Beyond November: Election News

Tax Credits Die Again In Missouri Senate

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:15:48 +0000

Missouri senators have given up their attempt to pass an overhaul of some of the state's tax credit programs for businesses and developers.

Supporters of the bill set it aside Friday after Republican Sen.

In Final Hours Of Session, Big Issues Still Facing Missouri Lawmakers

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:26:10 +0000

Leaders in the Missouri House and Senate have just one day left to reach agreement on a number of unresolved issues, including an ongoing dispute over how to control spending on state tax credits.

"There's four or five things I've promised senators that we'd get to," said Republican floor leader Ron Richard, including some form of an economic development bill.

The two chambers remain divided over the cap on historic preservation and low-income housing credits. The House has sent a proposal over to the Senate, but it's likely to fail.

Mo. Gen. Assembly Sends Second Injury Fund Fix/Workers' Comp Bill To Gov. Nixon

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:02:22 +0000

Legislation that would revive Missouri's ailing Second Injury Fund and seek to reduce the number of occupational disease lawsuits was passed Thursday by the Missouri House. It had already passed the Missouri Senate during pre-dawn hours on Wednesday.

Bill Sent To Mo. Gov. Nixon Would Cap Lead Contamination Punitive Damages

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:18:21 +0000

One of two bills that would limit punitive damages in lead contamination cases is on its way to Governor Jay Nixon (D).

Mo. Lawmakers Send Bill To Gov. Nixon That Bans DOR From Scanning Driver's License Documents

Wed, 15 May 2013 21:42:08 +0000

Legislation is on its way to Governor Jay Nixon (D) that would forbid the Missouri Department of Revenue from scanning and storing source documents of driver's license and non-driver's license applicants.

On the trail: Onder ponders comeback after hiatus from elective office

jrosenbaum@stlbeacon.org (Jason Rosenbaum) — Tue, 07 May 2013 05:57:39 +0000

During the waning days of April, reports surfaced that a defeated Missouri Republican was seriously considering an electoral comeback after time away from public life.

Jason Rosenbaum I St. Louis Beacon Former state Rep. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis, and former state Sen. Ken Jacob, D-Columbia, during a press conference in 2008. Onder lost in the GOP primary to Blaine Luetkemeyer but is "seriously" considering a run for state Senate next year.

No, it wasn't former U.S. Rep. Todd Akin. It was Bob Onder, a former state representative from Lake St. Louis who fell short nearly five years ago in the hotly contested 9th congressional district Republican primary.

In that same week that Akin, R-Wildwood, grabbed attention for his interview with KSDK, Missouri Scout reported that Onder -- a medical doctor who also possesses a law degree -- was seriously considering a run for the state Senate. Because of term limits, Sen. Scott Rupp, R-Wentzville, won't be able to run for re-election in the western St. Charles County seat he currently holds.

In an interview with the Beacon, Onder confirmed he was seriously considering the 2nd senatorial district seat. He said he'll be on 97.1 FM on Saturday to talk more about the race.

"I really felt the calling to serve for a long time. After 2008, I found myself saying, 'I'm very happy to be a private citizen for a while. But I'm willing to get back in it if there's a race where I can make a difference,'" Onder said. "And I really do think the Missouri Senate is a place where a good person can make a difference."

Onder burst on the political scene in 2006, when he won election to the Missouri House representing a district in a fast-growing part of St. Charles County. While his credentials as a doctor and lawyer drew attention, he also garnered a reputation in the Missouri House as a staunch opponent of abortion and embryonic stem cell research. He contributed to passing major legislation aimed at curbing illegal immigration, one of the bigger accomplishments of the 2008 legislative session.

But his career in electoral politics was brief. After then-U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Columbia, announced a run for governor, Onder joined four other Republicans seeking to replace him. After a decidedly hard-fought contest, Onder lost by about 10 percentage points to Blaine Luetkemeyer -- a St. Elizabeth Republican who won the general election.

Since 2008, Onder said he's focused on building his businesses and spending time with his family. But he added he's stayed engaged in politics. He's gone door to door for candidates he supports, made speeches at GOP and Tea Party rallies criticizing the Affordable Care Act and occasionally made political donations.

And he's still a member of the state's Life Science Research Board, an appointment that he noted caused some controversy at the time. (Onder added the board hasn't had a lot to do in recent years: "We haven't had any money to appropriate recently. We've from time to time met to approve continuations of grants that we made back when we did have money.")

Blaine Luetkemeyer

Onder said that he has no regrets about 2008.

"I think that's true a lot of times in life that you learn a lot more when you lose than when you win. You learn more from your mistakes than your victories," Onder said. "When you win, you kind of look back at your self and say, 'man, I'm good -- I did everything right.' When you lose, you get more introspective and say 'just what did we do wrong? What could we have done better?' On the other hand, I have to say that Blaine Luetkemeyer has been a very good congressman and I'm proud to have him represent me in the U.S. Congress."

