Cosby Archives - Missourinet

Missouri’s governor and legislative leaders announce consensus revenue estimates

December 10, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor has announced consensus revenue estimates (CRE) for fiscal year 2022, which is expected to be a tight budget year.

Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, speaks at the Statehouse in Jefferson City on November 9, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The annual CRE is one of the basic projections used by the governor and legislative leaders in both chambers to prepare for the state operating budget.

Governor Mike Parson (R) says the CRE projects a net decrease of about $419 million in net general revenue collections. Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, says Missouri is in the “midst of the most trying economic times in a generation,” emphasizing the importance of a conservative revenue estimate.

“I want to thank Senator Dan Hegeman (of Cosby) and Representative Cody Smith for their hard work and cooperation in developing this revenue estimate,” the governor said, in a written statement. “COVID-19 has had an overwhelming impact on our economy, but we are already making a strong recovery and remain optimistic for the coming year. We look forward to working with the General Assembly this session to create a balanced and responsible budget for the people of Missouri.”

Missouri’s current operating budget is about $38 billion, which includes two supplemental budgets with federal money.

Governor Parson will outline his proposed budget blueprint during his January State of the State Address in Jefferson City.

$1.2 billion supplemental budget heading to Missouri Senate floor on Tuesday

November 30, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri Senate is expected to vote on the proposed $1.27 billion supplemental budget Tuesday in Jefferson City.

Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, speaks at the Capitol in Jefferson City on May 7, 2020, as Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby, (right) listens (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The Senate Appropriations Committee will hold a Tuesday afternoon hearing at 1 in the Senate chamber, and committee chairman Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby, will outline the bills at that time.

The full Senate will convene Tuesday at 4 p.m. Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, tells Missourinet the plan is for the Senate to vote on the supplemental on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Missouri House approved the supplemental budget earlier this month, on a bipartisan 133-4 vote.

The money will provide additional resources to respond to COVID. The supplemental budget includes funding for school nutrition programs, job training grants, and it also includes $1 million for witness protection funding.

State Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis, is urging the Senate to add funding for daycares across the state, warning that many of them are suffering financially.

If the Senate approves the budget as is, it would go straight to the governor’s desk. If any changes are made, the budget would go to a conference committee.

Missouri Amendment 3 debate centers around a nonpartisan demographer

October 15, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Both sides in the debate on Missouri’s Amendment 3 November ballot measure presented their case to voters Wednesday evening, in a virtual forum hosted by Springfield’s Drury University.

Missourians approved “Clean Missouri” in 2018, which required a nonpartisan demographer to draw state legislative districts. Amendment Three transfers that responsibility to governor-appointed bipartisan commissions.

State Sen. Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby, is the sponsor of Amendment 3. He notes his sprawling district, which has 15 counties, is the largest senatorial district in the state and is also the most rural district. Agriculture is the largest industry in northwest Missouri.

Hegeman says he respects communities of interest, both urban and rural.

“It is my great concern that our communities will find their voices diminished in Jefferson City (in the state Legislature), because of the liberal think tank ideas contained in the criteria of Amendment One, passed in 2018,” Hegeman says.

“No On 3” director Sean Soendker-Nickolson disagrees, saying that the aim of Amendment 3 is to create “super-safe districts”, where politicians don’t have to worry about voters back home. He also says Amendment 3 backers have placed a ban on gifts from lobbyists to lawmakers to distract voters from the redistricting issue.

“No one thinks those are real reforms, those are a smokescreen to distract voters from what’s really going on,” Soendker-Nickolson says.

Senator Hegeman notes he’s term-limited and will be leaving the Legislature in two years. He says redistricting will be a much fairer process with the bipartisan commission or commissions, with many voices looking at how the districts are drawn.

Hegeman opposes the idea of a demographer.

“You know it puts in charge in a great capacity an unelected bureaucrat that really would redraw how we do the state of Missouri, with fairly limited abilities to select that individual,” says Hegeman.

He says Clean Missouri places partisan preference over rural and urban communities. “No On 3” director Soendker-Nickolson disagrees with Hegeman, especially on the demographer.

“As Senator Hegeman’s colleague, (Senate Majority Leader) Caleb Rowden said just last week, the Republican majority leader, we actually pick the demographer, myself (Rowden) and the minority leader (State Sen. John Rizzo, D-Kansas City). It was a multi-step process on purpose,” says Soendker-Nickolson.

He also warns about the cost of Amendment 3, citing the official ballot language, which reads that “individual local governmental entities expect significant decreased revenues of a total unknown amount.”

Soendker-Nickolson says Clean Missouri passed with a large, bipartisan majority, noting it was backed by former U.S. Sen. Jack Danforth (R), the AARP, the League of Women Voters and others.

Wednesday evening’s forum was hosted by Drury University’s L.E. Meador Center for Politics and Citizenship. Senator Hegeman and Mr. Soendker-Nickolson spoke via zoom, and answered questions from moderator Dr. Dan Ponder, the Meador Center director. They also answered about 20 minutes of questions from the virtual audience.

Amendment 3 has also been a key issue in Missouri’s heated gubernatorial race and was discussed by both major candidates at Friday’s debate in Columbia.

Hegeman and Soendker-Nickolson to debate Missouri’s Amendment Three Wednesday night

October 14, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Southwest Missouri’s Drury University will host a virtual forum Wednesday evening about Amendment Three, which will appear on your November ballot. The issue has been a controversial one at the Statehouse in Jefferson City.

Tonight’s one-hour forum begins at 6, and you’ll be able to watch it live on this link. The event is being hosted by Drury University’s L.E. Meador Center for Politics and Citizenship. Drury is located in Springfield.

Missouri voters approved “Clean Missouri” in November 2018. It had several provisions, including one requiring a nonpartisan demographer to draw state legislative districts.

Amendment Three would roll back the provision involving redistricting, transferring the responsibility of drawing the districts from the demographer to a governor-appointed bipartisan commission.

During tonight’s forum, State Sen. Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby, and “No On 3” director Sean Soendker-Nickolson will be speaking via zoom. Senator Hegeman sponsored the legislation to place Amendment Three on the ballot. Soendker-Nickolson led the effort for Clean Missouri in 2018 and directs “No One 3” now.

Drury University spokesman Mike Brothers tells Missourinet that the forum will also include questions submitted by the public. Dr. Dan Ponder, the Meador Center director, will serve as moderator.

The League of Women Voters of Southwest Missouri, NAACP Springfield and Missouri State University’s public affairs office are also partnering with Drury for tonight’s forum.

Amendment Three has been a key issue in Missouri’s heated gubernatorial race, and was discussed by both major candidates at Friday’s debate in Columbia.

Governor Mike Parson (R) opposed Clean Missouri and supports Amendment Three.

“None of the big money behind this ever talked about how the redistricting would work, they talked about everything but that (in 2018),” Parson said Friday. “This is a major shift in how we do elections in the state of Missouri.”

Democratic State Auditor and gubernatorial nominee Nicole Galloway disagrees. She supported Clean Missouri in 2018 and opposes Amendment Three.

“In November of 2018, over 60 percent of voters said they want a fair, transparent government and they wanted to get rid of gerrymandering,” Galloway said at Friday’s debate.