Category Archives: Missouri Senate

SB 992: about those legal bills

23 Thursday Dec 2021

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A bill, prefiled yesterday:

SB 992 Creates provisions relating to attorney’s fees for certain civil actions brought against political subdivisions
Sponsor: Beck
LR Number:4655S.04I
Last Action:12/22/2021 – Prefiled
Effective Date:August 28, 2022

Current Bill Summary

SB 992 – In a civil action brought by the Attorney General against a political subdivision, including school districts, the court shall award attorney’s fees, court costs, and all other expenses incurred by the political subdivision or school district in defense of any such action brought if the action is terminated in favor of the political subdivision or school district.

Additionally, any award of attorney’s fees or other expenses incurred by the political subdivision or school district shall be paid by funds appropriated to the Attorney General by the General Assembly on an annual basis for the expenses relating to the operation, personal costs, and equipment of the Attorney General’s office, and shall not be paid from any other designated, statutory, or administrative fund.

[….]

Eric the Litigious will have a sad if this comes to pass.

Eric Schmitt (r) [2021 file photo].

Eric Schmitt (r) [2021 file photo].

Campaign Finance: you get what you pay for

25 Monday Oct 2021

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Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C131072 10/25/2021 Onder For Missouri Doug Mueller 11 Big Country Circle OFallon MO 63368 Mueller Prost Accountant 10/23/2021 $5,001.00

C131072 10/25/2021 Onder For Missouri John OBrien 420 Charlemagne Lake Saint Louis MO 63367 Retired 10/23/2021 $10,000.00

C131072 10/25/2021 Onder For Missouri Matthew Conoyer 74 Castle Bluff St Charles MO 63304 Midwest ENT Physician 10/23/2021 $5,001.00

[emphasis added

For what?:

Dr. Bob Onder @BobOnderMO
This Indian slum contained COVID-19 with hydroxychloroquine plus vitamin D& zinc. Very encouraging. Comes on heels of ⁦@HenryFordNews ⁩ study on HCQ plus Zpack. #moleg
[….]
6:29 AM · Jul 23, 2020

From the National Institutes of Health (NIH):

November 24, 2020
Hydroxychloroquine doesn’t benefit hospitalized COVID-19 patients

[….] Larger, well-designed studies were needed to determine if hydroxychloroquine was a safe and effective treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection. In April, NIH launched a clinical trial at 34 hospitals nationwide to test the medication. The study was funded by NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

By June, the study was stopped because interim results showed the drug neither caused harm nor improved patient outcomes. The trial had enrolled 479 of the expected 510 patients. Earlier in the month, the FDA had revoked its emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. It cited a lack of benefit as well as risks, such as serious heart rhythm problems. [….]

The scientists also found no differences in any of 12 additional outcomes, which included mortality 28 days after assignment to a treatment group or time to recovery. Based on the data, they concluded that hydroxychloroquine was not an effective treatment. [….]

Studies in the United Kingdom and Brazil had similar results. [….]

Dr. Bob Onder @BobOnderMO
In fact, they averaged 2.6 “comorbitities.” Although every death is a tragedy, many, many people died WITH #COVID19 , not OF #COVID19. The survival rate overall is 99.8% (CDC data) heavily weighted toward older, sicker individuals.
[….]
2:08 PM · Aug 30, 2020

From the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in the United States to date:

TOTAL CASES 45,316,210
+77,933 New Cases
CASES IN LAST 7 DAYS 491,071
TOTAL DEATHS 733,834
+1,834 New Deaths
CDC | Data as of: October 24, 2021 5:23 PM ET. Posted: October 24, 2021 5:53 PM ET

From the World Health Organization (WHO):

Estimating mortality from COVID-19
Scientific Brief
4 August 2020

[….]
Case fatality ratio (CFR) is the proportion of individuals diagnosed with a disease who die from that disease and is therefore a measure of severity among detected cases:

Reliable CFRs that can be used to assess the deadliness of an outbreak and evaluate any implemented public health measures are generally obtained at the end of an outbreak, after all cases have been resolved (affected individuals either died or recovered).
[….]
Calculating CFR during an ongoing epidemic
CFR calculated using the above formula during ongoing epidemics provides a conditional, estimate of CFR and is influenced by lags in report dates for cases and deaths [13]. This leads to a wide variation in CFR estimates over the course of an epidemic, which tends toward a stable, final estimate of CFR as active cases are resolved.

