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They’re back: Seersuckers in the Missouri Capitol

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When the Missouri Legislature gets back to work this week, a lightweight cotton tradition is expected to make a comeback – Seersucker Wednesdays. The style, especially popular in the South, has been in full force for several years throughout the great halls of the Missouri Capitol.

Former House Speaker Elijah Haahr, Reps. Tracy McCreery and Travis Fitzwater (Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel, House Communications)

Beginning the first Wednesday after the General Assembly’s spring break, many lawmakers proudly fashion the striped ensemble. The practice has been to wear seersucker outfits every Wednesday until the regular session ends in May.

The weekly showing is about as united as you can get. Lawmakers from both parties, Capitol staffers, and even lobbyists dig out their seersuckers and are seen proudly strutting around in the clothing. Some enthusiasts have branched out from the earlier days of wearing the traditional blue striped pattern to wearing yellow, brown, pink, and other colors today.

Occasionally, you will find a lawmaker who wears a seersucker suit on a day other than Wednesday – instilling confusion (and maybe disappointment) among some people in the Capitol.

The Missouri Legislature’s seersucker craze dates back several years. How far back is unknown. But there is one notable moment in its history of wearing the airy trend.

In 2013, the Missouri Legislature made national headlines after former state Sen. Ryan McKenna, D-Crystal City, offered an amendment to an education bill that would have banned the wearing of seersucker suits by anybody older than eight.

Former state Rep. Craig Redmon, R-Canton (Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel, House Communications)

“Any person living in this state aged 8 and under may wear seersucker suits at their leisure. Any person over the age of 8 living in this state may not wear seersucker suits because adults look ridiculous in seersucker suits with the exception of Koolaid,” the handwritten amendment said.

People not familiar with the Senate might be puzzled by the reference to Koolaid. McKenna was referring Matt Michelson, the aide to former state Sen. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg, who was known for wearing an orange seersucker explosion on Wednesdays.

McKenna’s despise for the fabric fueled a playful clash among some seersucker-loving lawmakers. Not long after his attempt to ban the fashion, former state Sen. Eric Schmitt, Missouri’s current attorney general, was the ringleader of an effort to give some love to the summer wear. He and other lawmakers dressed to the seersucking nines and posed for pictures. They blasted the photos on social media. Members of the Capitol press corp joined in promoting the friendly fued online.

So, for the newcomers to the Missouri Capitol, you have been warned. The breezy wardrobe is a thing here on Wednesdays.

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Missouri prepares for possible ‘uprising’ planned at all state capitols and U.S. Capitol

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An FBI memo is warning law enforcement in Missouri and nationwide of possible “armed protests” at all 50 state capitols and the U.S. Capitol in the run-up to Inauguration Day. ABC News reports the memo indicates threats of an “uprising” if President Donald Trump is removed from office before Inauguration Day.

Gov. Mike Parson

The news follows a pro-Trump mob taking over the U.S. Capitol last week, killing at least five people and vandalizing many parts of the building.

During a press conference today at the state capitol in Jefferson City, Gov. Mike Parson says precautions are being taken in Missouri.

“We’re quite aware of what’s going on there,” says Parson, a former Polk County Sheriff. “I think our state is a little different, compared to a lot of other states where you are seeing maybe some of these issues coming.”

The report says state, local and federal government courthouses and administrative buildings could be targets. The FBI is also getting reports of threats to harm Biden, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“People took action they should have never taken. I have said all along, whether it is in Missouri or its in Washington, D.C., I believe in civil protests. I believe people have the right to the First Amendment. But what I don’t believe is, I don’t believe anybody for any cause has the right to commit any crimes. Period,” says Parson, a Republican. “Whether it’s in Washington, D.C., whether it’s in Missouri, or whether it’s in any other state, if you are violating the law, then you are responsible for your own actions.”

Parson’s remarks followed tight security at Monday’s inauguration. Parson, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, Attorney General Eric Schmitt, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, and State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick were sworn into office.

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Missouri Governor Parson says sunny days are ahead

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Missouri’s governor talked about unity and working for all residents, during his inaugural address Monday afternoon at the Statehouse in Jefferson City.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson is sworn in by Jackson County Circuit Judge Sarah Castle on January 11, 2021 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

Under the Missouri Constitution, Governor Mike Parson was sworn-in at high noon, after 12 bells rang at nearby St. Peter Catholic Church downtown.