In next year's race for the 2nd District state Senate, Rupp's replacement will likely be determined in the GOP primary, and Onder may not be the only contender. Other potential contenders include former state Rep. Vicki Schneider, R-O'Fallon, and current state Rep. Chuck Gastchenberger, R-Lake St. Louis.

But Onder does have some advantages. For one thing, he proved in 2008 that he can raise plenty of money -- as well as use his own personal money if necessary. He also believes he has name recognition from his congressional run.

"I remember very early in the 2008 primary season talking to Blaine," Onder said. "And Blaine said, 'You know, Bob, I ran statewide before. And I have quite a bit of name recognition from that race.' At the time, I thought 'that can't make much of a difference. You were running statewide, but you were only spending a small amount of time within the 9th congressional district.' But it turned out that was a big advantage for Blaine. Blaine had run all over the state, but also all over the 9th congressional district. And people knew him pretty well from that race. He got out there and got to know a lot of key people.

"An analogous situation might hold in the state Senate race," he added. "I've talked to a lot of the public officeholders in St. Charles County and a lot of the central committee people. Without naming any particular names at this moment, I have a lot of support among those folks. And a lot of them are pretty enthusiastic about the prospect of me running."

Missouri politics has seen plenty of unsuccessful candidates staging successful comebacks. Some of the state's most prominent political figures -- including U.S. Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., Roy Blunt, R-Mo., former U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., and former Gov. Mel Carnahan -- fit that designation. And in fact, Luetkemeyer ran unsuccessfully for state treasurer in 2004 before he ran for Congress.

"It's easy to get discouraged after a loss," Onder said. "I remember telling my wife Allison -- who was even more discouraged than I was -- [that] 'look -- every public servant who's ever done anything worth doing in politics has lost elections along the way. It's part of the game.' You can let that crush you or you can learn from it and let it make you stronger.

"That being said, I've really enjoyed my time out of public office too and building my business and spending more time with my family," he added. "It's with some reluctance that I re-enter public life if I do so. But also I think there is an opportunity here and really an opportunity to make a difference."

Where are they now?

If Onder does decide to run for the state Senate, he'll be the third veteran of the 9th congressional district contest to pursue another office.

Former state Rep. Judy Baker -- a Columbia Democrat who narrowly lost to Luetkemeyer in 9th District's general election -- came in second last year in a crowded Democratic primary for lieutenant governor. And former state Sen. Ken Jacob, D-Columbia -- who raised eyebrows when he engaged in debates with Onder on abortion during the primary season -- narrowly lost a bid last year for state representative.

Other candidates in that contest -- including former House Speaker Steve Gaw, D-Moberly, and former state Rep. Danie Moore, R-Fulton -- have retired from public life. Former MU football player and Hermann native Brock Olivo is now an assistant coach at Coastal Carolina University.

Lyndon Bode

Only two participants in the scramble for the 9th District are still in office. The first is Luetkemeyer, who after redistricting now represents Missouri's 3rd congressional district in Congress.

The other is Marion County Presiding Commissioner Lyndon Bode, who ran in the Democratic primary as a conservative alternative to Baker, Gaw and Jacob. Bode has held his post since 1995, a time when a Democrat -- Hannibal native Harold Volkmer -- still held onto the U.S. Ninth District seat.

On the Trail, a weekly column, weaves together some of the intriguing threads from the world of Missouri politics.

Educators file suit against ballot proposal that does away with tenure, mandates evaluations

jmannies@stlbeacon.org (Jo Mannies) — Sat, 04 May 2013 00:28:00 +0000

Opponents of an initiative-petition proposal that requires a new evaluation process for teachers, and does away with tenure protections, have filed a lawsuit challenging the proposal’s ballot summary, which they say would mislead voters.

Among other things, the ballot summary doesn’t mention the word “tenure.”

Lawsuit advocates contend that the summary “is unfair and likely to deceive voters because it fails to mention that the constitutional amendment would permit school districts to fire or cut the pay of public school teachers and administrators without cause or due process, and it would create a burdensome one-size-fits all evaluation system mandating additional standardized testing of students.”

The suit, filed Friday in Cole County, contends that the proposal’s fiscal note is faulty and fails to reflect the cost to school districts.

A group supporting the ballot measure, the Children’s Education Council of Missouri, lamented the lawsuit and called the proposed changes a “forward-thinking initiative.”

“Our measure ensures that teachers are evaluated based on students’ academic growth,” said council state director Kate Casas. “As is done in other important and respected professions, our teachers deserve to be evaluated based on objective, not subjective, measures.

“We are looking forward to taking this issue to the people of Missouri and to standing up for what’s right for kids,” added Casas. “If passed, this petition would change our state’s education system for the better by helping students and protecting great teachers.”

