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Missouri’s governor focusing on rural broadband, especially for schools (AUDIO)

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Governor Mike Parson (R) emphasized the importance of broadband in rural Missouri during a Jefferson City appearance on Tuesday, and is praising USDA’s announcement that the state will receive $61 million to expand it.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson delivers his State of the State Address on January 15, 2020 in Jefferson City, as House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, looks on (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The governor discussed the issue, while addressing a few hundred Missouri Farm Bureau members at Jefferson City’s Capitol Plaza Hotel. While the Farm Bureau event was closed to the news media, Parson spoke with Missourinet after his presentation.

“If we can get electricity in every home, and we did that back years ago, we can get internet to everybody’s home to where they can be out there and be competitive,” Parson says.

One of the grants announced in late January by USDA is a $2.5 million grant to help the Green Hills Telephone Corporation expand its fiber network in northwest Missouri’s Caldwell and Livingston counties. That’s expected to help a fire district and two educational facilities.

Governor Parson has noted that there are about ten Missouri school districts that still don’t have broadband. The governor says broadband ties-in with education and his workforce development initiatives.

“We’ve got to make sure we got broadband available to our schools, to give those kids a fighting chance out there in today’s world in technology and everything,” says Parson.

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R) also praises USDA’s announcement, calling it an important step toward ending what he calls the digital divide. Senator Blunt says one-third of rural Missourians lack access to broadband.

As for Governor Parson, he’s also emphasizing the importance of infrastructure, rural health care and the rural way of life.

“I always say the agriculture is so important to our state and what it means for the way of life for a lot of these people (Farm Bureau members), but really for what it means for everyday Missourians no matter where you’re from,” Parson says.

The governor is also concerned about possible flooding again this spring. He tells Missourinet he spoke to President Trump about the issue a few weeks ago, and that the president is engaged on the issue.

Parson’s proposed budget sets aside $4 million in disaster recovery funds.

Agriculture is an $88 billion industry in Missouri. The state has about 100,000 farms.

Click here to listen to the full three-minute interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Governor Mike Parson (R), which was recorded on February 18, 2020 at Jefferson City’s Capitol Plaza Hotel:

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Convicted southern Missouri killer set to be executed this spring

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A May execution date has been scheduled for a convicted killer from southwest Missouri’s Ozark. The case has been working its way through the court system for almost 30 years.

Convicted killer Walter Barton is scheduled to be executed on May 19, 2020 in Bonne Terre (undated photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Corrections)

The Missouri Supreme Court today set a May 19th execution date for convicted killer Walter Barton, who was sentenced to death for the 1991 killing of 81-year-old Gladys Kuehler. The elderly woman managed a mobile home park in Ozark, which is south of Springfield.

Kuehler was unable to move without the assistance of a cane, according to court documents.

Court documents say she had been stabbed more than 45 times, and that her jugular vein was severed.

One of Kuehler’s eyes was also slashed, and court documents say the victim was also struck in the head with a heavy object like a baseball bat.

The 64-year-old Barton will be executed by lethal injection at the maximum-security prison in southeast Missouri’s Bonne Terre, unless a federal judge or the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes. Barton could also request clemency from Governor Mike Parson.

The “Springfield News-Leader” notes Barton was initially convicted in 1994, and ended up having five trials because two convictions were overturned on appeal.

Court documents also indicate that Barton was convicted of assaulting, with intent to kill, a convenience store clerk in 1976, before being paroled from prison in February 1984.

One month after being released from prison, prosecutors say Barton attacked, choked and threatened to kill another convenience store clerk in West Plains.

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Lawmaker proposing Missouri Lottery winner legislation emphasizes safety (AUDIO)

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Legislation that would give Missouri Lottery winners the option of not having their names published by the Lottery was heard by a House committee in Jefferson City on Monday.

The Missouri Lottery logo (courtesy of Missouri Lottery)

The bill sponsor, State Rep. Jay Mosley, D-Florissant, tells Missourinet it’s a safety issue.

“I want people to feel safe when they win,” Mosley says. “I want them to experience their winnings in the best possible fashion.”

Mosley testifies Missouri Lottery winners could be targeted by people who read about their win, or approached by family members who want money.

