article recently reported that former St. Louis police officer John Stewart was charged with sodomy after forcing a 25-year old pregnant woman to perform sexual acts against her will and without her consent in 2015. The Kansas City Star also cited a 2017 incident that occurred in Brooklyn, New York where an 18-year old woman was handcuffed and raped by two Brooklyn South Narcotics Division officers inside of a police van. The victim was later visited by a group of officers in the hospital who attempted to bully her out of pressing charges against their colleagues.

Both officers were charged with counts of rape, criminal sexual act, kidnapping and official misconduct.

“Considering the current climate of our country, it is imperative that we put into statute policy that will hold officers accountable for engaging in inappropriate sexual activity,” Mitten said. “Intimidation, coercion and sexual harassment by anyone, and particularly by those who are to protect us is unacceptable and has no place in our state, let alone our nation.

Ignoring the reality of these situations will not make the problem disappear, and House Bill 2520 is a safeguard we can put in place to ensure victims receive the justice they so rightfully deserve.”

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Ameren unveils $5.3 billion grid upgrade plan spurred by changes to utility laws Alisha Shurr

Missouri’s largest electric provider has unveiled a plan to invest $5.3 billion in infrastructure upgrades, which they say lawmakers made possible by making significant changes to the state’s utility laws last year.

On Friday, Ameren Missouri outlined “the largest infrastructure upgrade plan in the company’s history.” The plan includes more than 2,000 electric projects over the next five years that are aimed at modernizing the energy grid and enhancing how customers receive and consume electricity for generations to come, all while keeping electric rates stable and predictable.

Ameren is touting that “constructive energy legislation” laid the foundation for their plan. During the 2018 regular session, after years of negotiations, the Missouri General Assembly made considerable changes to the state’s utility laws. SB 562, sponsored

by Sen. Ed Emery, allows companies to recuperate the cost of grid improvements and caps average annual rate increases at 2.85 percent after base rate freeze is lifted in April 2020.

“It was a culmination of years of work and countless iterations, but it is now law. This was a bipartisan effort,” said Emery.

“I am happy that [Ameren] has come through on [their] commitment,” said Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe. “I know that the legislation passed is intended to help our investment owned utilities…be able to deploy those

dollars into upgrading the infrastructure and giving us reliable energy.”

In combination with the federal tax cut in December 2017, customers have already seen the benefit, Kehoe noted.

In August, Ameren dropped its base rate by 6 percent, which will be frozen until April 2020.

In the next five years, Ameren has more than 2,000 infrastructure improvement projects across the state totaling $5.3 billion in capital investments in addition to $1 billion for wind energy in 2020.

“We have developed a forward-thinking and customer-focused infrastructure upgrade plan that will not only produce a grid that is more reliable and resilient, but also be able to accommodate more renewable energy,” Michael Moehn, president of Ameren Missouri, said in a written statement.

“Our Smart Energy Plan will position us to deliver on our promises to provide more customer benefits, while at the same time keeping rates stable and predictable.”

Upgrades in reliability, resilience, and service throughout the energy company’s 24,000-square-mile service territory are the foundation of the plan.

Highlights include: More than 2,000 infrastructure improvement projects across the state to-

“We have developed a forward-thinking and customerfocused infrastructure upgrade plan that will not only produce a grid that is more reliable and resilient, but also be able to accommodate more renewable energy.”

taling $5.3 billion in capital investments over the next five years, including approximately $1 billion in electric investments in 2019.

Major renewable energy projects to continue the transition to a cleaner energy future for customers, including $1 billion for wind energy in 2020. This also includes modernizing the energy grid to allow Ameren Missouri to add more solar energy and battery storage on the system to cost-effectively boost reliability, particularly in rural areas.

New smart grid sensors, switches and self-healing equipment to rapidly detect and isolate outages – reducing the number of outages and speeding power restoration when service interruptions occur.

A stronger, more secure energy delivery backbone including installing 12,000 new utility poles for storm hardening, many fortified with composite materials to better withstand severe weather.

More than 400 miles of new underground cable and equipment to create a more efficient and reliable underground energy delivery system that better serves customers.

More than 70 new or upgraded substations to increase energy service reliability and serve more customers through a streamlined network that is more cost-effective and efficient.

Adding more than 800,000 smart electric meters through 2023 to give customers more insight and control of their energy options and costs.

Customers can learn more about the plan at AmerenMissouri.com/SmartEnergyPlan, or by attending an informational public stakeholder meeting that opens at 5:30 p.m. March 4 at the Millbottom Event Center, 400 W. Main St. in Jefferson City, Mo., with a presentation starting at 6 p.m.

To view the complete Smart Energy Plan filing, including detailed projects in 2019, visit the Missouri PSC website at https://psc.mo.gov/ and refer to File No. EO-2019-0044.

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House committee advances proposal for funding convention, sports centers Alisha Shurr With funding set to expire this year, a proposal to extend state appropriations for the Truman Sports Complex and Bartle Hall has cleared the first hurdle.

The House Economic Development Committee give the bill their stamp of approval on Monday.

HB 677, sponsored by Rep. Jon Patterson, also includes funding for improvements to the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

“For the state, it’s a significant return on their investment. They contribute or invest $3 million in the complex. And then direct taxes alone, in 2017, we collected almost $27 million dollars for the state of Missouri,” said Jim Rowland, executive director of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority.

Since 1990, the state has contributed $3 million for operations at the Truman Sports Complex.

That funding is set to expire this year without action for lawmakers.

Patterson is proposing to extend state funding for the complex until 2030, the same year when the Kansas City Royals lease at Kauffman Stadium and the Kansas City Chiefs lease at Arrowhead Stadium expire.

The Kansas City Convention Center, better known as Bartle Hall, would also continue receiving $2 million in funds from the state.

“These are examples of beneficial

public-private partnerships,” said one witness in support of the bill.

The bill includes adding funding for a facility that has never received state appropriations to date. $6 million annually would go to funding improvements at the Enterprise Center, under the proposal. Officials testified that without the funding for improvements they are at risk of losing big events.

Frank Viverito, president of the St. Louis Sports Commission, noted that the water heaters in the complex were installed 24 years ago and that without improvements, the SEC tournament will not come back to St. Louis. He pointed out that even though it is a public-owned facility, no public dollars have gone to the building’s upkeep.

He noted the city will miss out on events from NCAA Wrestling, USA Gymnastics, LiveNation, US Figure Skating, and more.

Some on the committee questioned how the money would be spent and how that benefits the taxpayers of Missouri.

Patterson pointed out that the bill specifies the appropriates mush have a “positive net fiscal impact.”

