Monthly Archives: June 2019

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (r): “…it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less…”

12 Wednesday Jun 2019

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Another rejection of a petition for a referendum on the subject of HB 126 – which radically shuts down abortion in Missouri.

Pre 1973 2019 medical equipment.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (r) [2019 file photo].

Another press release:

For immediate release: June 11, 2019
[….]
Ashcroft Rejects Third Referendum Petition

Jefferson City, Mo. — Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft today rejected the third referendum petition on House Bill 126 for failing to comply with the Missouri Constitution. On May 17, 2019, the legislature passed HB126. The Governor signed HB126 on May 24 which included an “emergency clause,” a section that made a portion of the law effective immediately.

“The Constitution of Missouri may not be changed – and never has been changed – without a vote of the people,” Ashcroft said.

Approving a referendum petition in which a portion of the law is already in effect would set a new precedent in Missouri. Although the Missouri Constitution (Article III, Section 49) states the people may approve or reject by referendum any “act” of the general assembly, never in Missouri history has a secretary of state approved a referendum petition in which a portion of the law was already in effect. Additionally, a secretary of state has never approved a referendum of only a portion of an act of the legislature.

A small number of state constitutions provide an option to refer a portion of a law to the people for a vote, but Missouri does not have that option. As an example, the Maryland Constitution provides for a referendum of “any Act, or part of any Act” of the general assembly. In Oregon, a referendum on an “Act or part thereof” may be ordered by a petition. The State of Washington’s Constitution allows for a referendum of “all or part of any act, bill, or law” passed by the legislature. The Constitution of Arizona provides for a referendum of “any item, section, or part of any measure” and allows for the rest of the measure to become law.

—30—

“The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master—that’s all.” – Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass

In the Missouri Constitution:

Article III
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT
Section 52a

Referendum–exceptions–procedure.

Section 52(a). A referendum may be ordered (except as to laws necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health or safety, and laws making appropriations for the current expenses of the state government, for the maintenance of state institutions and for the support of public schools) either by petitions signed by five percent of the legal voters in each of two-thirds of the congressional districts in the state, or by the general assembly, as other bills are enacted. Referendum petitions shall be filed with the secretary of state not more than ninety days after the final adjournment of the session of the general assembly which passed the bill on which the referendum is demanded.
Source: Const. of 1875, Art. IV, § 57.

Uh, the Maryland, Oregon, Arizona, etc. state Constitutions have nothing to do with Missouri.

“…it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less…”

“…Referendum petitions shall be filed with the secretary of state not more than ninety days after the final adjournment of the session of the general assembly which passed the bill on which the referendum is demanded.”

The petition has to be filled not more than ninety days after the final adjournment of the General Assembly which passed the law. That’s it. There’s no restriction if the law is in “effect” or not at the time the petition is filled.

So, Jay, tell us who’s trying to rewrite the Missouri Constitution without a vote of the people?

Previously:

HB 126 and HB 127: catering to their single issue base (December 3, 2018)

Gov. Mike Parson (r): Alabama, hold my beer… (May 15, 2019)

Gov. Mike Parson (r): New York is shorthand for what? (May 16, 2019)

Medieval (May 17, 2019)

Sen. Denny Hoskins (r): post session victory dance over any individal woman’s personal medical decisions (May 17, 2019)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): the 13th Century GOP in 21st Century America (May 20, 2019)

HB 126: the elephant in the womb (May 24, 2019)

HB 126: “…here for the ratio” (May 25, 2016)

Missouri: Medieval (May 28, 2019)

ACLU: Referendum Petition filed on HB 126 (May 28, 2019)

Women’s Health Care in Missouri – 1, Gov. Mike Parson (r) – 0 (May 31, 2019)

Our nation turns its eyes to Missouri (June 1, 2019)

State Auditor Nicole Galloway (D): Gov. Mike Parson (r) and HB 126 – “…extreme and cruel.” (June 3, 2019)

In the Medieval State of Missouri (June 4, 2019)

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (r): Emergency! Emergency! (June 7, 2019)

Campaign Finance: fighting HB 126

This evening – House Sparrows. Passer domesticus.

12 Wednesday Jun 2019

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In west central Missouri:

House Sparrows. Passer domesticus.
Canon 5D III, 2.8 70-200 mm, 2x III.
F 6.3, 1/320, ISO 800, 400 mm.

