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Missourinet

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You are here: Home / Archives for Missouri Governor

November ballot measure would impose two-term restriction on all Missouri statewide elected officials

September 29, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missourians will be heading to the polls in November, to cast ballots on a measure imposing term limits on all statewide elected officials.

You’ll be voting in November on Amendment One, which would amend the Missouri Constitution to extend the two-term restriction that currently applies to the governor and treasurer to the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and state auditor.

A “yes” vote would amend the Missouri Constitution to impose a two-term restriction on all statewide elected officials. A “no” vote would leave the terms that statewide elected officials may serve unchanged.

The Secretary of State’s fair ballot language says that if passed, Amendment One will have no impact on taxes. State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, sponsored the legislation in the Missouri General Assembly.

Members of both major parties have previously served more than two terms in Missouri statewide office, in recent history.

Democrat James Kirkpatrick served five terms as secretary of state, from 1965 to 1985. Kirkpatrick, who died in 1997, established Missouri’s current record for tenure of an elected statewide officeholder. Democrat Jay Nixon served four terms as attorney general, serving from 1993-2009, when he was sworn-in as governor.

Republican Peter Kinder served three terms as lieutenant governor, from 2005-2016. And Republican Margaret Kelly, who was appointed as state auditor by Governor Kit Bond in 1984, was elected to a full term in 1986 and was re-elected auditor in 1990 and in 1994. She retired in January 1999.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Elections, History, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Amendment One, former Attorney General Jay Nixon, former Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder, former Secretary of State James Kirkpatrick, former State Auditor Margaret Kelly, Missouri Attorney General, Missouri Constitution, Missouri Governor, Missouri lieutenant governor, Missouri Secretary of State, Missouri State Auditor, Missouri treasurer, State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, term limits

Two Republicans collide on latest Missouri special session

June 13, 2017 By Alisa Nelson

Senator Ryan Silvey (photo courtesy, Missouri Senate Communications)

Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, could be the only Missouri GOP legislator to publicly condemn Republican Governor Eric Greitens for his special session approach. Silvey, who’s the Senate Appropriations Committee vice chairman, tells Missourinet there are more efficient ways Greitens could be calling extraordinary legislative sessions.

“He could issue multiple concurrent calls,” says Silvey. “He could issue another call on the same issue for the legislature to adjourn at the same time. If you were really a fiscal conservative, you would call a special session to run concurrent with veto session.”

Greitens wants lawmakers to block a St. Louis city ordinance that would bar employers from penalizing or firing women who have had an abortion, are pregnant out of marriage or use birth control. It also prohibits landlords from denying housing to women for the same reasons. Greitens’ call also includes passing annual inspection requirements for abortion clinics.

Silvey says the session is a waste of time and money.

“While the political rhetoric and the soundbites are that this is saving lives and this is pro-life, I think the reality is whatever we pass, we’ll probably get sued over, a judge will probably put an injunction on it, and it probably won’t be resolved by January. When January rolls around, my prediction is we won’t have saved any lives,” says Silvey.

Gov. Greitens

He says he’s not attacking abortion measures.

“I’ve got a 13 year legislative record that shows I’m pro-life. That’s not a question,” says Silvey. “But I also think that we should respect our constitution and I don’t believe that we should be called back on every whim.”

Greitens tells Missourinet he hopes the state legislature understands how vital and urgent his call is. He goes on to say that the life and health of thousands of Missourians is at stake.

The Senate’s special session work is underway. The House will begin on June 20.

Meanwhile, the governor signed a bill into law on Monday that gives Missourians the option of a REAL ID to get onto planes, military bases and into federal buildings. Silvey, who co-sponsored the measure, says he was not invited to the bill signing. The House sponsor, Rep. Kevin Corlew, R-Kansas City, attended.

Silvey says the governor has not communicated directly with the legislature very well. According to Silvey, leadership and the Senate learned about this year’s first special session via Facebook. Silvey says he and leadership also learned about the current special session on Facebook.