Casas noted that the ballot measure, if passed, would do away with teacher seniority as a protection during layoffs. Her groups calls it "a damaging policy of 'last in, first out.' ”

The Missouri House recently defeated a similarly worded proposal, by a vote of 102-55, with critics citing its provisions that make teachers and school officials “at will’’ employees who can be easily fired. Opponents also objected to the elimination, in effect, of teacher seniority.

A compromise measure with some similar aims – and the presumed support of House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka -- is expected to go before the chamber before the session ends May 17.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Cole County, calls the initiative measure “billionaire extremist Rex Sinquefield’s latest attempt to amend the Missouri Constitution.”

Rex Sinquefield

Sinquefield has helped fund and staff the Children’s Education Council of Missouri. Lawyer Marc Ellinger, who formally filed the petition, has said that Sinquefield supports the initiative but is not leading it.

Backers hope to collect enough signatures to put the ballot measure on the 2014 ballot.

The lawsuit was filed by four educators who, allies say, represent many more in the education community. Their statement took note of the controversy a few months ago, after Sinquefield came under fire for citing a newspaper column that linked the public school system to the Ku Klux Klan.

The four include Paul T. Morris, a retired teacher and second- term president of the School Board in the Ferguson-Florissant R-II School District:

"Sinquefield’s initiative removes local control of how school districts evaluate teachers. It financially punishes districts for using proven locally developed evaluations,” Morris said in a statement. “From my perspective as a school board member, maintaining local control is very important…It’s critical the ballot language accurately reflects the harm this ballot initiative creates."

Also filing the suit were: Dana Ruhl, business manager for the Hannibal Public School District; Kathy Steinhoff, a teacher in Columbia, Mo., and winner of the Horace Mann Teaching Excellence Award; and Darryl Johnson, a high school English teacher in Smithville, Mo. who was Missouri Teacher of the Year 2006-2007 and is to be inducted into the National Teacher Hall of Fame next month.

Rand Paul to appear in St. Louis this week to raise money for state GOP

jmannies@stlbeacon.org (Jo Mannies) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:06:00 +0000

One of the hottest GOP figures in Washington – U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. – will be in St. Louis on Wednesday evening to help raise money for the Missouri Republican Party.

Rand Paul

Paul will be joined by U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., for the $100-a-person private gathering.

The state GOP also is keeping the location under wraps, except to the people who buy tickets.

“It’s a fundraising event, not a rally,’’ explained new state GOP executive director Shane Schoeller (a former Republican legislator who narrowly lost a bid last fall for Missouri secretary of state).

Shane Schoeller

Even with the secrecy, the event has attracted a lot of Republican interest and ticket-buyers, Schoeller said. Rand Paul, son of former GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul, already is on many short lists as a possible presidential contender in 2016.

Rand Paul also has won over many Republican conservatives with some of his views and actions, such as his March filibuster to register his concern about possible domestic drone strikes.

However, further questions have been raised by his most recent comments, in which he indicated that some domestic drone attacks might be acceptable. “I’ve never argued against any technology being used when you have an imminent threat, an active crime going on,” he said in an interview on Fox. “If someone comes out of a liquor store with a weapon and $50 in cash, I don’t care if a drone kills him or a policeman kills him.

“But it’s different if they want to fly over your hot tub or your yard just because they want to do surveillance on everyone, and they want to watch your activities,” Paul added.

Rand Paul had a presence in Missouri during the 2012 election, stumping on behalf of now-state GOP chairman Ed Martin, who made an unsuccessful bid last year for state attorney general. Paul's independent campaign operation also ran some radio ads opposing the re-election of U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.

Ed Martin

In an email promoting Wednesday's appearance, Martin cited Paul's "epic 13-hour filibuster" that Martin said "showed his courage and conviction to stand on principle."

"Why that moment resonated so clearly with Americans isn’t hard to figure out," Martin added. "Sen. Paul isn’t afraid to fight for the Republican values you and I hold so dear."

Wednesday's event also is intended to honor former state GOP Vice Chairman Susie Eckelkamp with the Spirit of Reagan award.

On the trail: Primary shift gets chilly reception -- and showcases legislative reality

jrosenbaum@stlbeacon.org (Jason Rosenbaum) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:10:56 +0000

State Sen. John Lamping is no stranger to challenging conventional wisdom about Missouri politics.

Missouri Senate Based on 2012 results and predicted 2014 outcomes, 27 out of the 34 seats in the Missouri Senate won't have competitive general elections.

Since he entered the Missouri Senate in 2011, the Ladue Republican has introduced bills to shorten the legislative session, have the governor and lieutenant governor run as a ticket and curtail political contributions from tax credit recipients.

Lamping told the Beacon back in 2011 that his ideas came from his time in the private sector. There, he said, "if you don't like the outcome and you don't like what's happening, you look at your process and change the process."

Those proposals haven’t gained much traction in the Missouri General Assembly. But that doesn’t mean they haven’t sparked rigorous discussion.

Such was the case last week when Lamping proposed an amendment to a broader elections bill to move the state’s primary from August to June.

