The Missouri General Assembly is in session. That means that there's a pile of House conceal carry bills.
HB 1781 Changes the laws regarding carrying concealed weapons in the State Capitol Building
Sponsor: Riddle, Jeanie (20) Proposed Effective Date: 08/28/2010
CoSponsor: Brown, Dan (149) ..........etal. LR Number: 3549L.01I
Last Action: 01/25/2010 - Read Second Time (H)
HB1781
Next Hearing: Hearing not scheduled
Calendar: Bill currently not on a calendar
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES RIDDLE (Sponsor), BROWN (149), DIXON, VIEBROCK, ZERR, GUERNSEY, COX, DIEHL, SMITH (150), FRANZ, BRUNS, CUNNINGHAM, JONES (117), JONES (89), NOLTE, FLOOK, ICET, KINGERY, LOEHNER, WALLACE, SANDER, KRAUS, MUNZLINGER, GATSCHENBERGER, DAY, WRIGHT, FISHER (125), LAIR AND VIEBROCK (Co-sponsors).
3549L.01I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal section 571.107, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to concealed carry endorsements, with a penalty provision.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Section 571.107, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 571.107, to read as follows:
571.107. 1. A concealed carry endorsement issued pursuant to sections 571.101 to 571.121 or a concealed carry endorsement or permit issued by another state or political subdivision of another state shall authorize the person in whose name the permit or endorsement is issued to carry concealed firearms on or about his or her person or vehicle throughout the state. No driver's license or nondriver's license containing a concealed carry endorsement issued pursuant to sections 571.101 to 571.121 or a concealed carry endorsement or permit issued by another state or political subdivision of another state shall authorize any person to carry concealed firearms into....
.... (5) Any meeting of the governing body of a unit of local government; or any meeting of the general assembly or a committee of the general assembly, or the state capitol building except that nothing in this subdivision shall preclude a member of the governing body of a unit of local government holding a valid concealed carry endorsement from carrying a concealed firearm at a meeting of the body which he or she is a member and except that nothing in this subdivision shall preclude a member of the general assembly or an employee of the general assembly holding a valid concealed carry endorsement from carrying a concealed firearm at any meeting of the general assembly or a committee of the general assembly or in the state capitol building. Possession of a firearm in a vehicle on the premises shall not be a criminal offense so long as the firearm is not removed from the vehicle or brandished while the vehicle is on the premises....
Jesus wasn't the only one who has ever had just a few loaves and fishes to feed a throng. This year, every director of a state agency in Missouri knows how it feels to try to do almost as much as ever with only fives loaves and two fishes. That was the message from the panelists at the Missouri Budget Forum last Friday, sponsored by the Nonprofit Services Center and moderated by Dr. James Kimmel. Ron Levy, head of the Department of Social Services, the largest department in the state, with a budget of $8 billion, showed a slide depicting the fact that until 2002, the state had not, in more than a quarter of a century, experienced a drop in revenue. '02 and '03 were bad years, but the drop in revenue in '09 rivaled the drops of those two years put together.
Rep. Rachel Storch, D-St. Louis, serves on the House Budget Committee. She smiled ruefully that there's a difference between playing the hand you're dealt and fretting that the economic structure is a house of cards. Perhaps Storch would feel more upbeat if Missouri were like Oregon, which is one of nine states to raise taxes on the wealthy this year. Right. When hell freezes over. Meantime, some revenue enhancement ideas being seriously considered are: levying an internet sales tax and raising cigarette taxes. One of the Carolinas is about to do the latter, and when it does, Missouri will have the lowest cigarette tax in the country.
The funding issue that will drive the budget this year, Storch says, is that the public school foundation formula is going to require an additional $87 million. Nixon has found $18 million of that. Where the other $59 million will come from, nobody knows.
And looking beyond this year, when we at least have stimulus funds to cushion the blow, the picture is bleak. We could be facing a one billion dollar shortfall in FY 2011.
