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Missouri’s governor is pleased with start of school year, for K-12 and for higher education

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Missouri’s governor says all of the state’s public schools are in session as of this week … some in-person, some online and some with a hybrid model.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson speaks to schoolchildren and teachers in mid-Missouri’s California School District on September 9, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

Governor Mike Parson tells Capitol reporters that State Education Commissioner Dr. Margie Vandeven and state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams met Wednesday with leaders of local schools and local public health agencies to assess COVID-19 mitigation strategies, state guidance for school masking, contact tracing and quarantine and isolation.

“We want our kids in school and we will continue to do everything we can to keep them safe, healthy and moving forward,” Parson says.

The governor says Missouri’s colleges and universities are also off to a good start. Governor Parson says he had a recent conference call with the presidents of Missouri’s four-year universities, to discuss the status of COVID on college campuses.

“We received updates on the opening of the fall semester, COVID-19 mitigation and testing protocols as well as new and future testing breakthroughs that may be utilized in the near future,” says Parson.

The governor emphasizes that they also discussed the continued willingness of state officials to assist Missouri universities with testing, contact tracing and in obtaining critical resources. He also warns that Missouri continues to see an increase in COVID cases for college-age students.

DHSS reports Missouri has now had 99,160 confirmed COVID cases, along with 1,701 deaths.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Reps. Rehder and Swan hope to replace term-limited state senator in southeast Missouri (AUDIO)

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Two veteran Republican state lawmakers are facing off in a GOP primary on Tuesday in southeast Missouri, hoping to replace term-limited State Sen. Wayne Wallingford, R-Cape Girardeau.

State Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Scott City, is facing State Rep. Kathy Swan, R-Cape Girardeau. Both chair key committees: Rehder chairs the House Rules Committee, while Swan chairs the House Workforce Development Committee.

State Sen. Wayne Wallingford, R-Cape Girardeau, presides over the Missouri Senate on May 15, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Jonathan Lorenz at Senate Communications)

Both GOP primary candidates were elected to the Missouri House in 2012 and are finishing their eighth and final year in the chamber, due to term limits.

The 27th senatorial district has six counties: Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Madison, Perry, Scott and Wayne. Cities and towns in the district include Cape Girardeau, Chaffee, Fredericktown, Jackson, Marble Hill and Perryville.

Cape Girardeau County, which has about 79,000 residents, is the largest county in the district.

The winner of the Rehder-Swan primary will face Marquand Democrat Donnie Owens in November.

Representative Swan is focusing her campaign on many issues, including education and workforce.

“I’ve been successful in passing over 30 different pieces of legislation regarding not only education and workforce, but parenting,” Swan says.

Swan describes education as the largest economic driver we have, to support the state itself.

She also says she’s focused on issues that have happened in Cape Girardeau. She notes she passed legislation to keep registered sex offenders out of Cape Girardeau’s Discovery Play House, which is a children’s museum.

Swan also emphasizes the importance of protecting and supporting law enforcement, and the Second Amendment. She is critical of St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner for filing felony charges in July against Mark and Patricia McCloskey.

As for Representative Rehder, one of her top priorities is addressing Missouri’s opioid epidemic and passing prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) legislation. 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.

While both the Missouri Senate and House approved PDMP this year, they passed different versions. The bill died on the final day of session in May. Rehder has sponsored the bill for eight years. She notes her daughter was an addict, but is doing well now.

In addition to getting PDMP passed, Rehder says she will focus on reducing the size of government, if elected to the Senate. She says Missouri needs a smaller government, and is opposed to tax increases.

“Push back on these things like the $18 million going to free college for adults. We have got to get back to what government is supposed to do. We need to be more efficient with our monies,” Rehder says.

Rehder also emphasizes the importance of protecting and supporting law enforcement.

During separate phone interviews with Missourinet late last week, Swan and Rehder also criticized each other’s records.

Swan tells Missourinet that she has a record as a small business owner and nurse, while she says Rehder was a lobbyist for 17 years.

