February 11, 2012

Missourians Against Human Cloning Will Continue Opposition

Opponents of the stem call initiative are not accepting last week’s voter approval of it. Missourians Against Human Cloning got almost 49 percent of the voters last week to say “no” to Amendment Two and that’s close enough for Executive Secretary Jaci Winship to vow an ongoing fight. She cautions against a quick reaction. She says a well thought-out strategy is needed for the long term, maybe a couple of years. She hopes to get a meeting of organization leaders later this week to lay out some early strategy which could include a new petition campaign to overturn the constitutional change voters approved a week ago. She says the closeness of the vote has energized people who think they did not do enough or were not involved. She says a lot of people remain confused about the issue and she sees her organization as the one to end their confusion. Legislation limiting the impact of Amendment two is likely to be introduced in the general assembly next year. Winship says several people have talked to Governor Blunt since he said he’d veto an anti-stem cell research bill and announced he’d support Amendment Two. She says he’s made his choice and the choice, as she put it, will play out somewhere down the road.

New Scholarships Promote MOST College Savings Plan

The University of Missouri system is teaming up with the state to promote college savings. The joint effort offers $500 scholarships to college-bound students investing in state’s MOST college savings program beginning fall of 2007. MOST is a state-sponsored plan that allows families to open tax-deductible college savings accounts. Families can make up to 8-thousand dollars of tax-deductible contributions to MOST accounts each year. State Treasurer Sarah Steelman says the scholarships are meant to complement the state’s MOST college savings plan. Each of the four campuses in the U-M system will offer the scholarships to 20 students with MOST accounts.

His Name Wasn’t On the Ballot, But He Campaigned As If It Was

His name wasn’t on the ballot, but he worked very hard this election cycle, hoping for a pay-off in two years. By his own count, Attorney General Jay Nixon visited 101 of the state’s 114 counties during the election cycle, stumping for 61 Democrats running for the state House and Senate. Democrats picked up five seats in the Missouri House, two in the Senate. Nixon says those gains send a clear signal that the politics of division won’t move the state forward and that the politics of cutting health isn’t where this state needs to move. Nixon says the success of Democrats this year is a real bellwether for 2008. Nixon formed his gubernatorial campaign committee at the beginning of the year, creating a possible match-up with incumbent Governor Matt Blunt who has yet to disclose his intentions. Nixon says his campaign for governor began in earnest the day after the election. He says there is no doubt that the next election cycle begins very quickly and he wants to get out his message of change for the state of Missouri. Nixon has raised $1.2 million already, but Matt Blunt has raised $3.2 million.

Related web sites:
Nixon for Governor
Missourians for Matt Blunt

Deer Harvest on First Weekend Near Record

Good weather has made for good hunting on the first weekend of the firearms season for deer hunters. Missouri deer hunters have harvested deer at a near-record rate. State Conservation Department spokesman Arlicia Mayes says the kill on the first weekend was 124,271 deer. That compares to 110,995 on the opening weekend last year and just a few thousand shy of the record set in 2004 of about 127,000. There was one fatal accident over the weekend. The department is investigating. Mayes says information will not be released until more can be learned about it. There were three non-fatal accidents. Mayes says the cool, dry weather seemed to make the deer more active and was pleasant enough to bring out a number of hunters who might have been discouraged if it had rained. Seven counties recorded more than 2,000 deer killed. Benton County had the highest kill at 2,621, followed by Callaway County at 2,559 and Pike County at 2,334.

Related web sites:
Missouri Department of Conservation

Last Second Field Goal Dooms Rams

Oh man, the Rams really needed this one. First-year head coach Scott Linehan is getting a ride on the roller-coaster that is the NFL. The bad thing for Linehan is he is on the part that dips and there is no telling how far the dip is.

St. Louis went back and forth with the Seahawks before eventually falling 24-22 on a Josh Brown field goal with nine seconds to play.

After starting the season 4-1, the Rams have dropped four straight and are sub-.500 for the first time this season.

Nate Burleson gave Seattle a 21-16 lead in the fourth-quarter on a 90-yard punt return. It was the first punt return for a touchdown for Seattle in three years.

Like all game long, the Rams responded with a score of its own. Steven Jackson burled through and literally carried Seahawks defenders into the end zone putting the Rams ahead. After a failed two-point conversion try, the Rams led 22-21.

Unfortunately for St. Louis fans, Brown has been the closer for Seattle all year long. Almost effortlessly, Brown nailed his fifth winning field goal since 2005.