Even with the stimulus funds, Margaret Donnelly, Director of Health and Senior Services, pointed out that she had to pare 130 jobs--despite the fact, for example, that senior abuse and neglect hotline calls were up 9 percent last year. And those calls have to be answered. She had high praise for Governor Nixon in this tough economic environment:
This is the forty-fourth post in an ongoing series as we file Missouri Sunshine Law (RSMo 610) requests and investigate the non-renewal of the contract of University of Central Missouri President Aaron Podolefsky. Links to previous coverage are below the fold. BG and MB
Everybody is getting into the act now that other media are actually covering this story. And by everybody we mean those ubiquitous commenters on-line (with some really interesting repetitious themes) and in letters to the editor. In today's Warrensburg Daily Star Journal there were two letters to the editor. One, titled "UCM donor will be missed" and another, titled "Donor will not be missed" [with a broken link]. Let's take a look at the second letter, from the dead trees edition of the paper:
I read the Jan. 28 Muleskinner articles regarding Benoit Wesly being disturbed over the alleged, anti-Semitic comment.
I must say that I feel that this is much ado about nothing....I do not see any reference to anti-Semitism in the comment.
Possibly Mr. Wesly is not privy to the first amendment, contained within the bill of rights, regarding freedom of speech. Or possibly he feels that his donations to UCM give him the authority to usurp this amendment....
....The proper way to withdraw his support would be to do it quietly, not with the fanfare he has generated....
....Our friends at Missouri Valley College need to be watching this closely. Mr. Wesly could decide to try and place pressure on them if they do something which would cause them to fall from his favor....
Uh, Missouri Valley College is a private institution. It is not governed by this article in the Missouri Constitution:
Missouri Constitution
Article IX
EDUCATION
Section 8
Prohibition of public aid for religious purposes and institutions.
Section 8. Neither the general assembly, nor any county, city, town, township, school district or other municipal corporation, shall ever make an appropriation or pay from any public fund whatever, anything in aid of any religious creed, church or sectarian purpose, or to help to support or sustain any private or public school, academy, seminary, college, university, or other institution of learning controlled by any religious creed, church or sectarian denomination whatever; nor shall any grant or donation of personal property or real estate ever be made by the state, or any county, city, town, or other municipal corporation, for any religious creed, church, or sectarian purpose whatever.
Greg Hassler, with a continued, and very public, association with the University of Central Missouri, stated on the air:
Greg Hassler: ...The University of Central Missouri. End of an era.
Marion Woods: Uh, huh.
Greg Hassler: Aaron Podolefsky. Out. We've talked about it for a long time....
....The, the thing that really upset me, that kind of got [garbled] going originally was, for years there was a Christmas tree lit at Selmo Park. Remember that?
Marion Woods: Yep.
Greg Hassler: Drive by. He stopped that. I mean I think every religion should be able to celebrate, uh, in their own way, but, I mean we do live in Warrensburg, Missouri. This is America. You know. Let's bring that back. How 'bout that?
Marion Woods: Wasn't that the Christmas tree at the quadrangle?
Greg Hassler: No, there was also one at Selmo Park.
Marion Woods: Oh, okay.
Gregg Hassler: In the, in the yard, area there, so. I mean, I don't know, it's jus... It, it was a bad fit from the get go. It's, it's over...
[emphasis added]
So, the thing that got Greg Hassler, an individual with a clear association with the University, "started" with his upset was that the president of the University of Central Missouri, who is Jewish, did not decorate a tree on state property for sectarian purposes, which would have violated the establishment clause, and which was actually cut down five years before he got here. Greg Hassler injected religion into this. Those are his words. According to our letter writer, it's no big deal?
....The proper way to withdraw his support would be to do it quietly, not with the fanfare he has generated....
What, Greg Hassler can say what he did (yes, he can) and how dare Benoit Wesly say anything about it in public? Only Greg Hassler can say what he wants in public? No one else?