“She has skipped 801 votes, she skipped 29 pro-life votes, voted five times no and took money from the human cloning industry,” says Swan.

Swan notes she has been endorsed by Missouri Right to Life. She says she sponsored and co-sponsored seven abortion-related bills and passed two of them.

In response, Rehder notes all legislators miss votes, especially during Senate committee hearings on House bills. Rehder says that Swan has missed hundreds of votes, adding that Swan doesn’t have a record that southeast Missourians want.

“You have me, smaller government, lower taxes,” says Rehder. “You have her, who’s voted for every single tax increase, who sponsored the bill for $18 million going to free college for adults.”

Rehder is referring to Missouri’s “Fast Track” program. It’s primarily taught at community colleges, technical schools and colleges and universities. It is aimed at allowing Missourians to receive advanced training in high-demand areas.

Despite their differences, the two candidates have similar positions on small business, and have called for more jobs in rural Missouri.

Wayne Wallingford serves as the Missouri Senate’s Assistant Majority Floor Leader. He was elected to the Senate in 2012 and was re-elected in 2016.

He also served one term in the Missouri House, after being elected in 2010. Wallingford, who will leave the Senate in December, is running for Representative Swan’s House seat, in Tuesday’s primary.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with State Rep. Kathy Swan, R-Cape Girardeau, which was recorded on July 30, 2020:

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with State Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Scott City, which was recorded on July 31, 2020:

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Abortion is a key issue in Missouri Senate GOP primary to replace Sater (AUDIO)

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Two well-known Republicans are running in the August GOP primary to replace term-limited State Sen. David Sater in southwest Missouri. No Democrats have filed, which means the GOP primary winner will be the next senator from that district.

State Sen. David Sater, R-Cassville, stands on the Missouri Senate floor on January 9, 2020 in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of Jonathan Lorenz at Missouri Senate Communications)

State Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, is facing former Missouri Republican Party chairman David Cole of Cassville.

Moon, who was elected to the Missouri House in a special election in April 2013, says he’s focused on ending abortions in Missouri.

“I believe that at the point of conception that is a result of a unique human individual with separate unique DNA, and they should be protected by law,” Moon says.

Moon says the government’s primary purpose is to protect the liberty of the people and to protect their property. His priorities also include eliminating the corporate tax, and ending what he calls burdensome regulations on farmers, businesses and residents.

Moon’s opponent is Cole, who served as the Missouri Republican Party chairman from 2009-2013. His priorities include education and workforce development.

“And being able to put together an environment where businesses can thrive and people can have good jobs, support their families,” Cole says.

Cole says the COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact across the state. He’s focused on the economy and getting Missourians back to work.

Abortion is a major issue in the August Senate primary. During an interview with Missourinet, Representative Moon accuses the Cole campaign of “stretching the truth” in campaign mailers, including on abortion.

“I am the most conservative, most constitutional and most pro-life legislator in Missouri, and I’m the most of those three in this particular Senate race too,” says Moon.

Moon filed a proposed constitutional amendment in January 2019, regarding the right to life. He said at that time that passage of House Joint Resolution 28 “will begin the process of ensuring that all unborn children will be afforded the opportunity to live and prosper in Missouri.”

That bill did not receive a House committee hearing in 2019. He also filed legislation this year abolishing abortion in the state.

Moon says he’s running on his record, and Cole tells Missourinet that he’s running on Moon’s record as well.

“When we (the Cole campaign) make statements that Missouri Right to Life rated him (Moon) the lowest-ranked Republican in the House last year, that is not stretching the truth. Those are facts,” says Cole.

Cole also says Representative Moon is the only Republican who voted “no” on abortion legislation during a 2017 special session called by then-Governor Eric Greitens (R).

Republicans gained legislative seats while Cole served as the party chairman, including the election of Moon to the House in 2013. Moon unseated then State Rep. Charlie Dake (D). Republicans also unseated State Sens. Wes Shoemyer, D-Clarence, and Frank Barnitz, D-Lake Spring, in 2010.

