Monthly Archives: May 2024

Ballot Candy – part 2

17 Friday May 2024

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Missouri Capitol Building, Jefferson City, Missouri [2023 file photo]

SJR 74 [pdf] was stalled in the Missouri Senate by a lengthy filibuster conducted by the Democratic minority. The bill would ultimately make it more difficult to pass initiatives. It was also loaded with “ballot candy” – measures already in state law which are included to make approval of this particular initiative more attractive to voters, obscuring the original intent.

The Senate sent the bill to the House for conference with the “ballot candy” removed.

Yesterday the House refused to recede (and conference) and sent it back to the Senate:

SJR74 Coleman, Mary Elizabeth HCS SS#4 SCS SJRs 74, 48, 59, 61 & 83
3890H.17C – Modifies provisions relating to constitutional amendments

Taken Up
House Refuses to Recede, Requests Senate to Take Up and Pass (H) – Request Senate adopt HCS, as amended, and take up and pass bill.

[emphasis in original]

There are approximately ten hours remaining in the legislative session.

Here’s hoping for the usual end-of-session dysfunction from the right wingnut controlled General Assembly.

Previously:

Ballot Candy (May 16, 2024)

Ballot Candy

16 Thursday May 2024

Posted by in Missouri General Assembly, Missouri House, Missouri Senate, social media

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SJR 74 [pdf] was stalled in the Missouri Senate by a lengthy filibuster conducted by the Democratic minority. The bill would ultimately make it more difficult to pass initiatives. It was also loaded with “ballot candy” – measures already in state law which are included to make approval of this particular initiative more attractive to voters, obscuring the original intent.

The bill is now awaiting conference with the House.

In social media:

Senate Democrats @MoSenDems
Senate Democrats have held the floor for over 50 hours, the longest filibuster in Missouri Senate history, to protect voters’ access to the ballot box & to stop a Republican attempt to eliminate ‘one person, one vote’.
[….]
4:52 PM · May 15, 2024

Jonathan Shorman @jonshorman
In the Missouri Senate, Democratic filibuster appears to have succeeded as Republican Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman moves to send plan to limit direct democracy back to conference committee #moleg
4:31 PM · May 15, 2024

Missouri Independent @MO_Independent
A 50-hour Democratic filibuster forced the Senate’s divided GOP majority to finally yield Wednesday evening, stalling a vote on a bill seeking to make it more difficult to amend Missouri’s constitution.
[….]
6:49 PM · May 15, 2024

The end of the legislative session is on Friday, May 17th.

Someone has a sad:

Rick Brattin (r) [2013 file photo].

State Senator Rick Brattin
[May 15, 2024]
Today 9 republicans joined with 9 democrats in an attempt to kill IP reform.
[….]

Campaign Finance: getting ready for what’s next

15 Wednesday May 2024

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Organizers and activists in Missouri gathered and submitted signatures for an initiative to place women’s reproductive rights, women’s health care, and access to abortion on the ballot. The submitted signatures are in the process of certification. Missourians for Constitutional Freedom is the coalition and conduit for the petition drive and campaign.

Yesterday at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C232407 05/14/2024 Missourians for Constitutional Freedom Abortion Action Missouri Foundation 1210 S. Vandeventer Ave St Louis MO 63110 5/13/2024 $8,928.51

C232407 05/14/2024 Missourians for Constitutional Freedom Mary Reilly 4451 Gibson Ave St Louis MO 63110 not employed 5/13/2024 $25,000.00

C232407 05/14/2024 Missourians for Constitutional Freedom Ned and Nora Golterman 118 Surrey Hills Dr St Louis MO 63117 Golterman & Sabo Inc Manager 5/14/2024 $20,000.00

[emphasis added]

Earlier:

C232407 05/11/2024 Missourians for Constitutional Freedom Hayden McNeese Reilly 846 Bungalow Ct New Orleans LA 70119 artist 5/10/2024 $25,000.00

[emphasis added]

Keep it coming in. Missourians for Constitutional Freedom.

“I will not go quietly back to the 1950s”

Previously:

Chutzpah (Kansas) (August 4, 2022)

Campaign Finance: Not too sure about that (January 16, 2024)

Missourians for Constitutional Freedom – women’s rights initiative petition for 2024 ballot (January 18, 2024)

Campaign Finance: Remember Kansas? Missouri is next. (January 19, 2024)

Campaign Finance: own it (January 19, 2024)

Campaign Finance: We’re not in Kansas anymore (January 19, 2024)

Mark Alford (r) – failure to read the womb, again (January 21, 2024)

Campaign Finance: More (January 22, 2024)

Campaign Finance: and more (January 23, 2024)

Campaign Finance: It does, but not in the way you think. (January 23, 2024)

Campaign Finance: and even more (January 26, 2024)

Campaign Finance: “No one expects the anti-choice imposition” (January 26, 2024)

Campaign Finance: this is the beginning, not the end (February 1, 2024)

Campaign Finance: keep it coming (February 4, 2024)

Campaign Finance: philanthropy (February 6, 2024)

