February 12, 2012

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Shorter legislative sessions to be debated

February 7, 2012 By

State senate leaders hope to talk by the end of the week about making Missouri’s part-time legislature even more part-time.

If Senator John Lamping’s proposed constitutional amendment already were in effect, this year’s debates would end on March 23rd, not May 18th.  And the veto session would be in June, not in September. Supporters say shortening the sessions would save a lot of money.

His proposed amendment would give several days to properly edit and print final versions of the bills with April 6th the new adjournment date. 

We’ve looked at the last decade of legislative session. Lawmakers had met for 41 working days, on average, by the date Lamping would have the session end.  Sessions have averaged 72 days under the present law. Today will be the 19th debate day of this session.

The proposal does not decrease lawmakers’ salaries while cutting their days in debate by 43 percent.

Filed Under: Featured, Human Interest, Legislature, News, Politics & Government

Bill offers chance for offenders to keep records from potential employers

February 7, 2012 By

Legislation has advanced out of the House Committee on Urban Issues that seeks to give some non-violent offenders some help in getting a job, to keep them from repeat offending. 

Representative Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis)

Representative Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis) says she has sponsored the bill for five years and this is the first time it has advanced out of a committee. She says her goal is, “To be able to not allow for employers to look at non-violent offenses as an obstacle to employment opportunities. I would also like to allow for law enforcement to continue to have access to those records.”

Under the proposal, non-violent offenders who have not committed additional crimes for five years after release can ask a judge to keep their criminal records from being accessible to potential employers.  The judge  can determine whether certain criteria have been met and then decide whether or not to grant the request.

Nasheed says right now, such individuals return to crime when they are turned away for employment because of their history. “They go out and they wreak havoc in our communities. They start selling drugs on our street corners. They start breaking into the homes and cars trying just to survive.”

She says without some way to break that cycle, the state will have to deal with such individuals at one point or another. “Either we’re going to deal with it on the front end or we’re going to deal with it on the back end. We’re going to house them in prison or we’re going to allow for them to have job opportunities after coming home from prison.

See the details of HB 1344

Nasheed is not discouraged that the bill has taken so long to advance. She notes, Illinois took seven years to pass similar language, which it is just now implementing.

The bill moves on to the House Rules Committee, and from there could advance to the House Calendar.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Law Enforcement, Legislature, News, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Today’s presidential primary generating little interest

February 7, 2012 By

Missouri’s presidential primary is today, but the Secretary of State says there’s not a lot of incentive to drive voters out to the polls.

Voters will have a choice to say who they want to run for president in the general election, but the decision is non-binding. Caucuses in March will decide how the state’s delegates are allocated for the Republican Party nomination. Those delegates will attend the August national convention in Tampa.

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan says only about one in four voters — 23 percent — are expected to turn out.

One of the republican party’s main contenders won’t even be on the ballot today. Newt Gingrich didn’t meet Missouri’s filing deadline or pay the thousand dollar fee to join. Republican candidates include Gary Johnson, Herman Cain, Mitt Romney, Michael Meehan, Rick Perry, Keith Drummond, Jon Huntsman, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul.

Democrats are: Barack Obama, Randall Terry, Darcy G. Richardson, John Wolfe.

There are several local issues throughout the state, including tax increases, mayoral and commissioner races and school bond issues.

 

Filed Under: 2012 Campaign, Elections, News

Voter ID bill to seek perfection in House this week (AUDIO)

February 6, 2012 By

Majority Floor Leader Tim Jones (R-Eureka) says he will bring legislation requiring photo identification for voters up for perfection again this week in the Missouri House of Representatives. The bill was debated for less than a half-an-hour on Wednesday.

Speaker Pro Tem Shane Schoeller presents HB 1104 on the House Floor. Photos courtesy of Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications.

Its sponsor, Speaker Pro Tem Shane Schoeller (R-Willard) presented the bill by citing media reports of instances of voter fraud in Missouri since 2006. He told lawmakers his bill will provide photo IDs to qualified Missourians for free, and offers provisional ballots to those who show up to vote without one.

He says there are many places photo identification is required today, including at banks. “The reason why is that you want to be able to protect people’s money. Well, the same thing when we go to vote.”

Assistant Minority Floor Leader Tishaura Jones (D-St. Louis) rejects that argument, noting that going to the bank is “not a constitutional right. Voting is a consitutional right.”

Jones added that the bill is unconstitutional under a 2006 ruling by the state Supreme Court that the legislature can not impose additional requirements on the right to vote. She says for the legislation to pass now would be for lawmakers to get ahead of themselves. “Last year we approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would grant lawmakers the authority to impose a photo voter ID requirement, but that amendment won’t go on the ballot until November. Until and unless voters ratify a constitutional change, it’s premature for us to pass legislation exercizing authority that we don’t posess. 

Representative Jason Kander (D-Kansas City) opposes the voter photo ID bill on the House floor.

Representative Jason Kander (D-Kansas City) was questioned by two House Republicans during debate, who cited his candidacy for the Secretary of State’s Office and said he should support it. Kander opposes the bill, stating it would disenfranchise close to 230,000 Missourians.

He was first inquired by Representative Todd Richardson (R-Poplar Bluff)…
 

AUDIO:  Representatives Todd Richardson and Jason Kander during floor debate of HB 1104 (:18)

Representative Caleb Jones (R-California) first asked Schoeller to explain the bill’s provisions and rather it would disenfranchise voters. Maintaining that it would not, Jones then turned his attention to Kander…

AUDIO:  Representatives Caleb Jones and Jason Kander during floor debate of HB 1104 (:15)

View details of HB 1104, the voter photo ID bill.

AUDIO:  Listen to the debate of HB 1104 on the House floor from Wednesday. (25:21)

 

Filed Under: Legislature, News, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , , , ,

Rep. Lampe running for Lt. Governor

February 5, 2012 By

State Rep. Sara Lampe (D-Springfield) sent out a press release stating she’ll announce her candidacy for Lt. Governor Monday.

According to the release, she’ll make her announcement official at Missouri State University inside the Plaster Student Union at 10 a.m.

Lampe says that as the ranking member on the crucial budget committee in the House, she has for years focused on crucial funding needs for seniors, public education, and healthcare.

“These are difficult times for working families and seniors,” Lampe says. “My experience in public education, running a small business and balancing the state budget have uniquely prepared me to take on this this new challenge.”

Lampe is a retired teacher and administrator. She says she devoted her career to “fighting for children with special needs,” and that as a state representative she has “fought for working people, for seniors, for fairness in employment practices and against public policies that harm our most vulnerable citizens.”

Filed Under: 2012 Campaign, Legislature, News, Politics & Government
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