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Missouri Duck Boat victim announces effort to ban the amphibious vehicles

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A woman who lost nine relatives when a Duck Boat sank last month on Table Rock Lake near Branson is spearheading an effort to have the vehicles banned.

Tia Coleman speaks during press conference in Indiana announcing an effort to get Duck Boats banned (Image courtesy of KOLR-TV)

Tia Coleman and her 13-year old nephew were the only two family members to survives the mishap that killed a total of 17 people.

She held a news conference in the living room of her home in Indianapolis Tuesday to announce an effort through change.org to drum up support to ban the amphibious vehicles.

Coleman and her family were in Branson for an annual family vacation when the Duck Boat they were on sank after taking on four-foot swells during hurricane force winds.  Her husband and three children lost their lives in the July 19th tragedy.

Coleman’s petition on change.org also urges support of a bill in Congress sponsored by Missouri’s Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill.  The measure would require the Duck Boat industry to implement safety measures recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) after a similar 1999 Duck Boat accident killed 13 people in Arkansas.

A playpen with toys inside was present when Coleman spoke to the news media at her home Tuesday.  Her three kids who died in the Branson tragedy were one-year-old Arya, seven-year-old Evan, and nine-year-old Reece.  She described the hardship of losing her three kids in the tragedy.

“I want today to kind of tell you a little bit about my family who lived in this house, here,” said Coleman.  “I was in the bed and I woke up cause I heard the bus outside and I almost yelled out, ‘hurry up you’re going to miss the bus.’ And I realized they won’t be getting on any more buses.  My family really meant everything to me, just like everybody else, they meant everything to me.  It’s a house now, it’s not a home anymore.”

Three lawsuits have been filed in the four weeks since the mishap on Table Rock Lake.  Two of them represent the estates of four of Coleman’s relatives who died when the Duck Boat sank.  One of those court cases seeks $100 million in damages.

A third lawsuit was brought by the three daughters of a couple from western Missouri’s Higginsville who were killed in the incident.

A lawsuit on behalf of Tia Coleman is expected eventually.

All three current court cases name the operation’s current owner, Ripley Entertainment and former owner, Ride the Ducks International, as defendants.

The two suits representing Coleman family members were filed in federal court.  They allege shortcomings and deliberate oversights led to the mishap.  They say the defendants had been told that design flaws in the Duck Boats made them more susceptible to sinking.

They contend that despite being aware of impending severe weather conditions, Ripley intentionally decided to take the Duck Boat out onto Table Rock Lake instead of canceling the tour and refunding the patrons’ money. The federal suits also state that the defendants had been repeatedly told over two decades to change the design of their Duck Boats to make them safer, but they entirely ignored these warnings.

Ripley Entertainment has not commented on the Branson incident as an investigation by the NTSB is ongoing.  According to the Branson operation’s website, it’s not currently offering Duck Boat rides.

At least one elected office holder has been critical of Senator McCaskill’s legislative effort in Congress.  Earlier this month, State Representative Scott Fitzpatrick said writing legislation intended to avoid future deaths on duck boat tours should wait.

Fitzpatrick, a Republican from southwest Missouri’s Shell Knob contends not enough facts have been issued yet to responsibly write legislation.  “I think that there’s plenty of opportunity to get it wrong,” said Fitzpatrick.

Missouri Governor’s ham breakfast in Sedalia will be packed on Thursday

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Thursday’s 66th annual Governor’s ham breakfast at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia is sold out.

2018 Missouri State Fair logo (courtesy of the Missouri State Fair and the Missouri Department of Agriculture)

State Fair marketing director Keri Mergen tells Missourinet all 1,000 meal tickets for the breakfast have been sold.

State Fair Director Mark Wolfe describes the ham breakfast as a unique event.

“You know I always tell people, buy your ticket, get it in advance so you make sure that you get one,” Wolfe says.

You can still purchase a $10 ticket to get inside the director’s tent, without breakfast.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson (R) will deliver the keynote address at tomorrow’s breakfast, which begins at 8 a.m. at the State Fairgrounds.

Director Wolfe says the ham breakfast is an opportunity for you to mingle with policymakers.

“It’s a great opportunity for folks that maybe don’t normally get a chance to meet their legislators or their congressional folks face-to-face, you know in a casual setting like that where you can just stand and visit,” says Wolfe.

U.S. Reps. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Kansas City) and Jason Smith (R-Salem) will be among those at the ham breakfast, along with U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Harrisonville).

