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The Affordable Care Act is a key issue in Missouri’s U.S. Senate race

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Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill (D) and her challenger in November, Attorney General Josh Hawley (R), are clashing over health care.

Senator Claire McCaskill and Attorney General Josh Hawley spoke at this Missouri Farm Bureau podium in Jefferson City on August 10, 2018 (Brian Hauswirth photo)

The issue was discussed several times during a Friday forum at the Missouri Farm Bureau in Jefferson City.

Hawley tells the Capitol Press Corps that health care costs in Missouri are “absolutely unaffordable.”

“And that is because of Senator McCaskill’s failed left-wing policies,” Hawley says. “Did not have to be this way. If she had worked for a bipartisan bill way back in 2009, we wouldn’t be here.”

The Affordable Care Act has emerged as a key issue in the Senate race between McCaskill and Hawley.

Hawley is blasting “Obamacare”, saying health insurance premiums for individuals have increased by 105%.

“We should pass reforms that get health care costs down, insurance costs down, that multiply options for families and cover people with pre-existing conditions and young folks on their parents’ insurance up to age 26,” says Hawley.

Senator McCaskill notes Hawley has joined 19 other states in a lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act.

McCaskill says the lawsuit “would gut critical protections for those with pre-existing conditions.”

After her Friday presentation at Farm Bureau, a Jefferson City newspaper reporter asked McCaskill what she thinks the biggest issues between the two candidates will be between now and November.

“Well I think the protection of people with pre-existing conditions and making sure that rural Missourians aren’t charged more for health insurance just because they live in the country, all the consumer protections that he’s trying to wipe out with his lawsuit. That’s a really big issue,” McCaskill tells reporters.

Senator Claire McCaskill with reporters after speaking to the Missouri Farm Bureau 8-10-2018

Senator McCaskill has written a column about the issue that was released Monday. Her message is that Missourians deserve health care that’s fair.

In that column, McCaskill says the Trump Administration has “opened the floodgates” for insurance companies to offer “junk” insurance plans that may not cover emergency room visits, maternity care or prescriptions.

McCaskill says Missourians are worried about health care, and whether they’ll be able to afford a trip to the emergency room.

Hawley tells Farm Bureau members Congress should repeal and replace “Obamacare” with a plan that protects those with pre-existing conditions. He notes health insurance costs for individuals are up by 105%.

Hawley announced in April that, as part of a 20-state coalition, he had filed a motion seeking a preliminary injunction against the Affordable Care Act.

The 20-state coalition filed a lawsuit in February challenging the constitutionality of Obamacare, saying that when Congress passed tax reform, it essentially rendered the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional by eliminating the tax penalty in the individual mandate.

Both McCaskill and Hawley emphasized the importance of rural health care during their Friday presentation.

The two also blasted each other, over which candidate can work best across the aisle.

Senator McCaskill says 24 of her bills have been signed into law by Republican President Donald Trump.

Attorney General Josh Hawley with reporters after speaking to the Missouri Farm Bureau 8-10-2018

“I think what Missourians want is somebody who is capable of independence from their party, capable of saying, telling (former Senate Majority and Minority Leader) Harry Reid and (current Senate Minority Leader) Chuck Schumer no, I’m not voting with you,” says McCaskill. “You don’t see that with my opponent.”

The two candidates agree on some key issues.

Both are blasting insurance companies, saying they are making record profits, while premiums are increasing.

And both McCaskill and Hawley oppose privatizing the United States Postal Service (USPS).

Farm Bureau members raised concern about potential post office closings, during Friday’s event.

More than 200 Missouri Farm Bureau members from 86 counties participated in the forum.

Farm Bureau trustees voted 82-4 on Friday afternoon to endorse Hawley.

Libertarian nominee Japheth Campbell and Green Party nominee Jo Crain will also appear on your November ballot.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

 

Missouri county expected to authorize state audit about potential misused funds

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The St. Francois County Commission in southeast Missouri is expected to pass a resolution tomorrow that would let the state auditor examine records in the county prosecutor’s office. Commissioner Patrick Mullins tells Missourinet affiliate KREI in Farmington the auditor would be reviewing the possible misuse of funds.

St. Francois Prosecuting Attorney Jerrod Mahurin

“Whatever the findings are, get it out there and get it over. Once again, it’s amazing how all of this is coming about right before a major election,” he says.

St. Francois County Commissioner Gay Wilkinson says the audit would come at a price tag.

“The county is expected to pay for that, which one would bear that expense anyway. We’re not begrudging that,” Wilkinson says.

The cost is unknown at this time.

Prosecuting attorney Jerrod Mahurin says the allegations are political and he welcomes the audit.