One official pointed out that the buildings are publicly owned and the teams simple lease the facilities and the state funds go to building maintenance.

Senate makes several changes to controlled substances, drug trafficking laws Alisha Shurr The Missouri Senate gave its stamp of approval on a variety of bills including a measure that removes medical marijuana from the list of controlled substances.

On Thursday, the upper chamber passed four bills, three of which gained unanimous consent. Bill that received a 31-0 vote included a subcharge for DNA

profiling, changes to commercial driver’s licenses, changes of controlled substances. Sen. Bob Onder’s bill on employer-employee relationships passed with 24-7 approval.

Sen. David Sater’s SB 6 made significant changes to the laws on controlled CONTINUED ONLINE

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The Missouri Times

LINCOLN DAYS 2019 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FRIDAY, MARCH 1 2:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

9:00 p.m.

9:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, MARCH 2 7:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m.

8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.

8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

11:00 a.m-12:00 p.m.

12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

4:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

9:00 p.m.

SUNDAY, MARCH 3 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.

Registration VIP Reception with Gov. Parson & Matt Blunt Cocktail Reception Sponsored by Gov. Parson & Lt. Gov. Kehoe MRP Banquet with Gov. Parson & Matt Blunt Missouri Federation of Young Republicans Hospitality Suites Breakfast with Sens. Blunt, Hawley & Pachyderms MAR Past Presidents Breakfast (Invite only) Republican National Lawyers Association Registration Continues Pachyderm Forum State Committee Meeting Town Hall Meeting SOS Jay Ashcroft Ice Cream Social & Treas. Scott Fitzpatrick BBQ MoFRW Leaders Panel Pro-Life Rally in Versailles Social Media Training College Republican Meeting MAR Gold Ticket VIP Reception Cocktail Reception Sponsored by House & Senate Leadership MAR Banquet (featuring Sen. Joni Ernst) MRP Hospitality Suite Prayer Service

*Versailles Foyer www.missouritimes.com

SUITES

Foyer* Matterhorn Foyer* Versailles YR Suite

Matterhorn St. Moritz Bern Foyer Zurich Versailles Versailles Foyer* Versailles Versailles Zurich Geneva Matterhorn Foyer* Versailles Matterhorn St. Moritz

FRIDAY

Room, Host

St. Moritz/Bern Congressional Delegation 260 Fitzpatrick for Missouri 265 Freedom of Road Riders, Inc. 270 Missouri House and Senate Conservative Caucus 266 Missouri HRCC and House Leadership 271 Missouri Pachyderms & College Republicans 262 Schmitt for Missouri 267 Senate President Dave Schatz & Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden 256 St. Louis City Republican Central Committee 255 St. Louis Young Republicans and NextGen GOP PAC 254 Trump Rally hosted by Truly Trump Team

SATURDAY Matterhorn Missouri Republican Party NOTE: cash bar

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LINCOLN DAYS 2019 BINGO GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN

5 OR MORE CAMPAIGN BUTTONS ON JACKET

NAVY SPORT COAT, KHAKIS, BLUE OXFORD

COMMENT ON GREGG KELLER’S HAIR

MAGA HAT

SOMEONE SUPER COOL READING THE MISSOURI TIMES

ACTIVIST HANDING OUT BUSINESS CARDS

“OMG THAT’S CONGRESSWOMAN WAGNER”

ARGUMENT OVER CAMPAIGN BANNER SPOTS

UNNAMED “FORMER GOVERNOR”

COLLEGE STUDENTS SNEAKING INTO MRP BANQUET

RURAL ATTENDEE OBLIVIOUS TO CITY-COUNTY MERGER

“MAYBE WE SHOULD START A PAC”

FAKE EMAIL ON EMAIL LIST SIGN UP

FITZPATRICK BBQ-RUINED SHIRT

SCOTT FAUGHN SAYS “SIMPLE WEST BUTLER COUNTY HILLBILLY”

2020 STATEWIDE PRIMARY CHALLENGER

“GETTING INTO MEDICAL MARIJUANA BUSINESS”

PRESIDENT IMPERSONATOR

UNWILLING SELFIE PARTICIPANT

YOUTH UNKNOWINGLY SHAKING HANDS WITH A VETERAN OPERATIVE

COMMENT ABOUT HOW NICE THE FIRST LADY IS

LEDERHOSEN AT SCHMITTFEST

ASHCROFT ICE CREAMSMUDGED TIE

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Mr. Missourah A CONVERSATION WITH MIKE KEHOE AT HIS PHELPS COUNTY FARM Alisha Shurr Growing up in inner St. Louis City, learning the difference between a cow and a horse was not part of Mike Kehoe’s education. Fast forward five decades and he rides horses when working cattle on his farm.

Missouri’s Lieutenant Governor has personal experience in both urban and rural Missouri that he can draw from while in Jefferson City. Coming from a very diverse background, Kehoe has the ability to relate to people when seeking a common-sense solution.

Kehoe was born in St. Louis and raised by a single mother with six children. He worked his way up from car washing to sales management at a car dealership in St. Louis. By the time he hit 25, he was running Osage Industries in Lynn. In 1992, the 30-year-old started a Ford-Lincoln auto dealership in Jefferson City.

He made a successful mark on the business world while simultaneous forging a path in agriculture. It was in 1984 when Kehoe bought the first acreage of his farm: an atypical move.

The “short version” of how he got into farming, according to Kehoe, is that at the age of 15 he went to work for Dave Sinclair who owned a Ford dealership in south St. Louis and a farm in Phelps County.

“When you worked for Mr. Sinclair, you could be washing cars one day and the next you could be on his farm building a fence. And that’s just the way it went,” said Kehoe. “I enjoyed that. I enjoyed that setting, I liked the farm life, I liked the ranch life. It was because of his influence I acquired

my first farm and subsequently have added on to that.”

Starting from scratch, the firstgeneration farmer, who runs cattle and puts up his own hay, is responsible for roughly 750 acres.

It’s not something he did overnight, spending years building his operation to what it is now, even adding a carriage collection - which includes the carriage Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne rode in in The Quiet

some wood...for me is relaxing.”

As a former state senator and now as lieutenant governor, that varied background gives him added insight into the issues facing Missouri citizens. Saying he is no expert in either urban or rural issues, he noted his personal experiences allow him to empathize with both populations.

To him, urban and rural Missourians care about very similar issues but prioritize them differently based on how they are affected. For example, Kehoe noted that crime prevention is important to all Missourians but probably ranks higher on a priority list to those who live in cities.

Comparably, a rural Missourian whose livelihood is dependent on the weight capabilities of bridges would put an emphasis on transportation infrastructure.

