Over the course of the last year we covered a number of government and political events in Missouri (and elsewhere), in the process taking thousands of photographs. Most of them didn’t make it into the blog. Some of the things we saw and heard made us smile, made us think, made us gasp, made us hope, and made us despair. We thought we’d provide a retrospective of some of the pictures and stories we consider to be memorable.
The Missouri General Assembly opened its session on January 8, 2014. And then it went down hill from there.
Representative Jill Schupp (D) (left) and Representative Chris Kelly (D) on the House floor.
When the General Assembly goes into session in January 2015 Representative Chris Kelly (D) will no longer be in the House, opting to not run for another term. Jill Schupp (D) will be a Senator, having triumphed in a very expensive race with a republican legacy candidate.
Opening of the 2014 legislative session – photos (January 8, 2014)
In March Senator Claire McCaskill (D) held a number of town halls across the state:
Senator Claire McCaskill (D) at a Columbia, Missouri town hall – March 17, 2014.
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D): showing up is more than half the battle (March 17, 2014)
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D): press Q and A – March 17, 2014 (March 18, 2014)
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D): press Q and A – Kansas City – March 19, 2014 (March 19, 2014)
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D): March 19, 2014 town halls in Kansas City and Higginsville – photos (March 20, 2014)
SB 509, the end of the world as we know it:
Representative Keith English casts the final vote to override Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of SB 509.
New Missouri Rule: if the governor governs right of center you can’t call him a “liberal” (July 1, 2013)
Bill signing Kabuki (July 12, 2013)
Rep. Chris Kelly (D): HB 253 – “I’d like to know what your opinion is.” (July 19, 2013)
Rep. Denny Hoskins (r): probably not gonna sustain the Governor’s veto of HB 253 (August 19, 2013)
Sec. of State Jason Kander (D) to Texas Gov. Rick Perry (r): You forgot about that Medicaid thing? (August 23, 2013)
Rep. Denny Hoskins (r) to UCM on HB 253: I don’t care, I’d rather be the new Speaker Pro Tem (August 24, 2013)
Rep. Denny Hoskins (r): your constituents know what you’re doing to them (August 26, 2013)
HB 253: Because those dissolute leeches at the public trough should shut up, that’s why! (August 28, 2013)
Missouri Democratic Party on HB 253: Yes, yes, let’s talk about Texas Gov. Rick Perry (r)…. (August 28, 2013)
AG Chris Koster (D) to Speaker Jones (r) on HB 253: you all certainly made a mess of things… (August 29, 2013)
Speaker Tim Jones (r) and HB 253: hone your legal analytical skills litigating birth certificates (August 30, 2013)
HB 253: any way you slice it (September 11, 2013)
HB 253: Watch out – It’ll be baaaaaaaaaack (September 11, 2013)
SB 509: once more, with feeling (April 17, 2014)
SB 509: “….We’d like to think that most of them are not simpletons….” (April 18, 2014)
SB 509: Governor Jay Nixon (D) strikes back (April 22, 2014)
SB 509: dueling on Twitter (April 22, 2014)
SB 509: Would you like some whine with your bill? (April 23, 2014)
SB 509: strange gyrations (April 23, 2014)
The Missouri GOP, Evel Knievel and political stuntsmanship (April 24, 2014)
SB 509: the folks back home ain’t buying what they’re selling (April 24, 2014)
SB 509: in a wingnutshell (April 28, 2014)
SB 509: the folks back home ain’t buying what they’re selling – part 2 (April 29, 2014)
SB 509: thank the FSM (or the deity of your choice) for Kansas (May 1, 2014)
SB 509: veto it is (May 1, 2014)
SB 509: Governor Jay Nixon’s (D) Veto (May 2, 2014)
SB 509: That’s a mighty interesting legal citation you got there… (May 2, 2014)
SB 509: “Brawndo! It’s got electrolytes!” (May 3, 2014)
SB 509: You were expecting anything else? (May 5, 2014)
SB 509: not so much these days (May 6, 2014)
The face of shame (May 6, 2014)
SB 509: the moment when all hope for the future of Missouri died (May 6, 2014)
Dude, you’ve got bigger problems than an out of the way blog with dozens of readers (May 6, 2014)
The day Missouri went down the toilet (May 7, 2014)
Dude, you’ve got bigger problems than an out of the way blog with dozens of readers – part 2 (May 8, 2014)
…and now you know the rest of the story (May 8, 2014)
This won’t be the last story on SB 509 (May 8, 2014)
In May Vice President Joe Biden spoke at an event promoting infrastructure at the riverfront construction project next to the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (the Arch):
Vice President Joe Biden (D) in the rain at the Arch in St. Louis.