“My rationale for proposing this change was to allow our general election candidates greater time to present their case to the people,” said Lamping on the Senate floor. “We’re not the latest state. There are a few states that have their primaries in September. But a majority of states have their primaries in June or earlier. So my idea here is to move the primary to June to give both general race candidates the opportunity to make their case.”

Maria Chappelle-Nadal

Lamping’s amendment received a flurry of criticism, especially from state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal.

The University City Democrat contended that the move would hurt incumbents in districts where the primary amounts to the election, because they would have less time to raise money and campaign in the time between the end of the legislative session and the primary election.

“People already complain about Congress. They talk about how once they win, the next thing they’re doing is running for the next re-election,” Chappelle-Nadal said. “Well, in four-year terms, I want to make sure I get out in the street and actually talk to my constituents. I want to have forums on health. I want to have forums on education. If I have to split what I’m doing as a job to what I’m doing campaigning, that’s going to separate my time.”

Lamping noted that states with full-time legislatures schedule elections while general assemblies are in session. After some more debate (which can be heard at the beginning of this Missourinet audio clip), Lamping asked Chappelle-Nadal if she thought “the most important thing that Missouri citizens are worried about is your ability to raise money over a six-week period.”

Ryan McKenna

State Sen. Ryan McKenna, D-Jefferson County, contends that most state Senate seats lack strongly competitive general elections.

By his estimation, 15 out of the 17 state Senate seats up for election next year will be decided in the primary. (That tally didn’t include the 10^th senatorial district in east central Missouri, which Democrats appear to be targeting even though it leans Republican. It also doesn't include the 16th District in central Missouri, including Rolla, or the 18th District in northeast Missouri, including Hannibal. The GOP captured both of these districts in 2010, and they have become more Republican-leaning since redistricting.)

Additionally, 12 of the 17 winners in last year’s state Senate contests won with more than 60 percent of the vote or had no opponent in the general election. That means if 15 out of 17 seats in next year's elections aren't competitive, then 27 out of 34 senators reside in districts where winning a primary is tantamount to election. And 74 members in the 163-member Missouri House faced no opposition in the general election.

The lack of competitive districts has several potential consequences. On the one hand, it may provide a lack of incentive to moderate on key issues. But, on the other hand, the lack of competition could also prompt elected officials to break from strict party positions, especially in the Missouri Senate where individual members hold more power.

In any case, the problem McKenna sees has no easy solution. State House and Senate districts are typically – although not exclusively – drawn up by a panel of appellate judges. Changing that process would require a constitutional amendment, which would have to be affirmed through a public vote.

More practically, Lamping's move will likely have a tough time making it to the finish line. But like other measures in the Missouri General Assembly, sometimes bills with questionable trajectories can provide definitive insight.

Seersucker revolution

The move-the-primary debate was something of a blip in a busy week for the Missouri Senate. The upper chamber ended up passing its version of the state budget and a higher education funding formula.

Missouri Senate This 2011 photo shows Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, debating in a seersucker suit. Kehoe was an early adopter to the seersucker revolution, which now numbers at least 12 other Missouri senators.

But that's hardly the only “bipartisan big tent,” to quote Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale, action.

“That big tent is made of seersucker,” said Schmitt, the ringleader of a growing legislative fashion trend. Every Wednesday, a number of Missouri senators don seersucker suits. The seersucker caucus is apparently now at 13.

Still, some political observers are aghast at the trend. For one thing, fashion etiquette dictates that seersucker shouldn’t be worn before Memorial Day – with some exceptions. Some are also befuddled why lawmakers are wearing warm weather clothing during a mid-Missouri cold front.

McKenna ended up manifesting some of that outrage in an amendment to the higher education bill. It read: “Any person living in this state aged 8 and under may wear seersucker suits at their leisure. Any person over the age of 8 living in this state may not wear seersucker suits because adults look ridiculous in seersucker suits, with the exception of Koolaid.”

(Koolaid is the nickname for Matt Michelson, an aide to state Sen. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg, known for wearing colorful suits around the Missouri capitol.)

McKenna’s amendment failed, which means the seersucker trend will continue. Perhaps lawmakers will soon emulate former Sen. Jet Banks, D-St. Louis, by changing suits several times a day during debate.

On the Trail, a weekly column, weaves together some of the intriguing threads from the world of Missouri politics.

Slay now officially is St. Louis' longest-serving mayor

jmannies@stlbeacon.org (Jo Mannies) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 20:14:00 +0000

By his staff’s calculation, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay officially made history on Saturday by becoming the city’s longest-serving mayor.

Although Slay just began his history-setting fourth term on April 16, it wasn’t until Saturday that he hit his 4,394^th day in office. That edges out the three-term tenure of Mayor Henry Kiel, who served 4,393 days during his 12-tenure (April 12, 1913 to April 21, 1925.)

Provided Staff present Slay with "lock to the city" to mark record

So says city Operations Director Eddie Roth, who did the math.