The one thing that most Missourians have in common is a desire for common sense policies, according to Kehoe.

“Missouri is a common sense state, I always say,” said Kehoe. “There is a percentage [of voters] that are hardcore Republican or Democrat, but there’s a big piece in the middle

“A lot of Missourians — I think the average person who carries their lunch to work every day — just wants to see people in this city, in this building working together to try and fix something,” said Kehoe.

Man. And it’s a move he made simply because he enjoys the work. Kehoe named the farm for his late sister, who died of leukemia.

“I very much enjoy the agricultural way of life,” said Kehoe. “Just getting out, fixing some fence, working some cows, cutting some hay, splitting

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that will say ‘I vote for the person.’

That middle represents a large majority of our voters.”

Whether a Missourian identifies as Republican or Democrat, in Kehoe’s opinion, they are looking for people who recognize the importance of agriculture, hard work, and common sense, which is why he believes President Donald Trump is so popular in the state.

“Those voters, whether Democrat or Republican, resonate with what the President is trying to do,” said Kehoe. “Trump is that outside of the box guy. He’s not afraid to call a politician a politician, he’s not afraid to say this doesn’t make sense. He has been successful in business and he has used that. He is able to get our base here in Missouri very fired up. I have been to several of his campaign events that he had last fall and those are the highest energy events I have ever been to. It is insane. I think it’s because he has no filter, he just says what he is gonna say and people like that.”

Trump’s popularity is part of an emerging trend on a national level where not being a so-called career politician is a good thing. Kehoe noted that it seems that the person who has not spent a career in politics tends to have a little bit more of a leg up now.

“I think people look at Washington, D.C. and look at the gridlock and associate the problems in D.C. with people that have been there too long,” said Kehoe.

As a statewide official, Kehoe has

seen more small business people — a farm is a small business, he pointed out — running for public office. More agriculturalists and businesspersons are looking to take an active role in government, he has observed.

Kehoe himself is a good example of a statewide and national trend. When he was elected to the state senate in 2010, he was a small businessman who had never held public office nor an elected position.

But it is more than just running as an outsider, he said. It’s also the person’s background, their core values, and their ability to create relationships.

“You can be running as an outsider but you also, whether you like the system or not, you need to make sure you understand you need relationships,” said Kehoe. “One man can’t govern the state of Missouri, one man can’t run the Missouri House or Senate. At the end of the day, to move an agenda or to stop an agenda you are going to need people.”

And that is something Trump and Gov. Mike Parson have in common, Kehoe pointed out: they are both good at building relationships.

Missourians like to see people working together to solve problems, he noted.

“A lot of Missourians — I think the average person who carries their lunch to work every day — just wants to see people in this city, in this building working together to try and fix something,” said Kehoe.

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The Missouri Times

EXECUTIVE

DOR PROPOSES $263K NET REDUCTION TO DEPARTMENT BUDGET Rachael Herndon Dunn

The Missouri Department of Revenue did their budget proposal differently this year by starting from scratch. Touting the Department’s commitment to being outstanding stewards of Missouri taxpayers’ money, Missouri Department of Revenue Director Joel Walters led his team through a budget exercise that looked different from the approach departments have used in the past.

“Drawing upon my years of experience as a senior finance executive, I encouraged my team to thoroughly examine the previous year’s budget and to be very intentional about looking for inefficiencies and identifying opportunities for savings,” Walters said. “This was a departure from the Department’s long-standing practice of starting with the previous year’s budget and adding new items to it.” This resulted in a budget reduction totaling $2,590,220; and full-time employee (FTE) reduction of 56.5 positions, which Walters presented to the House budget and Senate appropriations committees.

“It’s an unusual and positive occurrence anytime a government agency self-examines operations and comes up with efficiencies that reduce the spend of taxpayer dollars to provide the same level of service,” Sen. Bill Eigel, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said. “The mission of DOR hasn’t changed, so this new request reflects a commitment in DOR to do business more effectively. I understood from Director Walters’ testimony that this reduction is the

culmination of two years of effort to streamline his department. These efficiency dividends are great for Missouri.

“It’s an unusual and positive occurrence anytime a government agency self-examines operations and comes up with efficiencies that reduce the spend of taxpayer dollars to provide the same level of service.”

SEN. BILL EIGEL Walters recognizes that the Department’s people are its biggest asset. Accordingly, any reductions in full-time employees have been the result of attrition. Each year, the Department experiences about 22-percent attrition.

“We will continue to focus on transforming the department into a world-class organization,” Walters said. “To that end, we have charted a course that incorporates five specific areas of focus: embedded transformational purpose, focus on service culture, partnership, employee recognition and engagement, and the IT Roadmap.”

Many of the reductions are relying on improved technology and streamlining, including the use of the new software, Revenue Premier. Walters proposed reducing the overall budget by $2,169,620 but reinvesting $1,906,620 into line items for technology, application development, and other staff.

The strategy was to take the savings identified and reinvest in three areas: people, technology, and returning some of the money to the state and the taxpayers it serves.

In all, the budget the department submitted to the governor proposed a savings of more than a quarter of a million dollars, or $263,000, to be exact, with a net reduction of 40.5 employees.

In the last fiscal year, DOR’s Compliance Review Team increased collections for highways, cities, and counties by approximately $2.9 million – $288,373 for each employee on the team.

“Certainly Governor Parson’s priorities – workforce development, infrastructure and making government work better – are our priorities as well, and to support those, we are really focusing on people and technology,” Walters said.

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AG Schmitt, Senator Onder, and Representative Gregory Announce Statute to Fight Carjackings in Missouri Today, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, State Senator Bob Onder, and State Representative David Gregory announced in a press conference that they would partner on introducing a statute to better address and prosecute violent carjackings in the state of Missouri. The statute would allow prosecutors to charge carjackers with motor vehicle hijacking rather than a broader robbery charge, which will allow for more efficient prosecution, simplified and more detailed statistical tracking, and an increase in uniform sentencing.

In 2018 alone, there were over 300 carjacking incidents in the St. Louis Metro area, according to data obtained from the St. Louis Metro Police Department.

“There’s always more we can do, and should do – especially while Missourians continue to worry about falling victim to violent crime in their own neighborhoods.

Grandfathers shouldn’t have to worry about having their cars violently stolen on the streets they’ve lived on for years, and families shouldn’t have to avoid certain parts of town for fear that they’ll be carjacked,” said Schmitt during the press conference.