“There is no fund that goes through my office that I could write a check or dip into,” Mahurin says. “There are offices in the county I think that have what’s referred to as a petty cash fund. I don’t even have a petty cash fund. I don’t even have the ability to dispense money without it being approved by the County Commission, the auditor and the treasurer.”

State Auditor Nicole Galloway says credible information through her Whistleblower Hotline indicates funds were spent inappropriately on questionable expenses, including employee bonuses.

By Luke Turnbough of Missourinet affiliate KREI in Farmington

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Missouri’s McCaskill and Hawley have similar positions on rural post offices

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Missouri’s senior senator and her GOP opponent in November both oppose privatizing the United States Postal Service (USPS).

Senator Claire McCaskill and Attorney General Josh Hawley spoke at this Missouri Farm Bureau podium in Jefferson City on August 10, 2018 (Brian Hauswirth photo)

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) and Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley delivered separate presentations Friday to more than 200 Missouri Farm Bureau members in Jefferson City.

McCaskill, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, tells Missourinet she’s worked hard on this issue.

“Maintaining six-day delivery, maintaining every post office, giving communities input when post offices close,” McCaskill says. “Privatization would be terrible for rural Missouri.”

McCaskill’s committee held a Senate hearing in July on the potential USPS privatization.

“There is no way a privatization model delivers the same level of service to rural America as they currently receive. I know what privatization means for rural Missouri, and I will not go there on postal,” McCaskill said at the July 18 hearing in Washington.

While they’ve clashed on numerous other issues, McCaskill and Hawley have similar positions on privatization.

Both were asked about it by Farm Bureau members on Friday.

Hawley, who grew up in western Missouri’s Lexington, emphasized his Lafayette County roots while speaking at Farm Bureau. He also notes that his wife, Erin, grew up on a New Mexico ranch, miles away from a post office.

Hawley tells Missourinet he wants to preserve our network of rural post offices.

“I’m always for reform that makes things more efficient, but I worry about reforms that shut down rural post offices and make access to that more difficult for folks who live in rural areas,” says Hawley.

The USPS website notes the Postal Service has the nation’s largest retail network, “bigger than McDonald’s, Starbucks and Walmart combined, domestically.”

The Postal Service does not receive tax dollars for operating expenses.

Missouri Farm Bureau members from 86 counties participated in Friday’s forum.

Farm Bureau trustees voted 82-4 to endorse Hawley, who beat ten other candidates to win the GOP Senate nomination last Tuesday.

McCaskill and Hawley were the only two Senate candidates at Friday’s forum.

While Libertarian nominee Japheth Campbell and Green Party nominee Jo Crain were not invited to participate, they will appear on the November ballot.

McCaskill is seeking her third Senate term. Hawley was elected Missouri Attorney General in 2016.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Egypt shows interest in Missouri’s unmilled rice

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Missouri rice producers could soon have a new export market. Greg Yielding, with the Missouri Rice Council and U.S. Rice Producers says Egypt is very interested in buying Missouri’s unmilled rice. Water shortages have led to zero growing of rice in Egypt.

Egypt shows interest in Missouri’s unmilled rice

“Egypt has a lot of rice mills,” he tells Brownfield Ag News. “What’s happening is those rice mills will be idle. They won’t be working. They’ll just be sitting there. No rice to mill.”

In July, Yielding and a Southeast Missouri State University ag professor travelled to Egypt with their proposal to ship rough rice there.

Southeast Missouri is a major producer of medium grain rice, which Egypt prefers.

“It goes to the mill. They mill it,” he says. “They get to hire people to run the mills. They get the benefit of the byproducts, the hulls, the brand.”

Yielding says the rice could be shipped across Egypt and re-exported to countries in the Middle East.

He is optimistic U.S. rice will soon be imported by China with the current trade battle not negatively impacting that process that has been in the works for well over a decade.

By Julie Harker of Brownfield Ag News

Missouri’s Jay Randolph: 2018 PGA Championship will be the most successful in history (AUDIO)

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St. Louisan and longtime NBC Sports broadcaster Jay Randolph says the 100th PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis County will be long remembered by those in attendance.

The logo for the 100th PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club, courtesy of Explore St. Louis

Randolph says crowds were 20-deep when Tiger Woods teed off Thursday morning. Woods has won 14 major golf championships.

Randolph predicts the 2018 PGA Championship will be the most successful PGA Championship in history.

“We have over 4,000 volunteers, we have nearly 1,000 media members who are here and we have the greatest players anywhere all together here,” Randolph says.

Bellerive also hosted the 1992 PGA Championship, which Randolph describes as the most successful in the history of the PGA.

