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Parson defends out-of-state firm’s role in Missouri’s COVID-19 response

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Missouri has paid a consulting firm more than $829,000 so far in federal coronavirus aid to help coordinate the state’s pandemic response. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports payroll records show the McChrystal Group has received the federal funding from the state. The contract bypassed the normal bidding process.

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

During a press conference at Washington University in St. Louis, Gov. Mike Parson defended his decision to bring in the firm.

“In July, we had the discussion whether to allow that contract to expire or not,” said Parson. “I didn’t. I was the one personally in the meeting that day and says, ‘Wait a minute – I don’t want to do that. We’ve got school starting. We’ve got universities starting. We still need to be able to figure out how to deal with this virus.’”

Parson spokeswoman Kelli Jones told the newspaper that under the contract, the firm will be eligible to continue being paid nearly $250,000 a month for its work. The governor touted the firm building a statewide dashboard of hospital data.

“There’s not been one tax dollar of the Missourians that have paid for that. It’s all been through the CARES Act and it was all through the Health Care Foundation,” said Parson. “I’m just proud of the resources they had at hand to help us to fight the virus every day and to consider that they pulled a dashboard for all the healthcare, hospitals in the state together where we could share information to the public, at the time was very valuable.”

Parson’s Democratic opponent for governor, State Auditor Nicole Galloway, said the McChrystal Group did the governor’s job for him. In a press released, she said he paid the out-of-state firm over a half million dollars in taxpayer money meant to directly help Missourians impacted by the health crisis.

“All we have to show for it is rising infections, delayed school reopenings, a positivity rate over 10%, and a spot in the White House Coronavirus Task Force’s “Red Zone,” said Galloway.

Missouri has spent over $1.5 billion of the more than $2 billion it has received as part of federal COVID-19 funding. Most of the money has gone to Missouri counties to help local governments fight the virus.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Galloway rolls out COVID-19 plan: “A mask requirement is our ticket to freedom”

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State Auditor Nicole Galloway has released a plan detailing how she would handle the state’s COVID-19 response if elected as Missouri’s governor. She announced the plan as Missouri closes in on 76,000 positive cases since March, including more than 1,400 coronavirus-related deaths. Galloway is making stops this week in Kansas City, Springfield, St. Louis and Columbia to highlight key points.

State Auditor Nicole Galloway (2019 file photo

In her plan, Galloway says she would call for a statewide mask mandate.

“A mask requirement is our ticket to freedom because it improves our odds that businesses can remain open, schools can return fully to in-person learning, and people can get their jobs back,” she says.

Galloway would have state Health Department data determine the threshold for when K-12 schooling can be fully in-person versus a blended model or 100% online learning. Her plan says a district cannot offer full in-seat learning unless its county case rate is below 10 per 10,000 people.

“Everything depends on the rate of community transmission,” says Galloway. “We can’t get every student back in school until we contain the spread of the virus. Therefore, my strategy on schools is holistic.”

Galloway wants to engage the governors of bordering states and other regional partners to combine purchasing power to boost Missouri’s testing capacity. She cites Maryland, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, and Virginia entering into an interstate compact to buy 3 million rapid antigen tests.

The level of testing Galloway wants to reach is unclear. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams has said the state has a testing capacity of about 90,000 to 100,000 weekly.

Galloway says she would bring together an “emergency medical task force” with public health experts, hospital administrators and relevant state officials to advise her and offer daily public briefings on COVID-19 and the state’s condition of the virus.

She says the panel would serve as a hub for collecting COVID-19 data, instead of relying on CDC hospitalization data.

“The state should never lose control of its COVID-19 hospitalization data,” she says.

Galloway, a Democrat, faces Republican Governor Mike Parson in November’s election. Parson does not favor a statewide face mask order to help limit the spread of the virus, instead letting that decision fall to local leaders. He points to more than 50% of the cases being in Missouri’s urban areas.

To view Galloway’s full plan, click here.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Parson about kids catching COVID-19 comments: ‘What I said didn’t come out the way I intended’

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Gov. Mike Parson has gained national attention for comments he made Friday on “The Marc Cox Morning Show” in St. Louis. The governor has been firm in getting Missouri’s kids back to school this fall.

Gov. Mike Parson

“These kids have got to get back to school,” Parson said. “They’re at the lowest risk possible. And if they do get COVID-19, which they will — and they will when they go to school — they’re not going to the hospitals. They’re not going to have to sit in doctor’s offices. They’re going to go home, and they’re going to get over it.”

The governor’s comments have sparked a flurry of criticism in Missouri and nationally.

A statement from Missouri National Education Association President Phil Murray says Parson’s comments demonstrate “a callous disregard for the suffering of children and the safety of the parents, grandparents, educators, and students that will be put at risk if schools are reopened with improper plans and protections.”

State Auditor Nicole Galloway, a Democratic candidate for governor, said Parson’s comments displayed “stunning ignorance”.

Former U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, had a bit more to say.

Former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, inserted her thoughts.