The city's two other three-term mayors – Raymond Tucker (April 21, 1953 to April 20, 1965) and Vincent C. Schoemehl (April 21, 1981 to April 20, 1993) – each served 4,383 days, Roth says.

To mark Slay’s record, his staff celebrated a day early, on Friday afternoon, by presenting the mayor with a mock Proclamation and a “lock’’ to the city (as opposed to a key).

Aides say the surprise presentation was set up by Roth and senior mayoral assistant Sherry Wibbenmeyer.

Special-election contest for 8th District congressional seat quietly continues

jmannies@stlbeacon.org (Jo Mannies) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:05:00 +0000

Missouri’s 8^th District congressional contest is gradually building up steam, with the contenders continuing to participate in forums leading up to the June 4 special election.

Thursday night’s forum in Cape Girardeau – with the audio available online – focused largely on three issues that have dominated the race for months: federal spending, jobs and gun rights.

All six of the participants, regardless of party, promised to cut spending, create jobs and protect gun rights.

The participants at Thursday’s forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters, included Republican Jason Smith, Democrat Steve Hodges, Libertarian Bill Slantz, Doug Enyart of the Constitution Party, and independent candidates (whose names must be written on the ballot) Thomas W. Brown and Robert George.

Jason Smith

Steve Hodges

Smith, R-Salem, and Hodges, D-East Prairie, currently are members of the state House.

Smith pledged to be “a check on President (Barack) Obama,” while Hodges said he’d “created jobs’’ as a small-business owner.

All six promised to work to balance the federal budget, with Enyart, Slantz, Brown and George joining Smith in calling for dramatic cuts in federal spending. (Smith did, however, complain about federal trims in veterans programs because of the across-the-board cuts known as sequestration. Hodges pledged to protect veterans.)

It's unclear how many more forums may be held before the vote. A local tea party group is apparently sponsoring an event in May.

But it does seem evident that there has been less public attention since last winter's high-profile jockeying within Republican and Democratic ranks to choose nominees for the June 4 election.

Jo Ann Emerson

Missouri's 8th District

The district, which spans from southern Jefferson County to the Missouri/Arkansas/Tennessee border, has been in Republican hands for more than 30 years. All of that time, the representative in Congress has been an Emerson. Bill Emerson represented the district for about 15 years and was succeeded after his death by widow Jo Ann Emerson.

She resigned a couple months ago to head up the Washington-based Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

The last campaign-finance filings showed Smith with the financial edge. He reported $240,046 in the bank, after raising $306,593 and spending $66,558.

Hodges reported $116,440 in the bank. He had raised $120,773 and spent $4,332, as of March 31.

Reed seeks to revamp his messaging by using Slay's dual operations as a model

jmannies@stlbeacon.org (Jo Mannies) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:24:00 +0000

The St. Louis mayoral contest may be over, but the campaign goes on.

On Tuesday, Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed registered yet another policy difference with Mayor Francis Slay, who’s starting an historic fourth term after defeating Reed in the March 5 Democratic primary.

But what was notable was that Reed used a campaign news release to do it.

Lewis Reed

Reed campaign spokesman Glenn Burleigh, who handled Reed’s campaign missives pre-March 5, said he has returned to handle Reed’s public communications as board president. Burleigh said the aim is to pay for his work out of Reed’s campaign operation, rather than the president's official staff budget.

Reed is simply taking a page out of Slay’s political playbook, Burleigh said, referring to the mayor’s longstanding political media operation run by consultant Richard Callow, who has worked for the mayor continuously for years.

Francis Slay

Callow and his crew handle anything related to Slay that is deemed political, while chief of staff Jeff Rainford and press secretary Maggie Crane handle any official communications.

The result, said Burleigh, is a seamless pro-Slay message operation at all times, whether or not an actual campaign is underway.

“The lesson this race taught (Reed) is that he can’t go for years without his own media operation,” Burleigh said. “Lewis is a smart guy. He recognizes a good idea when he sees it.”

Burleigh added that his work on Tuesday was “gratis” because Reed still owes money from his loss, even as he prepares for a re-election bid in 2015. The aim is to set up a formal campaign-financed media shop as soon as Reed's debt is paid off, Burleigh added.

Reed’s latest campaign report, also filed Tuesday, showed him with a campaign debt of $41,208. Slay’s report, filed a week ago, showed the mayor still had a campaign surplus of $374,221.

When contacted for comment, Callow sounded flattered by Burleigh’s compliment. But then the consultant, known for playing hard ball, got serious.

Burleigh can’t work for free without violating state campaign law, Callow said. At minimum, he added, Burleigh will have to report his services as an inkind campaign donation, unless Reed changes his mind and makes Burleigh part of his official staff.

Callow observed, however, that Reed’s previous use of official staff to post items to his private, political website also posed legal problems.

