Tags
campaign finance, General Assembly, IOKIYAR, missouri, Missouri Ethics Commission, Proposition B, republicans
So, the republicans in the Missouri General Assembly have really large majorities now. Any guesses for what’s on the agenda?
In the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Lawmakers aim to thwart the voters’ will
By The Editorial Board | Posted: Monday, November 8, 2010 9:00 pm
Just days after Missouri voters approved tough new restrictions on puppy mills, Missouri lawmakers are talking about amending or overturning them.
In most states, such contempt for voters would be shocking and surprising. In Missouri, it’s old hat.
Last May, seven months before voters had their say, rural legislators tried to preempt the vote by prohibiting citizen initiatives involving any aspect of agriculture. It was blatantly unconstitutional. But no fewer than five bills containing similar language were introduced.
Now that Proposition B, the so-called Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act, has been approved, lawmakers are gearing up to override it….
And look who’s still getting money – yesterday, via the Missouri Ethics Commission:
CONTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN $5,000.00 RECEIVED BY ANY COMMITTEE FROM ANY SINGLE DONOR – TO BE FILED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CONTRIBUTION
C101530 MISSOURIANS FOR ANIMAL CARE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE [pdf] 11/9/2010
Missouri Soybean Association
[3337 Emerald Lane
Jefferson City MO 65109]
11/9/2010
$23,527.09Missouri Farmers care PAC
[6236 W Cunningham] Dr
[Columbia MO 65202-9111]
11/8/2010
$5,078.95
[emphasis added][address insertions from the Missouri Ethics Commission summary report]
With an innocuous name like “Missourians for Animal Care” you’d think they’d have supported Proposition B. Nope.
Posted on Mon, Mar. 29, 2010
Agriculture, Humane Society agendas clash
By MATT CAMPBELL
Kansas City Star…Agribusiness interests say the bill does nothing to boost enforcement and is a feint by the Humane Society to increase its leverage against big livestock.
“The dog-breeder issue is simply the beginning, we feel, of what can happen in the future with a broader agenda relating to agriculture,” said Estil Fretwell, spokesman for the Missouri Farm Bureau.
Agribusiness recently formed Missourians for Animal Care to fight the initiative. The chairman is the director of the Missouri Pork Association.
The Humane Society’s Pacelle said the puppy mill bill had nothing to do with livestock and that the industry used the same false argument about threats to farmers before Missourians approved a cockfighting ban in 1998….
[emphasis added]
The statewide vote:
Unofficial Election Returns
State of Missouri General Election – November 2, 2010 General Election
Tuesday, November 02, 2010Proposition B Precincts Reporting 3411 of 3411
Yes 995,423 51.6%
No 934,591 48.4%
Total Votes 1,930,014
Again, from the Post-Dispatch article:
…He uses the fact that it failed in 100 of the state’s 114 counties as justification…
Uh, counties don’t get to vote, only people do. But corporate interests can spend an unlimited amount of money.