Schmitt reiterated the importance of the statute in cutting down carjacking rates, stating, “This statute will streamline the prosecuting process, increase uniform sentencing, and lead to more accurate statistics relating to carjackings in the state of Missouri, and I want to thank Senator Onder and Representative Gregory for joining in this incredibly important fight. This is about removing the most violent criminals from Missouri streets. With today’s announcement, we’re sending a clear message to those who seek to harm others: we will bring you to justice.”

Senator Bob Onder echoed Attorney General Schmitt’s seriousness in addressing this issue, stating, “Last year there were over 200 carjackings in St. Louis City alone. This has become a serious crime problem in our state and I look forward to working with Attorney General Schmitt on addressing this crisis.”

Representative David Gregory stated,

“Carjackings are an incredibly serious issue for the St. Louis region and the state of Missouri – something needs to be done. I’m grateful to be able to join Attorney General Schmitt and Senator Onder to work towards keeping Missourians safe.”

Under the statute, prosecutors would charge carjackers with motor vehicle hijacking rather than a broader robbery charge. The main issue with prosecuting and reporting carjackings in Missouri is the lack of uniform charge or sentencing.

Some carjacking incidents are charged as robbery first, robbery second or stealing.

This can lead to Class A, Class B or Class D felonies.

With a carjacking statute, the baseline classification is a class B felony, but the use of deadly weapons or dangerous instruments as well as the victim being a child under 17 or a special victim would elevate the offense to a class A felony.

The statute would also be used in conjunction with charges for Armed Criminal Action in the event a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument is used.

The bottom line is: if you attempt to or successfully commit a carjacking with a gun, you will be going to jail for at least 10 years.

Additionally, finding statistics on carjackings is tough in Missouri as they aren’t uniformly charged or reported, and carjackings isn’t listed as an offense in FBI crime statistics. This statute seeks to improve the reporting of statistics by more uniformly charging and prosecuting carjackings.

With this statute, Missouri would join states like Georgia, Florida, and Illinois in establishing a state statute on carjackings, and Missouri would catch up to federal prosecutors who have added additional resources to tackle carjackings.

Attorney General Schmitt launched his Safer Streets Initiative in St. Louis on January 22nd to fight back against violent crime, and announced the expansion of the initiative to Kansas City and Springfield roughly two weeks ago.

With today’s announcement, Attorney General Schmitt continued his proactive approach to protecting Missouri’s six million residents.

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The Missouri Times

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN LEGAL BATTLE BETWEEN STATE AUDITOR, CLAY COUNTY Alisha Shurr The subpoena has been stayed until the outcome of the legal battle and a status conference call has been scheduled for February 28, 2019.

“The Commission has an obligation to protect the taxpayers and medical and personal privacy of the employees of Clay County from the overreach from a Jefferson City politician,” said Clay County Commissioner Luann Ridgeway.

“My auditors are requesting basic information, and there is no reason why it should be this difficult,” State Auditor Nicole Galloway said when the subpoena was first issued. “Citizens asked for an audit of their government because they wanted answers about the operations of their county. I will use the full authority of my office to ensure they get the answers they deserve.”

The legal battle is focused around a records request in an ongoing citizen-

requested audit of Clay County.

The audit of Clay County was initiated after a citizen petition was submitted to the State Auditor’s Office and then verified to have more than the minimum 5,590 signatures of county residents who are registered voters.

According to the State Auditor’s Office, the information requested was standard and they made multiple requests for the information before the subpoena was issued.

“Within the first six weeks of this process, my team has encountered delays, roadblocks and evasive responses that make it challenging to complete audit work in a cost-effective way on behalf of the taxpayers of Clay County,” Galloway said in a previous statement.

But the Clay County Commission contests that narrative. According to Ridgeway, Clay County has released

more than 300,000 lines of financial transactions and 1,300 pages of documents pursuant to the Auditor’s requests. She noted that from Dec 19, 2018, through January 2019, the auditor made roughly 37 separate requests and more than 30 have been fully answered.

“In some instances, the County has provided more documentation than requested by the State Auditor. There are far more areas of cooperation than disagreement,” said Ridgeway.

The two entities are butting heads over a specific information request for the Clay County Commissioners executive session minutes. When the requested records were not turned over, the State Auditor issued a subpoena for the information. In response, the Clay County Commission filed a lawsuit to quash the subpoena.

“The Auditor made absolutely no

Discussion with DOR regarding withholding error continues in special committee Alisha Shurr A House committee dedicated to government oversight continued digging into the reason behind the lagging state revenues and Missourians’ expected refund decrease.

At the Wednesday meeting of the Special Committee on Government Oversight Joel Walters, the Director of the Missouri Department of Revenue, was once again in the hot seat. He has previously testified publically on the issue three times — to the House budget committee, the Senate appropriations committee, and the House oversight committee — and is expected back before the oversight committee again next week.

Committee members from both sides of the aisle had an array of questions seeking specifics on timeline, impact, and outreach. Some were more satisfied with the given answers than others.

“I have made some judgments and there has been a lot of complex tax rules to work through, and 2018 is a transition year and it is having big impacts on everybody — if you are reading national press you can see this — and it all comes down to do could I, and should I, have done a better job of communicating this, better and early, and I am on the record

saying ‘I absolutely should have,’” said Walters.

In recent months, the Department of Revenue has increased its awareness campaign. Walters noted that they have started a social media campaign, there soon will be a video on their website, mailers will be distributed, fliers sent to businesses, and more.

But the chairman of the committee, Rep. Robert Ross, still isn’t satisfied.

“The memo is not getting out there, Director,” said Ross.

Roughly 3.6 million tax returns are filed, many being joint returns. The Missouri Department of Revenue has 2,350 Twitter followers and 982 Facebook followers.

“There have been two posts relative to the ‘review your W-4’ and the three posts relative to assistance and payment options. Do you really think that qualifies as a social media campaign?” Ross asked Walters.

“I don’t know,” he answer. “We are doing all the things I have listed a couple of times.”

On Monday, Walters provided the committee with a variety of examples in different scenario on the impact to

taxpayers. He reiterated that state tax refunds are about $80 lower than a year ago. Under questioning by Rep. Peter Merideth, Walters recognized that those most impacted are taxpayers earning less than $60,000 annually.

That decrease in refund is two-fold, according to Walters. Not only was there a long standing error in the withholding tables but the federal tax overhaul transitioned away from itemization to the standard deduction, which was doubled.

Merideth pressed Walters for specifics to the impacts between the withholding error and the tax implications. The St. Louis lawmaker noted that following the withholding table changes in March 2018, some Missourians saw their withholdings decrease by as much as a third.

“The amount withheld fell by more than the tax cut,” said Walters.

Merideth wanted to know how much of that decrease was attributed to the withhold error verses the federal changes. Walters was hesitant to share any figures because any number would just be a guess on his part.