One simple solution to mitigating the bias due to delays to case resolution during an ongoing outbreak is to restrict the analysis to resolved cases [….]

In the United States – to date:

Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) [%] = (733,834 [total deaths]/45,316,210 [total cases} x 100

CFR = 1.62%

Dr. Bob Onder @BobOnderMO
In #HB271 we also banned #COVIDPassports! No Missourian should be subject to restrictions on their movement or personal liberties for declining to participate in an intrusive COVID passport scheme. #moleg ⁦@Koenig4MO @jmmurphy8⁦ @BenBrownTweets #Freedom
[….]
8:13 PM · May 12, 2021

Sure, that sounds like a really good idea in a pandemic – just stick our heads in the sand and hope it all goes away.

Some people have never left junior high school

23 Saturday Oct 2021

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

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You can count on it.

Denny Hoskins (r) [2017 file photo].

Last night:

Senator Denny Hoskins, CPA @DLHoskins
Hold on a second…I thought walls don’t work??? DHS $455K for ‘security fencing’ around Biden’s beach home. #moleg
[….]
7:46 PM · Oct 22, 2021

A few responses:

I guess it is too difficult for a CPA to understand protecting a house with a wall is very different from walling off an entire country.

To think this person is a state senator, too.

No one ever said walls don’t work. Notice they arent spending billions for a few miles of wall.

Well, the one with guard towers and mine fields in central Europe sort of worked.

You’re such an obtuse nitwit.

In 2019:

White House Fence Construction

The National Park Service and United States Secret Service began construction on a new White House fence in July 2019. Construction around the 18-acre White House complex will be completed in eight phases using over 3,500 feet of steel fencing. [….]

What will the new White House fence look like?

The current 6 feet 6 inch tall fence will be replaced by an approximately 13 feet tall fence with wider and stronger fence posts. The new fence incorporates anti-climb and intrusion detection technology and is designed to mitigate current and future security threats.
[….]

June 2020:

Donald Trump Put a Fence Around the White House to Keep Demonstrators Away. It Is Now Completely Covered in Protest Art
The fence is designed to keep people at least 600 feet away from the president’s residence.

The fence erected outside the White House by President Donald Trump to keep demonstrators at least 600 feet away has been transformed into a memorial wall for George Floyd and a protest site demanding racial and social justice.[….]

Trump, who campaigned on the promise of building a wall on the Mexican border, had 1.7 miles of fencing put around the White House, preventing anyone from entering Lafayette Park and other open spaces around the White House, where demonstrators have protested for more than 100 years. [….]

November 2020:

On the Eve of the Election, the White House Puts Up Extra Fencing in the Dark

Crews began erecting extra security fencing around the White House Monday evening. The fencing appears to be similar to the type installed around the White House complex this past August in advance of President Trump’s RNC speech. These barriers are in addition to fencing that went up downtown following protests earlier this summer [….]

November 2020:

Secret Service planning for Trump spending lots of his post-presidency in Palm Beach

[….] ABC said renovations to the president’s and first lady’s living quarters are underway with the expectation they’d start spending more time there when Biden becomes president and that the Secret Service has “begun looking at physical reinforcements” to Mar-a-Lago. The agency declined to comment on “the means, methods or resources we utilize to carry out our protective mission,” ABC said. [….}

Bad combover. Check. Too long red tie. Check. Orange spray tan. Check. Tiny hands. Check. Cluelessness. Check…

So, anyone want to start adding up the cost of golfing trips?

More faux chicken outrage

23 Thursday Sep 2021

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Denny Hoskins (r) [2016 file photo].

Last night:

Senator Denny Hoskins, CPA @DLHoskins
You have to be kidding me?!?!? Chick-fil-A dropped from group of restaurants planned for new KCI terminal
[….]
8:53 PM · Sep 22, 2021

MCI is in the 21st Senate District? Fast food? Really?

Only two responses, so far:

So, public entities should allow businesses even if they aren’t inclusive. Thanks for the input.

