In 2014 we posted almost nine hundred stories on government and politics here at Show Me Progress. A significant number documented the scourge of unlimited money in Missouri politics. Other posts covered the people and events who affected and will affect the people of Missouri.
We were in the side gallery of the House and caught the moment with a camera when Representative Keith English was escorted to the floor by a member of the republican majority to cast the deciding vote to override Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of SB 509, a law with far reaching negative consequences for civilization as we know it in Missouri. If you think that’s all hyperbole you haven’t been paying attention.
Representative Keith English, another of the General Assembly’s leading intellectual lights, made the mistake of picking a fight with Blue Girl on Facebook.
Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) met Randy Huggins’ grandson for the first time at the lineup before the start of the University of Central Missouri homecoming parade.
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 continue our retrospective of some of the pictures and stories we consider to be memorable.
A constituent in a rural area of the 4th Congressional District expressed their displeasure with Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) – February 2014
Minority Leader Jacob Hummel (D) on the floor of the House – May 6, 2014.
To no avail – after a rally for Medicaid expansion at the state Capitol – May 6, 2014.
Representative Chris Kelly (D) on the floor of the House – May 8, 2014.
The defense cuts from sequestration must end. Fed gov should provide for a strong nat’l defense. [….] 10:03 AM – 23 Dec 2014
The reality:
The share of world military expenditure of the 15 states with the highest expenditure in 2013 – Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
And some Twitter replies:
Lorker @Lorker009
@RepHartzler cut back on a war or 2 we need military bac home to protect us from our own Gov lol 10:13 AM – 23 Dec 2014
Because not all wars can be civil? lol!
Bob Yates @OldDrum
@RepHartzler So, what tax increases to you propose? (I assume a balanced budget is important that you would not just increase spending.) 4:18 PM – 24 Dec 2014
Interesting question. Too bad Representative Hartzler (r) would never think of it.
2015 and 2016 are gonna be very interesting years.
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.
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.
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.