Walters will be back again next Wednesday to continue answering questions.

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attempt to tie her blanket requests to her State Constitutional limitation to audit the receipt and expenditure of public funds. We do not believe that the law allows the Auditor to go on an unlimited fishing expedition,” said Ridgeway.

The State Auditor’s Office discounts the notation that the information request was outside their purview and stated that the “Auditor is confident in her legal authority.”

CONTINUED ONLINE

DHSS RELEASES DRAFT RULES ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA AHEAD OF ADDITIONAL PUBLIC FORUMS Rachael Herndon Dunn DHSS has now released its first draft of rules. This set of rules is specifically focused on the qualified patient and primary caregiver.

Additional drafts of proposed rules addressing other components of the medical marijuana program will be posted online as they are drafted. DHSS encourages feedback on this draft as well as future drafts as these are not final.

Suggestions can be submitted using the online suggestion form.

“MoCannTrade applauds the Department of Health and Senior Services in the timely delivery of its first set of draft rules and regulations regarding Missouri’s new medical marijuana program. This first set of draft rules, focused on patients and caregivers, uphold the integrity and intent of the constitutional amendment Missourians overwhelmingly passed in November. We will continue working with and educating Missourians who are interested in this industry during this rulemaking and implementation process.

MoCannTrade further commends the department for its continued work in a smart, efficient manner towards what ultimately we believe will be the best medical marijuana law in the country.”

As of Feb. 20, a total of 434 pre-filed facility license application forms and fees totaling $3,128,000 have been received

by DHSS. Of those, 237 are pre-filed application forms for dispensary facilities.

DHSS has broken those down by congressional district:

· District 1 – 36 · District 2 – 17 · District 3 – 38 · District 4 – 27 · District 5 – 58 · District 6 – 14 · District 7 – 33 · District 8 – 14 The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) will host four additional public forums throughout the state to accept suggestions from the public regarding the formation of rules and regulations for the program.

DHSS hosted its first forum in Jefferson City on Feb. 13, and more than 300 people attended.

The forums will be opportunities for interested individuals to leave thoughtful feedback, verbally or written, about what should or should not be included in the medical marijuana program regulations.

The scope of the discussion will be limited to suggestions for program regulation.

“The input received at the first forum hosted in Jefferson City was very helpful to us,” said Lyndall Fraker, Director of DHSS Section for Medical Marijuana Regulation. “The feedback we received from attendees was that the opportunity to have their voices heard was appreciated, so we have decided to extend these opportunities to other areas throughout the state.”

DHSS will continue to post updates as they become available on its medical marijuana webpage.

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The Missouri Times

PEOPLE

FRESHMEN TO WATCH

Rep. Jon Patterson Kaden Quinn Elected in November 2018 and “You realize how very lucky we Republicans or Democrats are representing the 30th District is are to live in the United States, here for the right reasons,” Rep. Jon Patterson. Patterson is to have all of the equipment and Patterson said. “They want a doctor and a surgeon whose technology that’s available to to and are here to help the time as a physician has led him us,” Patterson said. “They don’t constituents back home that to step in the political ring. His have anywhere near that in other they represent. They all come work in medicine broadening his countries so we have to bring a from different backgrounds and view of how he can be of service lot of our own equipment and have different experiences but I to others.

“It’s my work, I enjoy helping people. And I saw this as an opportunity to help an even greater number of people,” Patterson said. “They’re both different in their own ways so you get to take a break from one and go to the other. So it’s fun, it's challenging and I’m actually really enjoying it.”

Patterson has also been on several medical missions that have brought him throughout the world including Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Jordan, where he performed surgery on those who could not acquire it.

“I have been on a few medical Patterson on Jamaican streets during a medical mission missions and we do surgery on people that would have no supplies. But most of all, you just have no doubt that they are all access to any kind of surgical realize how lucky we are to live here with the truest intentions.” care where they live,” Patterson where we do.”

Patterson’s committees said. “The last place I went was Transitioning from a doctor are tailored to him and his Amman, Jordan, and I actually to a lawmaker, Patterson was endeavors. With that in mind, helped operate on Syrian impressed by the motivation his goal is to make sure that refugees who had injuries from from his peers, seeing as they are the state takes care of its most the humanitarian crisis that’s also hoping to help the people vulnerable citizens. Children, going on Syria right now.” of Missouri, despite political elderly, and disabled are all part It was through this work that differences. of Patterson’s focus as a health Patterson saw how important “My first impressions are care provider and as a politician. health care is nationwide and that every single member of As a part of the workforce what it means for Missouri. the House, whether they’re development committee, he

believes that the best things that we can do for health care is get good, high paying familysupporting jobs to move to the state.

One way Patterson believes the legislature can improve health care is through HB 678, tweaking the MO ABLE program.

This would help the disabled invest in accounts designated to cover qualified expenses.

“The ABLE account stands for Achieving a Better Life Experience.

These are accounts that disabled folks are able to invest in. The money grows tax-free and then they can use it tax-free for qualified expenses,” Patterson explained. “This is a great thing that we do for our neighbors and our friends and I’m proud to be working on legislation to improve it.”

Patterson also sponsors HB 667 to have the state continue to invest in regional tourism infrastructure. This money would go to the Jackson County Sports Authority and the Enterprise Center which are both regionally owned assets that bring business, tourism, and visitors to the state. If passed, Patterson hopes the bill will generate a lot of tax revenue that would in-turn benefit the state.

Rep. Dale Wright Kaden Quinn From ambulance driver to health care executive to the Farmington City Council and now the Missouri House of Representatives, freshman Rep. Dale Wright is a freshman representative to keep an eye on as he begins his career in Missouri state government.

Replacing term-limited Rep. Kevin Engler to represent the 116th House district, Engler was very active in getting Wright to run for office. Engler approached Wright about taking his place after the end of term as representative for the 116th district.

“He actually talked me into doing this a couple of years ago,” Wright

said. “I’ve been on quite a few campaigns over the years, national, regional, local, but they were always about other people. That’s when Kevin Engler approached me and let me know that he was being termed out and said that I was one of the people the party would like to see consider running.”

Even Engler could not convince Wright to make a swift decision to jump into the race.

“It took me a year and a half to see if this is something that I should really do, but once I was in, I was in, and I’m really excited about serving,” Wright said. “I actually went to get my physical for military

service and I didn’t pass it because of asthma. So I never did get to serve in the service. I feel like this maybe my way of serving our state and serving our community.”

A lifelong Missourian, Wright lived in Farmington for the majority of his life, with the exception of his five years in Rolla where he worked in hospital administration.