During a press conference Wednesday at the state Capitol, Parson started off by bringing up the topic. The governor says he did not do a good job of explaining his point – that COVID-19 will likely be in Missouri’s schools and we must be prepared.

“For someone to use politics as a tool to say that I don’t give a damn about children is one sick individual,” Parson says during a Capitol press conference Wednesday. “And anybody that wants to follow my career, take a good look at it and you’ll find out who I care about and who I’ve protected.”

Parson pointed out that his daughter is a teacher and he has five grandchildren attending public schools. He added that he has funded education more than any other Missouri governor.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Parson switches Medicaid expansion question to August primary election ballot

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Gov. Mike Parson has announced today that he has chosen to switch a Medicaid expansion measure from the November general election to the lower-turnout August primary election ballot. During today’s press conference, he says the sooner he knows whether to prepare for the extra state budget spending, the better.

Gov. Mike Parson (Photo courtesy of Parson’s Flickr page)

“At a time when our state is undergoing a major health, economic and budget crisis, we need to know exactly where we stand when it comes to a massive spending initiative for Missouri,” says Parson.

He says expanding Medicaid would compete for state revenue dollars with education, mental health and public safety priorities.

Americans for Prosperity-Missouri, a free market organization, today filed a lawsuit challenging the validity of the Missouri Medicaid Expansion Initiative. The lawsuit contends that the ballot initiative violates constitutional requirements since the initiative would require appropriating money to fund the initiative.

“This lawsuit is intended to protect the ballot initiative process. This ballot initiative violates the Missouri Constitution by mandating the state fund the expansion of Medicaid without providing a funding source. This mandate will divert critical funds from our children’s education or force the state to increase taxes. At a time when our state is already in dire economic straits, we should not tie the hands of the legislature with this unconstitutional ballot initiative,” says AFP-MO State Director Jeremy Cady.

The Healthcare for Missouri campaign wants to put another 230,000 low-income adults on Medicaid. If approved by voters, those earning up to $18,000 annually could qualify.

State Auditor Nicole Galloway, a Democrat running for governor, says Parson has “put his own political needs ahead of Missourians”.

“The governor and his special interest allies have already started to mislead voters, telling them that they must choose between funding our schools or access to healthcare. Governor Parson has said he will raise taxes if we vote to expand Medicaid. Every reputable study and the experience of other states that have expanded Medicaid show clear benefits to Missouri’s bottom line. The Governor’s dishonesty won’t work, but it reveals how desperate he is to maintain his hold on power and to deny healthcare to working families,” Galloway says in a statement.

Earlier this month, state Rep. Keri Ingle, D-Lee’s Summit, said on the House floor that voters will approve the ballot measure.

On Friday, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a fellow Republican, certified the initiative petition – giving the governor a little time to decide whether to make the switch. In a press release, Ashcroft says his office verified signatures using random sampling – a quicker way – instead of the usual method of sending them to local election authorities. He says he used the approach because local election authorities are busy preparing for the June 2 municipal election.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Missouri auditor raises questions about faulty masks recalled by state

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State Auditor Nicole Galloway wants more information about 48,000 defective masks recalled by the state.

State Auditor Nicole Galloway

During a briefing this week about the state’s COVID-19 response efforts, Missouri Public Safety Director Sandy Karsten announced the recall of the KN95 masks from China for not meeting testing standards. They were shipped to first responders around the state on April 2 and 8.

Galloway has sent a letter to Karsten asking for information about the ordering, purchase and funding of the masks. She is also questioning whether other masks delivered by the state might not meet standards and what plans the department has to get its money back for the masks that did not meet standards.

“As our state faces this unprecedented challenge, the safety of our first responders should be our first priority,” Galloway says in a press release. “I am committed to making certain those on the frontlines of this health emergency are protected while ensuring Missourians’ tax dollars are safeguarded.”

The state auditor copied Gov. Mike Parson and other officials in the letter. Galloway, a Democrat, is running for governor.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Parson: Missourians waiting for tax returns mostly filed extensions or have tax issues

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State Auditor Nicole Galloway

Thousands of Missourians are still waiting for their 2018 tax returns. State Auditor Nicole Galloway is blaming dysfunction in the Parson administration and at the State Revenue Department.

“Taxpayers deserve assurances that this dysfunction will not carry over into another tax year. Missourians rely on their refunds to pay bills and afford necessities. They are tired of excuses,” Galloway says in a written statement.

Gov. Mike Parson tells Missourinet affiliate KSSZ in Columbia that his administration is aware some Missourians still have not gotten their returns. But he says the small number of taxpayers waiting mostly filed for extensions in October, or have issues with their taxes.

Gov. Mike Parson

“There’s nobody trying to hold up tax returns here in the state of Missouri,” says Parson. “For us, it makes no sense to do that. We want to get it out so we can clear up the books and go to the next side.”

Parson, a Republican, says Galloway, a Democrat, is just trying to score political points.

“We’ve been watching that issue,” says Parson. “But, she’s been pounding that drum for a long time and I just think she’s off beat.”