Vice President Joe Biden in St. Louis – May 13, 2014 (May 14, 2014)
The Fourth of July.
The 4th of July – 2014 (July 4, 2014)
In August no statewide Democratic office holders showed at the Missouri State Fair Governor’s Ham Breakfast. There was something going on in Ferguson, Missouri that took their attention:
Senator Roy Blunt (r) at the Missouri State Fair Governor’s Ham Breakfast.
What if you had a ham breakfast and the Governor couldn’t be there? (August 14, 2014)
Vicky Hartzler talking about water and pesky regulations at the Missouri State Fair (August 14, 2014)
Sen. Roy Blunt (r): bad, bad EPA, bad (August 15, 2014)
Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (r): …don’t drink the water, and don’t breathe the air… (August 17, 2014)
A Kansas City moment of silence concerning Ferguson, Missouri:
A speaker at the Kansas City moment of silence for Michael Brown and Ferguson, Missouri.
Kansas City moment of silence – August 14, 2014 (August 14, 2014)
#NMOS14 Moment of Silence Kansas City Mike Brown Rally (August 16, 2014)
We followed candidates:
Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) at a campaign event in Warrensburg, Missouri on August 22, 2014.
Once again, some Meta (August 23, 2014)
Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r) – in Warrensburg – August 22, 2014 (August 23, 2014)
Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r) – in Warrensburg – August 22, 2014 – Q and A on farming (August 24, 2014)
Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r) – in Warrensburg – August 22, 2014 – voter turnout as an existential threat (August 25, 2014)
On September 14, 2014 Hillary and Bill Clinton were the featured speakers at the last Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa.
Hillary Clinton at the last Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa.
Oh yeah, Hillary’s gonna run (August 18, 2014)
Go North (September 3, 2014)
Road Trip! – the 2014 Harkin Steak Fry (September 5, 2014)
Bet the farm (September 14, 2014)
The Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa – September 14, 2014 (September 15, 2014)
Hillary Clinton at the Harkin Steak Fry: “I’m back!” (September 15, 2014)
In the Fall a blimp in the skies of Missouri became a tangible campaign symbol for the excesses of money in politics.
Rex Sinquefiled’s blimp.
“…We smiled and waved, sittin’ there on that sack of seeds.” (September 20, 2014)
The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys (October 1, 2014)
Follow the blimp, then check the area for concentrations of hot air… (October 11, 2014)
The twenty-something campaign consultants who spend Rex Sinquefield’s money think your stoopit (October 22, 2014)
Campaign Finance: maybe the blimp is running out of gas (October 24, 2014)
The campaign consultants who spend Rex Sinquefield’s money think your stoopit – part 2 (October 28, 2014)
Campaign Finance: rearranging the deck chairs on the blimp (December 24, 2014)
Our friends at Progress Missouri sponsored a progressive summit in Columbia, Missouri on December 5 and 6, 2014.
ACLU Program Associate Mustafa Abdullah at Progress Missouri’s Progressive Summit in Columbia, Missouri.
I <3 Columbia (December 6, 2014)
I <3 Columbia – part 2 (December 6, 2014)
Progressive Summit in Columbia, Missouri – December 6, 2014 (December 7, 2014)
Progressive Summit in Columbia, Missouri – New Media – December 6, 2014 (December 8, 2014)
