Latest entries in Politics Watch
Political updates from Columbia, Jeff City and Washington by The Maneater's political reporters.
April 7, 2009
Voter turnout only 10.1 percent
Election judges wait to sign-in voters at the Christian Chapel Academy during Tuesday's municipal election. Turnout for the election, which includes decisions on two City Council and School Board seats, has been substantially lower than November's general election.
Less than 10.1 percent of registered Boone County voters cast ballots in Tuesday's municipal election.
The number is far lower than the 28.02 percent who cast votes in last April's municipal election. The November general election had a 83.65 percent voter turnout in Boone County.
It's the lowest voter turnout in an April municipal election in recent memory. The second lowest was a 11.52 percent voter turnout in April 2005.
More than 21,000 new voters registered before the general election in November last year.
Polling stations were empty midday at the Christian Chapel Academy, located at 3300 S. Providence Road.
Vermont allows same-sex marriage
Less than a week after Iowa became the first Midwestern state to allow the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples, Vermont became the fourth state in the U.S. to allow such a practice.
To view the report from The Washington Post, click here, or here for a the report by The New York Times.
Vermont is the fourth state to allow same-sex marriage by legislative action. The other states to allow same-sex marriage did so through judicial action. The state's House and Senate initially approved the measure, but it was met with the Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas' veto pen. Both chambers of the legislature voted to override the veto with two-thirds majorities.
Vermont would have been the fifth state to approve same-sex marriage if California voters hadn't approved a ballot initiative in the 2008 election that amended the state's constitution to outlaw the practice. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa allow same-sex marriage.
Last night, the Columbia City Council also took a step to enhance the rights of same-sex couples by unanimously approving a measure that would create a domestic partner registry in the city. Columbia joins Kansas City, St. Louis and Jackson County in municipalities that maintain registries. Click here to view the report by Maneater staffers Victoria Guida and Marty Swant.
Today, the city announced that couples who are both at least 18, mentally competent, not related and not married can begin registering at the Columbia/Boone Health Center at 1005 West Worley from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The cost to register is $25.
March 31, 2009
Missouri Scholars funding restored
One of the more contentious issues in regards to the state budget for higher education was proposed cuts to the Missouri Scholars Academy, which was proposed by House Budget Chairman Allen Icet, R-Wildwood.
However, this decision was just reversed tonight by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Initially, when the item was read before the committee, Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, indicated that he wanted to keep debate on that funding open.
However, the chairman of the committee, Sen. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, said to the freshman senator, "Kurt, I'll do you one better" and promptly had the funding for the academy reversed back to the governors recommended total.
The program, along with the Missouri Fine Arts Program, were originally allocated $700,000, and are summer programs for K-12 students. The Missouri Scholars Academy is held at MU, and the Missouri Fine Arts Academy is held at Missouri State University in Springfield.
March 30, 2009
Groups continue to oppose CWIP
A coalition of consumer advocacy and environmental groups held a press conference in the state capitol today to voice their opposition to a bill that would allow a utility provider to charge ratepayers higher rates while nuclear plant is under construction.
The coalition, called Missourians For Fair Electric Rates, held a conference to oppose the bill, which would allow utility provider Ameren UE to charge customers for "construction work in progress" -- or CWIP -- while a second nuclear plant is built in Callaway County. In a news release, the group said ratepayers could see a 40 percent hike in their electric rates and could lead to job loss.
Susan Gallagher, a spokeswoman for Ameren, said pre-construction costs might drive rates up 1 to 3 percent before construction would begin in 2013. She said the biggest increase that ratepayers could see after the plant goes online might be as much as 12 percent.
The Senate version of the bill could come before the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee as early as tomorrow, according to a news release from Missourians for Fair Electric Rates. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Delbert Scott, R-Lowry City, and has been languishing in the committee since Feb. 10. A similar House bill, sponsored by Rep. Edgar Emery, R-Lamar, was referred to the House Rules Committee on March 9, but no hearing has been scheduled.
Deaton, Watkins voice support for museum
MU Chancellor Brady Deaton and Columbia City Manager Bill Watkins issued a joint release today expressing their support for keeping the State Historical Society of Missouri in Columbia.
Click here to view the release.
SHS currently has a museum in the basement of Ellis Library at MU, but longtime concerns about space and accessibility to the museum set plans in motion to find a new location for the facility.
The city and SHS had long planned to build a new museum on property directly northwest of campus, which is bordered by Elm St. on the south, Locust St. on the north and Fifth and Sixth streets on the west and east, respectively. The property -- which contains Bengal's Bar and Grill, a laundromat and a private residence -- is owned by various private individuals, who expressed intentions to remain on the property.