Governor Parson was sworn-in by Jackson County Circuit Judge Sarah Castle, who is the only judge to be appointed twice by the governor.

The Bible used by the governor during Monday’s swearing-in ceremony was a gift given to him by First Lady Teresa Parson.

“I will care for the unborn to the elderly to the rich to the poor, regardless of the color of your skin,” says Governor Parson.

About 2,000 people attended Monday’s inauguration ceremonies, which kicked off the historic celebration of 200 years of Missouri history. The morning started with cloudy skies and 35 degree temperatures, but sunshine appeared just before noon.

The ceremony on the Capitol lawn began at 11:07 am, which Bicentennial remarks from Gary Kremer of the State Historical Society of Missouri. Kramer outlined the history of Missouri’s Bicentennial.

The oaths of office were administered first to Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R), State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick (R), Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) and Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe (R).

Governor Parson’s inaugural address was brief, and he noted Missouri’s diversity.

“When I travel across Missouri, I meet so many different people but regardless of where we come from, we all want what is best for our families and for our state,” Parson says.

State Sen. Barbara Washington, D-Kansas City, appeared live on Missourinet after the governor’s speech, saying she liked his focus on unity.

The governor also focused on the future, saying sunny days are ahead.

The 135th Missouri Army National Guard Band performed on the Capitol lawn, and the Missouri State University chorale also performed.

A B-2 bomber flew just over the Missouri Capitol after the inaugural address, and there was also a 19-gun salute from the Missouri National Guard.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, issued a statement which says the governor’s inaugural speech ignored last week’s deaths at the U.S. Capitol.

“In setting the tone for his coming term, Governor Parson could have used his inaugural speech to forcefully denounce the members of his political party who helped encourage and incite the insurrectionist mob that assaulted the U.S. Capitol last week. He instead pretended the events that have shaken the very foundation of American democracy didn’t happen and ignored his party’s complicity in them,’ Leader Quade says, in a written statement.

Quade says Missouri needs leaders “who will unequivocally and vocally oppose domestic terrorism.”

Parson defeated Democratic Auditor Nicole Galloway by about 500,000 votes in November’s gubernatorial election. Galloway attended the inaugural ceremonies, as did former Governors Jay Nixon (D) and John Ashcroft (R).

Former Lt. Governor Peter Kinder (R) also attended, as did U.S. Reps. Billy Long, R-Springfield, Jason Smith, R-Salem, Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin, Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, and Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth.

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Monday’s inauguration in Jefferson City kicks off celebration of 200 years of Missouri history

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About 2,000 people are expected to attend Monday’s inauguration ceremonies at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City. The festivities will help kick off the historic celebration of 200 years of Missouri history.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson and First Lady Teresa Parson attend a legislative prayer service in Jefferson City on January 6, 2021 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

State Rep. Ron Hicks, R-Defiance, plans to bring his children to the 2021 Bicentennial inauguration ceremony.

“That’s one of the exciting things about being a part of this, not just for myself but my family. I have two young boys and for them to be parts of history and things and then learn about it, this is just an amazing experience,” Hicks says.

James Harris of Jefferson City, who co-chairs the inaugural committee, tells Missourinet that he expects about 2,000 people to attend. The ceremony on the Capitol lawn will start Monday morning at 11:07, with Bicentennial remarks from Gary Kremer of the State Historical Society of Missouri.

August will be the 200th anniversary of Missouri’s statehood.

After a performance from the Missouri State University Chorale, Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, will convene a rare joint session of the Legislature, on the Capitol lawn.

The oaths of office will be administered at 11:40 a.m. to Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R), State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick (R), Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) and Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe (R).

Missouri Supreme Court Justice Mary R. Russell will swear Lt. Governor Kehoe in, and Governor Parson will be sworn-in by Jackson County Circuit Judge Sarah Castle, who is disabled.

Governor Parson appointed Judge Castle to her position in October.

Secretary Ashcroft will be sworn-in by Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem, and Treasurer Fitzpatrick will be sworn-in by Judge Johnnie Cox from Missouri’s 39th Circuit in Monett.

Attorney General Schmitt will be sworn-in by Judge Thomas Albers.

Governor Parson will be sworn-in at high noon, after the bells ring at the nearby St. Peter Catholic Church. He will deliver his inaugural address at 12:04, and it’s expected to be a 16-minute speech.

Parson defeated Democratic Auditor Nicole Galloway by about 500,000 votes in November’s gubernatorial election.

