Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s Nasheed: “SuperFly exemplifies everything that’s wrong within the African-American community” (AUDIO)

June 22, 2018 By Brian Hauswirth

A veteran Missouri state senator is calling on St. Louis-area residents to boycott a new movie called “SuperFly”, alleging it glorifies sex, murder and drug dealing.

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed speaks at the Missouri Capitol on January 23, 2018 (file photo courtesy of Missouri Senate photographer Harrison Sweazea]

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, the Senate Minority Caucus Whip, led a protest Friday afternoon outside the Chase Park Plaza Cinemas in St. Louis.

“The last thing we need in our city is a movie perpetuating and glorifying again, drugs, gangs and violence,” Nasheed says.

Senator Nasheed is calling on the theatre to remove the film and she’s urging young people to watch movies that will give them a sense of hope and pride.

She says people should be working to end violence in the Gateway City, not glorifying it.

“SuperFly exemplifies everything that’s wrong within the African-American community,” says Nasheed. “And so what we’re saying is enough is enough.”

Nasheed and some clergy members involved with the “Concerned Citizens Coalition” led Friday’s protest outside the theatre, which is located at Lindell and Kingshighway in the Central West End.

“When I turn on the news (in St. Louis) I hear a story about a young man or a young woman that was gunned down in the streets of the city of St. Louis, and we have a gang problem that no one’s really paying attention to,” Nasheed says.

St. Louis Police spokeswoman Schron Jackson tells Missourinet there were 205 homicides in St. Louis in 2017, and there were 188 in 2016.

The Chase Park Plaza Cinemas management team has not responded to Missourinet’s request for comment yet.

The theatre website indicates “SuperFly” is being shown five times a day at the Chase Park Plaza Cinemas.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet news director Brian Hauswirth and State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, which was recorded on June 22, 2018:

UM System President emphasizes jobs, research and health care with governor (AUDIO)

June 22, 2018 By Brian Hauswirth

The UM System President says Governor Mike Parson (R) is committed to Missouri and to public higher education.

UM System President Dr. Mun Choi

System President Dr. Mun Choi accompanied Parson during the governor’s recent tour of the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Choi says he and his team had a great conversation with the governor about the value the System can provide for economic development and workforce infrastructure.

“But most importantly, how we leverage the educational research into opportunities to create new businesses right here in Columbia in areas in which we can save lives,” Dr. Choi says.

He’s referring to areas like cancer and cardiovascular disease.

President Choi has said that the UM System is working to train more doctors, dentists, engineers and pharmacists in the state.

Dr. Choi says Governor Parson reached out to his office, before last week’s tour at Mizzou.

“Which goes to show that he sees the value of our university, but we have to be now accountable, we can’t take that for granted,” says Choi. “We have to really deliver on our promises of creating excellence in everything that we do.”

Dr. Choi told the governor that the UM System and its four campuses have a $5.4 billion impact on the state, and that 61,000 people have jobs either directly or indirectly because of the university system.

Governor Parson says businesses must be involved in partnerships with colleges and universities.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and UM System President Dr. Mun Choi, which was recorded at the University of Missouri-Columbia campus on June 13, 2018:

Governor Parson responds to Missouri Democratic Party’s lawsuit over Kehoe appointment

June 21, 2018 By Brian Hauswirth

(Missourinet St. Louis contributor Jill Enders contributed to this story)

Missouri’s governor disagrees with the state Democratic Party’s lawsuit against him and Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe (R).

Missouri Governor Mike Parson (center) waves at his address to a joint session of the Legislature on June 11, 2018. House Speaker Todd Richardson (left) and Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard (right) applaud (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The lawsuit involves Governor Mike Parson’s (R) appointment of Kehoe to the post. The lawsuit says Missourians should elect the state’s lieutenant governor.

Governor Parson was asked about the issue during a Wednesday press conference in Clayton, with St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger.

“I think it was very important to make that appointment and I think I had every ability to do that under the Constitution and the laws of the state of Missouri to make that appointment,” Parson says.

Parson says Democrats who are challenging his authority to appoint a lieutenant governor are wrong.

“We’ll let the courts decide that (the legal question) and it probably needs to be done at some point so we’ll see how that moves forward, but right now I think it’s more important that we do have a lieutenant governor in place to do the duties that the Constitution asks him to do,” says Parson.

Parson appointed Kehoe to the post on Monday.

The lawsuit was filed this week in mid-Missouri’s Cole County Circuit Court by the Missouri Democratic Party, with lead plaintiff Darrell Cope of Hartville, a World War II veteran.