The GOP primary winner will replace Sater, who was elected to the Missouri Senate in 2012 and was re-elected in 2016. Sater also served in the Missouri House from 2005 to 2012. He’ll leave office at the end of December.

The district includes five counties: Barry, Lawrence, McDonald, Stone and Taney.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with State Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, which was recorded on July 24, 2020:

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with former Missouri Republican Party chairman David Cole, which was recorded on July 24, 2020:

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Transportation, infrastructure and violence will be themes in Missouri governor’s State of the State (AUDIO)

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Missouri’s governor says infrastructure and workforce development will be two of his main themes during Wednesday afternoon’s State of the State Address in Jefferson City. The speech will begin at about 3.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson waves to state lawmakers and the audience during his State of the State Address on January 16, 2019, as House Speaker Elijah Haahr (left) and Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe applaud (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Governor Mike Parson (R) says the state is on the right track.

“We’re going to talk about infrastructure, we’re going to talk about transportation, we’re going to talk about the state of the state, the economy of our state, why things are moving forward,” Parson says.

The governor will also address education, saying he wants to make sure high school students are ready for tomorrow’s workforce.

Rural health care will also be a theme, according to Governor Parson.

Increasing violence in St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and Columbia will also be a topic during State of the State. In 2019, there were 194 murders in St. Louis and 148 homicides in Kansas City.

“You’ll see me talk about some of the violence in some of the urban cities, we’ve got to address that issue,” says Parson. “So I think there will be some discussion on that.”

St. Louis Police testified before the House Judiciary Committee in Jefferson City on Tuesday, saying there were 194 murders, 2,600 shootings and 349 carjackings in St. Louis in 2019.

St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson testified at Tuesday’s hearing, in support of legislation that would allow St. Louis City police officers to live outside the city. Krewson’s spokesman, Jacob Long, tells Missourinet that Mayor Krewson will join Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, Columbia Mayor Brian Treece and Springfield Mayor Ken McClure in a bipartisan fashion to attend the State of the State.

Long notes this is a continuation of ongoing meetings the four mayors have had with the governor’s office relating to public safety and violent crime.

Addressing the growing violence is also a top priority for House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, and their respective caucuses.

Speaker Haahr and Leader Quade addressed the issue with Capitol reporters during the opening day of session. Both are focused on witness protection.

Haahr and Quade both represent Springfield, and Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams tells Missourinet he’ll attend the State of the State Address with Mayor McClure.

The State of the State Address is an opportunity for the governor to outline his 2020 legislative priorities. It will be delivered in the House chamber, before a joint session of the Legislature.

Missourinet will have live coverage of State of the State, starting Wednesday at 3. We’ll also have live interviews with state lawmakers in both parties, after the address. News director Brian Hauswirth will anchor our coverage.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Missouri Governor Mike Parson (R), which was recorded on January 7, 2020 at the Missouri Asphalt Pavement Association’s conference in Columbia:

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Top Missouri House Democrat contends governor’s budget restrictions will impact K-12 classrooms

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Representative Gail McCann Beatty (D-Kansas City)

Governor Greitens (R) says Missouri’s budget is being drained by special interest tax credits and the faster-than-projected growth in healthcare spending, partially from Obamacare. Greitens is withholding more than $146 million in the current state budget.

“I’m protecting our priorities, like K-12 education and public safety. For instance, not a single penny will be coming out of K-12 classrooms,” says Greitens. “The fact is, more hard choices lie ahead. But as Missourians, I believe we must come together, tighten our belts, be smart and wise with our tax dollars, and work our way out of this hole by bringing more jobs with higher pay to the people of Missouri

House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty (D-Kansas City) doesn’t agree with Greitens restricting $8.6 million in elementary and secondary education busing expenses. She says the move will have far-reaching effects.

“Our districts where we have seen some improvement, and if dollars are going to have to be diverted to make up that shortfall, that could hamper our districts continuing on the course of improvement,” says Beatty. “If they’ve got to cut from transportation, that money has got to be made up somewhere because we have to the kids to school. So, it’s going to ultimately have to impact the classrooms.”

