Latest entries in Politics Watch
Political updates from Columbia, Jeff City and Washington by The Maneater's political reporters.
Oct. 20, 2009
Robin Carnahan speaking at MU Law School
Secretary of State Robin Carnahan will be speaking at the MU Law School at 6 p.m. on Oct. 21. Carnahan, who has been criticized by some for a lack of campaign events thus far will be speaking about her 2010 Senate campaign.
She is the only Democratic candidate and is running against U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and State Sen. Chuck Purgason for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by long-time incumbent Kit Bond, R-Mo.
The event will be held in room seven, located in the basement of the school, and it is expected to end around 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 15, 2009
Jerry Wade announces candidacy for mayor
Fourth Ward Councilman Jerry Wade said, in an e-mail early Tuesday, he is running for mayor of Columbia in April 2010.
"I believe I have the qualifications and ability to be a good mayor and I want to continue my community service to Columbia," Wade said in the e-mail.
Mayor Darwin Hindman, Columbia's longest serving mayor, said in August he would not seek re-election in April. Wade, with his term as councilman expiring this same year, was seen as a likely Candidate.
According to previous Maneater reports, Wade would not say whether he was running until he and his family had fully thought out the decision. Wade said he decided to announce his decision now to put an end to speculation.
"This gives plenty of time for interested people in the Fourth Ward to consider running and hopefully we will have a slate of excellent candidates," he said.
Wade will hold an extended set of office hours at the Rendezvous coffeehouse Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to noon so constituents can talk to him about his decision.
Sept. 8, 2009
Columbia Water and Light Director Resigns
Kraig Kahler, Columbia's Water and Light director, resigned from his position due to family issues. According to an official news release, City Manager Bill Watkins asked for and then received Kahler's resignation.
“I have no doubts about Kraig’s professional integrity and intelligence,” Watkins stated in the release, “But he is experiencing some difficult family issues at this time. In my opinion, this has affected his focus on the department in a way that is not likely to change in the near future.”
Watkins said Kahler left his position in good standing and is receiving the maximum separation pay allowed by city ordinance. He is also available on a consultancy basis for the next two months.
Micheal Schmitz is the interim director.
Aug. 6, 2009
Parts of state to hold sales tax holiday
One of Missouri's two annual sales tax holidays will be going on this weekend. From Friday to Sunday, items relating to school supplies will not be subject to the 4.225 percent state sales tax.
Although shoppers in Columbia will not have to pay the state sales tax during the weekend, they will still be required to pay the city's sales tax of 3.325 percent. The law establishing the tax free weekend allows for all sales taxes to be waived, but it also lets individual cities choose whether they participate in the holiday.
According to the Missouri Department of Revenue, clothing that is $100 or less, purchases of school supplies that are less than $50 and laptops that are less than $3,500 are all exempt from state sales tax. Computer software costing less than $350 and computer accessories that are less than $3,500 are also sales tax free.
According to the MDR Web site, some of the closest cities to Columbia that are participating in the holiday are Centralia and Mexico. For these, and other participating towns, the local sales tax will not be added to the purchase price of the qualifying items.
The state's other sales tax holiday takes place in April and exempts energy efficient appliances from sales taxes.
Nixon announces principles of Autism coverage
Gov. Nixon laid out his principles for autism insurance coverage in Columbia earlier today. According to a news release from the governor's office, his stop at the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders was one of three he made in the state today to announce principles he feels are key to legislation mandating insurance coverage for autism.
The news release said Nixon's principles are first, that health insurance plans renewed or issued after Jan. 1, 2011 must provide coverage for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Second, this coverage is only for medically necessary treatments for the disorders and the coverage is capped somewhere between $35,000 and $55,000. Third, Nixon said there can be no limit on patients' visits to Autism service providers. Finally, Nixon said insurance companies should not be able to deny or cancel coverage based solely on the fact that someone is diagnosed with autism.
In the news release, Nixon said it was important that insurance coverage for ASD pass the Missouri General Assembly.
“It is clear to me and has become clear to bipartisan majorities of both the Missouri House and Senate that action on autism coverage legislation can wait no longer," Nixon said. "A bill that guarantees that insurance providers will cover the most effective treatments for autism must pass this legislative session and it must include substantial provisions that make real differences for real families."
Legislation to cover autism patients passed the Missouri Senate last session, but the legislation stalled in the House.
St. Louis resident Molly Schad, who has a son diagnosed with autism, accompanied Nixon during his stop across the state. In the release, she said guaranteed coverage was necessary.
“Harry’s therapy costs thousands of dollars a year and has meant financial hardship for our family.” Schad said. “There has to be a better way. Insurance isn’t good for very much if it doesn’t cover the one avenue that actually makes the life of a child more productive. A guarantee for ABA treatments is badly needed.”
The Missouri legislature, which is in recess now, is expected to take this issue up once the next session begins in January.
June 25, 2009
Forsee reacts to Nixon's budget cuts
Exercising his line item veto power, Governor Jay Nixon announced this morning that he would cut or withhold more than $400 million dollars from the state budget for Fiscal Year 2010.
According to a budget summary obtained by The Maneater from the Governor's office, $100 million of these cuts are permanent and include $12 million for ethanol funding in FY2012 and FY2013 and $10 million for a highway interchange in Jefferson City.