Slay, Reed spar over city's cable TV operation

The issue that prompted Reed's resurrected campaign operation – the mayor’s call to eliminate two-thirds of the city’s roughly $900,000 annual budget to pay for the city’s cable TV operation – also illustrates what Burleigh is talking about: Slay’s long-standing, and generally successful, two-track approach when it comes to media-messenging.

Slay is proposing to trim $650,000 from the city's cable TV operation, which would require staffing cuts, to pay for 13 police officers and for a new full-time employee in the city’s health department. The mayor maintains that the shift is needed because the city is losing a federal grant that had been covering the costs of 20 police officers.

On Tuesday, however, Slay failed in his first attempt to slash the cable TV from the city's pending 2014 budget. The mayor formally made the proposal at a meeting of the city’s three-member Board of Estimate and Apportionment, the city’s chief fiscal body. The members include Slay, Reed and Comptroller Darlene Green.

Slay’s proposal died for lack of a second. Green and Reed said they support the cable station because some city residents watch it. Slay says official numbers show that very few do.

Said Reed in the campaign release sent out by Burleigh: “As far as I’m concerned, public safety is job No. 1 in St. Louis, but the mayor’s idea to close the communications department is not the solution. We need to be addressing our public safety needs, but with a comprehensive approach. I believe that means utilizing the communications department to its full capacity.”

Reed’s statement continued, “For many of our older citizens, the city’s cable channel is their primary way of knowing what’s going on in our city’s government, which is a vital public service. I think that we should be expanding its public safety role to keep citizens greater informed about crime trends and what they can do to assist the (police department) in more effectively fighting crime in their neighborhoods.”

Slay's two operations -- official and political -- respond

Crane, the mayor’s press secretary, replied in a subsequent statement: “This amendment is about setting priorities, and the mayor's No. 1 priority is to reduce crime. He said that when he visits neighborhood meetings across the City and is out in public, not once does he hear anything about STL-TV (the city’s cable channel)... not positive, not negative, just nothing.

“The mayor strongly believes -- and hears from city residents -- that they are concerned about crime in our city," Crane continued. "So is the mayor. So if we're going to spend nearly $1 million on something, the mayor says we need to put it where it can have the biggest impact. The mayor believes that lies in the (police department).”

Callow, meanwhile, offered up the political context when asked about Reed’s campaign release. Callow paraphrased his Tweet on the subject: “I said that I thought that some 2015 challenger would be framing that release…"

“I don’t think that a $900,000 a year cable station is defensible,” Callow explained, repeating the mayor’s call for using the money for police instead. “I suspect that Lewis’ primary opponent in 2015, whoever that is, will seize upon whatever release he sent today and use it in his campaign.”

Callow concluded dryly, “I would say that Lewis’ new communications operation is off to a bumpy start.”

(Update) Burleigh has subsequently taken issue with Callow's conclusion. "Richard knows that when you're responding to a story, then the other side is moving a message," Burleigh said. "The fact that he spent his entire response trying to tear Lewis down shows that President Reed's reelection campaign is off to a good start."

McCaskill jumps into S. Car. congressional contest for Elizabeth Colbert Busch

jmannies@stlbeacon.org (Jo Mannies) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:30:00 +0000

Following her own come-from-behind victory, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill cites her success as she seeks to aid a fellow Democrat in the nationally watched special election May 7 for a U.S. House seat in South Carolina between former Gov. Mark Sanford, a Republican, and Elizabeth Colbert Busch, the sister of comedian Stephen Colbert.

In an e-mail fundraising blitz this morning, McCaskill, D-Mo., minces no words in her jabs at Sanford:

Claire McCaskill

“He was all over the news a few years back after secretly abandoning his post as governor of South Carolina and using tax dollars to visit his mistress in Argentina,” McCaskill wrote. “All the while, his staff used the excuse that the governor's absence was just due to him ‘hiking the Appalachian trail.’

“We have a lot of important issues going on in Congress right now, and the last thing we need is another self-serving, far-right Republican in the House,” McCaskill continued.

Sanford and Colbert are competing for the U.S. House seat that became vacant when Republican Tim Scott was appointed in December to the U.S. Senate by Gov. Nikki Haley, also a Republican. Scott filled the seat vacated when powerful Senate Republican Jim DeMint unexpectedly resigned to become head of the conservative Heritage Foundation.

McCaskill’s involvement on behalf of Busch highlights the Democrats’ belief that the businesswoman and first-time candidate might be able to pull off a victory in the GOP-leaning district, particularly since Sanford's personal behavior has continued to make news since his divorce. Some Republican groups have withdrawn their support as a result.

McCaskill’s presence also underscores the continued Democratic pitch to moderate and progressive women voters, who are considered key in the South Carolina contest – and elsewhere.

President Barack Obama, whom McCaskill famously endorsed back in 2007 (despite some strains since then), has made news this week with the disclosure that he’s headlining a dinner Thursday for Planned Parenthood – a lightning-rod group for many Republicans because the agency provides reproductive services, including abortions in some states.