Missouri Governor Eric Greitens (Photo courtesy of Bill Greenblatt/UPI)

Other budget withholdings from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education include $2 million in performance-based assessments, $181,000 for scholars and fine arts academies, $50,000 for training grants and $44,500 for a new dyslexia training program.

Beatty argues that $90 million of the governor’s $146 million in budget restrictions are in education spending – mostly higher education.

“Weakening public education won’t grow Missouri’s economy or create jobs,” says Beatty.

Beatty agrees with Greitens that Missouri has given too many special interests tax breaks. As a result, she says vital services have been cut.

Gov. Nixon withholds more education spending, cites lottery and gaming revenue shortfalls

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Governor Jay Nixon (D) says he will freeze another $35.1-million in education spending due to a continuing decline in revenue from lottery and gaming. Nixon says he will restrict the spending of $10.5-million for four-year higher education institutions and $24.6-million from the K-12 education funding formula.

Lottery and gaming revenue are directed to education by Missouri law.

This latest action is in addition to $22-million he restricted in higher education and K-12 spending in April. Nixon had asked the legislature to provide $44-million in a mid-fiscal-year supplemental budget to make up for lottery and gaming revenue falling short. Legislative budget makers thought $22-million was enough and provided that amount instead. Nixon then withheld $15.6-million from K-12 schools and $3.2-million each from community colleges and four-year universities.

Nixon says he remains concerned that the legislature didn’t account for lottery and gaming revenue trending lower in its fiscal year 2015 budget, sent to the governor less than two weeks ago.

Read the statement from Gov. Nixon’s office

Gov. Nixon wants ‘private option’ out of transfer bill, House sponsor says won’t pass Senate without it (VIDEO)

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Governor Jay Nixon (D) has called on House and Senate lawmakers who have worked on a proposed fix to Missouri’s transfer law to remove language that would let local tax dollars pay for students to transfer to private schools.

The legislative conference committee updated the so-called “private option” so that after three years of a school district being unaccredited, private schools would become one of the places its students could transfer, though a public vote could result in that happening earlier.

Nixon says keeping public funds in public schools is a core state belief and is written into Missouri’s Constitution.

He says the legislature’s current proposal, “would destabilize the strong foundation on which public education has stood for generations and open the floodgates to even more radical voucher schemes down the road.”


The House sponsor of transfer legislation, Representative Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood), says he doesn’t think a bill will pass the Senate if it lacks the private school language.

He disagrees with Nixon’s assessment that the Missouri Constitution bars the use of public money in private schools.

“The Constitution says we cannot spend public dollars on religious institutions … religious schools,” says Stream. “I don’t believe that the Constitution says we cannot spend public dollars on private companies or private schools that are nonsectarian. We do that already in the budget. About a third of our budget is public money going to private providers.”

Stream says Nixon has failed to lead on the transfer issue.

“Since this problem started back in June with the last Supreme Court decision the governor has pretty much been out of the picture. He hasn’t offered any solutions, given any advice other than to say once the Senate passed overwhelmingly a bill that had the private option in it that he was going to veto it,” says Stream. “I think the students, the children of those two school districts deserve a little bit more than that from the Governor.”

The House-Senate committee’s proposed law is still being published ahead of being taken up by both chambers to consider passing it to Nixon. They have until Friday evening, the end of the regular session, to pass it.

House Budget Committee approves two-tiered budget plan

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The state House Budget Committee has voted to send to the full chamber its proposed spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

The plan keeps Budget Committee Chairman Rick Stream’s (R-Kirkwood) plan to create a new surplus revenue fund and put in it all revenue that comes in above the legislature’s estimate of revenue for the new year. Money in that fund could go to projects and programs that Governor Jay Nixon (D) proposed funding for that legislative budget makers don’t project there will be enough revenue to support.

The committee didn’t change Stream’s proposals for K-12 education funding. He suggests a $278-million dollar increase, with $122-million of that coming from General Revenue and the remaining $156-million coming from that surplus revenue fund.