The release stated nixon also withheld $300 million in other funds that could be be added back into the budget if state revenue figures exceed current expectations. These withheld funds include money for the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center and cuts an additional 200 state employees from the budget. Overall, more than $100 million of funding for MOHELA projects were either cut or put on hold by the governor.
Reacting to the news, UM System President Gary Forsee said in a news release that the University of Missouri System was disappointed by Nixon's decision.
"These construction and renovation projects enjoy wide public support and address long-standing problems with aging facilities that no longer serve the purposes for which they are intended," Forsee said. "We fully understand the state is facing challenging financial times, but eliminating or delaying funding for shovel-ready projects represents a missed opportunity to stimulate the economy by providing jobs and better education and health care services for Missourians.”
Nixon said the current economic situation required sacrifices.
"All across our state, families are having to make tough financial decisions – putting off things they want, just so they can afford the things they truly need," Nixon said in news release. "In short, more than ever, Missourians are having to tighten their belts and prioritize. Just as Missouri families are required to tighten their belts, so too must state government. Missourians are fiscally conservative people, and especially in these tough economic times, we must not turn our backs on that value."
June 18, 2009
Obama extends benefits to same-sex couples
Yesterday, President Obama expanded benefits already offered to the spouses of federal employees to include same-sex partners. The Presidential Memorandum extends benefits without requiring any existing laws to be changed. Obama said he wished he could do more, but he said existing federal law does not allow for any further changes.
"Unfortunately, my Administration is not authorized by existing Federal law to provide same-sex couples with the full range of benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married couples," Obama said in a White House news release. "That's why I stand by my long-standing commitment to work with Congress to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. It's discriminatory, it interferes with States' rights, and it's time we overturned it."
The memo allows federal employees to take sick days to care for partners and it allows for partners to be counted as household members when housing arrangements are determined for state department employees stationed overseas.
Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said this memo was an important first step in a statement released before the memo was signed.
"Today’s presidential signature is the first brick in paving what is a long path toward equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans."
May 26, 2009
Obama reveals Supreme Court nomination
President Obama announced his nomination for the Supreme Court of the United States today during a morning news conference. A White House press release stated Obama has chosen Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee to fill the position vacated by retiring Justice David Souter.
Sotomayor, 54, has served 11 years on the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and if confirmed she would be the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court.
In a transcript The Maneater received from the White House, Obama said Sotomayor is a qualified addition to the court.
"Over a distinguished career that spans three decades, Judge Sotomayor has worked at almost every level of our judicial system, providing her with a depth of experience and a breadth of perspective that will be invaluable as a Supreme Court justice," Obama said.
While Republicans are expected to resist the nomination, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said the GOP would have to closely examine her legal views before taking any action.
"Supreme Court vacancies are rare, which makes Sonia Sotomayor's nomination a perfect opportunity for America to have a thoughtful discussion about the role of the Supreme Court in our daily lives," Steele said in a press release. "Republicans will reserve judgment on Sonia Sotomayor until there has been a thorough and thoughtful examination of her legal views."
May 15, 2009
Economic development bill passed
The Missouri Legislature passed the economic development bill during its last day in session today. The bill, which was first proposed in the House and sponsored by Rep. Tim Flook, R-Liberty, has been held up in the Senate since early February. Passing the legislation has been one of Gov. Nixon's top priorities, and once signed it will give various tax incentives to small businesses.
The final version of the bill would cap the controversial historic preservation tax credits at $140 million and would raise the spending cap on the Missouri Quality Jobs Program from $60 million to $80 million. Flook said the legislation would help create jobs in Missouri.
"We want to create these jobs and get Missouri in the right direction," Flook said during debate on the House floor. "If we don't get those jobs going, gentlemen, I think we all agree nothing else is going to work."
May 6, 2009
Mo. House rejects health care expansion
Following a highly contentious debate over an appropriations bill that would have expanded state health care coverage to more than 30,000, the Missouri House rejected the measure 75-85, with the vote split along party lines.
In a subsequent vote, the House elected to send the bill back to conference to work up a new agreement.
About half an hour after the vote, Gov. Jay Nixon issued a release denouncing the House vote. The expansion of state health had been one of Nixon's campaign promises:
“Missouri has a 25-year high in unemployment and a little more than one week remaining in the legislative session, yet the Republican-led legislature has done virtually nothing to improve our state’s economy," Nixon said in the release. "By voting today against providing health care to 35,000 Missourians at no extra cost to the state, House Republicans rejected a plan that would have pumped $145 million in new money into our economy at no cost to taxpayers. While this proposal to spur economic growth through health care expansion enjoyed broad bipartisan support in the Missouri Senate, the Missouri House let flawed ideology stand in the way of progress. House Republicans should explain to Missourians immediately why they allowed politics to interfere with our state’s opportunity to make health care more affordable and accessible. Turning down health care is not the way to turn around Missouri’s economy.”
The plan to include the new recipients would have been provided with funds that are normally used to compensate hospitals for visits by uninsured patients, which would have qualified the state for additional federal funds.
A conference committee formed between the House Budget and Senate Appropriations committees had agreed to include the provision. But House Budget Chairman Allen Icet said he wanted to encourage his fellow Republicans to vote against the bill on the floor.
"It puts more people on a dysfunctional and a broken system," Icet said in comments made on the floor, which I obtained from live audio on the House Web site.