If our letter writer had been paying attention he would have known that Benoit Wesly made inquiries about the situation months ago, originally out of the public eye (If it weren't for that pesky Missouri Sunshine Law we wouldn't know that part). The Board of Governors didn't address the situation.
So, the simple question for our letter writer, who appears to be outraged by Benoit Wesly's reaction, do you think what Greg Hassler said was accurate and appropriate? Just asking.
It's so inconvenient when anyone shines light on any unpleasantness. Instead, we should all clap louder.
Today is the annual unveiling of really, really expensive television commercials. I also understand someone has scheduled the championship game of American rules football.
I was reading the comments over at Balloon Juice where someone asked how they could respond to a right wingnut relative's chain e-mail titled World's Shortest Books. I chimed in with:
READING COMPREHENSION AND THE PRESIDENTIAL DAILY BRIEF
George W. Bush
PLANNING A WAR FOR OIL
George W, Bush
HOW TO CUT THE DEFICIT AND REDUCE THE NATIONAL DEBT
George W. Bush
MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING FOR NATURAL DISASTERS
George W. Bush
And then I thought, how about a Missouri politics theme for the World's Shortest Books?:
WASHINGTON LOBBYIST PARTIES I HAVE MISSED
Congressman Roy "Daddy" Blunt
INTRODUCING LEGISLATION THAT REALLY MATTERS
Republican Majority in the Missouri General Assembly
THE CPA GUIDE TO PAYING YOUR PROPERTY TAXES ON TIME
Representative Denny Hoskins
You all get the picture. Have at it in the comments if you're not already watching the hullabaloo on television.
Melanie Shouse's traveling billboard is pictured at left.
Cancel that memorial service for Melanie Shouse next Sunday afternoon. She doesn't deserve all the hoopla because, as several right wing bloggers have made clear, all she did was make a really, really stupid mistake in putting off a visit to the doctor when she found a lump on her breast.
Gateway pundit (ht: St. Louis Activist Hub) berates her for not getting one of the free breast exams offered by St. Anthony Hospital.
It's just too bad this woman didn't call St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Louis. They offer free breast exams to women who are in need of assistance. I suppose that's Bush's fault, too.
Yeah, Melanie. Why didn't you do that? Oh wait. She's gone, and we can't ask her. But she'd probably offer some lame excuse like not knowing about that program. You know how those damn libruls are. They never get the right information, and then they try to blame somebody else for their own stupidity.
Another right winger, Flopping Aces, criticizes Melanie for choosing to open a new business rather than pay for her high deductibles.
[I]nstead of going to the doctor she instead dumped 30 grand into a business, one third of that could of [sic] paid the alleged deductible, then who is at fault here?
Not only does he have run on sentences, he has the chronology wrong. She spent thirty thou to open her new business and later, when her credit cards were maxed out, got sick. But let's not nitpick. Surely you can see his point. She gambled with her life by not seeing a doctor. Yes, she would have faced bankruptcy by doing so, but, I mean, better bankrupt than dead, right?
She took a gamble and loss [sic]. It's sad. But to twist and spin this as if Socialism would of [sic] saved this woman's life is absurd.
The wingoverse is out of patience with "Socialists" always whining that citizens of other countries don't face the dire choice that Melanie did. The rightwing attitude is, get over it. She didn't live in France; she lived in the good ole U.S.A. Melanie ought to have just admitted that the whole sad story was her own fault. We live in this great free country which offers excellent health care to ... well, quite a few of us. Just thank the Almighty that we have the privilege of making our own decisions. Too bad she made the wrong one.
End of story. And shut up about health care reform.
is welcome news. Southwest Missouri sees itself as even more dependent on clean water than the rest of the state although I don't think that's true. Clean water is the life source for all of us. If the economic argument is what gets DNR's attention, so be it.