According to a Mar. 29 report by the Columbia Daily Tribune, a real estate broker contacted the property owners on Friday and said the parties had found a new location.
The City Council will discuss this matter during a dinner this evening at City Hall, which begins at 5:45 p.m. and is located at 701 E. Broadway.
March 23, 2009
Dems filibuster abortion bill in Missouri Senate
For the last few hours, Democrats in the Missouri Senate have been filibustering a bill that would make it illegal to coerce a woman to have an abortion.
I've been following the debate from the live debate audio provided on the Senate Web site. Capitol reporters Tony Messenger and Chad Livengood have covered some it with their Twitter accounts.
The bill in question, which was proposed by Sen. Rob Mayer, R-Dexter, would create the crime of knowingly coercing a pregnant woman to have an abortion, and would also require a doctor preforming an abortion present a pregnant woman with written materials that detail the risk of having an abortion, and would be given the opportunity to view the unborn child before it is aborted.
The Democrats have been working in pairs to maintain the filibuster. Sen. Joan Bray, D-St. Louis, proposed an amendment to the bill that would have enacted the Preventions First Act, a bill she has proposed to expand sexual education in public schools that has still not had a hearing. Sen. Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City, discussed sexual education with Bray before the amendment was struck down.
Later, Sens. Rita Heard Days, D-St. Louis, and Robin Wright-Jones, D-St. Louis, also talked sex ed after asking each other how their breaks went. Then, Senate Minority Leader Victor Callahan, D-Independence, who opposes abortion, criticized the entire abortion debate as a waste of the legislators' time.
The Democrats' main argument throughout the debate has been that, in light of joblessness and economic troubles in the state, that there are other measures to consider.
Luetkemeyer makes appearances next week
Next week, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer will make several appearances throughout the Ninth District to hold the first round of Constituent Service Days, in which residents will be able to address any concerns with the freshman Congressman.
Here is a schedule of Luetkemeyer's appearances, which cover almost every corner of the Ninth District.
Luetkemeyer's closest appearances to Columbia will be held on Wednesday, April 1 in Fulton and in Huntsville on Thursday, April 2.
March 16, 2009
Columbia to receive federal money for projects
As part of the passage of the U.S. House Omnibus Appropriations bill, Columbia will receive more than $1.6 million for infrastructure projects.
According to a news release from the office of City Manager Bill Watkins, the city will receive $1,425,000 for the COLT railroad overpass on Old Highway 63 and $237,500 to extend Stadium Blvd. to Interstate 70.
The release states that former U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Mo., who is a Columbia resident, and U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., targeted funding from the bill to the two projects.
The Columbia City Council will vote on a bill to authorize the use of federal funds on the COLT project tonight, and will also vote on a date for a public hearing. The total cost of the project is expected to be $9 million.
The appropriations bill makes funds available for a myriad of different governmental programs, from agriculture and rural development to education, and is designed to fund the projects through Sept. 30, which id the end of the current fiscal year. The bill was signed into law last week by President Barack Obama after nearly unanimous passage in Congress.
March 14, 2009
Mo. law enforcement report causing controversy
A report released last month intended to help law enforcement officials better identify members of militias is causing a ruckus. See the Associated Press report and another from the Columbia Daily Tribune.
The report that's causing all the trouble, "The Modern Militia Movement", which can found here was released by the Missouri Information Analysis Center, a non-partisan governmental organization that compiles data on criminal justice, on Feb. 20.
The report contains a few different things that law enforcement officials should look for if they suspect someone is involved in militia activity, such as bumper stickers endorsing former presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tx., and belief in conspiracy theories such as government plan to form a North American Union with Canada and Mexico or that there is a Federal Emergency Management Agency concentration camp in Kansas City.
The report also contains a rundown of militia activity for the last few decades, and states that activity was at its peak in 1996, during the tenure of former President Bill Clinton. There has been a resurgence, the report states, of militia activity since the election of President Barack Obama.
March 9, 2009
Nixon proposes appointment to Board of Curators
In a flurry of appointments announced today by Gov. Jay Nixon to various governmental departments, the governor has picked Don Downing, a St. Louis attorney and an alumnus of MU and the MU Law School.
Downing previously served as a chief deputy attorney general in Missouri from 1993-1995, and has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court four times.
The Missouri Senate will have to approve Nixon's appointment for Downing to take the seat.
