January 27, 2012

You are here: Home / 2009 / Archives for March 2009

Study of death penalty can’t get traction in Senate

March 31, 2009 By

A call for a study of the way the death penalty is administered in Missouri cannot get to a vote in the state senate.

About 50 men are under the death sentence in Missouri, a state that has not executed anyone since October, 2005. But executions could resume, after a series of court decisions, almost any time.

The legislature has rejected efforts to order a moratorium on executions. So now Senator Rita Days of St. Louis is calling for a study of the way Missouri sentences someone to death and carries out the sentence. She wants to examine "if the defendant was mentally retarded or mentally ill, whether the defendant had a prior criminal record…the county, the level of defense that person had," among other issues.

Critics say the proposed study is backed by people opposed to the death penalty who want to study it then repeal it. One Senator says he’s heard the costs of executing an inmate are greater than holding a person for life. Another Senator, who has handled death penalty cases in court says cost is not an issue.

Days has not been able to get a vote on her proposed study.

Upload Bob Priddy’s story :57 mc3)

Filed Under: Crime & Courts Tagged With: , ,

LeVota defends himself against allegations

March 31, 2009 By

House Minority Leader Paul LeVota is defending himself against allegations that he is under federal investigation for activities at the Capitol.

The Associated Press has reported that two anonymous sources have told it that federal investigators questioned them about LeVota.

LeVota, a Democrat from Independence, called an emergency meeting of the House Democratic Caucus after the legislative session Tuesday. LeVota said he told fellow Democrats about the AP story and answered questions. He speculated that the unnamed sources quoted by the AP are fellow Democrats and fellow Jackson County politicians.

“I think there are disgruntled members of the Caucus who are fabricating things against me,” LeVota told reporters in his office at the Capitol.

LeVota said a number of things could make members unhappy with him, such as committee assignments.

Rumors are swirling at the Capitol since the Kansas City Star reported Sunday that federal agents have been interviewing lawmakers about allegations of “pay to play” in the legislature. The Star cited anonymous sources as claiming that campaign donations were expected to secure committee chairmanships, committee assignments, even favorable treatment of legislation.

Download/listen House Minority Leader Paul Levota (:20 MP3)

Filed Under: Legislature, Politics & Government Tagged With:

Fee offices would change hands under proposal

March 31, 2009 By

Who runs the offices that hand out your driver’s license, your car license, boat registration and the like would change under a bill moving forward in the House.

The bill would end an ages old practice in Missouri; awarding a license fee office to a campaign contributor.

Rep. Jeff Roorda (D-Barnhart) says it is well past time to end the patronage practice of handing out fee offices to donors, which has been a bi-partisan practice of both Democratic and Repubilcan governors for decades.

Sponsor Ryan Silvey (R-Kansas City) tells colleagues HB 381 calls for fee offices to be awarded to non-profits or governmental groups and only to individuals if none of those entities apply.

The bill calls for wait times at fee offices to be no more than 30 minutes and for no employee in a fee office to be paid any more than $100,000.

It needs another favorable vote to move on to the Senate.

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (:60 MP3)

Filed Under: Legislature, Politics & Government Tagged With:

Television recycling bill pushed aside

March 31, 2009 By

The sponsor of a television recycling bill has been forced to take his bill to the sidelines despite industry support. Senator Dan Clemens wants to expand last year’s law requiring computer sellers to establish a program to recycle old computers to include junk television sets. He says the industry has signed on behind his bill.

But two opponents, Senator Matt Bartle of Lee’s Summit and Jason Crowell of Cape Girardeau attack the bill, Bartle claiming the fees Clemens would charge television-makers would amount to a tax increase that would be passed to consumers and Crowell saying the bills reference to computers sold in Missouri manufacturers had a large loophole.

Clemens has put his bill aside because of lack of debate time. He might get a chance to bring it back to the Senate later.

 

Upload the debate (16:37 mp3)

Filed Under: Human Interest

CWIP bill passes Senate committee

March 31, 2009 By

By a vote of 6-4, the Senate Commerce Committee has approved SB 228 – the Construction Work in Progress (CWIP) bill to allow AmerenUE – the state’s largest electric utility – to charge ratepayers for the construction costs of a second nuclear plant in Callaway County while the facility is still being built.

The version voted on by the panel is a substitute put forward by Senator Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia), who addressed concerns expressed by consumer groups.

"The ratepayers, if the license is sold or the plant is sold, the ratepayers get paid back what they paid in," explained Schaefer. "Plus interest with all proceeds beyond that point being distributed by the PSC."

Senator John Griesheimer (R-Washington) has reservations about the substitute, but acknowledges the state is in need of another power plant.

"I still know that there’s still some components of this that I don’t know whether it’s right or wrong, said Griesheimer. "I do know we do need another power plant in this state and I’ve tried to explain this to some people that one way or the other you’re going to pay whether you pay now or when you buy electricity from some other supplier in another state."

Griesheimer also vented his frustration over a telephone call campaign launched by opponents of the effort to change the CWIP law.

"Now we got all these damn phone calls – and that’s what I’m gonna say – damn phone calls and e-mails that just infuriate me to no end," said a frustrated Griesheimer. "I don’t think there’s anybody on this committee or in this Senate who can answer our phones because of all the phone calls that have come. And, it’s all the lies, the distortion that’s going on. The whole process disgusts me."

The legislation now goes to the full Senate. Similar legislation has cleared a House committee and awaits further action in the House.

Filed Under: Agriculture
« Older Posts