House Sparrows. Passer domesticus.
Canon 5D III, 2.8 70-200 mm, 2x III.
F 6.3, 1/400, ISO 800, 400 mm.

House Sparrows. Passer domesticus.
Canon 5D III, 2.8 70-200 mm, 2x III.
F 6.3, 1/320, ISO 800, 400 mm.

House Sparrow. Passer domesticus.
Canon 5D III, 2.8 70-200 mm, 2x III.
F 6.3, 1/320, ISO 800, 400 mm.

House Sparrows. Passer domesticus.
Canon 5D III, 2.8 70-200 mm, 2x III.
F 7.1, 1/400, ISO 800, 250 mm.

House Sparrows. Passer domesticus.
Canon 5D III, 2.8 70-200 mm, 2x III.
F 7.1, 1/400, ISO 800, 230 mm.

Personality cult

12 Wednesday Jun 2019

Posted by in media criticism, meta

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The “middle” is a myth.

Over 5,000 miles of driving in a month of road trips across America – from the desert Southwest to Washington, D.C.

Sunk costs. They will vote for Donald Trump (r), no one else, no matter what. Courting their votes in 2020 is a fool’s errand for any Democratic Party candidate. Inside the D.C. beltway conventional wisdom be damned. Fool’s errand, D.C. conventional wisdom – same difference.

They left out nude model and third wife:

Be best.

Campaign Finance: they intend to make the rubble bounce

11 Tuesday Jun 2019

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Yesterday at the Missouri Ethics Commission for the PAC propping up Governor Mike Parson (r):

C180490 06/10/2019 Uniting Missouri PAC HEALTHPAC PO BOX 60 JEFFERSON CITY MO 65102 6/10/2019 $50,000.00

C180490 06/10/2019 Uniting Missouri PAC DEALERS INTERESTED IN GOVERNMENT PO BOX 245 JEFFERSON CITY MO 65102 6/10/2019 $10,000.00

[emphasis added]

That’s a total of $85,000.00 for the PAC in June.

Happy? Probably.

Governor Mike Parson (r) [2018 file photo].

Previously:

Campaign Finance: Even more happiness! (April 9, 2019)

Governor Mike Parson (r): April Campaign Finance Report – 2019 (April 17, 2019)

Campaign Finance: jump on that bandwagon (May 15, 2019)

Campaign Finance: make some, someone happy (May 21, 2019)

Campaign Finance: we’re running out of happiness references (May 21, 2019)

Campaign Finance: $25,000.00 and $10,000.00 (May 29, 2019)

Campaign Finance: adding to the total (June 3, 2019)

Campaign Finance: piling it on (June 4, 2019)

Rep. Dean Dohrman (r): making legislative and word salads

10 Monday Jun 2019

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Or, letting a lobbyist pull your puppet strings.

“…’A lot of people come with a lot of ideas. I talk to constituents, they may mention something to me, I look into it. There’s some reason the law is the way it is. We can or can’t proceed with their suggestion,’ Dohrman told The Star…”

What the hell does that even mean?

Representative Dean Dohrman (r) [2016 file photo].

It’s about HB 573 and SB 259 and gutting Title IX in Missouri – for someone with a personal agenda.

Yesterday in the Kansas City Star:

Saga of Missouri Title IX bills shows sway of lobbyists, dark money in state government

[….]

Toward the end of October 2018, McIntosh met with state Rep. Dean Dohrman, R-La Monte, a friend who would sponsor the House version of the bill. McIntosh followed up with Dohrman and his staff by sending a series of articles decrying what he called a lack of due process for those accused of sexual assault on campus.

[….]

For the next month, the McIntoshes and Dohrman’s legislative staff worked together to write the bill.

They exchanged drafts, with both McIntosh and his wife outlining provisions they wanted included. The bill was crafted such that the expulsion of McIntosh’s son could have been retroactively appealed to the board of commissioners that his mother presided over.

In an email to Dohrman last fall, a nonpartisan legislative analyst assisting with the bill said, “You should be aware that significant legal concerns are likely to be raised regarding this legislation.”

Dohrman said he didn’t involve himself in the details of the bill’s drafting.