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Legislature, News Tagged With: Abortion, governor eric greitens, Missouri Governor, Ryan Silvey, special session

Greitens: Blocking St. Louis anti-discrimination ordinance is not supporting discrimination

June 8, 2017 By Alisa Nelson

Republican Governor Eric Greitens has called a special session to ask lawmakers to consider blocking a St. Louis ordinance that bans employers from penalizing or firing women who have had an abortion, are pregnant out of marriage or use contraceptives. Pro-choice advocates say not supporting the ordinance is like supporting discrimination. Greitens tells Missourinet that he disagrees.

Gov. Greitens

Greitens says his call aims to protect pregnancy care centers, which he says help women and their newborn kids receive quality clothing, food and access to free prenatal care, with employment and their utility bills. He says the ordinance makes it more difficult for the centers to operate.

“They (ordinance supporters) wanted, for example, to make it illegal for pregnancy care centers to say that they just wanted to hire pro-life people,” says Greitens.

Critics say the governor is wasting valuable tax dollars by calling a special session to get his own agenda items passed. Greitens says abortion issues he wants the Missouri Legislature to pass rise to the level of a special session because of a recent federal court ruling that struck down abortion clinic regulations. He says he wants common sense health and safety standards at such clinics.

In April, U.S. District Court Judge Howard Sachs blocked laws that require doctors performing abortions to have hospital privileges and that make abortion clinics meet hospital-like standards for surgical centers.

Greitens wants lawmakers to require annual clinic inspections and a fix that Greitens says would stop abortion providers from interfering with emergency responses when women are experiencing abortion complications.

“They can’t, for example, tell an ambulance that they need to go the slow way without using lights and sirens. They can’t tell an ambulance that they need to come to the back door when they’ve got somebody who is clearly in need,” says Greitens.

M’Evie Mead of Planned Parenthood says Greitens is playing politics.

“What I think Governor Greitens appears to be doing is making up solutions in search of a problem that doesn’t exist,” says Mead.

The governor also wants to require providers to report complications that women have from abortions.

“Court after court, informed by major medical associations who are responsible for doctors and nurses and healthcare providers maximizing people’s health across this country and in this state, have repeatedly proven that these politically-motivated restrictions that interfere with access to abortion and healthcare are dangerous to women’s health,” says Mead. “That’s what people need to know. At the center of this issue that’s being very politicized are people and their health outcome.”

In campaign-style fashion, Greitens will hold pro-life rallies on Friday in the Republican strongholds of Joplin, Springfield and St. Charles before Monday’s start of the special session. A high profile name will be alongside him at the Joplin and Springfield rallies. Former Arkansas Governor and Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee will be there to support Greitens’ cause.

Friday rally details:
University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Springfield at 11:30 a.m.
Butcher’s Block Event Center in Joplin at 2 p.m.
Heart Event Center in St. Charles at 6 p.m.

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Legislature, News Tagged With: Abortion, Eric Greitens, Missouri Governor

Former Missouri Gov. Joe Teasdale dies

May 9, 2014 By Mike Lear

Former Missouri Governor Joseph P. Teasdale has died in Kansas City from complications of pneumonia, the Kansas City Star Reports.

Former Governor Joe Teasdale (courtesy; Missouri State Archives)

Former Governor Joe Teasdale (courtesy; Missouri State Archives)

Teasdale was the 48th governor of Missouri, serving from 1977 until 1981. A Democrat, he defeated Republican Governor Kit Bond in 1976 and was defeated by Bond in 1980. Teasdale died peacefully Thursday afternoon surrounded by his family, according to his son, John Teasdale.

Governor Jay Nixon (D) has ordered flags at all state buildings be flown at half-staff until the interment of the late former governor, and has issued a statement on the passing of Teasdale:

“Earlier this evening we received the sad news about the passing of a dedicated public servant, former Governor Joseph P. Teasdale. Gov. Teasdale was a good man whose life was guided by a deep and abiding faith and a commitment to public service.

“By the time he was elected as Governor in 1976 at the age of 40, Gov. Teasdale already had a record of accomplishment. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Kansas City, he headed up the organized crime section; then at the age of 30, he became the youngest prosecuting attorney in the history of Jackson County.