Those of us who lobbied for this issue in Jeff City a few days ago welcome the News Leader's attempt to educate the public. Maybe the KC and St. L papers will jump in too. I'm going to send this editorial to Rep. Marilyn Reulsman from Joplin, one of the reps we visited on Wednesday. She said she lives right next to a stream where her kids played while they were growing up. Now she won't let her grandkids anywhere near it, and some mornings there is as big glob of dirty foam on it. She inquired and was told it was effluent from Neosho and there was nothing that could be done about it. Don't you love that problem solving attitude??? Egad.
This is the forty-third post in an ongoing series as we file Missouri Sunshine Law (RSMo 610) requests and investigate the non-renewal of the contract of University of Central Missouri President Aaron Podolefsky. Links to previous coverage are below the fold. BG and MB
On Thursday I was contacted by the Muleskinner, the student newspaper at the University of Central Missouri and asked if I would sit down for an interview with them to talk about people's differing perceptions of the tree statement broadcast on KOKO radio by Greg Hassler in October. I told the reporter I would have to think about it. I did and I called him back to set up our meeting. We sat down for a conversation on Friday morning. The transcript:
Pat Nolan, Muleskinner:...It seems like a lot of people, I'm positive you've read the comments 'cause I saw your blog, so, a lot of people in our area don't grasp the anti-Semitic component of what he said.
Michael Bersin: Um, hm.
Pat Nolan, Muleskinner: Why can some people take that in an anti-Semitic way? Um, I guess, depending on your point of view it probably seems, probably like, you know, the giant Christmas tree in the center of the room for, to pull a bad example I guess, given the circumstances, but it's there. You know, some people might look at it and, oh yeah, you've got a big plant and some people will, it's a Christmas tree. Well, why, why would, I guess, yourself, Mr. Wesly see that in ant-Semitic way where, obviously, Mr. Hassler doesn't see anything in it.
Michael Bersin: Well, well I don't know if he doesn't see anything in it, [cross talk] first.
Pat Nolan, Muleskinner: Okay.
Michael Bersin: Uh, and, and I'll get to that. One of the, the things, first, that you need to first consider is the Missouri Constitution has the strongest establishment clause of almost any other state constitution. It's actually in two places, uh, one in the Bill of Rights and one under education. And the language is very explicit. Uh, and it's been in there for a long time, it's not something new.
Pat Nolan, Muleskinner: Um, hm.
Michael Bersin: The University of Central Missouri is a state institution. So, have you heard the recording of it, the audio? Of what he said?
Pat Nolan, Muleskinner: I haven't heard the audio. I've seen transcripts....
Paul Krugman compares the deficit scare talk that is becoming ubiquitous to the false "groupthink" that led us into the Iraq War. At the opposite pole, the St. Louis Post-Dipsatchprinted a story about how attendees at the Tea Party convention are seeking to define their hitherto diffuse, rage-impelled "movement" as a "push for limited government and fiscal conservatism" where "Criticism of the deficit and debt is a growing rallying cry."
Where do our local politicians come down on this choice between the views of a reality-based Nobel laureate, and sound bites and fury from the same corrupt fools who sold grandma on death panels? The Republicans, of course, have all been pre-programmed to grunt in unison about evil taxes, wasteful spending, and deficit horrors (often, oddly enough, while putting holds on vital appointments in order to get their earmark money). Sadly, however, when it comes to some members of the Missouri Democratic congressional delegation, the answer seems to be pretty clear - they'll go for the short-term pander as well.
Take, for instance, Claire McCaskill, who loves to talk about how tough she is - she claims she "has never shied away from taking on the special interests, and she has never feared asking the tough questions." But when it comes to the spending necessary to prime the economy and create the jobs, this is what she has to say :
The friction between job creation and watching our spending, getting control of deficit is huge.
Why that should be so, particularly for a Democrat, is a mystery. People with jobs pay taxes, which creates revenue. People with jobs cost the government less in unemployment benefits, in Medicaid, in any number of necessary social services. People with jobs drive our economy.
Want to fix the deficit? Do what is necessary to create jobs - by which I don't mean more of the voodoo tax cuts of our Republican past - and the deficit will take care of itself. And while that is happening, the job of politicians like McCaskill is to use their considerable communication skills and access to the media to help their constituents understand how it works.