Working in health care for 47 years, Wright garnered his reputation as “the health care guy” during his time on the Farmington City Council. Beginning his career in 1970 as an 18-year-old orderly, he later worked as an ambulance driver and eventually in hospital

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administration. Wright also spent most of his time purchasing and selling medical supplies throughout the years, which gives him insight into the business-centric side of health care.

Wright already has a bill that he has an eye on in promoting.

“It’s an important one and it has to do with expanding nurse practitioner privileges,” Wright said.

“It’s something that I truly believe will provide more access to health care to out-state citizens, it will reduce health care costs, and then it will also improve patient outcomes.”

ST. LOUIS SUPERMAN’ FILM, FEATURING REP. FRANKS, PREMIERES Rachael Herndon Dunn It was hard to catch Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. over the last year without a film crew nearby. The resulting film, St. Louis Superman, premiered at the Big Sky Documentary Festival in St. Louis on Wednesday, February 20.

The short film heavily features Franks’ own son and Franks’ bill for Christopher Harris Day, signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson last year.

Film director Smriti Mundhra stumbled upon Franks through the news and social media and reached out to the St. Louis state representative. “I went to St. Louis, we met, and we just dove in,” Mundhra said in an interview on Tootell and Nuanez.

“I just wanted to use the tools I had to amplify Bruce as a person in the mission that he’s on,” Mundhra said. “[Franks] has an incredible gift for communicating.

Not only is he a battle rapper, but he is an interesting story and his background and how he came into politics. The more I got to know him, the more layers revealed themselves about him and his journey.”

Mundhra said she hopes the film will amplify Franks and empower other community leaders to know they can also make a difference.

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‘GREEN NEW The Conservative DEAL’ A BAD Case for City-County DEAL FOR Reunification MISSOURIANS

OPINION

The Missouri Times

Tim Jones

Rep. Jeff Shawan

Representative Alexandria OcasioCortez is an out-of-touch liberal extremist, self-proclaimed democratic socialist, and on February 7th she became public enemy number one for those who care about the Missouri Agriculture community.

When Ocasio-Cortez filed the “Green New Deal” she put a target on the back of Missouri farmers and ranchers and outlined a plan to completely bankrupt the Missouri economy in only ten years.

Getting rid of “farting cows”, air travel, combustion engines, and nuclear energy are just a few of the ways she plans on solving her self-made crisis.

In doing so she would irreparably damage the agriculture industry in Missouri, which has led the way in feeding the world for generations.

She would put an end to cattle ranching and the cultivation of land as we know it at the expense of all those who rely on harvesting rice, cotton, soybeans, and other crops throughout the state as a means of putting food on the table.

Liberals have bad ideas. That’s why they often lie. But every once in a while, they tell the truth. An example was when President Obama described his cap and trade plan—the same plan that’s included as a cornerstone of the “Green New Deal.”

He said: “Under my plan of a capand-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Coal-powered plants, you know, natural gas, you name it, whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.”

You can’t make this up. For once, take liberals at their word. They’re trying to kill Southeast Missouri’s rural and hardworking way of life.

Who will benefit from the “Green New Deal”? We don’t have to wonder.

Ocasio-Cortez wants the federal government to ensure “economic security” for all people of the United States including those who are unable or unwilling to work.

In short, she wants to strip farmers and ranchers from their hardearned living while providing more handouts from the government from those who have no desire to get a job.

It sounds crazy to those of us with a once of common sense, but it is straight from the socialist handbook of taking from those who are willing to work, to give to those who aren’t. I’ve filed HCR 43 to send a strong message to our representatives in Washington DC—the Green New Deal is a bad deal for Missourians and farmers across the country. It is time for us to stand up and fight back against the liberal socialist policies creeping into the heartland from the coastal elites.

Here in southeast Missouri we work hard. We grow things. We raise livestock.

Our sweat equity and calloused hands puts food on the table and feeds millions throughout the world. Please encourage your representatives to support HCR 43 so we can continue to do so for generations to come.

I’ve filed HCR 43 to send a strong message to our representatives in Washington DC—the Green New Deal is a bad deal for Missourians and farmers across the country.

Ask any non-Missourian what comes to mind when they think about St. Louis, and the answers you are most likely to hear are: Cardinals, crime, and corruption. Thankfully, the Cardinals are here to stay, but crime and corruption are real problems that have held the region back for too long.

Many of St. Louis’ struggles can be attributed to the fragmented system of government that exists within St. Louis City and County.

Together, the City and County are smaller than more than 50 other counties in Missouri. Yet, in less than 600 square miles, there are 113 local government entities, 89 independent municipalities, 55 police departments, 78 municipal courts, and 679 elected municipal officials.

This mass and mess of government is inefficient and exceedingly expensive, costing St. Louis City and County taxpayers $2.5 billion every year. St. Louisans spend significantly more per capita on government than virtually anywhere else in the nation. And what do the citizens of the St. Louis region have to show for it?

Fragmentation has produced too many leaders who lack vision and focus, concentrating on narrow concerns that often run counter to the best interests of the area.

Over the years, many St Louis leaders have fought valiantly for reform, yet there has been very little progress.

It is time for drastic action.

For the past five years, civic leaders from the City and County of St. Louis have studied options for overhauling the region’s antiquated, inefficient government. In January, the task force released its final recommendation: merging St. Louis City and County into a single metropolitan government, consolidating many services while allowing existing municipalities to continue operating with limited authority.

While St. Louis is often known for its political liberalism, this recommendation is surprisingly conservative. Among other things, the reunification of the city and county would: 1) save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by consolidating and eliminating redundant services, 2) result in significant property tax

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cuts for county residents, 3) phase out the City of St. Louis earnings tax, 4) remove municipalities’ ability to levy new sales taxes, 5) eliminate revenue-generating speed traps, 6) eliminate incentives for municipalities to offer corporate welfare, and 7) strengthen public safety (while also removing St Louis from the annual “most dangerous cities” list).

In short, reunification would actually reduce government in a meaningful way—and this should make every conservative cheer.

Of course, change is hard, and every conservative understands that any proposed governmental reform will encounter resistance from those who have a vested interest in the existing system.

Not surprisingly, the most vocal opponents to this proposal are those who depend on government largesse, and whose lucrative, taxpayer-funded jobs are unnecessary and often redundant. On the other hand, the most ardent supporters of reunification are the men and women who do business in the region— job creators and business owners whose livelihoods often depend on getting government out of the way.

The status quo crowd has focused their initial opposition to reunification on the fact that the plan requires a statewide vote for implementation.