Many Missouri lawmakers will also attend, along with local leaders and commodity group officials.

The Governor’s ham breakfast is a traditional gathering of Missouri elected officials and ag leaders.

Thursday is “Governor’s, Legislators’ and Judges’ Day” at the State Fair.

It’s also Throwback Thursday, with a $5 gate admission all day for those 13 and older.

Children 12 and under will get in free.

The theme for the 116th Missouri State Fair is “Come Home.”

The fair runs through Sunday, August 19.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

McCaskill on pre-existing conditions: “We’ve got to figure out a way to take care of them that makes the most financial sense”

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Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, continues to speak out against a lawsuit Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has joined challenging the Affordable Care Act. During a Tuesday roundtable in St. Louis with those who have pre-existing medical conditions, McCaskill says the lawsuit aims to wipe out pre-existing condition protections, resulting in economic consequences.

“Cutting people off from insurance and making it harder for people to get insurance, we’re all still gonna pay the bill because in America we’re not going to stop people at the door at the emergency room and I’m sorry you don’t have health insurance, we’re gonna let you die.” says McCaskill. “If we’re going to take care of everyone who shows up, then we’ve got to figure out a way to take care of them that makes the most financial sense.”

Josh Hawley – R – with reporters after speaking to the Missouri Farm Bureau 8-10-2018

When Hawley joined the 19 other states in his legal action, he said that he would “fight to take health care choices out of the hands of DC bureaucrats and put them in the hands of families and physicians.” Hawley, who is McCaskill’s Republican opponent in the November election, says he supports protecting pre-existing health conditions but wants Congress to replace the Affordable Care Act law. Hawley says he blames Obamacare for individual healthcare premiums increasing by 105%.

During a Farm Bureau forum in Jefferson City on Friday, McCaskill and Hawley clashed over this very issue. America’s healthcare laws and U.S. Supreme Court nominees are two of the leading issues in the race that is considered one of the most-watched in the nation. The U.S. Senate candidate chosen by Missourians will be critical in determining which party holds control of the upper chamber in Congress.

Jill Enders contributed to this story.

Activist group backs measure to limit lobbyist gifts, change voting district map

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One prominent Missouri political group is backing Amendment One In November.

Springfield League of Women Voters chapter endorses Clean Missouri ballot measure – image courtesy of KOLR TV feature

On Tuesday, members of The League of Women Voters gathered in Springfield to endorse the measure known as Clean Missouri.

The measure would change several things about the way the state government is run, by eliminating most lobbyist gifts in the general assembly.

It would require legislative records to conform to certain open records laws.

The measure further calls for a change in the way voting districts are drawn up.  Its supporters say it would make sure no political party gains an advantage when voter maps are drawn.

Ann Elwell, a member of The League of Women Voters, explains why the issue of fair voter maps, matters to her.

“Because of the way maps are drawn, candidates are essentially unopposed. And they don’t have to work hard to get to know their voters, they instead work hard to get to know their donors. And that’s not the way our democracy’s set up,” says Elwell.

Missouri’s Chamber of Commerce has filed a lawsuit to stop amendment one from showing up on the ballot, saying it bundles together several issues under a single ballot item.

Lawsuit to block public vote on Missouri gas tax hike dismissed

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A court has dismissed a lawsuit claiming a ballot measure that would increase the state’s motor fuel tax violates the Missouri Constitution.

The Tuesday court decision means the 10-cent motor fuel tax will be on the November ballot as it now stands, although an appeal of the ruling will likely be attempted.

Judge Robert Schollmeyer in Cole County Circuit Court in Jefferson City determined legislation passed by lawmakers on the last day of this year’s session does not violate three sections of Missouri law as argued by plaintiffs.

A bill originally drawn up to establish a state tax exemption on prizes won in Olympic competition was amended to include two additional provisions – one calling for a public vote on the motor fuel tax, and another to create an emergency road fund in which the legislature can deposit state funds.

Judge Schollmeyer dismissed the suit brought by conservative activist Ron Calzone and Republican state Representative Mike Moon of Ash Grove, noting that all three provisions have to do with state revenue.

The decision backs up the action of Missouri Secretary of state Jay Ashcroft, the defendant in the case who certified the ballot measure to go before voters.

It also benefits an intervener in the litigation, SaferMO, which represents stakeholders such as contractors who would work on road projects the motor fuel tax would finance.