House Bill 1563 would give lottery winners the option of anonymity. Representative Mosley testifies that eight states already allow it, including neighboring Kansas.

“I also feel that we’ll probably keep monies here in the state as well, since Kansas is one of those (eight) anonymous states,” says Mosley.

Mosley emphasizes that winners could still have their names published under his legislation, if they choose to.

“I know there are people out there that want to disclose that information, but most people, from my knowledge, don’t,” Mosley says.

The bill applies to the Missouri Lottery Commission, the state Lottery, lottery and contract employees. Under the bill, “publish” means issuing information or material to the public in printed or electronic form.

His bill would apply to lottery winners of any amount. Under the bill, violators would be charged with a class A misdemeanor.

The House General Laws Committee did not vote on the bill on Monday. The bipartisan legislation was approved unanimously by the committee in 2019.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and State Rep. Jay Mosley, D-Florissant, which was recorded on February 17, 2020 at the Statehouse in Jefferson City:

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Domestic union instead of marriage? Missouri bill would reduce the nuptial definition

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State Representative Adam Schnelting, R-St. Charles, wants to change the legal definition of marriage to civil unions. During a Missouri House General Laws Committee hearing today about Schnelting’s bill, he says he wants to replace marriage licenses with contracts of domestic unions – sparking opposition by some traditional marriage supporters and the gay rights community.

Capitol Rotunda (Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel, House Communications)

The interpretation and intent of House Bill 2173 varies greatly from person to person and lawmaker to lawmaker. Arguments ranged from what the bill would do to marriages involving children and adoption rights, gay couples, immigration status, federal benefits, and how a civil union would be recognized in other states for married couples moving to and from Missouri.

Schnelting, a licensed minister and former pastor, says marriage is not the government’s business and his goal is to treat everyone equally.

“Whether you’re religious, whether you’re nonreligious,” he says. “Whether you’re straight, whether you’re a member of the LGBT community, this is about restoring the government to its proper role. If I don’t need a license for my Second Amendment rights, I certainly do not need the government’s permission or a license to marry.”

Schnelting says under his nearly 400-page bill, he thinks society would still call a marriage a marriage.

“First and foremost, this bill does not abolish marriage,” he says. “Our law states that marriage law is considered in law as a civil contract – from the standpoint of the state nothing more nothing less. That’s still in place. It doesn’t make it any less of a marriage. It’s just reducing it, stripping it down to it’s most basic legal definition.”

He says when government is allowed to intrude into private matters, it is usually contentious.

“Because then you have one section of America pitting itself against another,” he says.

Representative Wes Rogers, D-Kansas City, says the bill would reduce marriage to a couple being “civically in love” and indicates the intent of the measure has to do with gay marriage.

“Our marriage certificate says marriage and it doesn’t matter what you think and it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. If I was gay and wanted to marry a man, and I have a certificate that says marriage, I’m having a hard time understanding why it’s your business,” he says.

Schnelting agrees that it’s not the government’s business.

“This 382-pages, this is what happens when we allow government to get out of control,” he says.

Representative Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, says she opposes the legislation out of potential unintended consequences of children’s rights.

Representative Tracy McCreery, D-Olivette, calls the legislation divisive, hurtful to LGBT individuals, and would be going backwards.

“I want to make sure that love can be love and marriage can be marriage and that we’re not trying to undue something that the U.S. Supreme Court said is the right thing to do,” says McCreery. “Since gay marriage became the law of the land, my marriage has not been impacted at all. I don’t think anybody in this room can raise their hand and honestly say that since gay marriage was made legal that their marriages have deteriorated. I feel like this bill is kind of a solution looking for a problem.”

According to Schnelting, the proposal would not attack government benefits for couples with a marriage license or a civil union contract. If so, he says he would change the bill to ensure those benefits would work the same way as they do now. Speaking on behalf of LGBT organization PROMO, Washington University Law Professor Denise Lieberman disagrees with Schnelting’s statement and says more than 1,000 federal benefits are attached to the institution of legal marriage.

“Really important stuff right, like social security, like Veterans benefits, like surviving spousal benefits, immigration status, Medicare,” she says.

Lieberman goes on to say she thinks the legislation is unconstitutional and federal law, which recognizes a marriage as a marriage, will trump state law.