Representative Hicks expects hope and safety to be two of the themes in the governor’s inaugural address. Hicks says COVID remains a major issue.

“I think the people (Missourians) are wanting to hear him (Governor Parson) say that we’re secure, we’re going to be safe. We’ve got viruses, we’re implementing them. He does have a great (vaccine) plan for it. I’ve read it, I’ve seen it,” says Hicks.

In addition to the joint session of the Legislature, several members of Missouri’s congressional delegation are expected to attend. Former Missouri Governors Jay Nixon (D) and John Ashcroft (R) are also expected to attend.

Our live Missourinet inauguration coverage begins Monday morning at 10:30, with Brian Hauswirth, Alisa Nelson and Bob Priddy at the Capitol.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s two-minute interview with State Rep. Ron Hicks, R-Defiance, which was recorded at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on January 8, 2021:

.Copyright © 2021 · Missourinet

Missouri Veteran’s Commission releases detailed report on deadly COVID-19 outbreak in 7 veterans homes

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The oversight commission of the Missouri Veterans Commission released the remaining details of an investigation into a deadly COVID-19 outbreak in its seven nursing homes today. To date, 158 veterans have died since September.

FULL REPORT

The Missouri Attorney General directed Chairman Tim Noonan to release the report, against Noonan’s objections.  Noonan’s Letter to the attorney general argues that the detailed report was protected under attorney-client privilege.

State Senator Jill Schupp argued in public that the 415-page document should be released under the Sunshine Law. Noonan and other commissioners were concerned about the legal liability of staff, commissioners, and the agency itself.

“Are we creating a record that puts employees at risk, are we creating a potential roadmap for litigation against the state? These are all prudent business decisions that one makes when they have responsibility as the chair of a commission,” Noonan said in an interview with Missourinet just before the release of the report. Letters released by the Attorney General’s office to Missourinet show Noonan sought legal advice from the governor’s office as early as November 23.

He got a response from the attorney general yesterday: Attorney General’s opinion letter addressed the disclosure of information.

Noonan said the full report reveals there is “a lot of accountability and responsibility up and down the chain of command here,” including daily governance.

“The summary report was thorough, it was robust, it was fact-based and it was actionable. There was nothing inside the detailed report that stands in the way of driving the reforms and transformation that are already underway.

“There is no smoking gun in the report. It was systemic, it had issues to do with communication and hierarchy, it had to do with data analysis that was happening in the Missouri Veterans Commission but also happening in the “fusion cell” — data that was presented by the Veterans Commission to the fusion cell that was supposed to be analyzed and made into actionable intelligence, the fusion cell missed it along with the Veterans Commission.”

The “Fusion Cell,” according to the summary report, is the state’s collective response to the COVID-19 and “is meant to be a single point of information for all Missouri agencies.”  It also included the consultation of the McChrystal Group, outside advisors hired by the Missouri Foundation for Health.

Governor’s inauguration to celebrate Missouri’s rich history

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When Gov. Mike Parson takes the oath of office next month, his inauguration will look and feel like a celebration of the state’s 57th governor making his mark on history and a celebration of Missouri officially becoming a state. That’s according to Parson’s campaign manager Steele Shippy. He tells Missourinet the Inaugural events will be historic.

“It’s also the bicentennial,” says Shippy. “So, there’s a lot of focus around celebrating the state’s rich heritage and history. There’s going to be elements of not just about the governor – it’s about celebrating our state at the same time.”

August 10, 2021, will mark the 200th anniversary of Missouri’s entry as the 24th state of the United States.

First Lady Teresa Parson and GOP ally James Harris are serving as co-chairs of the governor’s Bicentennial Inaugural Committee. About 50 of the governor’s close friends and supporters are serving on the panel.

“To kick off Missouri’s bicentennial, we will celebrate our state’s rich heritage with a historic Bicentennial Inauguration,” First Lady Teresa Parson says in a press release. “The strong bonds that tie Missourians together have endured for over 200 years and will provide the strength needed to continue moving Missouri forward.”

The inaugural events will kick off with a prayer service on January 9 in the governor’s hometown of Bolivar in southwest Missouri. The gathering will be at Southwest Baptist University at 4 p.m.

The traditional ceremony of the governor taking the oath of office will be on January 11 at 11:30 a.m. on the south lawn of the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City. Other statewide elected officials being sworn in at the ceremony include Missouri Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, Attorney General Eric Schmitt, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick.