Missourians for Constitutional Freedom – volunteer training, petition signing, rally – Kansas City, Missouri – February 6, 2024 (February 6, 2023)

Rev. Holly McKissick – Missourians for Constitutional Freedom – Kansas City – February 6, 2024 (February 7, 2024)

Rabbi Doug Alpert – Missourians for Constitutional Freedom – Kansas City – February 6, 2024 (February 7, 2024)

Dr. Iman Alsaden – Missourians for Constitutional Freedom – Kansas City – February 6, 2024 (February 8, 2024)

Hartzell Gray – Missourians for Constitutional Freedom – Kansas City – February 6, 2024 (February 8, 2024)

Campaign Finance: the world in which they want you to exist (February 9, 2024)

Signing, Everywhere, All at Once (February 10, 2024)

Campaign Finance: definitely a global impact (February 16, 2024)

Campaign Finance: forward (February 21, 2024)

Campaign Finance: still more (February 23, 2024)

Campaign Finance: more forward (February 26, 2024)

Campaign Finance: keep it coming in (March 5, 2024)

Signing the Petition – Sedalia, Missouri – March 17, 2024 (March 17, 2024)

Campaign Finance: there’ll be more (March 20, 2024)

Signing the Petition – Warrensburg, Missouri – April 5, 2024 (April 5, 20204)

Campaign Finance: sign the petition (April 10, 2024)

Sign the Petition (April 15, 2024)

Signing the petition in Lexington, Missouri (April 23, 2024)

Campaign Finance: on several levels (April 27, 2024)

Signing the Petition in Raymore, Missouri (April 28, 2024)

Campaign Finance: guess what’s next (April 29, 2024)

This morning in Jefferson City, Missouri – delivering the signed petitions (May 3, 2024)

This morning in Jefferson City, Missouri – delivering the signed petitions – part 2 (May 3, 2024)

This morning in Jefferson City, Missouri – rally for abortion rights at the Capitol (May 3, 2024)

Abortion Rights Rally in Jefferson City – May 3, 2024 – Press Gaggle (May 4, 2023)

Abortion Rights Rally in Jefferson City – May 3, 2024 – Tori Schafer, ACLU Missouri (May 5, 2024)

Abortion Rights Rally in Jefferson City – May 3, 2024 – Kennedy Moore, Abortion Action Missouri (May 5, 2024)

Abortion Rights Rally in Jefferson City – May 3, 2024 – Dr. Jennifer Smith, Missouri Healthcare Professionals for Reproductive Rights (May 6, 2024)

Campaign Finance: next steps (May 7, 2024)

Campaign Finance: That’s a lot of promise. For what?

13 Monday May 2024

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Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C232396 05/13/2024 American Promise PAC Pacifica Consulting Services, LLC 1067 N. Mason Rd. Ste. 2 St Louis MO 63141 5/13/2024 $1,000,000.00

[emphasis added]

Must be nice.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: pretty soon, we’d be talking about some serious money (March 31, 2023)

Campaign Finance: The promise of what? (June 30, 2023)

Pay your dues, sign that loyalty oath

13 Monday May 2024

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Or you can face down the MAGA extremists in your party and take it back. Last week:

8 GOP candidates can’t run as Republicans, Missouri judge rules. They’d refused morals test. (May 9, 2024)

8 GOP candidates can’t run as Republicans, Missouri judge rules. They’d refused morals test

A circuit court judge on Thursday evening ruled that the county clerk improperly placed their names on the ballot. “I think the judge ruled correctly,” said Mark McCloskey, the attorney representing the county’s Republican committee. “Here is the bottom line: What this means is that no one but the party gets to decide who runs on that party’s ticket. … They can file as independents.”

[….]

“…Vetting is the vaccine that stops the virus cold.”

[….]

“…the vaccine that stops the virus cold…”

Ironic, isn’t it, coming from MAGA world?

The court really had no choice. In the past:

Herschel Young (r): a letter from the Missouri Democratic Party (March 1, 2012)

[….]
Enclosed is a check for the return of your membership dues. The Missouri Democratic Party does not believe you are qualified to hold the office you seek and we note that you were elected to an office you currently do not hold as a member of the Missouri Republican Party. Please feel free to file your Declaration of Candidacy as an independent or as a member of another political party. Enclosed is a copy of a letter to Secretary of State Carnahan returning your filing fee.
[….]

Definitely different criteria, but the political party still gets to decide.

Campaign Finance: that would be reasonable

13 Monday May 2024

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Yesterday at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C242706 05/12/2024 Protect Majority Rule MO National Education Assoc-PAC 1810 East Elm Street Jefferson City MO 65101 5/10/2024 $25,000.00

C242706 05/12/2024 Protect Majority Rule The Fairness Project P.O. Box 21337 Washington DC 20009 5/10/2024 $6,677.03

[emphasis added]

Protect Majority Rule – Active
MECID: C242706
Committee Type: Campaign
[….]
Supported/Opposed Ballot Measure
Measure Election Date Subject Political Subdivision Support/Oppose
TBD 11/5/2024 Statewide ballot measure to protect majority rule and direct democracy Statewide Support

Committee History
Scan Title Scan Date Report Year
Statement of Committee Organization 01/25/2024 2024

[emphasis added]

Protect majority rule and direct democracy. You’d think. The right wingnut controlled Missouri General Assembly super majority doesn’t.