Did you have the same reaction when the gay history exhibit was pulled from the Missouri State Museum?

Well?

Previously:

Why the faux outrage? MCI isn’t in Virginia. (September 22, 2021)

Campaign Finance: always enough

05 Sunday Sep 2021

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Where were you on January 6, 2021?

This past week at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C131123 09/01/2021 Hill For Missouri Justin Hill 85 Knowledge Ct Lake Saint Louis MO 63367 Self Employed Benefits Consultant 9/1/2021 $100,000.00

So, that cancel thing didn’t hurt too much then?

Hill For Missouri – Active
MECID: C131123
[….]
Committee Type: Candidate

Committee Information History
Candidate
Justin S Hill
[….]
Republican
[….]
Election Outcome Political Office
8/2/2022 Primary Election State Senator District 2 Missouri State Senate

Previously:

Missouri explained (November 15, 2020)

Wait, you were trying to cancel the true results of an election (January 14, 2021)

What are they afraid of?

03 Friday Sep 2021

Posted by in Missouri General Assembly, Missouri Governor, Missouri House, Missouri Senate

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Representative Crystal Quade (D) – House Minority Leader [2019 file photo].

[House Minority Leader] Crystal Quade [D]
STATEMENT
Governor offers false excuse for pulling LGBT exhibit

“The Parson administration’s removal of an exhibit on LGBT history from the Missouri Capitol Museum was disappointing. That the governor lied about his reasons for doing so is indefensible. The statutory procedure the governor says wasn’t followed for approving exhibits does not exist. State law authorizes the Board of Public Buildings to allocate space to the museum but gives the board no power to determine the content of exhibits, and there is no evidence the board has ever done so. The governor had no justification for removing this exhibit and no excuse for not restoring it.”

Oops.

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

It’s taking long enough

26 Saturday Jun 2021

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

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During the latest regular legislative session the right wingnut controlled Missouri General Assembly failed to continue the legislation enabling the previously non-controversial Federal Reimbursement Allowance [FRA] program for Missouri.

There is a looming deadline for legislation to implement the program before it impacts Medicaid and forces cuts in other general revenue funded areas.

Governor Mike Parson (r) called a special session of the General Assembly in attempt to deal with the mess. The General Assembly is now in that special session.

John Rizzo (D) [2019 file photo].

Senator John Rizzo (D):

J O H N R I Z Z O @JohnJRizzo
The MO Senate has passed a 3yr FRA. This version has NO LANGUAGE banning birth control & NO LANGUAGE defunding providers. Good work by all involved, especially the Senate Women who removed the list of birth control from the final bill.
1:18 AM · Jun 26, 2021

Early this morning, From the Senate Journal [pdf]:

Journal of the Senate
FIRST REGULAR SESSION
FIRST EXTRA SESSION
FOURTH DAY—SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 2021
[….]
REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES

Senator Hough, Chairman of the Committee on Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight, submitted the following report:

Mr. President: Your Committee on Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight, to which was referred SS No. 3 for SB 1, begs leave to report that it has considered the same and recommends that the bill do pass.

THIRD READING OF SENATE BILLS

SS No. 3 for SB 1, introduced by Senator Hegeman, entitled:

SENATE SUBSTITUTE NO. 3 FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 1

An Act to repeal sections 190.839, 198.439, 208.152, 208.437, 208.480, 338.550, and 633.401, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof seven new sections relating to MO HealthNet. Was taken up.

On motion of Senator Hegeman, SS No. 3 for SB 1 was read the 3rd time and passed by the following vote:

YEAS—Senators
Arthur Bean Beck Bernskoetter Brown Cierpiot Crawford
Eigel Eslinger Gannon Hegeman Hough Luetkemeyer May
Mosley O’Laughlin Razer Rehder Riddle Rizzo Roberts
Rowden Schatz Schupp Washington White Wieland Williams—28

NAYS—Senators
Brattin Burlison Koenig Moon Onder—5

Absent—Senators—None
Absent with leave—Senator Hoskins—1
Vacancies—None

The President declared the bill passed.
On motion of Senator Hegeman, title to the bill was agreed to.
Senator Hegeman moved that the vote by which the bill passed be reconsidered.
Senator Rowden moved that motion lay on the table, which motion prevailed.
[….]