Cope is quoted as saying he fought the Nazis to defend freedoms, including the freedom to elect leaders. He says as a World War II combat veteran he’s earned that right.

State Democratic Party Chair Stephen Webber, a former state representative, says that when Parson served in the Missouri Senate, he “voted to hold an election in this exact situation.”

State Treasurer Schmitt: one in ten Missourians have unclaimed property (AUDIO)

June 21, 2018 By Brian Hauswirth

The approximately 100,000 Missourians who have unclaimed property will soon see their name in newspapers across the state.

Missouri State Treasurer Eric Schmitt (photo courtesy of the Treasurer’s office)

State Treasurer Eric Schmitt (R) is launching the office’s annual effort to find the owners of that unclaimed property.

Schmitt’s office holds $988 million in unclaimed property for Missouri.

“Most of the time it’s bank accounts or last paycheck, that’s another thing that kind of finds its way to us, safe deposit boxes,” Schmitt says.

The names are being published in newspapers in all of Missouri’s 114 counties.

Missouri state law requires the notices to be published in newspapers annually.

You can also visit ShowMeMoney.com to see if you have unclaimed property.

Schmitt says he’s trying to reconnect Missourians with their money.

“It’s a good time for us to remind people not just to look for their name or a loved one or a friend in those newspapers but also, you know, online when they search showmemoney.com,” says Schmitt.

Schmitt’s office returned $45 million in unclaimed property in 2017.

He notes one in ten Missourians have unclaimed property, and the average return is about $300.

Schmitt says one St. Charles family last year discovered they had $3,000 in unclaimed property.

He says the average processing time for claims has dropped from 14 to eight days, since he took office in 2017.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Missouri State Treasurer Eric Schmitt, which was recorded on June 19, 2018:

Missouri’s Ashcroft and Schoeller to testify on Capitol Hill Wednesday about election infrastructure (AUDIO)

June 20, 2018 By Brian Hauswirth

The county clerk in Missouri’s fourth-largest county will testify before a U.S. Senate committee on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning, regarding steps he’s taking to secure election infrastructure.

Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller is a former Missouri House Speaker Pro Tem (2011 file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller, R-Willard, says he’ll also testify about the growing duties of county clerks.

“Local election officials don’t necessarily have a background, I don’t have that background myself to completely understand how best to protect our network,” Schoeller says.

Schoeller, a former Missouri House Speaker Pro Tem, says county clerks are also responsible for payroll, licensing and notary issues.

Schoeller and Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) will testify before the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.

Wednesday morning’s hearing is titled “Election Security Preparations: a State and Local Perspective.”

President Donald Trump signed legislation in March, which provides $380 million in grants to states to improve their election infrastructure.

Missouri officials have requested $7.2 million under the bill, which is called the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018.

Schoeller, who served in the Missouri House from 2007-2012, favors a paper ballot.

“When you have something that’s tangible like paper, if there’s ever a question regarding the outcome, if somehow for example the equipment was compromised in terms of how the votes were tabulated electronically, you can always go back to that paper ballot,” says Schoeller.

Schoeller tells Missourinet he’ll testify Wednesday about the importance of paper ballots and the increasing duties of clerks.

Senate Committee on Rules and Administration Chairman Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) and ranking Democrat Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota have called the hearing.

Some of the $7.2 million Missouri is requesting in grant money would be used for cybersecurity training for state and local election officials.

Funding would also be used to upgrade election-related computer systems to address “cyber vulnerabilities” identified through the Department of Homeland Security.

Ashcroft has been a vocal supporter of Missouri’s voter ID requirements. He has said that if you’re registered to vote, you can vote.

Ashcroft’s office has a Missouri Elections Integrity Unit.

Schoeller’s Greene County has about 189,000 registered voters.

Schoeller’s Missouri House district included parts of Springfield. He also chaired the House disaster recovery committee after the deadly Joplin tornado in 2011.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller, which was recorded on June 19, 2018:

Missouri Lt. Governor Kehoe: “I believe public service is a privilege that no one should take lightly”

June 19, 2018 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor appointed Senate Majority Leader Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, as Lieutenant Governor on Monday in Jefferson City.

Cole County Judge Patricia Joyce administers the oath of office to Mike Kehoe as Lieutenant Governor on June 18, 2018 (photo courtesy of Missouri Senate photographer Harrison Sweazea)

Governor Mike Parson (R) made the announcement at the Statehouse, saying the lieutenant governor position reassures Missourians that all operations of state government will continue.