Karl and Lisa Weslin of southwest Missouri’s Springfield oppose the bill and fear it would put their retirement years in jeopardy, including their social security, insurances, and medical and survivor benefits. Lisa Weslin says marriage is the bedrock of society.

“If the state of Missouri were to undermine our marriage, we have five daughters who are married and thirteen grandchildren, for those we hope to set an example of the sanctity of marriage. Marriage itself represents a spiritual and mystical union that is imbued with meaning much deeper and more profound than a domestic union,” she says.

The committee has not yet voted on the bill.

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Some sex offenders could be banned from going near Missouri nature and education centers

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State Representative Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain Grove, wants to ban some registered sex offenders from going within 500 feet of any Missouri Conservation Department nature or education center. The Missouri House Public Safety and Crime Prevention Committee is considering Kelly’s bill, which could charge violators with a felony. The measure would apply to sex offenders who have committed certain sex crimes against children.

Rep. Hannah Kelly (Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel, House Communications)

“We have an ultimate responsibility to ensure that when the prosecutor goes after that individual for perpetrating evil crimes against a child, that we have teeth in the statute to make sure that the next person who might think about doing that, decides not to because they see the proper punishment has been handed down,” says Kelly.

During a public hearing, Missouri Department of Conservation Deputy Director Aaron Jeffries says the agency asked Kelly to sponsor the measure. He says about 800,000 kids visit the agency’s nature centers annually.

“How this got on our radar was simply off-duty police officers or conservation officers participating in programs at our nature centers recognizing registered sex offenders and not being able to do anything about the situation,” says Jeffries.

Representative Andrew McDaniel, R-Deering, says the legislation would not stop someone from trying to do something bad to a child.

“The ones that are still abiding by the law and are going back into society and being decent people still – trying to – but we keep pushing them into corners by keep on adding more obstructions to their daily life,” says McDaniel.

State Rep. Andrew McDaniel (right) speaks during a House committee hearing on April 29, 2019 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Kelly agrees that there are good and bad actors, but she says parents should not fear that someone with ill intent will harm their children when their kids step off the bus at one of the centers.

“At the end of the day, we fund these centers. These children are welcome then to these centers and along with that comes a great responsibility of their safety. It is unfortunate when individuals, as you have mentioned, have to deal with the labeling of being on that registry, but I look at that as a separate judicial matter,” says Kelly.

Kelly says tweaks are being made to the legislation that would allow registered sex offenders who are the parent, legal guardian or custodian of a child under 18 years old to attend programs with their children on such property. The changes would allow the individuals to get permission from the nature or education managers to be present on the property during programs with their kids.

Missouri Department of Conservation Nature and Education Centers include Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs, Cape Girardeau Nature Center, Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City, Springfield Conservation Nature Center, Conservation Education Center in Joplin and Powder Valley Nature Center in Kirkwood, among others.

The committee has not yet voted on House Bill 2142.

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House panel to continue to question DHSS on medical marijuana application screening

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The Missouri House panel will meet again this week to review how applications have been approved for medical marijuana manufacturers and dispensaries. Wednesday, February 12, the DHSS program’s deputy director Amy Moore told the Special Committee on Government Oversight that the department has looked into the concerns from applicants who were denied.

More than 200 applicants have filed complaints to the state Administrative Commission, alleging conflict of interest involving the company chosen to do the selection scoring.  The company, Wise Health Solutions, a Missouri-based company, is a new joint venture between Oaksterdam University (“Oaksterdam”) in California and Veracious Investigative & Compliance Solutions LLC (“Veracious”). Chad Warren Westom of Veracious, who oversaw the development of Nevada’s medical cannabis regulations, is the project’s executive Lead.

Oaksterdam, before winning the Missouri RFP to screen applicants, conducted training “bootcamps” leading up to the licensing process.

Moore told the panel there was no evidence of conflict of interest:

“We’ve heard a lot of allegations about potential conflicts. Some have been vague, some have been specific. Whenever we have received a specific allegation, we looked into it. So far nothing has been confirmed to be true. We do investigate each of those specific allegations.”

State health department (DHSS) spokesperson Lisa Cox says the application process was blind, “because the questions asked in Missouri applications are unique to Missouri and no identifying information of any applicant was provided to the vendor, any prior relationship would be irrelevant, as the vendor would not know who any given applicant was.”