Denny Hoskins (r) [2016 file photo].

Previously:

“The buck stops…somewhere over there” (June 22, 2021)

On the mark (June 22, 2021)

Now what? (June 22, 2021)

Denny Hoskins (r): sleeping through school as an aspirational model for life (June 23, 2021)

If you take the health care out of Medicaid, is it still Medicaid? (June 25, 2021)

Denny Hoskins (r): sleeping through school as an aspirational model for life

23 Wednesday Jun 2021

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It’s there. In ink.

The first page of the United States Constitution [1787] – National Archives

The first page of the United States Constitution [1787] – National Archives – detail

[….]
Article. I.
[….]
Section. 2.
The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.

No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitledFederal to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.
[….]

“…Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons…”

Free Persons. Three fifths of all other Persons.

Denny Hoskins (r) [2017 file photo].

“Useless laws weaken the necessary laws.” – Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (1689 – 1755)

Today in the legislative special session which is supposed to address the right wingnut controlled Missouri General Assembly failure in the regular session to continue the legislation enabling the previously non-controversial Federal Reimbursement Allowance [FRA] program for Missouri:

FIRST EXTRAORDINARY SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 5 [pdf]
101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR HOSKINS.
2833S.01I ADRIANE D. CROUSE, Secretary
AN ACT

To amend chapter 160, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to public school
curriculum and instruction.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:

1 Section A. Chapter 160, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto
2 one new section, to be known as section 160.2550, to read as
3 follows:

1 160.2550. 1. For the purposes of the provisions of
2 this section, “divisive concepts” shall mean concepts that:
3 (1) One race or sex is inherently superior to another
4 race or sex;
5 (2) The United States is fundamentally racist or
6 sexist;
7 (3) An individual, by virtue of his or her race or
8 sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether
9 consciously or unconsciously;
10 (4) An individual should be discriminated against or
11 receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of his or
12 her race or sex;
13 (5) Members of one race or sex cannot avoid treating
14 others differently with respect to race or sex;
15 (6) An individual’s moral character is necessarily
16 determined by his or her race or sex;
17 (7) An individual, by virtue of his or her race or
18 sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past
19 by other members of the same race or sex;
20 (8) Any individual should feel discomfort, guilt,
21 anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on
22 account of his or her race or sex;
23 (9) Meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic
24 are racist or sexist, or were created by a particular race
25 to oppress another race;
26 (10) Promote any form of race or sex stereotyping,
27 including ascribing character traits, values, moral and
28 ethical codes, privileges, status, or beliefs to a race,
29 sex, or an individual because of his or her race or sex; or
30 (11) Promote any form of race or sex scapegoating,
31 including assigning fault, blame, or conscious or
32 unconscious bias to one or more members of a race or sex and
33 including claims that, consciously or unconsciously, any
34 person is inherently racist, sexist, or inclined to oppress
35 others by virtue of their race or sex.
36 2. It shall be the policy of the state board of
37 education not to promote or allow divisive concepts in
38 public school curricula or instruction.

What a pandering ahistorical fool.

Uh, in 1787, at the founding of our nation and in our Constitution there were those who were not “free Persons” who were defined as 3/5 of a person. If that isn’t fundamentally racist, what is?

The Red Lily, Anatole France

…For the poor it consists in sustaining and preserving the wealthy in their power and their laziness. The poor must work for this, in presence of the majestic quality of the law which prohibits the wealthy as well as the poor from sleeping under the bridges, from begging in the streets, and from stealing bread…

Previously:

“The buck stops…somewhere over there” (June 22, 2021)

On the mark (June 22, 2021)

Now what? (June 22, 2021)

Too stupid to remember to breathe (June 23, 2021)

Medicaid expansion? What Medicaid expansion?

03 Monday May 2021

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The Rural Health Safety Net Under Pressure: Rural Hospital Vulnerability
February 2020

[….]