Parson also praises Kehoe’s background.

“Throughout my career, I have witnessed the importance of steady, predictable and selfless leadership,” Parson says. “Being prepared and having experience matters.”

While the Missouri Constitution doesn’t specifically address how the lieutenant governor should be replaced when there’s a vacancy, former Attorney General and Governor Jay Nixon (D) says the Governor “has the authority to fill a vacancy in this office by appointment.”

Former Governors Matt Blunt (R) and Bob Holden (D) agree with this interpretation.

Governor Parson brought in attorneys Joe Bednar and Lowell Pearson for the announcement. Bednar served as chief legal counsel to Governor Mel Carnahan (D), and Pearson was chief legal counsel to Governor Blunt (R).

Parson says both men believe he has the authority to make the appointment.

Governor Parson told Missourinet earlier this month that he didn’t like the state being without a Lieutenant Governor.

The Bolivar Republican says infrastructure will be a top issue for Kehoe.

“He has served as a former commissioner of (the) Missouri Department of Transportation, and has a strong sense of the infrastructure challenges our state is facing,” says Parson.

Kehoe is a former chairman of Missouri’s Highways and Transportation Commission. He tells the Capitol Press Corps he agrees with the governor’s emphasis on infrastructure.

“I will do all I can to help him in that conversation and work with community leaders from urban and rural areas as well as MoDOT and others on the transportation infrastructure as well as, you know, other infrastructure that is out in our state,” Kehoe says.

Kehoe is pledging to work tirelessly, and tells Capitol reporters he’s grateful for the opportunity.

“When Governor Parson called and asked me to assist him in this role, it was one of the most monumental experiences of my life,” says Kehoe. “Like the governor, I believe that public service is a privilege that no one should take lightly.”

Kehoe grew up in north St. Louis, and has represented Cole County and several other mid-Missouri counties in the Senate since 2010.

He served as Senate Majority Leader from 2016 until Monday. He also owned and operated the Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Jefferson City for about 20 years.

Kehoe says “we are one Missouri” and that we can only move forward together.

You can listen to Kehoe’s comments here.

Cole County Circuit Judge Patricia Joyce (D) administered the oath of office to Kehoe. Both are parishioners at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Jefferson City.

Kehoe’s wife and children also attended the ceremony, as did his Senate staff and Monsignor Kurwicki of the Cathedral of St. Joseph.

Missouri Senator Blunt praises federal tax cut; hears concerns about labor shortage

June 18, 2018 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s junior senator says the tax bill signed by President Donald Trump (R) in December is the most pro-growth tax bill ever passed by Congress.

Senator Roy Blunt addresses the Missouri House on April 4, 2018 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

During a recent roundtable discussion in Jefferson City, mid-Missouri business leaders said the tax cut has helped their companies. But they also told U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R) that they are facing labor shortages.

“You know I think in the middle of the country it is particularly a problem right now, but we’re very close all over the country where there are more jobs available than the total number of people on the unemployment rolls. That’s never happened before,” Blunt says.

Missouri Retailers Association President David Overfelt says there’s currently a shortage of truck drivers, and another businessman told Senator Blunt there’s not enough workers in mid-Missouri for collision companies.

Blunt says the United States is in a “dynamic moment” in our economy.

Blunt, who serves on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, says the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017” has allowed numerous Missouri companies to reinvest in their workforce with bonuses and higher wages.

Senator Blunt tells Missourinet people have “a lot of confidence.”

“We doubled the child tax credit for a family of four that makes $75,000,” says Blunt. “That’s $2,000 more a year of their money that they get to spend.”

While he voted for the bill, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) was one of 48 senators who voted against it.

McCaskill told reporters in Jefferson City in late March that “the pharmaceutical industry took a $50 billion windfall from that bill, gave it to their shareholders and didn’t lower the price of prescription drugs a penny.”

Senator McCaskill says 83 percent of the money will go to one percent of the country, under the bill.

She also says gains by working families will be offset by higher prescription drug prices.

Man attacked on St. Louis MetroLink; Missouri House committee has been investigating safety issues

June 15, 2018 By Brian Hauswirth

The St. Louis County Prosecutor has filed criminal charges against three suspects accused of this week’s assault on a MetroLink train.

MetroLink Map – Image courtesy of Metro St. Louis

Court documents say the victim was attacked by at least six suspects while riding the train between the Rock Road and UMSL South stations.

Court documents say the suspects allegedly kicked, punched and beat the male victim, who suffered an orbital bone fracture and other facial fractures.

The attack was recorded on surveillance video.

