Thursday, June 26, 2014
Chapelle-Nadal Issues “Action Alert”
Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal issued an “action alert” yesterday to her fellow legislators asking them to press the issues she raised yesterday with their local school board. She frames the issue in terms of separation of powers in an effort to overcome the divides of the specific issue…
Honorable Members of the General Assembly:
I write today with a single ask - please call your local school board members. Ask them which tuition formula they will use for transfer students - the DESE formula put forth by the Missouri State Board of Education (MSBE) or the statutory formula written by the General Assembly. DESE, and now the MSBA, is telling schools they must accept up to $5,000 less than the actual costs of a transfer student per the statutory formula (167.131.2)…
School boards that work with the MSBA receive suggestions for school policies. Typically, school boards accept the recommendations from staff or the superintendent. However, in this case, the latest policy sent by the MSBA allows the State Board to determine what a receiving school's tuition rate will be for transfer students... Section 167.131 does not give the State Board ANY authority to create a tuition formula. To quote state law, “The rate of tuition to be charged by the district attended and paid by the sending district is the per pupil cost of maintaining the district's grade level grouping which includes the school attended. The cost...SHALL BE DETERMINED by the board of education of the district...”
I understand that not everyone has a transfer situation - yet. I also understand that not everyone agrees on a solution. But I do know that the Legislative branch creates the law and the Executive branch carries it out. No matter your political beliefs, here the executive branch is creating the law. If that were not enough, they are creating law contrary to what the General Assembly has already said is law via statute…
I ask that you contact your school board members to verify these suggested changes. The letters and information is not being sent to legislators, only school board members. We don't have to agree politically, but we should not abdicate our responsibility as the makers of law. This is the separation of powers we are talking about - a pillar of our country's foundation. If we let the executive branch write AND enforce the law, then we have not served the people of Missouri who elected us as leaders of this state…
St. Louis City Challenges Gay Marriage Ban
Post-Dispatch’s Nick Pastor has the story here.
Pull Quote: St. Louis is mounting the first direct challenge of the state ban. The city, which operates as an independent municipality, also performs county functions... Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, who is charged to enforce the state’s constitution, is expected to sue the city, starting what will likely be a long legal battle. Even with the official marriage documents from the city, the validity of the couples’ unions will be in question. Missouri’s constitution recognizes only marriage between a man and woman and bars county recorders from issuing licenses to same-sex couples.
“But, make no mistake about it,” said Slay, “I, and all of us standing here, are doing this to force the issue and to get the law settled for everyone who wants to get married in the state of Missouri.” Slay added: “If we weren’t doing this, no other city in Missouri would.”
The constitutional same-sex marriage ban was passed by voters in 2004, making Missouri the first state with such a ban as the nation debated the issue of gay rights. Voters in some other states followed suit and approved similar bans. City officials said they plan to challenge Missouri’s ban all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary...
The three other couples who were given licenses are Bruce Yampolsky and Terry Garrett, both of whom are active in the city’s Democratic politics; David Gray and Tod Martin, who is the deputy chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill; and John Durnell and Richard Eaton, residents of the Soulard neighborhood who have been together for 39 years…
This battle is basically over; St. Louis is simply pushing that which is already falling.
KC Out of GOP Running
Kansas City was eliminated from the Republican selection for their 2016 national convention. It’s now down to Cleveland and Denver. Read the story here.
Snarky observer: “Wouldn't you think they would reward the wonderful actions of the Republican legislature who cut income tax by locating their convention to Missouri? But no....they choose based on ‘ability to host’...whatever that means. Skilled
workforce...better roads...who knows…”
Just In Time for the Mid-Terms?
Not the sort of Republican they need on a book tour… it appears Todd Akin is back… and largely unapologetic as he hawks his new book, Firing Back. Read about it here.
Pull Quote: 'My comment about a woman's body shutting the pregnancy down,' Akin adds in the book, 'was directed to the impact of stress on fertilization. This is something fertility doctors debate and discuss. Doubt me? Google "stress and fertilization," and you will find a library of research on the subject.'
'The research is not conclusive, but there is considerable evidence that stress makes conception more difficult. And what could be more stressful than a rape?'
Akin told MailOnline that he hasn't closed the door on running for office again in the future.
'I have not ruled out the possibility of running for office again in the future, but it is not on my radar at the moment,' he said Wednesday.
Senate 22 Bits
A day or so ago, I reported a $15K contribution to Rep. Paul Wieland’s campaign from the Senate Republican’s campaign committee. It was actually an in-kind contribution. They did a poll for Wieland…
Rep. Jeff Roorda’s labor event the other night reportedly raised about $30K.
eMailbag: Don’t Overstate Curtis
“You’re giving way too much credit counting Courtney Curtis’ statement on 492 as being ‘out of the Democratic caucus.’
Help Wanted
Missouri Office of State Courts Administrator seeks State Courts Administrator. “The Supreme Court of Missouri is seeking a dynamic, innovative leader with excellent communication and interpersonal skills to oversee Missouri’s Office of State Courts Administrator. This position oversees a management team and an office of approximately 230 employees dedicated to improving the administration of justice in Missouri. The position is located in Jefferson City…” See the ad here.
Fundraising Calendar
Today’s fundraising events from Mary Scruggs’ indispensable events calendar:
Rep. Caleb Jones Golf – Eagle Knoll Golf Course, Hartsburg.
Rep. Kevin McManus Reception – The Well, 7421 Broadway, Kansas City – 5-7 p.m.
Rep. Elijah Haahr Reception – 1034 S. Brentwood, Ste. 1700, St. Louis – 5:30-7 p.m.
Rep. Robert Cornejo Reception – 105 E High, 2nd floor, Jefferson City – 6-7:30 p.m.26
Rep. Noel Torpey Reception – Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City – 6-9 p.m.
Lobbyist Registrations
From the Gate Way Group website:
Doyle Childers, Earl Pabst, Dan Schuette, Bill Stouffer, Franc Flotron, and Richard McIntosh added Roeslein & Associates Inc.
Harry Gallagher and Heath C Clarkston added Princeton Public Affairs Group Inc.
Kyna Iman added Kindred Healthcare.
Kent Gaines and Richard McIntosh deleted EZ Pay.
$5K+ Contributions
Citizens for Steve Senger - $25,000 from Laborers International Union of North America Laborers Local #110 Political Fund.
Hanaway for Governor - $10,000 from Jensen Barlett & Schelp LLC.
MO State Council of Fire Fighters PAC - $25,000 from International Association of Fire Fighters.
Dooley for St. Louis County - $10,000 from Robert Fox.
Friends of Diehl - $12,500 from RIGHTCHOICE Managed Care Inc.
Sanders for Jackson County - $10,000 from Davis Ketchmark McCreight & Ivers PC.
Happy Birthday
Happy birthdays to Reps. Steve Cookson (56)and Kurt Bahr (35), future-Rep. Kirk Mathews (57), AIM’s Dick Aldrich, and Mark Coulter (39).