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Curls says good-bye to the House, prepares for the Senate (AUDIO)

March 8, 2011 By

Rep. Kiki Curls presides over House business with House Speaker Tilley by her side (MO House photo)

A member of the House says “good bye” as she prepares to move on to the Senate.

Rep. Shalonn “Kiki” Curls, a Democrat from Kansas City, won a special election to the 9th Senate District last month. She will replace Democrat Yvonne Wilson, who resigned last year. Curls has given her farewell address to the House during a brief floor speech.

Curls first won election to the House in 2006. She will serve the remainder of the term Wilson won in 2008 and will be able to run twice more for the Senate under term limits.

One thing doesn’t change for Curls. She will remain in the minority as she moves to the Senate, which Republicans also control.

Governor Nixon now must call for a special election to replace Curls in the House; the 41st District.

AUDIO: Rep. Shalonn “Kiki” Curls says good-bye to the House [3 min MP3]

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Gov. Nixon set to deliver State of State address

January 19, 2011 By

Gov. Jay Nixon UPI/Bill Greenblatt

Governor Nixon delivers his third State of the State address tonight. The theme of this State of the State likely will resemble the themes the past two years: the state budget.

It seems the contents of the speech might focus on the same issues the governor has during his first two addresses to a joint session of the General Assembly. It might be the make-up of the audience that is different. Nixon, a Democrat, faces a legislature controlled by Republicans. Election victories in November have given Republicans a 106-to-57 advantage over Democrats in the Missouri House, 26-to-7 in the Missouri Senate. Nixon, looking toward re-election in two years, must reach compromise with Republicans to get any proposals through this year.

Still, whether Republican or Democrat, the budget remains the issue this year. [Read more...]

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

Speaker Tilley threatens use of subpoena powers in House budget hearings (AUDIO)

January 7, 2011 By

House Speaker Steven Tilley speaks as Gov. Nixon looks on

Republicans have firm control of the Missouri House this legislative session and might tap a rarely used power during budget proceedings.

House Speaker Steven Tilley, a Republican from Perryville, is proud of the gains made by Republicans and made that clear as he began a news conference at the Capitol.

“Let me be the first to officially introduce to you the largest Republican majority in the history of this state,” Tilley said to a thunderous ovation from the 106 members of the Republican Caucus. [Read more...]

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

Gov. Nixon pledges cooperation during session (AUDIO)

January 5, 2011 By

Gov. Nixon delivers State of State address to 2010 legislative session.

Governor Nixon agrees voters sent a strong message November 2nd, but disagrees on how some have interpreted that message.

Nixon believes the anger expressed Election Day was aimed more at Washington than Jefferson City.

“We listen to the voters, but I think they spoke a national message about fiscal responsibility, one which we’re living here. They want us focused on moving this economy forward which we’re working on,” Nixon tells the Missourinet. “I think that the hyper partisanship of Washington, D. C. has turned off a lot of people.”

Perhaps, the anger was aimed at Washington, but its effect will be felt in Jefferson City for the remaining two years of Nixon’s term. Republicans already held firm majorities in the two chambers of the legislature. Now, those majorities have swollen to unprecedented levels. In the House, Republicans hold a 106-to-57 advantage over Democrats, three short of the total needed to override a gubernatorial veto. Democrats have been pushed to the edges in the Senate, where Republicans now enjoy a 26-to-8 majority, more than enough votes to override a veto.

Nixon, a Democrat, pledges to reach across the political aisle, but it will be a tougher task during the legislative session that begins at noon. Some Republican legislative leaders, in particular incoming House Speaker Steven Tilley of Perryville, have already fired partisan shots prior to the session getting underway.

Republicans might have scored big gains in November, but that hasn’t changed Nixon’s political plans. Nixon provides a brief, one word answer to our question of whether he’s going to run for re-election.

“Yeah,” he simply states.

Nixon has two years left in the current term. He would like another.

“I enjoy this job. I think that I work really hard at it. I appreciate every day the opportunity the people have given me,” Nixon tells us. “I want to keep the state moving forward and I’m going to do everything I can for as long as people let me serve in this position to do just that.”

AUDIO: Brent Martin reports [1:15 MP3]

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

McCaskill says Democrats must get message out (AUDIO)

December 24, 2010 By

Senator McCaskill says Missouri Democrats must do a better job of getting their message out and she hopes their new leader helps in that effort.

McCaskill denies she worked behind-the-scenes to maneuver former State Representative Craig Hosmer of Springfield out as chairman of the State Democratic Party and soon-to-be former state Auditor Susan Montee of St. Joseph in.

“Well, interestingly enough, the push for Susan Montee was not me and it wasn’t Governor Nixon,” McCaskill says. “It was really some of the grassroots Democrats across the state, the members of the state committee, who really felt like that Susan was someone who was responsive to them.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: ,
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