Update: This graph (via TPM) makes the relationship of jobs and stimulus spending pretty clear:
The red bars show the rate of job loss during President Bush's last year in office; the blue bars show job loss slowing during President Obama's first year of office ... and McCaskill thinks that the deficit is the big problem for our economy right now?
As you surely know, small businesses drive the economy, and State Treasurer Clint Zweifel just sent us another reminder that his brainchild, the Linked Deposit Program, is creating jobs. His first press conference to illustrate its success showcased Milind Sant's lipid analysis business, which was able to remain in Missouri because the Linked Deposit loan Sant received here will eventually save him 30 percent on what he will pay for the loan.
This week's success story is not high tech. Here's the opening of the press release:
State Treasurer Clint Zweifel (ZWY-ful) was in St. Charles today to announce a $575,000 small business loan impacting 23 local jobs. Treasurer Zweifel made the announcement at Sams Carpet Cleaning and Repair. The low-interest loan, made through the Missouri Linked Deposit Program, will save the company an estimated $37,000 in interest costs. Qualifying borrowers generally save 30 percent on the cost of the loan.
The way it worked was that Jeff Sams went to the First State Bank of St. Charles and asked for a loan. He was quoted a rate, but then the bank went to those administering the Linked Deposit Program and asked that the state lend the bank the money to lend to Sams at a lower rate. The treasurer's office agreed. The bank got Sams' business, and Sams saved 2.15 percent on his loan.
On Wednesday, I attended Conservation Lobby Day in Jefferson City and tried to keep up with all the bright and energetic people half my age. That's me above the y in efficiency
The day was very well organized, and we could choose one of four topics to discuss with the legislators on our list. I chose water resources because I live close to Labadie where Ameren UE wants to enlarge its coal ash dump next to the Missouri River. Fortunately, a group of Labadie residents are already organized and fighting the utility company on this. The Labadie Environmental Organization website has a beautiful photo of the river and the plant in the distance. While you are checking that out, sign their petition, "No Landfills in a Flood Plain."
For an even better view of the proximity of the power plant to the river, go to this satellite photo
All over America, the news is spreading that long-term investment in our national infrastructure, is -- amazingly -- a good idea. I guess people start to wake up when bridges start to fail, schools fall apart, etc; the writing's on the crumbling wall, so-to-speak. Rebuilding America is a trillion dollar plus project. Levees, roads, bridges.
But while we're in the infrastructure inventory mood, why not look at some upgrades? God knows, whenever my computer takes a dive and I'm forced to replace it, I always look to moving my specs up a notch or two, don't you?
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AND Q&A
AT DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE
FUNDRAISING RECEPTION
Capital Hilton
Washington, D.C.
6:15 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: ....And, yes, we are going to keep fighting to fix a health system that too often works better for the insurance industry than it does for the American people. (Applause.) Now, I -- you heard me at the State of the Union -- I didn't take this on because it was good politics. I love how the pundits on these cable shows, they all announce, "Oh, boy, this was really tough politically for the President." Well, I've got my own pollsters, I know -- (laughter) -- I knew this was hard. I knew seven Presidents had failed. I knew seven Congresses hadn't gotten it done. You don't think I got warnings, "Don't try to take this on"? I got those back in December of last year.
So, yes, we knew this was hard. But I took it on because families were at the mercy of skyrocketing premiums, soaring out-of-pocket costs, insurance companies that routinely deny coverage because of preexisting conditions, or see their insurance dropped altogether because they get sick.
We took it on because costs were closing small businesses. They were keeping larger ones from competing on a level playing field. They were eating into workers' take-home pay. They were canceling raises. We took it on because it's the single best way to bring down our deficits. (Applause.) By the way, nobody has disputed that. When I was before the Republican caucus, it was very clear. I said, look, you say you're concerned about deficit reduction? Nobody can dispute the fact that if we don't tackle surging health care costs, that we can't get control of our budget. And by the way, the approach that we put forward would reduce our deficit by as much as a trillion dollars over the next two decades.