But the truth is this: the proposal creates a new form of local government in Missouri, consolidating police departments and the courts.

These are constitutional changes that require a statewide vote.

Furthermore, over the past several years, the Missouri General Assembly has continually and repeatedly reined in self-destructive liberal policies passed by cities such as St Louis. Most recently, the state legislature stepped in to preempt minimum wage increases and plastic bag bans. Like the General Assembly, state voters have the right and obligation to step in when local action (or inaction) becomes detrimental to the entire state. Ironically, some of the same people who cheer when the General Assembly preempts liberal local policies are now claiming that state voters do not have similar authority.

I believe that Missouri voters

should and must act.

Failure of the region would continue to be borne by all Missourians—not just through lost wealth and opportunity, but quite possibly through the loss of their own tax dollars. This is not a far-fetched scenario. In fact, in recent years, states all across the country have been forced to take over or bail out bankrupt cities hollowed out by decades of mismanagement. Missourians cannot let St. Louis go the way of Detroit, Atlantic City, or Hartford.

Reunifying St. Louis City and County will ensure Missouri taxpayers are never on the hook for a bailout of the city.

The St. Louis region is the primary economic engine that drives the State of Missouri, and its success is in the best interests of all Missourians. But over the last twenty plus years, the St. Louis region has stagnated in both population and economic growth. This must change.

With its Fortune 500 companies, world-class educational and cultural institutions, and geographic advantages, there is no reason that St. Louis should not be a world-class city once more—a place every Missourian can be proud of.

The only thing holding St. Louis back is the government of both its city and county. To borrow a phrase from President Ronald Reagan, “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.”

Too often these days, our political leaders’ first impulses when confronted with a problem are to expand governmental power and authority. It is rare to find serious proposals that reflect conservative priorities by seeking to reduce governmental power and return tax dollars to citizens. But that is precisely what the unification of St. Louis City and County would achieve.

Conservative Missourians have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to imprint our values within the fabric of a region in desperate need of reform. I hope that we seize it, because I am convinced that this is the only way St. Louis will grow and thrive once again.

14

Missouri Times Ad 2.pdf 1 1/23/2019 3:41:28 PM

Capitol Calendar

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CHECK ANY TIME AND SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THE CALENDAR IN YOUR EMAIL WEEKLY AT THEMISSOURITIMES.COM/CALENDAR Sent events for included to calendar@themissouritimes.com.

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March 1 Last day to file Senate Bills (Rule 48) 1-3 Missouri Lincoln Days – Sheraton Westport Chalet, St. Louis 5 St. Louis Children’s Hospital Advocacy Day 5 Catholic Charities Lobby Day 5 Missouri Coalition For Fair Competition (HVAC) – Day at Capitol and Continental Breakfast – Capitol Rotunda – 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.

5 ALEC Membership Reception – Capitol Plaza – 7:00 p.m.

6 Missouri Health Care Association Lobby Day 6 American Planning Association Lobby Day and Luncheon 7 Missouri Chamber Foundation Reception 8 Lathrop Gage Legislative Update Breakfast – St. Louis Club, Clayton – 8:00 a.m.

12 Missouri Right to Life Pro-Life Action Day

12 Missouri Psychiatric Physicians Association Legislative Day 12 Reps. Rehder/Ross Reception – Boots, Bourbon, and Pearls – Realtors – 6:00 p.m.

13 VOYCE Missouri Association of Long-term Care Lobby Day 14 Last day to place Senate Consent Bills on the Senate Calendar (Rule 45) 14 Spring break upon adjournment (legislature reconvenes March 25) 19 Missouri Music Educators Association Lobby Day 25 Legislature reconvenes from spring break 26 Missouri Community Action Network Lobby Day 27 Missouri Pharmacy Association Legislative Day April 2 Child Advocacy Day 3 Missouri Canoe and Floaters Association Reception 3 Missouri Academy of

Nutrition and Dietetics Legislative Day 3 Conservation Federation of Missouri Lobby Day 5 #GoBlueDay for Child Abuse Prevention 8 MAC Legislative Conference – Capitol Plaza 8 Lineworker Appreciation Day 9 Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation Reception 17 MOFED Lobby Day 22 Easter Observed 23 Legislature reconvenes – 4:00 p.m.

24 Missouri Electric Cooperative’s Fish Fry Luncheon 24 Missouri REALTORS Capitol Conference – 100 E. High St. Jefferson City 29 Standing with Children Luncheon 30 Lake of the Ozarks/ Tri-County Lodging Association Ice Cream Social May 10 Last day for floor action on appropriations bills 17 Last day of session

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE MISSOURI SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION.

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15

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Lobbyist Moves

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Missouri Senate Conservative Caucus Rachael Dunn

Seemingly involved in every bill now that the legislative session is in full swing, the new Missouri Senate Conservative Caucus has taken to the floor - and to social media.

The caucus has six members: Sens. Eric Burlison, Bill Eigel, Denny Hoskins, Andrew Koenig, Cindy O’Laughlin, and Bob Onder.

The members are geographically from all over the state, ranging from Springfield to the St. Louis suburbs and exurbs, to outstate Missouri. Some members have only served in the Senate for months, others, years. Some are chairmen of powerful Senate committees - the others likely will someday be.

They range from accountants to doctors and small business owners. A couple of them are foster parents. All have children.

One is a grandparent. They’re all active in a local church, some protestant, some Catholic.

Their platform, posted on their Facebook page, cites the Missouri Republican Party platform for life and liberty, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and less government and taxation.

They’re closing in on almost 1,000 followers less than two months after page creation - all organic growth with no boosts or advertising. Their page even has original, branded graphics.

The social media is polished and professional, and the intentional

coordination regardless of whether those looking in understand - carries to the floor.

The page weaves between campaign and elected official, sharing from campaign pages, news articles, personal profile posts, and official legislative business. The appearance echoes the way of many federal officials: an elected is always a candidate and there’s always a strategy.

During the first half of the session, the Senate Conservatives successfully reached a compromise on a housing tax credit after a deliberate and noticeable, but mostly painless, filibuster.

The next week, the Caucus came together to slow a bill offered by a fellow Republican, claiming big tax breaks to corporations for job training was wasteful spending. The move landed one of the Governor’s priorities on the informal calendar in what many are speculating is forcing a hand at compromise.

SB 16, the Fast-Track Workforce Incentive Grant bill sponsored by Sen. Gary Romine, was taken up in the Senate for perfection, only to get hammered with six amendment proposals from members of the Senate Conservative Caucus over several hours. One of those amendments, offered by Sen. Bill Eigel, proposed an income tax cut - one of Eigel’s legislative priorities - and was hit with a point of order from Sen.

