Governor Jay Nixon Archives

Former Mizzou, NBA star Sundvold, two others appointed as University of Missouri Board of Curators

June 9, 2016 By Bill Pollock

Jon Sundvold while working television for a Mizzou basketball broadcast

Gov. Jay Nixon appointed three members of the University of Missouri Board of Curators, including former basketball star Jon Sundvold.

He was an All-American basketball player for the University of Missouri from 1979 to 1983, Sundvold is a member of the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame and was honored by the MU Alumni Association as an outstanding alumnus in 2009. After playing in the NBA for nine years, he became a college basketball analyst for ESPN and CBS and is currently a color analyst on the SEC Network for Tiger games.

Sundvold is also president of the Missouri Junior Golf Foundation which recently opened a nine-hole course in Jefferson City designed specifically to meet the needs of children and individuals with disabilities.

“It is vitally important that the University of Missouri System has the leadership it needs to continue to be an internationally-recognized model of academic excellence,” Gov. Nixon said. “I appreciate this immensely qualified and diverse group of leaders for stepping up at this critical time to serve this institution, its students and our state. With a full complement of members, the Board of Curators is well-positioned to complete the task of selecting the next system President in the next few months.”

Governor Nixon also appointed:

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Governor Nixon responds to student protests at the University of Missouri

November 8, 2015 By Bill Pollock

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon

Gov. Jay Nixon issued the following statement on Sunday morning, regarding student protests at the University of Missouri.

“Racism and intolerance have no place at the University of Missouri or anywhere in our state,” Gov. Nixon said. “Our colleges and universities must be havens of trust and understanding. These concerns must be addressed to ensure the University of Missouri is a place where all students can pursue their dreams in an environment of respect, tolerance and inclusion.”

Judge rules approval from city voters is not necessary to use city tax money for St. Louis NFL stadium

August 4, 2015 By Bill Pollock

A view of the seating arrangements from inside the proposed stadium.

St. Louis Circuit Judge Thomas Frawley ruled that the law from 2002 was confusing and therefore voided a city ordinance that required voter approval for the use of tax dollars for any project involving a professional sports facility. The members of Governor Jay Nixon’s stadium task force call it a major victory for the city, while one law professor calls it a “terrible day.”

Judge Frawley ruled that the new stadium plan on St. Louis’ north riverfront does not break a state law requiring it to be “adjacent” to the city’s convention center. Frawley ruled that Missouri courts have determined that “adjacent” simply means nearby.

Dave Peacock, the former Anheuser-Busch executive who is part of a Nixon’s two-person stadium task force released a statement calling it a victory.

“As we continue to make excellent progress on the stadium project, this is a great time for everyone in the St. Louis region to rally on behalf of something that will make a difference in our economy, national profile and quality of life for generations to come,” Peacock said.

However, not all see it as such. John Ammann, a law professor at Saint Louis University, who filed a separate suit that sought a city vote on the stadium plan, called it a defeat for democracy.

“The voters and taxpayers now have no formal voice in whether they will pay for a new stadium, or how much,” Ammann said.

The ruling comes ahead of an August 11th meeting when the St. Louis task force will meet with NFL officials in Chicago. With the Rams, along with the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders, seeking moves to Los Angeles, the league could make a decision soon.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke is planning a new stadium in Inglewood, a suburb of Los Angeles, with the possibility the team will move back to Southern California, as early as 2016.

Despite court challenges, state prepared to execute Michael Taylor next week (VIDEO)

February 20, 2014 By Jessica Machetta

The Missouri Department of Corrections is prepared to carry out the execution of Michael Taylor on Feb. 26 pursuant to the warrant issued by the Missouri Supreme Court. That’s the statement from the Department itself, and backed by the Governor.

A compounding pharmacy in Oklahoma that has supplied the pentobarbital used in the last three executions was ordered by a court in that state to cease sales to Missouri for the purpose of executions.

At that time, the Attorney General’s Office told Missourinet that “The Attorney General’s Office is not involved in the Oklahoma litigation. The Missouri Supreme Court has not withdrawn the warrant for Mr. Taylor’s execution.”

According to the Kansas City Star, Missouri officials now say they’ve arranged with an unidentified pharmacy to provide the lethal injection chemical for use in Taylor’s execution.

Meanwhile, Taylor’s attorneys have asked a federal judge to stay the execution, saying the state has no lawful way to carry out the lethal injection.

“We work very hard to make sure that the ultimate penalty in the state of Missouri is carried out in as humane as way as possible,” Gov. Jay Nixon said. “And we’re prepared for the execution next week. I understand others can have opinions and thoughts … my thoughts are with the review process obviously for potential commutation down the stretch but more importantly that that for the victims that continue to miss their loved ones from heinous crimes like this. We are prepared to move forward to complete this punishment in a timely fashion.”

Taylor is on Death Row for the 1989 killing of 15-year-old Ann Harrison. He and Roderick Nunley both pleaded guilty to kidnapping Harrison as she waited for the school bus, raping her, stabbing her, and leaving her in the trunk of stolen car they later abandoned, where she succumbed to her injuries.