In rejecting the plaintiff’s contentions, Judge Schollmeyer said the legislation does not violate the state “original purpose” requirement because all three of its provisions revise Missouri’s revenue laws.  He also found that the bill does not violate the “single subject” rule because it relates to state revenues.  And he further determined it conforms to the state’s “clear title” requirement because it applies to one limited area of government activity, state revenues.

Judge Schollmeyer also rejected a fourth claim by the plaintiffs that the bill was improperly allowed to evolve during the legislative process and not required to remain true to the original title.  He said there’s no case or constitutional requirement that prohibits changes to a bill’s title as long as it satisfies the original purpose, single-subject, and clear-title conditions.

The bill as passed and certified by Secretary Ashcroft will ask voters to cast a ballot on three separate provisions, all at once on the same ballot measure.

They’ll be asked if they want to increase the motor fuel tax, exempt Olympic (as well as Special Olympic, Paralympic) prizes from state taxes, and establish the Emergency State Freight Bottleneck Fund.

The Bottleneck Fund would create a dedicated fund for certain road projects in order to reduce traffic bottlenecks that affect freight.

A single yes vote would be a vote in favor of all three provisions in the bill.  Together they are known as Proposition D.

SaferMO and other organizations supporting the ballot measure such as the Missouri Chamber of Commerce will be solely focused on the motor fuel tax portion.  It would increase the fuel tax on gasoline and diesel by 2.5 cents each year for the next four years, hiking it from 17-cents-per-gallon to 27-cents-per-gallon by 2023.

The revenue will go toward public safety as well as road and bridge construction. It would provide roughly $288 million annually in the State Road Fund for transportation needs as well as $123 million annually for local transportation projects.

Scott Charton, a spokesperson for SaferMO, points out the current proposal is different than a 2014 ballot measure for roads that was rejected by voters.  “That was a general sales tax increase,” said Charton.  “This is a motor fuel tax.  This goes with making the motors operate that makes the vehicles go on the roads.  It is for users to pay.”

Charton also says the motor fuel tax would speed up the process of repairing dangerous roadways.  “There are thousands of poorly rated bridges in Missouri, Charton said.  “This is a safety threat.  We need to fix this.  We need to accelerate our projects in Missouri.”

The motor fuel tax is the only portion of the ballot measure that must receive the OK of voters.  A portion of Missouri law known as the Hancock Amendment requires legislation that raises at least $111 million in taxpayer money to be placed on the ballot.

The plaintiffs in the case, activist Calzone, and State Representative Moon, indicated they would appeal a decision against their case beforehand.  The relatively quick decision by Judge Schollmeyer will likely allow for a petition to a higher court.  Any litigation must be resolved six weeks before the November 6th election to impact the ballot measure.

 

Northern Missouri radio station owner and community leader dies

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The longtime owner of Missourinet Chillicothe affiliate KCHI Radio (AM 1010 and FM 102.5) has died.

Longtime KCHI Radio owner Dan Leatherman (photo courtesy of KCHI Radio)

KCHI has announced that 57-year-old Dan Leatherman died Sunday.

He bought the radio station in April 1996, placing a strong emphasis on local news and local and high school sports coverage.

Veteran KCHI news director Tom Tingerthal tells Missourinet Leatherman “knew the value of small town and small market radio and the importance of the station to the community.”

KCHI has written a story, focusing on Leatherman’s emphasis on the community.

Their story noted that he loved small town radio and believed in the value of radio to the local community.

“If it’s important to the local community, cover it and tell them what they need to know,” KCHI’s story quotes Leatherman as saying frequently.

KCHI’s article notes that Leatherman described the radio station as Chillicothe’s biggest cheerleader.

Leatherman’s motto was “think local.”

Leatherman was well-known in radio across the state, as well as in the northwest Missouri business community.

He served at one time as the Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce President, and also served on the Hedrick Medical Center Board.

Funeral services have been scheduled for Leatherman.

KCHI reports a parish rosary is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at 4 at Heritage Funeral Home in Chillicothe, with visitation to follow until 8 p.m.

Funeral services are scheduled for Thursday morning at 10 at St. Columban Catholic Church in Chillicothe.

This is the second death in 2018 involving a prominent media member in Chillicothe.

Longtime Chillicothe Mayor Chuck Haney died in May at the age of 81.