John Rizzo due to topicality.

Eigel’s amendment was not welcomed by Romine, who said, “This is a ruse to take control of the floor away from me and my bill.”

The point of order did exactly that, automatically moving the bill to the informal calendar for perfection with the point of order pending. Once the point of order is ruled on, the bill can be removed from the informal calendar.

There is no time frame in which a pending point of order must be ruled on.

The move, perceived as one to force a compromise between the Conservative Caucus and the rest of the body to pass SB 160, which would create Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs), which is a priority of Caucus leader Sen. Andrew Koenig.

Romine is also opposed to ESAs. Oddly enough, in the past, Caucus member Hoskins has been opposed to ESAs. Quick to form, quick to learn, quick to act, the Senate Conservative Caucus is a group to watch this first regular session of the 100th General Assembly.

But what do they want? Keep an eye on their Facebook page and listen to their inquiries.

They’re making their push for reducing taxes, government, and abortion. They also hope to improve infrastructure and access to healthcare. The priorities of the

caucus may sound similar to that of statewide officeholders and many other Republicans, but the way they’re hoping to get there is completely different.

In a post on her own Facebook page on February 23, Caucus member O’Laughlin wrote, “So this week our Conservative Caucus in the Senate will offer details of a road funding plan that does not involve borrowing money. The plan will provide funding without a tax increase or borrowing. We feel if this can be implemented it will be more beneficial to the state and will avoid the potential $100 million in interest charges from bonding. We hope the Governor and his staff will seriously consider the plan and we commit to working together for the benefit of all Missourians.”

In a turn of irony, the caucus has assisted the super-minority party in slowing down the legislative process of so-called supermajority priorities.

Across the building, the House Conservative Caucus has met for their first meeting of the 100th General Assembly with many new freshman members.

Democracy is a slow process and the addition of a Conservative Caucus in the Senate seems to have effectively shifted the Senate further to the right, one legislative day at a time.

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Activity Date Lobbyist Name Principal From To 02/26/2019 Daley, Colleen ‘Colleen’ Internet Association 02/26/2019 02/26/2019 Driver, Annette G Driver and Associates 02/26/2019 02/25/2019 Baker, Aaron EDF Renewables 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Beers, Hannah EDF Renewables 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Brooks, Jeffery Rx Outreach 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Brooks, Jeffery Paul Callicoat 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Brooks, Jeffery Essentials In Education 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Dickey, Samantha Missouri Department of Higher Education 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Gamble, Cynthia Rx Outreach 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Gamble, Cynthia Paul Callicoat 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Gamble, Cynthia Macquarie Infrastructure & Real Assets Inc. 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Gamble, Kathryn Rx Outreach 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Gamble, Kathryn Paul Callicoat 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Gamble, Kathryn Macquarie Infrastructure & Real Assets Inc. 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Gamble, Kathryn Essentials In Education 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Gamble, William Rx Outreach 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Gamble, William Paul Callicoat 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Gamble, William Macquarie Infrastructure & Real Assets Inc. 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Gamble, William Essentials In Education 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Hubbard, Rodney R Siete LLC 04/06/2011 02/25/2019 Hubbard, Rodney R Harris-Stowe State University 02/12/2016 02/25/2019 Hubbard, Rodney R Colonial Management Group, LP 04/25/2018 02/25/2019 Hubbard, Rodney R Policy Solutions, LLC 01/05/2017 02/25/2019 Pierce, Charles Capital Sand Company Inc 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Schlemeier, Jorgen Rx Outreach 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Schlemeier, Jorgen Essentials In Education 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Schlemeier, Sarah Macquarie Infrastructure & Real Assets Inc. 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Schlemeier, Sarah Essentials In Education 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Topp, Sarah Rx Outreach 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Topp, Sarah Paul Callicoat 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Topp, Sarah Macquarie Infrastructure & Real Assets Inc. 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Topp, Sarah Essentials In Education 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Wilson, Olivia Rx Outreach 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Wilson, Olivia Paul Callicoat 02/25/2019

02/25/2019 Wilson, Olivia Macquarie Infrastructure & Real Assets Inc. 02/25/2019 02/25/2019 Wilson, Olivia Essentials In Education 02/25/2019 02/23/2019 Steinmetz, Ginger Clay County 02/22/2019 02/23/2019 Steinmetz, Ginger Autoreturn 02/20/2019 02/23/2019 Steinmetz, Ginger Credit Acceptance Corporation 02/20/2019 02/22/2019 Callicoat, Jonathon G.W. Sarcoxie Nursery 02/22/2019 02/22/2019 Callicoat, Jonathon G.W. MoFarma21 02/22/2019 02/22/2019 Callicoat, Paul MoFarma21 02/22/2019 02/22/2019 Callicoat, Paul Sarcoxie Nursery 02/22/2019 02/22/2019 Davis, Douglas ‘Douglas’ W Lon Jackson II 02/22/2019 02/22/2019 Jones, Benjamin W Union Pacific Railroad 02/22/2019 02/22/2019 Nittler, Stephen American Heart Association 02/19/2019 02/21/2019 Brooks, Jeffery Netflix c/o MultiState Associates Inc. 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Brooks, Jeffery Air Evac 04/26/2018 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Callicoat, Wendy Lynn MoFarma21 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Callicoat, Wendy Lynn Sarcoxie Nursery 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Fischer, Marsha University of Missouri System 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Gamble, Cynthia Netflix c/o MultiState Associates Inc. 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Gamble, Cynthia Air Evac 04/26/2018 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Gamble, Kathryn Netflix c/o MultiState Associates Inc. 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Gamble, Kathryn Air Evac 04/26/2018 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Gamble, William Netflix c/o MultiState Associates Inc. 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Gamble, William Air Evac 04/26/2018 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Harris, James Affordable Homes Development Inc. 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Harris, James Carmichael & Neal, PC 02/16/2017 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Harrold, Michael D Cigna Corporate Services LLC 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Huckleberry, Rodney Convention of States Action 02/26/2019 02/21/2019 Jackson, David Netflix c/o MultiState Associates Inc. 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Schlemeier, Jorgen Netflix c/o MultiState Associates Inc. 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Schlemeier, Jorgen Air Evac 04/26/2018 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Schlemeier, Sarah Netflix c/o MultiState Associates Inc. 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Schlemeier, Sarah Air Evac 10/01/2018 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Topp, Sarah Netflix c/o MultiState Associates Inc. 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Topp, Sarah Air Evac 04/26/2018 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Wilson, Olivia Netflix c/o MultiState Associates Inc. 02/21/2019 02/21/2019 Wilson, Olivia Air

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