McCaskill’s victory last fall is credited largely to the fact that reproductive rights became a defining issue in her contest against Republican Todd Akin after his “legitimate rape’’ comment last August.

She defeated Akin by close to 15 percentage points -- and McCaskill's edge among women voters was believed to have been even larger, which fits in with the continued Democratic focus on women voters.

Todd Akin

Akin also is expected to be in the news later this week; his interview on top St. Louis TV station KSDK (Channel 5) is schduled to be broadcast on Thursday. Since his loss, Akin had declined to speak to news outlets, including the Beacon.

The TV station is touting the interview as a sign that Akin’s may be seeking to make a comeback. He might be interested in how Sanford’s quest pans out.

Anti-abortion group seeks to restore campaign donation limits in Missouri

jmannies@stlbeacon.org (Jo Mannies) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:45:00 +0000

The anti-abortion group, Missouri Roundtable for Life, has filed an initiative petition that – if approved for circulation – would ask Missouri voters in 2014 to restore campaign donation limits, which had been in place for 14 years in the state.

Such a move appears to put the conservative group on the same side as Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat who supports reproductive rights and who has long sought to restore campaign donation limits.

In 2008, the General Assembly and Gov. Matt Blunt, a Republican, eliminated campaign donation limits; the limits had been in place since 1995, following voter approval in 1994.

The roundtable’s proposal, filed Friday with the secretary of state’s office, proposes donation limits of $2,600 an election for candidates for statewide office, legislative seats or elective judicial posts. Such a limit is higher than those in place when the limits were abolished in 2008.

The proposal also would bar money transfers between campaign committees – also sought by Nixon and his allies – and would impose donation limits on the political parties, which would be restricted to contributions of no more than $25,000 an election.

The initiative is a proposed constitutional amendment, which means the roundtable would have to collect signatures from registered voters "equal to eight (8) percent of the total votes cast in the 2012 governor's election from six of the state's eight congressional districts," according to the secretary of state's office.

Sources say that the secretary of state's office has raised technical concerns about the wording of the roundtable's proposal and may ask it to resubmit the proposed initiative.

Fred Sauer

The roundtable's president, Fred Sauer, who made an unsuccessful GOP bid for governor in 2012, said in a statement that his group was venturing into the campaign-donation fight because “unlimited campaign contributions are corrupting politicians and creating the appearance of corruption in Jefferson City.”

“We need to restore political campaign contribution limits so that politicians represent Missouri citizens and not special interest groups,” Sauer said.

His group did not return the Beacon’s call seeking further explanation.

On the trail: As he enters Missouri House, Peters embraces 'urgency of now'

jrosenbaum@stlbeacon.org (Jason Rosenbaum) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 05:14:00 +0000

State Rep. Joshua Peters could have waited his turn to run for elected office. But the 25-year-old instead decided to join a growing crop of young Missourians who felt the “fierce urgency of now.”

Tim Bommel I House Communications Members of the Missouri House line up to greet state Rep. Joshua Peters, D-St. Louis. The 25-year-old is one of two House members elected earlier this month in special elections.

After a few years of toiling behind the scenes in Jefferson City and Washington, D.C., Peters won a special election earlier this month to represent the north St. Louis 76^th District in the Missouri House. He was sworn into office Wednesday.

Since he graduated from Lincoln University, Peters spent time working for U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis. Before working for Clay, Peters interned in the Missouri Capitol for lawmakers such as former state Rep. J.C. Kuessner, D-Eminence.

By his own admission, Peters could have continued to build experience and expertise as a staffer. But it was that “fierce urgency of now” – a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. that President Barack Obama used in his political campaigns – that spurred Peters to make the electoral leap.

“For people in my generation, it really resonated because up until that point, we really had nothing to stand for in a sense of getting involved,” Peters said in a telephone interview a day after being sworn into office. “So people in my age group saw the opportunity to say ‘hey, there are some things and some decisions that are being made now that are going to affect my life down the line.’

“It’s going to affect my children’s lives and my nieces' and nephews’ lives down the line,” he added. “So let them take charge of that now.”

Peters may be part of burgeoning trend. This past election cycle featured a number of 20-somethings being elected to the Missouri House, including Reps. Michael Butler, D-St. Louis, (27), Jon Carpenter, D-Kansas City, (26), T.J. McKenna, D-Jefferson County, (27) Joe Don McGaugh, R-Carrollton, (29), and Scott Fitzpatrick, R-Shell Knob, (26).

Notably, the person Peters replaced – St. Louis Alderman Chris Carter, D-27^th Ward – was 27 when he was first elected to the Missouri House. Other lawmakers who’ve climbed to significant General Assembly leadership posts – such as House Speaker Pro Tem Jason Smith, R-Salem, and state Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City – entered the General Assembly while in their 20s.

(It's also worth noting that 31-year-old Secretary of State Jason Kander is the youngest statewide officer in the nation. And 39-year-old state Treasurer Clint Zweifel was the youngest person elected to his office in more than a century.)