States in the Southeast and lower Great Plains have borne the brunt of the closure crisis. States experiencing the highest number of rural hospital closures since 2010 include Texas (20), Tennessee (12), Oklahoma (7), Georgia (7), Alabama (6) and Missouri (6). Our analysis shows that hospitals located in states that have not adopted Medicaid expansion have lower median operating margin and have a higher percentage of rural hospitals operating with a negative operating margin (see Figure 2). Of the eight states with the highest levels of closures since 2010, none are Medicaid expansion states.

[….]

Similarly, states with the highest number of ‘at risk’ facilities are Texas (36), Kansas (19), Missouri (15), Nebraska (14) and Mississippi (13). While Nebraska has seen only one rural hospital close since 2010, Missouri has lost six and Kansas and Mississippi have each lost five.

[….]

Denny Hoskins (r) [2017 file photo].

What the right wingnut controlled Missouri General Assembly spends its time on – an email update from Denny Hoskins (r):

District 21 Capitol Report, Week of 04-29-2021
Denny Hoskins
Week of April 26, 2021

Fighting the Fight

This week one of the most anticipated bills of the 2021 legislative session came up for debate in the Senate chamber. The initial discussion on Senate Bill 39, the Second Amendment Preservation Act, went as might be expected. Proponents of the bill (which I am proudly one of) argued the measure is necessary to protect the rights of Missourians in the face of gun control proposals from the current administration in Washington, D.C. The bill would exempt Missouri from any federal laws that restrict the right to keep and bear arms in violation of the U.S. and Missouri Constitutions. Opponents of the bill held the floor with inquiries and amendments. This went on for several hours before the sponsor laid the bill on the informal calendar. I’m confident we’ll have another opportunity to pass SB 39 (or the House version) before the end of session on May 14. It won’t be easy, and I’m bracing for a hard-fought effort to overcome opposition if we’re going to get this through to the finish.

Also this week, the Senate debated my Senate Bill 98. A comprehensive package of legislation relating to gaming in Missouri, the bill is the result of five years of work and compromise. I have met with any and every party willing to come to the table to negotiate a regulatory framework for gaming in our state. Fellow legislators, regulators, concerned citizens and businesses of all sizes have consistently been willing to work with me in this endeavor.

I believe the measure I presented to the Senate this week would finally address the proliferation of illegal gaming machines across Missouri, while providing increased opportunities for the state’s residents to participate in games and place wagers in a legal, regulated gaming environment. The legislation would authorize a system of video lottery terminals, and bring sports bets out of the shadows. Together, these activities could provide more than $200 million in new revenue for education and veteran’s programs in our state.

I am disappointed the discussions surrounding SB 98 eventually reached an impasse on the Senate floor. However, I am not discouraged. I believe Missourians desire safe, legal and fair gaming opportunities and I am convinced our schools and veteran’s facilities could benefit greatly from these activities. I will continue to work with anyone willing to engage in honest, productive discussions about ending illegal gambling in our state and replacing it with regulated games that benefit all Missourians.

In other legislative action, my Senate Bill 152 received a “do pass” recommendation from the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee. This bill brings Missouri’s 529 education savings program in line with federal 529 plans and also expands gifted education programs in local schools. I’m hopeful the full House will approve this bill, and we can get it sent to the governor’s desk.

Finally, the Senate approved its version of the state budget this week. Next week, the differences between the House and Senate appropriations bills will be sorted out by a conference committee, with members from both chambers. A final version of the Fiscal Year 2022 operating budget will need to be approved by the full General Assembly prior to 6 p.m. Friday, May 7. All eyes were on the Senate chamber Wednesday night to see whether we would appropriate money for Medicaid expansion. We did not. I joined with 19 other members of the Senate to vote to defeat Medicaid expansion. My vote to oppose the increase is consistent with the will of the voters of my district, as well as my promise to oppose Medicaid expansion that I made to voters in 2016 and 2020.

[….]

From the Missouri Secretary of State:

State of Missouri – Primary Election, August 04, 2020
Constitutional Amendment No. 2 [Medicaid expansion] 3575 of 3575 Precincts Reported
YES 676,687 53.275%
NO 593,491 46.725%
Total Votes: 1,270,178

It’s now in the Missouri Constitution.

For right wingnut republicans that doesn’t matter, it’s all about the cruelty.