The crowd at the ceremony can expect a 19-gun salute and a Missouri National Guard flyover has been requested.

The press release says the committee has consulted with state and local health officials and will follow their guidance to protect the attendees, participants, and staff from COVID-19. Health and security screenings will be conducted. Masks will be provided and encouraged. Social distancing measures will be taken and hand sanitizer will also be available.

The event is free and open to the public. Guests are encouraged to RSVP to help with social distancing efforts. More information, including how to request tickets to the events, will be announced at a future date.

Following the inauguration ceremony, the committee will release information about future inaugural events, such as the traditional inaugural ball and parade, in conjunction with Missouri’s bicentennial celebrations later in 2021.

“As we learn more about COVID-19 and how it’s progressing or regressing, that will dictate what types of events or the timing of those events,” Shippy says.

Shippy did not have information about the cost associated with these events. Parson’s Bicentennial Inaugural Committee is raising money for them through a newly-created 501c4 organization called Moving Missouri Forward. The release says benefactors and their donations will be disclosed at a later date.

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Gov. Parson wants Missouri Attorney General to prosecute murders in St. Louis

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Governor Mike Parson is asking the Legislature to allow him to send state prosecutors to St. Louis to bring more charges in murder cases.  He extended the special session on violent crime to add this measure.

“We’ve got to address this issue, and we’ve got to quit talking about it and try to figure out what we’ll really put in place, all the way from boots on the ground, to the prosecution, to the courts, all those different entities have to come together to fight violent crime.”

Parson, flanked by AG Schmitt at Monday’s press conference.

Parson says out of 161 cases so far this year, only 33 have been charged. He says the prosecution rates were too low in 2018 and 2019.

The governor says he did not talk to Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner about the announcement and denies that it’s a personal move.  He has publicly disagreed with Gardner’s prosecuting a husband and wife who wielded guns against protesters in their St. Louis neighborhood.

“This is not a personal attack, this is nothing to do with anything that we are trying to find violent criminals that are committing murders,” Parson said Monday at the Capitol.

The proposal does not allow the state Attorney General to supervise or replace the Circuit Attorney. Instead, the Attorney General will be able to prosecute cases if 90 or more days have passed, the chief law enforcement officer makes the request of the Attorney General, and the Circuit Attorney has not yet filed charges.

When asked if he would agree with the federal government taking his cases from him, Attorney General Eric Schmitt replied, “Everybody ought to be working together here. That it’s all hands on deck, that there are no politics when it comes to public safety.”

As the special session continues, a Missouri House panel is considering the Senate-passed crime bill. St. Louis Democrats have been vocal about the scope of its potential prosecution of juveniles as adults and recruitment of police officers from outside of St. Louis.

 

Missouri’s governor signs major crime legislation into law

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Sweeping legislation aimed at cracking down on violent crime was signed into law late Monday afternoon by Missouri’s governor in Jefferson City.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on July 6, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

Governor Mike Parson (R) announced that he would sign Senate Bill 600 during his media briefing with Capitol reporters. He describes the bill as a large step toward safety and justice for communities.

Critics say it will cause Missouri to have to build two new prisons.

The bill updates Missouri’s law involving the offense of conspiracy, a point emphasized by the governor during today’s press conference. Parson says that under current law, a person cannot be convicted of an offense based upon a conspiracy to commit it unless the person committed an overt act.

“This allows law enforcement and prosecutors to hold individuals accountable that plan criminal enterprises. This bill also includes other key provisions to help address violent crime,” Parson tells reporters.

The bill creates mandatory prison sentences for several violent crimes, and creates a new offense of vehicle hijacking. That provision was a priority for State Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake St. Louis, and for Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R).

Onder testified before a legislative committee in February, saying there were 351 carjackings in St. Louis City in 2019.

“These are violent crimes in which Missourians are terrorized in what should be a safe sanctuary, their cars,” Onder testified that day.

He noted during his February testimony that there was no uniform sentencing in Missouri for carjacking. Some suspects are charged with robbery, while he said others are charged with stealing and are being sentenced to just four months in prison.

The bill also establishes the Missouri criminal street gangs prevention act, which Governor Parson says modernizes the approach to prosecuting criminal gangs.

State Rep. Nick Schroer, R-O’Fallon, sponsored the House bill. Schroer tweeted Monday that the legislation is “a bipartisan approach that will help make Missouri safer.”

Critics of the bill include Americans for Prosperity-Missouri and the ACLU of Missouri.