“I put in some input here and there, of course, but that’s a complicated matter and I thought it was best for me to hear it out through the whole process before I put in my two cents, if you will,” he said. “It wasn’t a blind acceptance on my part.”

“When I get a bill that’s extremely complicated I kind of let the person work it out,” Dohrman told The Star in recent interview. “You know, and we had (legislative research) involved, and I was there of course. I just kind of let it work out to see where it went.”

Dohrman said that McIntosh’s involvement shouldn’t lead people to believe lobbyists write all laws.

“A lot of people come with a lot of ideas. I talk to constituents, they may mention something to me, I look into it. There’s some reason the law is the way it is. We can or can’t proceed with their suggestion,” Dohrman told The Star. “Lobbyists, of course, that’s their job, and they’re there more often, but it’s an open process, as it should be.”

[…]

“…It wasn’t a blind acceptance on my part…” Narrator: “It was.”

“…Dohrman said that McIntosh’s involvement shouldn’t lead people to believe lobbyists write all laws…” This one.

“…Lobbyists, of course, that’s their job, and they’re there more often, but it’s an open process, as it should be….” “Open process”. That’s laughable. We wouldn’t be reading about this sordid tale if the republican majority in the General Assembly had managed to gut CLEAN Missouri provisions about Missouri Sunshine Law access to legislative communications.

Previously:

HB 573: Why? Who? (March 9, 2019)

SB 259: Really? For what purpose? (March 11, 2019)

HB 573 and SB 259: Let the army of lobbyists go forth… (March 12, 2019)

HB 573 and SB 259: What took you so long? (March 12, 2019)

HCS HB 573: if you put marshmallows and sprinkles on a mud pie it’s still a mud pie (March 13, 2019)

“…political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Prize…” (April 24, 2019)

Campaign Finance: fighting HB 126

08 Saturday Jun 2019

Posted by in campaign finance, Missouri General Assembly, Missouri Governor

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Will wonders never cease?

Pre 1973 2019 medical instruments.

Yesterday at the Missouri Ethics Commission from a very reliable past benefactor of the republican party on behalf of a PAC supporting a referendum to overturn the ant-abortion HB 126:

C190866 06/07/2019 Committee to Protect the Rights of Victims of Rape & Incest David Humphreys PO Box 4050 Joplin MO 64803 Tamko Holdings, Inc. Chairman and CEO 6/6/2019 $1,000,000.00

[emphasis added]

You read that right.

The PAC is brand new:

C190866: Committee To Protect The Rights Of Victims Of Rape & Incest
Committee Type: Campaign
Po Box 794
Jefferson City Mo 65102
Established Date: 05/30/2019
[….]
Ballot Measure History
Ballot Measures Election Date Subject Support/Oppose
Referendum Petition Re Hb 126 11/03/2020 Petition To Refer Hb 126, Which Enacts New Provisions Relating To Abortion, To The Voters For Their Approval Or Rejection. Support

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (r) says the referendum isn’t going to happen. David Humphreys just put $1,000,000.00 down on saying that it is. We’ll find out.

Previously:

HB 126 and HB 127: catering to their single issue base (December 3, 2018)

Gov. Mike Parson (r): Alabama, hold my beer… (May 15, 2019)

Gov. Mike Parson (r): New York is shorthand for what? (May 16, 2019)

Medieval (May 17, 2019)

Sen. Denny Hoskins (r): post session victory dance over any individal woman’s personal medical decisions (May 17, 2019)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): the 13th Century GOP in 21st Century America (May 20, 2019)

HB 126: the elephant in the womb (May 24, 2019)

HB 126: “…here for the ratio” (May 25, 2016)

Missouri: Medieval (May 28, 2019)

ACLU: Referendum Petition filed on HB 126 (May 28, 2019)

Women’s Health Care in Missouri – 1, Gov. Mike Parson (r) – 0 (May 31, 2019)

Our nation turns its eyes to Missouri (June 1, 2019)

State Auditor Nicole Galloway (D): Gov. Mike Parson (r) and HB 126 – “…extreme and cruel.” (June 3, 2019)

In the Medieval State of Missouri (June 4, 2019)

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (r): Emergency! Emergency! (June 7, 2019)

Today in Washington, D.C.

07 Friday Jun 2019

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United State Constitution, Article I. LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT Section IX Clause VIII:

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

People have similar ideas.

‘Thumbs down”