Haney and Leatherman were friends. Haney was a Missouri Press Association Hall of Famer, spending years as a reporter, newspaper publisher and radio broadcaster, primarily in northwest Missouri.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Missouri county considers whether to join lawsuit against opioid drug makers

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Another Missouri county is debating whether to sue drug manufacturers for the burden the opioid crisis has placed on its community. Ed Douglas, the presiding commissioner of Livingston County in northwest Missouri, says the county commission could join a national lawsuit against addictive prescription drug makers.

Missouri county considers whether to join lawsuit against opioid drug makers

Several other Missouri counties have also filed lawsuits against drug manufacturers contending that the opioid epidemic burdens their areas with hospitalizations, incarcerations and emergency responses, among other things.

“There has been harm to the county. I can tell you our jail costs are higher because of that. Most of our jail costs are related to drug use,” Douglas tells Missourinet affiliate KCHI in Chillicothe. “Now not all of that is opioid use but a significant part of it is.”

He says he’s in the process of trying to find out how many deaths opioid misuse has led to in Livingston County.

“It’s significant. Our prosecutor was able to think of about eight that he could remember in the last five or six years. I’m actually going to check with our coroner to find that out too,” he says.

In 2015, the county recorded 117 opioid prescriptions per every 100 residents.

Douglas says there would not be upfront costs to join the suit.

Missourinet affiliate KCHI in Chillicothe contributed to this story.

Most recent polling shows Senate tie, support for ballot measures in Missouri’s November election

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The most recent polling shows a tight U.S. Senate race and a support for ballot measures going before Missouri voters in November.

A survey shows there’s truth in the contention Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill’s campaign makes when soliciting email donations – that she and Republican challenger Josh Hawley are tied.

The poll conducted last week by Missouri Scout shows McCaskill and Hawley would both receive 47% of the vote if the Senate election were held today.

The same survey gives Republican challenger Saundra McDowell a five-point advantage over incumbent Democratic State Auditor Nicole Galloway, 47%-to-42%.

Three other questions in the Missouri Scout survey bode well for ballot measures in this falls election.

A majority of respondents, 54%-to-35%, believe the Missouri Constitution should be amended to allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes.  Three ballot measures would legalize medical marijuana.

The survey also revealed that an even larger percentage favors raising the minimum wage to $12.00 per hour by 2023, 60%-28%.

And a slightly stronger majority than that, 61%-to-18%, would support amending the state Constitution to change the process for redrawing legislative districts and further restrict campaign contributions and lobbyists gifts.

The poll was conducted last Wednesday and Thursday, just after last Tuesday’s primary election.

Because of the tied Senate race in the Missouri Scout poll, the Real Clear Politics aggregate of surveys conducted since July of 2017 gives Hawley a statistical advantage of 0.2%.

The Real Clear Politics numbers don’t include a poll by Global Strategy Group in June that pegged McCaskill with a six-point lead, the only survey to give either candidate a lead beyond the margin of error.  The Global Strategy poll was conducted on behalf of Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic super PAC which is spending heavily in the 2018 election cycle, including in the Missouri Senate race.

McCaskill has taken a stance opposing such outside groups that she thinks will spend between $50 million-$70 million on both sides of the race.

The Missouri Scout survey is the first polling of the contest for State Auditor since McDowell secured the Republican nomination.

Galloway quickly slammed McDowell for having financial problems that she claims are troubling for somebody who would operate a state office charged with monitoring the use of tax dollars.

The St. Louis Post-dispatch reported that McDowell was ordered to pay $32,658 to a Springfield landlord in 2015 after she and her husband, Jonathan, stopped paying rent on a home.  The couple also was ordered to pay the City of Springfield $1,235 for unpaid utility bills.

In addition, the Post-Dispatch reported that in April, Jonathan McDowell was suspended indefinitely by the Missouri Supreme Court over allegations that his failure to file legal documents cost an airline pilot his employment discrimination case.

McDowell responded by calling Galloway’s claims “wildly inappropriate”.  The eight-year Air Force veteran said, “My husband and I did struggle to make ends meet earlier in our careers, like so many Americans did under President Obama’s stagnating economy.”

Although the Missouri Scout survey has Galloway trailing in the election by five-points, it did show her with strong support among moderates and non-partisans as well as liberals and Democrats.

The poll broke down the state into five metro areas – Columbia, Kansas City, Cape Girardeau, Springfield, and St. Louis.

Voters in all of those areas except Cape Girardeau supported amending the state Constitution to allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes, although the polling in Springfield was closer.  Voters in all five metro areas were strongly in favor of raising the minimum wage and changing the process for determining voting districts.

The minimum wage ballot measure would increase the state minimum pay by 85 cents per hour each year until 2023 when it would top out at $12.00 per hour.