“Governor Parson’s commitment to signing SB 600 is shortsighted. We know that crime bills like this one exacerbate racial inequalities and fuel mass incarceration with no actual improvement to public safety,” ACLU of Missouri policy director Sara Baker says, in a statement.

Baker says the bill “tears money away from public education and services proven to decrease crime.”

The bill is also opposed by Americans for Prosperity-Missouri (AFP-MO), which predicts the law will increase Missouri’s prison population by 2,500 and will cause two new prisons to be built.

“Locking up more people does not result in safer neighborhoods, but rather harms taxpayers and needlessly rips families and communities apart,” AFP-MO state director Jeremy Cady says, in a statement. Cady says it will cost $500 million to build the new prisons.

With the governor’s signature, the new law will take effect on August 28.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Missouri discovers about 7,000 untested and partially-tested rape kits since 1980

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The state attorney general’s office has completed its count of rape kits that have sat in labs and on shelves, untested for decades. View full report (66 pages)

With the help of a federal grant, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt appointed a task force that has worked since February, led by Judge M. Keithley Williams. The survey was divided into six geographic regions, with the larger, more rural regions being completed first.

The inventory resulted in 6,987 sexual assault kits. 6,157 of those kits were untested. Of the untested kits, 4,438 were reported, meaning they had a police report to go along with them, and 1,719 were unreported, without an accompanying police report. Additionally, 830 of the kits discovered were previously partially tested.

The U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance provided a $2.8 million dollar grant, with the initial $700,000 going toward the inventory. The remaining will be used for testing, but it will not pay for all of the outstanding kits to be tested.

 

“The initial testing of 1250 kits gets us much further down the road with the existing grant dollars we have now, but ultimately to test all the kits we want to test, there will be additional dollars sought,” Schmitt told Missourinet.

It takes about a thousand dollars to test each rape kit.

Details about counties and statewide stats: https://ago.mo.gov/home/safe-kits/.

Schmitt says the state will now create a way to store and track the kits from now on.

“There really hasn’t been a way for victims or law enforcement to track where these kits are ultimately at. So the purpose of the tracking system is to get an infrastructure set up so that we are not reinventing the wheel every five or ten years, that we have something that people can rely on and as those kits move through the process and ultimately get tested, people can track it,” he said.

Schmitt will meet with advisors tomorrow/Thursday to begin plans for the tracking system.

 

 

Four months remain for Missouri to gather number of untested rape kits or lose millions

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On February 28, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt launched the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative to determine how many thousands of rape kits are sitting on hospital and law enforcement shelves waiting to be tested. At the time, the state had six months to find out.

Attorney General Eric Schmitt

About four months remain for Schmitt’s office to get a firm count. Otherwise, the state does not get about $2 million in federal funding to hire staff to test the kits.

“I mean it’s a big state. You have 114 counties and the city of St. Louis. So, the most important thing early on here is to figure out the enormity and the gravity of the issue and then tackle it head on,” says Schmitt.

Fifty Missouri hospitals have counted how many untested rape kits they have, and the information has been submitted to Schmitt’s office.

Schmitt tells Missourinet a working group is developing a three-step process of determining how many untested kits exist, launching a tracking system for them and getting the kits tested.

“People ought to have an expectation that these cases will ultimately, that justice will be delivered and that people, if they’ve submitted to a kit, that it can be tested. That’s what we’re doing,” he says.

In February, Schmitt announced Judge M. Keithly Williams as the state coordinator of the program. During the announcement, she said about 40% of participants responded to a survey under former Attorney General Hawley, who “suggested” a backlog of about 5,400.

“You here the number of over 5,000 untested across the state and it shocks the conscience, right? And it should. I think that’s why we’ve moved so aggressively with pursuing the grant, hiring Judge Williams and moving forward,” Schmitt says.

When asked if any other hires have been made, Schmitt says his office has internal resources that it is working on.

“But Judge Williams is really the key here,” he says. “We wanted to have somebody who had been in the judicial branch, very well respected, has relationships with law enforcement, with victim advocacy groups.”

Hawley, a fellow Republican now serving in the U.S. Senate, is cosponsoring legislation passed last week by the Senate Judiciary Committee that would reauthorize a federal grant program aimed at ending the backlog of untested DNA evidence from unsolved crimes, especially rape kits. Whether Missouri could draw down additional federal money under the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program is unknown. The measure has not been finalized by Congress at this point.

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