We took it on because every single day, 15,000 Americans join the tens of millions who don't have health insurance -- and every single year, 18,000 Americans die because of it.
I got a letter -- I got a note today from one of my staff -- they forwarded it to me -- from a woman in St. Louis who had been part of our campaign, very active, who had passed away from breast cancer. She didn't have insurance. She couldn't afford it, so she had put off having the kind of exams that she needed. And she had fought a tough battle for four years. All through the campaign she was fighting it, but finally she succumbed to it. And she insisted she's going to be buried in an Obama t-shirt. (Laughter.)
But think about this: She was fighting that whole time not just to get me elected, not even to get herself health insurance, but because she understood that there were others coming behind her who were going to find themselves in the same situation and she didn't want somebody else going through that same thing. (Applause.) How can I say to her, "You know what? We're giving up"? How can I say to her family, "This is too hard"? How can Democrats on the Hill say, "This is politically too risky"? How can Republicans on the Hill say, "We're better off just blocking anything from happening"?
That can't be the message that the American people are delivering. Yes, they're nervous, they're anxious, they're in a tough time right now. The thing they want most are jobs. They really don't like the process in Washington, the sausage-making. That part I understand. But I know that they don't -- but I know they don't want to just offer nothing to the millions of people in America who are in the situation that that woman was in. That's what we campaigned on. And we are going to keep on working to get it done -- with Democrats and I hope with Republicans and everybody else in between -- to bring down costs, to end the worst practices of the insurance industry, to finally give every American the chance to choose quality, affordable health care. We are going to keep on working to get it done. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!
THE PRESIDENT: I am not going to walk away from these fights. And I know you won't -- because you didn't before. You didn't when folks were slamming doors in your faces -- "Barama who?" (Laughter.) You didn't quit when you heard voices saying we should scale back and throttle down and accept less. You remember that. When folks were saying our sights were set too high; that our faith in this country was misplaced; that our hope was naïve; that you couldn't change Washington; that you had to accommodate yourself to the political realities. You've all heard that. You didn't listen to those voices then -- your voice proved them wrong. You proved that nothing can withstand the power of millions of voices that are calling for change....
...Earlier in 2009, Johnson was unanimously approved by members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee. But a single senator, Republican Kit Bond from Missouri, has used his symbolic 'privilege' to hold up consideration of Johnson's nomination since last summer...
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kit Bond, R-Missouri, spoke on the floor of the Senate on Thursday, saying the General Services Administration has "apparently been unresponsive to the ongoing health concerns of their employees and tenants at the Bannister Federal Complex...."
...Bond made the comments while defending his efforts to block the appointment of the GSA's top executive...
Yeah, the republicans woke him up when they assumed their 41-59 majority in the Senate. Only they forgot to feed him any coherent talking points.
Do you suppose maybe if the General Services Administration would have actually had an administrator to head the agency, you know, and administer it instead of being subject to the petulant temper tantrums and whims of a particular senator that the GSA might have been more "apparently responsive" to the problems at the GSA's Bannister complex in Kansas City? Just asking.
It's one thing for our little enterprise here to call Chris Koster on the carpet for appealing a case that everybody but Big Ag wanted to see left alone. In 2008, a judge ruled that a two mile buffer zone should protect Arrow Rock Historic Village from a hog CAFO. By extension, that ruling would protect other historic sites and state parks. But Koster wants to get that ruling struck down.
Now the two biggest media outlets in the state are criticizing him too. The Kansas City Star ran two editorials (Count 'em: one and two) telling him to lay off. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reprinted the second Star editorial, the one that begins: "Attorney General Chris Koster's latest bid to open up Missouri to more factory farms stinks."
Will Koster think this negative attention stinks? Enough to drop the appeal? I guess we'll see. No wonder so many Democrats still call him Koster the Imposter.
Melanie Shouse's traveling billboard is pictured at left.