For his part, Peters sees the youth infusion as a positive development.

“I’ve only been here for a day now,” Peter said. “But I do believe that there is a trend that is taking place across the region, which is very good. I know there might be some that are part of the old guard that may not see that. Or there may be some hesitation that our youth equals inexperience. That’s not necessarily the truth all the time. I plan definitely to work with individuals such as Mike Butler and Kim Gardner and Clem Smith and other individuals who are in that age group that you mentioned.

“There is a big push with people understanding that ‘hey, it may be time to pass things onto our younger group,’” he added. “Those who worked in the shadows are now coming to the forefront. It’s positive for our future. It’s very positive for our region.”

The youthful disposition of the legislature may be a result of term limits. How else can anyone explain how Sen. Scott Rupp, R-St. Charles, is the most senior member of the Missouri Senate at age 39?

But at least one legislative veteran notes that younger politicians have emerged – and thrived – in Missouri politics before term limits took hold.

Nate Walker's Facebook page State Rep. Nate Walker, R-Kirksville, and Gov. Jay Nixon pose for a picture earlier this year at the Missouri Governor's Mansion. Walker and Nixon are part of a small group of current Missouri elected officials who served in the state legislature in the 1980s. Others in that select group include state Rep. Chris Kelly, D-Columbia, U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, and U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.

Along with state Rep. Chris Kelly, D-Columbia, Rep. Nate Walker is one of two current lawmakers who were in the Missouri General Assembly during the 1980s. The Kirksville Republican entered the Missouri House earlier this year as a born-again freshman, thanks to the fact that his prior service in the House didn’t count against term limits.

In an interview with the Beacon on his 61^st birthday, Walker noted that he was 26 when he was first elected to the House in 1980. And despite being considerably more youthful than his legislative counterparts, he was able to capture a leadership position – House minority whip – within a single term. (He did note that “being minority whip is not a very big deal, because you can whip everybody into place and you’re still ... behind by 53 votes.”)

One axiom for young legislators, Walker said, is not to “come across being arrogant or knowing everything or knowing it all.”

“Even though we’re in term limits, I think people still kind of think that freshmen should probably sit and listen and observe and add most of their input in committee work rather than being up on the floor -- unless it’s a subject that they’re very well briefed in or knowledgeable about,” Walker said. “Just to get up to have dialouge back and forth, we have too much of that sometimes just for the sake of some of the people who want to hear each other jabber back and forth.”

Anybody who comes in when they’re 25 or 26, Walker said, can succeed and advance in the House “if they work hard and do their homework and get along with other people.”

“I think it’s great that there are young people in the legislature. They just have to be careful of how they’re perceived in their own party and in the opposing party,” Walker said. “Once you come in, you’ve already got to figure out where you want to be in eight years if you continue to stay in the House. You’ve got to be careful that you don’t step on people’s toes. But that’s not changed from the past.”

For his part, Peters – a Beaumont High School graduate – said that he wants to work long term to help bring the St. Louis Public School system back to full accreditation. In the short term, he said he will focus on providing constituent services to the residents of his district.

“Being in the super minority here in Jefferson City, we are limited to what we can do on certain issues,” Peters said. “However, I definitely plan to work with my caucus and work when appropriate across the aisle to seek solutions for our district as well as the state of Missouri. But my main focus is constituent services – getting to know the individual in the various agencies here to bring results for individuals who may have problems that they’re facing.”

That comment appears to conform with Walker's advice about serving in the legislative minority: "Don’t get up and be a smart aleck. And don’t get up and pound on your chest too much."

"When you’re young or relatively new to the system, when you’re on the floor you don’t need to crack too many jokes," he added. "Because that doesn’t you much good."

Sail to the moon

Peters' win in the 76th District was relatively low key, especially since he faced no Republican opposition. The same couldn't be said for the race in Lawrence County's 157th District, which became vacant after Gov. Jay Nixon appointed state Rep. Don Ruzicka, R-Mt. Vernon, to the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole.

Mike Moon

Ultimately, Republican Mike Moon dispatched former state Rep. Charles Dake, D-Miller, in a race that brought the House Republicans back up to 110 members. That's significant, because it means that House Republicans still have a veto-proof majority if Smith wins his congressional race.

For Moon, the April 2 election represents an impressive electoral reversal of fortune. The Ash Grove resident received 4.3 percent of the vote in a crowded GOP primary in 2010 for the 7th District Congressional seat. And he lost decisively to incumbent U.S. Rep. Billy Long, R-Springfield, last year for that same seat.

Don Ruzicka

Besides achieving the rare feat of winning a state legislative race after unsuccessfully running against an incumbent congressman, Moon's win ensures a vital tradition will continue. Both Moon and Ruzicka have tremendous mustaches.

Perhaps Lawrence County voters wanted to stick with a candidate with familiar facial hair.

On the Trail, a weekly column, weaves together some of the intriguing threads from the world of Missouri politics.