Randolph says this year’s tournament is even bigger.

Explore St. Louis is projecting a $100 million economic impact, with about 80,000 out-of-town visitors for the tournament.

More than 30 area hotels are under contract for the event.

Randolph compares the impact of this tournament to the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.

He says volunteers have come from as far away as Europe.

Thousands of golf fans are expected to head to Bellerive again on Friday morning for round two of the PGA Championship.

Randolph notes the tournament is sold-out.

“We’ll have over 30,000 people here on the golf course on Saturday and Sunday, but it’s a culmination of so many people doing so much work,” says Randolph.

Randolph also notes more than 100 golf course superintendents from across the country have traveled to St. Louis to assist the Bellerive groundskeeping crew.

He says they have done a remarkable job.

Randolph spent 22 years at NBC, and broadcast the Bob Hope Desert Classic for 16 straight years.

He also worked at St. Louis’ NBC affiliate, KSDK, for about 24 years, and spent years broadcasting Cardinal baseball on Channel 5.

 

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Jay Randolph, which was recorded on August 9, 2018:

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Missouri’s Rehder looks ahead after Tuesday’s right-to-work defeat

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The Missouri House sponsor of the 2017 right-to-work bill indicates she’ll continue to push for the measure.

State Rep. Holly Rehder speaks on the Missouri House floor on March 15, 2018 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Tuesday’s right-to-work referendum, which was Proposition A, was rejected by Missourians. The vote was about 937,000 to 452,000.

More than 67 percent of Missourians voted against Proposition A.

Veteran State Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Sikeston, who sponsored the 2017 House right-to-work bill, issued a statement to Missourinet on Wednesday.

Rehder, who chairs the powerful Missouri House Economic Development Committee, says she’s not giving up on her efforts.

“Last night’s results should not surprise anyone who has followed this issue. We knew that big labor would throw in everything they had to defeat right to work. Spending millions of dollars to confuse voters led to the results last night. Unions will do anything to cling to power but the data is clear, the right to work states around us have seen wages go up and the number of jobs increase. This fight is not going away and I look forward to continuing to push for labor reform,” Rehder’s statement reads.

Rehder, who represents Mississippi and Scott counties, is unopposed in November for her fourth and final term in the Missouri House.

Voters in both Mississippi and Scott counties in her district rejected right-to-work, which says that a person cannot be required to join or refrain from joining a labor organization, as a condition of employment.

Missouri Democratic Party Chairman Stephen Webber, a former state lawmaker who served in the House with Rehder, issued a statement late Tuesday after the votes came in.

“Tonight, Missouri voters rejected a top Republican priority and sent a resounding message that we will not leave working people behind. Standing together, Democrats and working families successfully fought off this shameless attack on the middle class from corrupt Republican politicians in Jeff City,” Webber said in his statement.

Senate Minority Leader Gina Walsh, D-Bellefontaine Neighbors, has warned that right-to-work will lead to lower wages and decreased safety protections.

Rehder disagrees with that, and has told Missourinet that right-to-work would increase union jobs in Missouri.

Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Dan Mehan, who appeared live on Missourinet’s election night coverage Tuesday, also says right-to-work remains “an important and worthy goal” that the Chamber will continue to pursue.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Ivanka Trump visits St. Louis area to discuss workforce development

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Ivanka Trump is touring the country to unite academic, business, and political leaders in a series of workforce development roundtable discussions. During a visit today at Lewis and Clark Community College near St. Louis, she says the nation’s low unemployment rate is creating an unprecedented climate.

Ivanka Trump speaks to hundreds of U.S. Steel workers in Granite City, IL on July 26, 2018

Ms. Trump wants to connect unemployed and underemployed Americans with the training necessary to fill skilled jobs in growing industries.

“For the first time in history, we actually have more job vacancies than unemployed people,” she says. “There’s skills mismatched that exist. What can we do about it?”

She says the federal government is going to reconcile workforce programs to make them more accountable and think holistically about the role of education through the lifecycle of American workers.

“I think as a federal government, we are not very good, typically, at training. But we can leverage the knowledge of the private sector. We can say be our partner and help us do better,” Trump says. “Help us amplify the issue. Help us think about ways that we can be creative. Help us leverage technology, for example, to create better transparency for our students and our workers across the country.”

Ms. Trump cites the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics saying the country has 6.6 million vacant jobs.

“They can tell you the industries they are in, but they can’t tell you geographically where those jobs are located and they can’t tell you the underlying skillsets required to fill those jobs,” she says.

Trump goes on to say the U.S. is experiencing historic low unemployment rates for African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, women and the disabled.