“The hallmark of his 1976 campaign was his walking across the state to personally visit with Missourians, and the pages of Missouri’s political history were made richer with the image of “Walkin’ Joe.”

“During his tenure as Governor, Gov. Teasdale was especially known for his actions in support of Missouri seniors. He created the Division of Aging, he pushed for passage of the Nursing Home Reform Act, and he supported removal of the state sales tax on prescription drugs.

“Georganne and I are keeping the Teasdale family in our thoughts and prayers.”

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Jay Nixon, Missouri Governor

Audit charges cost shifting, poor travel documentation in Governor’s office

September 5, 2012 By Mike Lear

Auditor Tom Schweich’s office has released a report that says the office of Governor Jay Nixon made its finances look better by shifting expenses to other state agencies.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon (left) and State Auditor Tom Schweich

The audit says between January 2009 and June 2011, about $1.7 million dollars of the Governor’s office’s expenses were charged to other state agencies. That kept the Governor’s office and mansion from exceeding its appropriation in the state budget for each of the 3 years in the audit.

About $770,000 in salaries for several Governor’s office employees were paid wholly or in part by fourteen state agencies.

Auditor Schweich says the shifting of expenses to other agencies’ appropriations makes determining the actual costs of operating the Governor’s office difficult, as well as for the agencies involved. “For example in 2009 the Governor had $31,000 in charges from the airplane that exceeded his appropriation. They had originally been charged to his office. Somebody realized, ‘Uh-oh, we just exceeded the appropriation,’ and charged them off to another agency … that’s pretty direct proof that they knew they had violated the appropriation. They also knew it should have been charged to the Governor’s Office, and then in order to avoid or circumvent the appropriations process they just transferred that money right over to (the Office of Administration).”

The report says during the 30 months covered, Governor’s office employees flew 334 days on state planes at a cost of $565,000. 96 percent of that cost was paid for by various state agencies, who also paid for another $37,000 in travel expenses and $406,000 in various other operating expenses. Schweich says that has been noted in earlier audits by himself and his predecessor, Susan Montee.

The audit says 19 out-of-state flights on state planes cost about $92,800, and says the Governor’s office does not check to see if commercial flights would be cheaper.  It also says most lodging expenses, especially for out-of-state lodging, lacked documentation explaining why costs were higher than the auditor’s staff thought necessary.

The report ranks the performance of the Governor’s office as “Fair” on the Auditor’s rating scale.  Schweich says that means he will do a follow-up audit in 6 months or more.

See a summary of the audit and the full audit (pdf).

A request to the Governor’s office for comment has been declined. Instead, a spokesman points to the Governor’s official responses included in the audit report.

To the findings regarding the charging of Governor’s office expenses to other agencies, the response was, “The office accounts for its operational costs in a manner that properly reflects the nature of the work it performs.”

To the findings regarding travel expenses, Nixon’s office responds, “The office follows state travel policy. On occasion, circumstances require some deviations from the policy but efforts to ensure the most cost-effective means are implemented. The office will ensure that such instances are appropriately handled. As to the extended lodging stay, that arrangement was based on particular circumstances surrounding a particular work assignment. The office does not foresee those circumstances arising again, but should they arise, will again ensure that the arrangement is reasonable and cost-effective.”

Schweich says he doesn’t want the audit to be perceived as political because of its timing. Its release comes nine weeks before the General Election in which Nixon is seeking reelection. Schweich is a Republican, Nixon is a Democrat. The Auditor says, “It’s very important to me that this office not be political.”

Schweich says his office tried to release this audit in June, but ran into two problems. “One was our auditor-in-charge before that time was in a serious traffic accident and we had to delay for a few weeks because of that … we also had a several week delay trying to get access to the (Governor’s) mansion to do the inventory and that delayed us by another month or so.”

Still, the state Republican Party has seized on the findings. Executive Director Lloyd Smith accuses Nixon of enjoying “the perks of being governor, wasting money on a taxpayer-funded plane, nice hotels and fancy meals.”

The State Democratic Party has not yet released a statement on the audit.

Filed Under: News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: audit, Jay Nixon, Missouri Governor, Tom Schweich



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