Galloway is running against him for governor this year.

Brad Tregnago of Missourinet affiliate KSSZ in Columbia contributed to this story.

Galloway: “Missouri is among the least prepared in the nation to weather a recession”

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Missouri’s state auditor used a Tuesday press conference in Jefferson City to call on Governor Mike Parson (R) and the GOP-controlled state legislature to create a new budget tool to ensure the state is prepared for a recession.

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway (D) briefs Capitol reporters about the Rainy Day Fund on October 15, 2019 (photo from Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth)

The governor’s chief of staff dismissed the press conference as political.

Democratic Auditor Nicole Galloway tells Capitol reporters that the state’s “Rainy Day Fund” is maintained at a level well below other states.

“The report I am releasing today shows that Missouri is woefully unprepared for an economic downturn. In fact, Missouri is among the least prepared in the nation to weather a recession,” Galloway says.

The official name for the “Rainy Day Fund” is Missouri’s Budget Reserve Fund (BRF). Galloway says the state is using the fund for day-to-day expenses, like payroll. Galloway says state lawmakers and Governor Parson’s administration “have failed to responsibly plan for the future.”

“According to a 2018 stress test from Moody’s Analytics, Missouri rated 43rd in the nation in terms of preparedness for a moderate economic downturn,” says Galloway.

Galloway says more than $360 million has been borrowed from the fund every fiscal year since 2011, which also dates back to former Governors Jay Nixon (D) and Eric Greitens (R).

She is warning that the state will have to cut critical services or raise taxes during a recession, unless lawmakers take action to protect the Budget Reserve Fund. Galloway tells the Capitol Press Corps that governors have relied on the fund to supplement cash flow throughout the year.

“And in both fiscal years 2017 and 2019 when Missouri’s economy has been stable and growing, the state borrowed more than $500 million from the budget reserve fund,” Galloway says.

Click here to read Auditor Galloway’s full report.

The BRF was approved by 59 percent of Missouri voters in 2000. Galloway says the Budget Reserve Fund’s balance was $616 million, at the end of the 2018 fiscal year.

It was preceeded by two different funds, the Budget Stabilization Fund and the Cash Operating Reserve Fund, which were created in response to the recession in the early 1980’s.

Former Governor John Ashcroft (R) and the late State Sen. Ed Dirck, D-St. Ann, worked together in the 1980’s to help create those two funds.

Galloway is the likely Democratic gubernatorial candidate in 2020 against Governor Parson. The governor’s chief of staff, Aaron Willard, issued a statement to Missourinet after the press conference, saying it was political.

“It is no surprise Nicole Galloway is following the national liberal Democrats’ playbook attacking Missouri and our country’s booming economy, especially given the fact that she opposes pro-growth policies that have led to the largest increase in real incomes, historically low unemployment, and nearly 40,000 new jobs created in Missouri. She also has ignored the truth that Governor Parson left over $100 million in his budget specifically for cash flow purposes and that Missouri enjoys a AAA bond rating. The Auditor also never used her official office in a capacity to criticize Governor Nixon, whom appointed her, over the BRF when budgets were tighter and reserves were lower. It’s obvious that truth and results matter less to Nicole Galloway than political stunts mimicking tactics used by (U.S. House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi and (Senate Minority Leader) Chuck Schumer,” Willard’s statement reads.

Copyright © 2019 · Missourinet

Audit: northwest Missouri bookkeeper used embezzled money on cruises, credit cards

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Missouri’s state auditor says the former bookkeeper for a northwest Missouri road district misappropriated more than $286,000.

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway briefs Capitol reporters on April 2, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Alisa Nelson)

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway says former Plattsburg Special Road District bookkeeper Ava Langner allegedly embezzled the money from 2011 to 2018.

Galloway’s office has released a scathing district audit, which says Langner used to money to pay credit cards and for travel on Carnival Cruise Lines. The audit also says Langner used the money for entertainment at locations like Silver Dollar City, the Starlight Theatre and Space Center Houston.

The audit says $76,000 was used to pay Langner’s personal credit card bills.

Langner served as the district’s secretary/treasurer, and was fired by the board in October.

Galloway spokeswoman Steph Deidrick tells Missourinet that Langner has not been charged yet, adding that the FBI and the Missouri State Highway Patrol are investigating.

The auditor’s 46-page report notes the Clinton County prosecutor referred the matter to both the Highway Patrol and the FBI.

The state auditor’s public corruption and fraud division released the audit today, giving the district a rating of “poor.”

“This was a brazen betrayal by an official entrusted with public funds, who then tried to cover her tracks by falsifying documents,” Galloway says in a statement. “Restoring public trust and confidence in the district may be a challenge going forward, but it is vitally important that it happen.”

Galloway says a whistleblower contacted her office last fall, regarding potential fraud in the district. Galloway says that after a preliminary investigation found the allegations credible, she asked for and received a request from district officials to conduct an independent audit.

Plattsburg, which is in Clinton County, is southeast of St. Joseph.

Copyright © 2019 · Missourinet