Todd Sauter contributed to this story.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Shelbina businesswoman wins GOP primary in key northeast Missouri race

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A northeast Missouri businesswoman has captured the GOP nomination for a key state Senate seat being vacated in January by term-limited State Sen. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown.

Veteran State Senator Brian Munzlinger (2016 file photo courtesy of Senate Communications)

Shelbina businesswoman Cindy O’Laughlin captured 37 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s four-way GOP primary, beating three incumbent state lawmakers.

O’Laughlin beat State Reps. Craig Redmon, R-Canton, Lindell Shumake, R-Hannibal and Nate Walker, R-Kirksville.

The sprawling district covers 14 counties in northeast and north-central Missouri, stretching from Clark County on the Iowa border to Chariton County, west of Moberly.

O’Laughlin carried only four of the counties, but two of them were large counties: Randolph and Macon. Moberly and Macon are the two biggest towns in those counties.

O’Laughlin will face Hannibal Democrat Crystal Stephens in November.

Former State Sen. Wes Shoemyer, D-Clarence, was the last Democrat to represent this district.

Republicans have held the seat since 2010, when Munzlinger unseated Shoemyer.

Redmon and Shumake are in their eighth and final years in the Missouri House, due to term limits.

Munzlinger is the powerful chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

PGA Championship at Bellerive projected to have a $100 million impact (AUDIO)

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The 100th PGA Championship begins Thursday at historic Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis County.

The logo for the 100th PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club, courtesy of Explore St. Louis

Bellerive also hosted the U.S. Open in 1965 and the 1992 PGA Championship.

Explore St. Louis chief marketing officer Brian Hall says they’re projecting about a $100 million economic impact, with about 80,000 out-of-town visitors for the tournament.

“Many of them are staying not just for a day or two, they’re staying for the entire week,” Hall says. “So it’s a week-long celebration of the game of golf, played by the best in golf.”

Explore St. Louis is the official destination marketing organization responsible for marketing St. Louis City and County as a convention site and as a leisure travel destination.

The organization’s website notes more than 700 local and regional businesses partner with Explore St. Louis.

Hall says Explore St. Louis worked with the PGA on lodging, and that more than 30 area hotels are under contract for the event.

He says reporters from across the globe have traveled to or will be traveling to St. Louis.

“We’re going to have an estimated 1,000 journalists from around the world who are not just going to be reporting on the game of golf as it’s played in the championship play over at Bellerive, but they’re going to be reporting on St. Louis as well,” says Hall.

Historic Bellerive Country Club

Hall tells Missourinet that CBS Sports came in about a month ago to shoot B-roll of the Gateway Arch, Forest Park and many other area attractions.

That video will be shown during the broadcasts.

Hall says there will be about 30 hours of live television programming from Bellerive.

Practice rounds continue Tuesday and Wednesday, and round one is Thursday at Bellerive, which is located on Ladue Road.

Bellerive Country Club’s website notes the club is named after Louis St. Ange De Bellerive, the last French commander in North America.

Hall says the St. Louis region is on a roll.

“A month ago we just re-opened the Gateway Arch, incredible new tourism experience,” Hall says. “And to have this right on the heels of that opening that captured international attention, this is really, really exciting for the entire region.”

Explore St. Louis says the Gateway City welcomes more than 25 million annual visitors for leisure, conventions, meetings and business travel.

Hall says Cardinal Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith chairs the PGA’s Foundation, which is called “PGA Reach”.

Hall says the organization will be assisting many of the Boys and Girls Clubs in the St. Louis region.

 

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Explore St. Louis chief marketing officer Brian Hall, which was recorded on August 2, 2018:

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Mid-Missouri county to vote on massive animal feeding operations

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Voters in mid-Missouri’s Howard County decide Tuesday whether to retain a health ordinance putting animal headcount and manure handling restrictions on massive animal feeding operations known as CAFOS (concentrated animal feeding operations).

concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO)

Howard County Presiding Commissioner Sam Stroupe say the ordinance on the ballot imposes restrictions beyond those from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.  “That would perhaps dissuade some very large hog operations from coming into the county,” said Stroupe.

Howard County cattle producer Steve Diehls contends the ordinance prevents families from expanding livestock operations to support succeeding generations.  “There’s several of them around now that would like to expand to bring in more family members,” said Diehls.  “And if this goes into effect it won’t be financially feasible for them to do it.”

Diehls says agriculture is the number one resource in his county and he’d like to have it designated as friendly to farm business.  “I would hope that this thing gets voted down and we can become an Agri-Ready County and promote agriculture in this county.”

The county election concerning the ordinance is part of Tuesday’s 2018 mid-term primary election in Missouri.

Tom Steever of Missourinet sister network Brownfield contributed this story