The state senate has taken Governor Nixon and several of his appointees to state positions to the woodshed and several of them don’t have jobs or positions anymore.
These are people appointed to administer or oversee the programs and agencies that serve Missourians. In one 24-hour period, the designated economic development director resigned before the senate could throw him out of office by refusing to confirm his appointment. A Democratic Public Service Commissioner’s appointment was withdrawn because the Senate wants to see who the next Republican appointee will be. Two Northwest Missouri State University Trustees nominations were withdrawn. So was a nominee to the state transportation commission because he’s from the wrong part of the state.
A former state social services director’s nomination to the Missouri Consolidated Healthcare Board was killed when allegations were made of improper spending while he headed the department. And the senate killed the nomination of Craig vanMatre to the University of Missouri Board of Curators because it didn’t like some things he said about Republicans in the Columbia newspaper.
One senator warned Governor Nixon not to appoint one of the people he had withdrawn from confirmation after the legislature leaves in May. He says the senate is tired of the governor playing games like that.