County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch (D) has charged Eddie Price, Jody Dale and Jahma Swanigan with first degree assault.

Court documents quote Dale as telling detectives that the assault was in retaliation for the victim allegedly stealing money and a gun from Dale’s aunt.

Online court documents show Price was arraigned this morning in Clayton, and that his bond has been set at $150,000.

Dale’s bond is $100,000 cash-only, and Swanigan’s bond is $75,000 cash-only.

Three additional suspects are being sought.

Monday’s assault on the MetroLink highlights the issue of crime and violence, an issue that was addressed during a March hearing of the Missouri House Subcommittee on Mass Transit Security in Jefferson City.

Thousands of people use the MetroLink to get to work daily, as well as to St. Louis Cardinal baseball and Blues hockey games.

MetroLink is a 46-mile, 37-station light rail system that stretches from St. Louis Lambert International Airport to Illinois.

Testimony from the March hearing in Jefferson City shows that ridership on the St. Louis system has plummeted from 17.5 million in fiscal year 2014 to 14.9 million in fiscal year 2017.

Bi-State Development President and CEO John Nations testified during that March hearing in Jefferson City, and was asked numerous questions from lawmakers about crime and safety concerns.

“There’s no question we saw an uptick in the incidents on our system, and security has been labeled by our passengers as their number one concern on the system,” Nations testified in March.

State Rep. Mark Matthiesen (R-Maryland Heights) speaks on the Missouri House floor on February 1, 2018 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Missouri House Subcommittee on Mass Transit Security Chairman Mark Matthiesen, R-Maryland Heights, issued a statement on Friday to Missourinet.

“I am deeply concerned about the man who was brutally attacked on MetroLink earlier this week. The St. Louis County PD has put forth an honest effort to better protect the riders on MetroLink, however it is obvious that more work needs to be done. A thorough investigation is underway to determine the motive for the attack. I anticipate that this crime will only be prevented when all law enforcement agencies are working together on every aspect of transportation security across the metro area.”

Chairman Matthiesen’s last sentence refers, in part, to testimony in March from Bi-State officials, who said that St. Louis County officers had threatened to arrest MetroLink light-rail officers.

Rehder hopes to meet with Governor Parson to discuss Missouri’s opioid epidemic

June 15, 2018 By Brian Hauswirth

A southeast Missouri lawmaker who’s sponsored prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) legislation for several years hopes to meet with the new governor to discuss addiction issues.

Sikeston State Rep. Holly Rehder speaks on the Missouri House floor in March 2018 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

State Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Sikeston, says she looks forward to having a “great conversation” with Governor Mike Parson.

“He cares about mental health, he cares about our seniors, he cares about our veterans and he cares about our children,” Rehder says.

Rehder, who made a live appearance this week on Missourinet, says the opioid epidemic is having a major impact on the state budget.

“When it comes to our babies being born with opioid addiction, you know there are just so many areas that affect our state budget, that affect just the health of our people and our children being cared for properly,” says Rehder.

Rehder, who represents Mississippi and Scott counties, has noted that about 6,000 children were removed from substance abuse homes in Missouri in 2016.

Rehder has also noted that emergency room visits for opioids by Missouri Medicaid patients increased more than 400% in 2016.

“I really do look forward to having a great conversation with him (Governor Parson) and seeing just how I can be helpful in this fight because it’s definitely something that’s nationwide,” Rehder says.

Rehder has championed PDMP legislation. A PDMP is an electronic database that collects data on controlled substance prescriptions within a state.

Rehder’s PDMP bill did not receive a House hearing during the 2018 session. The Missouri House approved Rehder’s PDMP bill by a bipartisan 102-54 vote in 2017, but the Senate passed a different version of the bill that year.

Five Missouri children who died in fire are laid to rest

June 14, 2018 By Brian Hauswirth

Five children who died in last week’s house fire in southwest Missouri’s Lebanon were laid to rest today in Laclede County.

Missourinet Lebanon affiliate KBNN Radio (AM 750) reports funeral services were held this morning for Benjamin, Ethan and Maeanna Hunt, along with Patience and Andrew Malleck.

KBNN reports the woman who was in the home at the time of the blaze, Allee Malleck, remains hospitalized with serious burn injuries.

The Lebanon and Laclede County community has raised about $18,000 for the grieving families, according to KBNN.

Lebanon fire investigators have been unable to determine how the fire started.

KBNN reports there were no working smoke detectors in the mobile home, when the fire started.

This morning’s funeral services were held at Community Baptist Church.