Knock on wood

12 Sunday May 2024

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This afternoon, in west central Missouri:

Red-bellied Woodpecker. Melanerpes carolinus.
Canon 5D III, Tamron 150-600.
F 6.3, 1/320, ISO 400, 600 mm.

Red-bellied Woodpecker. Melanerpes carolinus.
Canon 5D III, Tamron 150-600.
F 6.3, 1/500, ISO 400, 600 mm.

Red-bellied Woodpecker. Melanerpes carolinus.
Canon 5D III, Tamron 150-600.
F 6.3, 1/640, ISO 400, 552 mm.

Red-bellied Woodpecker. Melanerpes carolinus.
Canon 5D III, Tamron 150-600.
F 6.3, 1/640, ISO 400, 500 mm.

Everyday people

11 Saturday May 2024

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This past week Missouri Democrats elected national delegates at congressional district meetings across Missouri for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. On Thursday evening 4th Congressional District Democrats gathered in Warsaw, Missouri to elect four national delegates, two women and two men, for Joe Biden.

Before the speeches by prospective national delegates, scheduled to start shortly after 7:00 p.m., the location had been open for several hours for an activist training session and county and ward delegate registration. Only elected county and ward delegates in the 24-county congressional district can vote for the allocated national delegates. In the period before 7:00 p.m. declared national delegate candidates visited with the county and ward delegates, soliciting their votes.

After 7:00 p.m. registration for the elected county and ward delegates closed. The doors to the location were locked – I’m assuming figuratively. Observers and media remained, but were not eligible to vote.

After a brief description of the procedure national delegate candidates were invited up to the microphone in turn to present short speeches soliciting support for their candidacy.

Eligible county and ward delegates then voted and submitted their written ballots. The ballots were counted and the elected national delegates were announced.

No one at the meeting was paid to do this. Some of the county and ward delegates and national delegate candidates have been long-time party activists. Some for decades. Other participants were new to the process. All shared a commitment to the Democratic process. All, everyday people.

Previously:

4th Congressional District Democratic Party Meeting – Delegate Selection – Warsaw, Missouri – May 9, 2024 (May 9, 2024)

Aurora Borealis – Missouri

11 Saturday May 2024

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Last night, east of Henrietta, Missouri [- 39.228696, -93.876340]:

Canon 5D III, 1.8 50 mm (“nifty fifty”)
F 1.8, 15 seconds, ISO 400, 50 mm.
Unprocessed.

Canon 5D III, 1.8 50 mm (“nifty fifty”)
F 1.8, 15 seconds, ISO 400, 50 mm.
Unprocessed.

At 9:30 p.m. we looked at each other and said, “Let’s go.” Grabbed a camera and a tripod and drove north (toward more rural areas, with less light pollution). Started out at a state recreation area parking lot. Thought we may have seen something. We continued further north on MO 13.

Arrived at a spot north of the Missouri river on a county highway pullout, east of MO 13 and east of Henrietta, Missouri. Spent a while looking at the glow in the sky and taking the long exposure images.

Eventually we ended up 50 miles north of where we started. Turned around and drove back home. It took us three hours.

You can see the stars through the Aurora (zoom in).

Note the faint aircraft track (left):

Canon 5D III, 1.8 50 mm (“nifty fifty”)
F 1.8, 20 seconds, ISO 400, 50 mm.
Unprocessed.

From our first stop at Maple Leaf Lake Recreation Area [38.993367, -93.784648]:

Canon 5D III, 1.8 50 mm (“nifty fifty”)
F 1.8, 10 seconds, ISO 800, 50 mm.
Unprocessed.

Canon 5D III, 1.8 50 mm (“nifty fifty”)
F 1.8, 10 seconds, ISO 800, 50 mm.
Unprocessed.

Canon 5D III, 1.8 50 mm (“nifty fifty”)
F 1.8, 10 seconds, ISO 800, 50 mm.
Unprocessed.


Previously:

Coronal Mass Ejection (May 10, 2024)

Coronal Mass Ejection

10 Friday May 2024

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Today:

NASA Watch @NASAWatch
** URGENT NOAA Scale: G4 – Severe **

#SpaceWeather Message Code: ALTK08
Serial Number: 31
Issue Time: 2024 May 10 1744 UTC
ALERT: Geomagnetic K-index of 8, 9-
Threshold Reached: 2024 May 10 1739 UTC
Synoptic Period: 1500-1800 UTC
Active Warning: Yes
NOAA Scale: G4 – Severe
[….]
12:54 PM · May 10, 2024″

SPACE WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
SEVERE GEOMAGNETIC STORM STILL LIKELY

The Sun, this afternoon, from west central Missouri:

Canon 5D III, 2.8 70-200 mm, 2X III.
F 11, 1/4000, ISO 200, 400 mm.

Canon 5D III, 2.8 70-200 mm, 2X III.
F 11, 1/3200, ISO 200, 400 mm.