The Supreme Court has not re-issued a death warrant for Nunley at this time.

Smaller government committee wraps up whirlwind hearing tour

July 19, 2013 By Mike Lear

A House Committee that looks for ways to cut red tape and eliminate redundancies or unnecessary elements in government has wrapped up nine hearings in three days, throughout Missouri.

Representative Paul Curtman (photo; Missouri House Communications)

Representative Paul Curtman (R-Union) is the Chairman of the Committee on Downsizing State Government. He says he is going to be spending the next few days going back over pages of notes from each of the sessions, considering what ideas deserve more attention or even legislation.

One suggestion that stands out to Curtman was made at the first hearing, in St. Louis.

“We had a really good suggestion from a guy who said, ‘I don’t know if Missouri has one of these measuring devices to measure the cost-effectiveness of money after it’s been appropriated,’ he said, ‘but maybe we need a formula to see whether or not the benefit outweighs the cost, or visa-versa, to make sure that the people are getting their money’s worth out of government.'”

Curtman says he will see if anything like that already exists in state government, and whether he thinks anything that does exist goes far enough.

He says some issues were raised to the committee more than once. One was the veto by Governor Jay Nixon of legislation that would cut income taxes for Missouri individuals and businesses.

At the final hearing on Thursday, Missouri Chamber of Commerce Lobbyist Alex Curchin told the committee for that bill to become law would help to downsize state government.

“There were always those who told us taxes couldn’t be cut until spending was reduced. Well, you know, we can lecture our children about extravagance until we run out of voice and breath, or we can cure their extravagance by simply reducing their allowance. That’s what we believe House Bill 253 will do, is reduce the allowance and make government a more appropriate size by that broad-based tax cut.”

Governor Nixon says that legislation would cost the state millions in revenue, jeopardizing state programs, and he withheld $400-million saying it’s necessary in case his veto is overridden. He told Missourians in Kirksville on Thursday that a part of the bill that would repeal a tax exemption on prescription drugs would also be a $200-million tax hike on Missourians.

Curtman says another issue that was raised at more than one event was the proposed legalization of marijuana.

“That is an organized effort. They have had people at almost every single hearing. I would say that fits within the parameters of our committee.”

Governor to sign changes to child sex abuse reporting law, ‘Safe Haven Act’

July 8, 2013 By Mike Lear

Governor Jay Nixon will sign into law on Tuesday legislation meant to offer more protections to children from sexual abuse and tragic ends.

One provision in House Bill 505 changes the way in which a person required to report instances of child abuse may make that report.

Emily Van Schenkhof is the Deputy Director of the advocacy group Missouri Kids First. She says the Jerry Sandusky case helped spawn that bill.

“What we saw happen at Penn State was that someone observed child sexual abuse, someone saw it happening, and didn’t quite know what to do and reported that to a supervisor who reported that to a supervisor and it was never reported to the people whose job it is to investigate such things.”

Van Schenkhof says her organization has found that such cases are not limited to Penn State or athletic programs, and has heard of similar situations all around Missouri.

The bill requires that reports of suspected abuse be made to the Children’s Division within the Social Services Department.

“We want people who have expertise in talking to children and who have expertise in investigating child abuse to be able to look at these cases and to be able to investigate whether abuse is occurring. Right now I think we’ve got a lot of people who are making that call themselves and it’s not really a call for your average teacher or your average minister.”

That change was one of the proposals suggested by the Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Abuse of Children, created by a 2011 law and intended to sunset at the end of last year. Instead, the legislation to be signed by the Governor makes that body a permanent entity.

Van Schenkhof is a staff member for the Task Force, the members of which she says were hoping to keep working.

“The Task Force agree that they wanted to continue to do the work and that they wanted to continue to meet. I think we all understood that the process of really actually preventing child sexual abuse is a long-term process that can not be accomplished in a year or two years.”

Senate Bill 256 also extends from 5 to 45 days after birth the period under which a parent can drop off an infant at a law enforcement of medical facility or fire station without fear of prosecution, under Missouri’s so-named “Safe Haven Act.”

“Parents in crisis … it is far better for them to abandon an infant than it is for them to hurt the child.”

Governor Nixon will sign those bills in a visit to St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Tuesday morning.

Bill ending controversial document scans signed into law

July 1, 2013 By Mike Lear

The Revenue Department can no longer scan personal documents from applicants for drivers’ and non-driver’s licenses, under a bill signed into law by Governor Jay Nixon.

Senator Will Kraus (photo courtesy; Missouri Senate)

Senate Bill 252 also orders the Department to by the end of this year purge its computers of all copies of those scans made since September. Some scans will continue in instances specified under the legislation, however, such as for commercial driver’s licenses. The bill took effect immediately upon being signed by the Governor.

Revenue Department representatives have twice testified under oath to legislative committees that if the Governor signed that bill, such scans would cease.

The sponsor of that bill, Senator Will Kraus (R-Lee’s Summit), says that doesn’t put all the issues regarding those scans to rest, however. He says state lawmakers will continue investigating why those scans were started in the first place and whether they were part of an effort to comply with the federal Real I.D. Act. A 2009 state law exercised Missouri’s option not to participate in Real I.D.