House Speaker Elijah Haahr told Missourinet that lawmakers are trying to learn more about how the program works.

“Frankly it’s hard to say that there are problems, all we’ve got is people that didn’t get in and maybe complaining.”

State Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff (file photo courtesy of Missouri Senate)

Poplar Bluff Senator Doug Libla has been one of those complaining about the outcomes in the press and on the Senate floor on the behalf of his constituents and “people I know.” He attended and observed last week’s Government Oversight Committee testimony from Moore and medical marijuana program director Lyndall Fraker.

Friday, he disclosed to the St. Louis Post Dispatch that he was one of the rejected investors.

 

PDMP legislation could get final Missouri House approval on Monday

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The Missouri House is expected to give final approval to prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) legislation this week in Jefferson City, possibly as early as Monday afternoon.

State Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Scott City, briefs Capitol reporters on February 13, 2020 in Jefferson City. House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, and Speaker Pro Tem John Wiemann, R-O’Fallon, look on (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Missouri is the only state in the nation without a PDMP, which is an electronic database that collects data on controlled substance prescriptions within a state. State Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Scott City, the bill sponsor, says we must listen to addiction specialists and doctors.

“We have to allow our recovery people to be the ones that tell us what they need for the tools in their toolbox, not those of us in the Legislature,” Rehder tells Capitol reporters.

The House voted last week 95-56 to give initial approval to the bill. Rehder’s bill had bipartisan support, with every House Democrat voting for it, including House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield.

The debate took about five hours and was emotional at times, as Representative Rehder talked about getting her grandchild out of a meth lab. She also talked about the impact the opioid epidemic is taking on Missouri families.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, voted for Rehder’s bill, as he has every year. He’s a longtime PDMP supporter.

The 56 no votes came from Republicans, including House Speaker Pro Tem John Wiemann, R-O’Fallon, and House Majority Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold.

State Rep. Justin Hill, R-Lake St. Louis, criticizes PDMP legislation on the Missouri House floor on February 12, 2020 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

State Rep. Justin Hill, R-Lake St. Louis, and other PDMP opponents say it would not stop illegal drug problems.

As for Rehder, she says Missouri Senate leaders would like to get it off the table earlier this session. She notes Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, and Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, back PDMP.

“I’m so hopeful that possibly it will come to the floor early (this year) in the Senate and that it will be allowed the time for a filibuster,” says Rehder.

Rehder’s 2019 bill was approved by the House on a bipartisan 103-53 vote, but it died in the Senate, primarily because of opposition from State Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, and other members of the Senate Conservative Caucus.

Hoskins, who has privacy concerns, tells Missourinet that state government databases haven’t worked in other states. He says PDMP “has a long way to go to become law.”

“I’m not in favor of passing a bill that doesn’t work just to say we’ve ‘done something.’ Simply said, state government databases have not worked well in other states that have them. I, as well as many of my Senate colleagues, have concerns about this legislation as currently drafted. The Conservative Caucus has some ideas on how to make this House bill better to protect the privacy of Missouri citizens and we look forward to working on the bill during the upcoming weeks,” Senator Hoskins said on Sunday.

Rehder disagrees with Hoskins’ privacy concerns, saying 49 other states have PDMP. She says Missouri needs to battle drug addiction problems on the front end, and that PDMP gives physicians and medical professionals easier access.

Before Thursday’s adjournment, Floor Leader Vescovo told House members to be ready for PDMP on Monday afternoon. The House gavels-in at 4 p.m.

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Presidents’ Day is a federal and Missouri holiday

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Monday is Washington’s Birthday, which is a federal, Missouri state and county holiday. It’s also known as Presidents’ Day. It’s celebrated and observed on the third Monday in February of each year.

Most federal, state and county offices are closed on Monday, with the exception of emergency services such as the Missouri State Highway Patrol and county sheriff’s departments.

County courthouses will be closed across the state. Banks and financial institutions will be closed, and there will be no regular mail delivery.

Washington’s Birthday is one of the 12 Missouri state holidays.

While Monday is a state holiday, the Missouri Legislature will be in session that afternoon in Jefferson City.

George Washington, one of the nation’s Founding Fathers, served as the first American President from 1789 to 1797.

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