The committee did adopt amendments that would raise the proposed increase in performance funding for two-year and four-year institutions from 2-percent to 3-percent.

The budget bills must go through the House Rules Committee before they would be available for floor debate, which is expected to take place the week after next week’s legislative spring break.

Governor, lawmakers disagree on emergency $44-mil for K-12 education

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Governor Jay Nixon (D) has issued a letter to members of the House Budget Committee regarding its vote to take $44.1-million in general revenue for K-12 funding out of the Fiscal Year 2014 supplemental budget.

Nixon says the budget for the current fiscal year overestimated the revenue available from riverboat gambling, lottery and other revenue that goes to the school foundation formula. That is why he requested $44.1-million in the supplemental budget to make up for the shortfall.

Nixon says the committee’s vote will leave schools short in the current fiscal year.

“Cutting $44.1 million from this year’s budget will leave our local schools with less money than was promised to them for the current school year,” Nixon writes to House Budget Committee members. “When this measure comes to the floor, I urge you to restore this $44.1 million to ensure that our schools receive the resources upon which their budgets are based and upon which they are depending.”

See Governor Nixon’s Letter to House Budget Committee Members

House Budget Committee Chairman Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood) says the projection that those revenues are going to come up short is just an estimate, and gaming officials have told his committee that the projections used to craft the Fiscal Year 2014 budget will be met.

Stream says the Governor is taking money out of the Fiscal Year 2015 budget where the legislature would normally put it, and putting it into the supplemental budget for 2014.

“I think our method is the right way to do it,” says Stream. “We’re basing our decisions on facts, not just estimates.”

Representative Chris Kelly (D-Columbia) is a member of the House Budget Committee and has responded to Nixon’s letter.

Kelly tells Nixon, “I am surprised that we are even discussing a supplemental bill because last year, for the third year in a row, your office told us that we would not need a supplemental budget for 2014. We asked specifically if you were sure of that and we were given assurances from your office no supplemental would be needed.”

See Representative Kelly’s letter to Governor Nixon

Kelly notes the budget committee last year based its appropriation of riverboat gaming proceeds on an estimate from the Nixon administration, and he concurs with Stream that the administration for riverboat gaming and lottery still says that estimate will be met.

Kelly says Nixon’s office was, “incorrect regarding its assertion regarding the need for a supplemental budget and was incorrect with regard to its estimate of available money. Given these facts,” Kelly continues, “I suggest that it is more reasonable for you to engage in rational conversation with House Budget Committee members instead of throwing incendiary press bombs from 10,000 feet.”

Kelly says he believes members of the Budget Committee would like to talk to the Governor and his staff about how to work out differences.

House Committee recommends $100-million increase for K-12 education

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The House Appropriations Committee on Education has proposed less than half of the $278-million for the foundation formula for K-12 education that Governor Jay Nixon (D) recommended in his budget proposal.

Representative Mike Lair (photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

Representative Mike Lair (photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

The Chairman of that Committee, Representative Mike Lair (R-Chillicothe), says the reason is simple.

“Because the Governor’s $278-million was smoke and mirrors. It didn’t exist,” says Lair.

Nixon’s budget proposal was based on a budget estimate that is higher than that agreed to by House and Senate budget leaders, and based on that higher estimate Nixon budgeted the $278-million figure as part of an overall proposed $489-million increase for education overall.

Lair says after being a teacher for 40 years, he is willing to put in the budget for K-12 education what he thinks is available and would include more if he could.

“I just can’t in good conscience spend money I don’t have,” says Lair.

What he thinks is available is $100-million, which is what the committee has included in its recommendation.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” Lair says of that amount of an increase.

The committee also recommends $43-million dollars for a 5-percent performance-based increase for 2-year and 4-year higher education institutions. Governor Nixon had proposed $42-million for performance-based increases of 5-percent for 4-year colleges and 4-percent for 2-year colleges.

The budget bills the committee has advanced are HB 2002 and HB 2003.