“That issue’s probably not going to go to bed because I think there is a number of people who would like to understand why our Department of Revenue would tell the federal government we were going to be in compliance with a law that we in the state of Missouri … and this governor signed … [a state law] that says we are not going to follow the federal law on Real I.D.”

Revenue Department employees have testified that the scans were started as part of a new, third-party system for issuing driver’s and non-driver’s identification that they say would help to combat fraud.

Fort Leonard Wood backers express relief at lower reduction total

June 25, 2013 By Mike Lear

The Army has announced Force Structure Realignment 2020, a plan to restructure its forces and cut uniformed and civilian personnel around the country. It includes the elimination of up to 885 positions at Fort Leonard Wood by 2019. That would include the inactivation of an Engineer Battalion Headquarters, three Engineer Construction Companies and the Brigade Support Battalion.

A draft plan in January called for as many as 3,900 positions to be eliminated at Fort Leonard Wood, leading Governor Jay Nixon (D), Senators Claire McCaskill (D) and Roy Blunt (R) and Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R) all to release statements noting that the plan announced Tuesday could have been worse for Missouri.

Sustainable Ozarks Partnership Executive Director Joe Driskill credits those elected officials as well as State Representative Steve Lynch and State Senator Dan Brown for their roles in raising awareness about the proposed cuts.

He notes no cuts were made among the Fort’s training personnel, which he calls its most important mission for the future.

“Some 80,000 not only soldiers but members of the Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and even foreign officers are actually trained at Fort Leonard Wood … both for entry-level training, what most people call ‘basic training,’ plus advanced training in the major specialities that are taught here; military police, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear, and also engineering specialities.”

Driskill notes these cuts are not related to sequestration, which could take an additional toll on the Fort.

“We are hoping that the Congress and the President can get together around a modest level of further cuts that don’t impact Fort Leonard Wood and don’t impact the readiness of our Army and other military forces.”

For a transcript of the announcement by Army Chief of Staff General Ray Odiero, click here.

Nixon urges higher education leaders to voice support for veto of tax cut bill (AUDIO)

June 11, 2013 By Mike Lear

Governor Jay Nixon (D) wants his veto of a proposed cut to Missouri’s corporate and individual income taxes to stand, and he’s taken that message to the state’s higher education leaders.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon (D)

“Members of the General Assembly can either support House Bill 253 or they can support higher education, but they can’t do both.”

Nixon tells leaders from the state’s colleges and universities that if his veto is overturned, HB 253 will cost the state’s operating budget $800-million, the equivalent of cutting all support for higher education, closing all state prisons or eliminating the Department of Mental Health. He also highlighted that the bill would repeal a tax exemption on college textbooks, as well as prescription drugs.

He urges those leaders to talk to people in their communities and the lawmakers that represent them in support of his veto, which could face an override attempt by the Republican supermajority-led legislature in September’s veto session.

“That decision can either protect our future or seal our fate. House Bill 253 means higher taxes on Missouri seniors and families but fewer tax dollars available for our colleges and universities. House Bill 253 means our students will spend more money on their textbooks while our state spends less money on their classrooms. House Bill 253 means fewer scholarships, less workforce training dollars and shrinking funding for each of your institutions.”

Republicans say the tax cut would make Missouri more competitive with Kansas, where taxes on businesses and individuals have been cut in recent years. Nixon says Kansas’ tax rate is still higher than Missouri’s, and says Kansas is now dealing with the results of its tax cut efforts.

“After they had their experiment, the thing they did when the first budget they had in front of them was pass a $777-million tax increase to make up the hole and go ahead and cut education to boot, so that risky experiment that they tried did not work there and we should not follow down that path.”

Nixon says his office will continue to make the case to other groups that his veto should stand, but he says that effort is not a campaign.

“It’s just important for people to understand the scope of $800-million.”

AUDIO: Listen to Governor Nixon’s speech, 17:25

Nixon vetoes proposal to bar Islamic, other foreign law from MO courts

June 3, 2013 By Mike Lear

Governor Jay Nixon has vetoed legislation that would have barred the use of foreign laws, including Islamic Sharia law, in Missouri courts.

Governor Jay Nixon

Nixon says barring the consideration of foreign laws in Missouri could have interfered with the adoption by Missouri parents of children from other nations. That was also one of the arguments made by legislative Democrats speaking in opposition to the proposal when it came before the House.

Representative Mike Colona (D-St. Louis) called it a waste of time.

“We’re talking about the boogeyman and sharialand having laws that we want to be prevented from even looking at.”

Representative Paul Curtman (R-Pacific) says the adoption concern is a false argument.

“This has already been governed by U.S. law through the Hague Convention, through the Uniform Child Custody Act, both of which are already American law, so that’s a non-issue.”

Nixon also says the law could have interfered with wills, trusts, marriage and divorce decrees and contracts, and enforcement of judgements made in other states when they involve foreign law.

The bill cleared the legislature with margins that could overturn the governor’s veto, if no lawmakers switch their votes.

The legislation is SB 267. View Governor Nixon’s veto message here.