The measure to alter the means of determining voting districts would also downsize limits on campaign contributions that candidates for state legislature can accept from individuals or groups and would limit gifts that state legislators and their employees can accept from lobbyists.

The measure was drawn up by the group Clean Missouri, which bills itself as a bipartisan organization.

It has the support of a GOP coalition which includes former U.S. Senator John Danforth as well as state Senator Rob Schaaf on St. Joseph.

The effort also has received financial backing from left-leaning groups, including Billionaire George Soros.  Soros’ Washington based lobbying firm donated $300,000 to a St. Louis based political committee in January.  That committee, MOVE Ballot Fund, then donated $250,000 to Clean Missouri three days later.  The move was criticized by Republican operatives at the time.

The Clean Missouri ballot measure is being opposed by a group is chaired by former Republican U.S. Senator Jim Talent who is being advised by Republican members of both Missouri houses.  They include Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard of Joplin and well as Senators’ Bob Onder of Lake St. Louis and Caleb Rowden of Columbia.

The Missouri Scout poll included 1,785 likely 2018 General Election voters and has a margin of Error is +/-2.3%.

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

 

Sharp divide on border wall illustrates differences between McCaskill, Hawley in Missouri Senate race

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Among the big policy disagreements between the two Missouri candidates for U.S. Senate, this November is whether to build the border wall President Trump is demanding.

Josh Hawley – R – with reporters after speaking to the Missouri Farm Bureau 8-10-2018

Since missing one of the President’s visits to Missouri in August of 2017, Republican Josh Hawley has vigorously supported most all of Trump’s priorities with a few exceptions.

He emphatically proclaimed to a gathering at the Missouri Farm Bureau last Friday that he stands with the President on the border wall issue.  “I’m for building the wall,” said Hawley.  “I am for securing our border.  Look, I’m your chief law enforcement officer in this state right now.  It’s my job to enforce our laws.  And what I see going on at the southern border is just a matter of law enforcement.”

Hawley was elected to his very first elected position as Missouri’s Attorney General in 2016.  He told the audience of farmers and ranchers that funding to build the wall needs to be secured and said border laws need to be enforced.

While talking about immigration, Hawley expressed support for a Trump administration plan to add a question to the 2020 Census asking people whether they’re U.S. citizens.  He stated that too many people have been allowed into the country who don’t have skills and drive down wages.  He said the needs of farmers who use immigrant laborers can be met through the U.S. visa system which limits the duration of a foreigner’s stay.

Democratic incumbent Senator Claire McCaskill is a noted skeptic of the idea of building a wall on the southern border.  She visited a border area in Texas in February of 2017 and noted that border patrol personnel expressed a need for better technology and said extending the wall would require the acquisition of private land coveted by farmers who currently own it.

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

McCaskill also spoke before Farm Bureau members last Friday where she said the wall is far down the list of needs voiced by border security personnel.  “Frankly, in some parts of the border they don’t want a wall, because they want to be able to have vision,” McCaskill said.  “They need to be able to see.”

McCaskill is the ranking minority member on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

In March, she released a report along with other Democrats on the committee which found that additional personnel and technology are the top border security needs identified by agents.  It said less than one-half of 1 percent of the solutions border patrol agents proposed for closing gaps along the southwest border referenced a “wall.”

The Democratic staff of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee issued a report in April 2017 which said the border wall could cost almost $70 billion to build and $150 million to maintain per year. An internal report by the Department of Homeland Security pegged the cost at $21.6 billion without figuring maintenance.

Since winning the Republican Senate nomination last week, Hawley has accused McCaskill of being in favor of illegal immigration and open borders while stumping around the state on a flatbed trailer.

McCaskill recoiled at such a suggestion while speaking to Farm Bureau members Friday.  “It just makes me hopping mad when my opponent says I’m for open borders,” said McCaskill.  “Nothing could be further from the truth.  I’m a prosecutor.  I’m the only candidate in this race that’s looked at a jury in the eye and put criminals in prison.  The only one.  I believe in the rule of law.”

McCaskill was elected Jackson County Prosecutor in Kansas City in 1992.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (CPB) employs 23,079 CBP officers and 19,437 Border Patrol agents.  On an average day, it conducts 851 apprehensions between U.S. ports of entry.

After hearing from Hawley and McCaskill speak Friday, the Farm Bureau resoundingly endorsed Hawley of Senate by a margin of 82-4.