Representative Chris Molendorp (r) (123rd Legislative District – Cass County) sent an e-mail to his constituents expressing his displeasure with the Appellate Apportionment Commission:

The map of the new legislative districts in Cass County – from the Appellate Apportionment Commission.

[….]

Rep. Chris Molendorp – Capitol Report – December 2, 2011 – My thoughts on the redistricting maps for the legislative districts in Missouri.

December 2, 2011

[….] Belton has been split from Raymore for the first time in 20 years! District 123 is no longer in Cass County.

I will run for re-election in the newly created 56th District which includes all of Belton, Loch Lloyd, Martin City, Richards-Gebaur and the new Honeywell Plant, Cleveland, Freeman, West Line, Everett, Main City, Drexel and the Northwest Corner of Bates County. Over 34,000 Cass Countians are in this district, along with 720 Bates Countians and 1,442 Jackson County residents. The majority of my constituents in the old 123rd District are still in the newly created 56th District with the exception of the City Limits of Raymore.

As a Cass County native, I’m thrilled to serve a larger geographic area of Cass County. While Belton and Raymore’s population has grown too much to be kept together, it’s shameful that Raymore was cut up into pieces by the panel of judges who clearly have never been in Cass County or care about our citizens. It’s even more ridiculous that our County Seat, Harrisonville, was cut into two pieces as well. At the VERY MINIMUM, a County Seat with a population less than the average State Representative district should stay together as a “community of interest”. This seems to be a simple concept. Then again, these are judges that determined California and Columbia should share a district and that Warrensburg should be split in two through the campus of UCM. Other communities like Washington, Perryville and Farmington got split up, too. I guess the common theme is that judges don’t live in places like that. They must live in bigger, better communities with gates and 24 hour security; they don’t have time to consider the needs of trailer trash like us. Besides, it’s hard to get a good look at the typical Missouri community from the back seat and through the tinted windows.

That’s ok, no hard feelings. I won’t consider ANY of this when I’m considering their budget next year and their $130,000 salaries. Or their case loads. Or their appointment until they turn 70. Naw, I’ll let that go…

Revenge is a dish that’s best eaten cold…

The map of the old legislative districts in Cass County – from the Appellate Apportionment Commission.

…This isn’t about D or R. And this isn’t about a district needing to completely honor the incorporated “city limit” lines of a particular town. City limit lines change over time, growth or recession, annexation or de-annexation change the incorporated “lines” of a city or village often. Just look at Pleasant Hill, Belton or Raymore. My folks moved to Peculiar in 1977. City limit lines have changed a dozen times since then. No, this is an issue that’s larger than that. This is about our communities in the broader sense. This is about preserving “communities of interest”; those communities that share colleges, interstate highways, water districts, school districts, levee districts and fire protection districts. This is about districts that share common employers and common culture. This has nothing to do about how you vote. This is about districts that are compact and contiguous and not districts that look like commas and spider webs on the map. How can I argue that my new district is a “community of interest”? While the Cass County portion is absolutely a “community of interest”, the northern boundary of my district is now Blue Ridge Blvd and State Line Road. The Southern boundary is Highway 18, just north of Merwin and Adrian. Seriously. No, I’m serious. Click the link and look at the map.

I will work for them, too, but I think a reasonable Cass Countian recognizes what a silly argument it would be to say rural Bates County and Richards-Gebaur look alike, have the same culture, economy and employment patterns. Martin City, RG, Belton and Loch Lloyd-sure, close in geography and culture, close to KC; yeah, that’s pretty reasonable. Cleveland and Freeman are just south; many folks there drive into the city to work; we share Cass County-yeah that’s ok, too. But to make my district 37 miles in one direction when there are 100,000 people in Cass County in an easily identified, compact and contiguous area? To split our County Seat and our second largest town is a silly argument, too. Well, the judges never called me. I’m just a dumb legislator….

A comment on the State Senate maps: I’m curious as to how a community of 100,000 people-US-gets split into THREE Senate districts, one of which goes to Hermitage, one that goes into Clay County and another that puts us in with Blue Springs. Clearly the judges view Cass County as an insignificant community full of people not worthy of representation. In all three examples, needs of the state’s ninth largest county will fall behind the needs of everyone else. Cass County will be forgotten.

[….]

s/Chris Molendorp

“…District 123 is no longer in Cass County…”

Uh, the district numbers can change with redistricting. They have in the past, they did this time, and they will in the future.

“…Revenge is a dish that’s best eaten cold…”

Yeah, he actually put that in writing.

Those state insurance exchanges for individuals without insurance which were enabled by the federal health care reform law? Representative Chris Molendorp (r), Chair of the House Health Insurance Committee, has introduced a bill in the General Assembly to set up Missouri’s:

HB 609

Establishes the Show-Me Health Insurance Exchange Act

Sponsor: Molendorp, Chris (123)

Proposed Effective Date: 8/28/2011

LR Number: 1237L.02I

Last Action: 2/23/2011 – Read Second Time (H)

Bill String: HB 609

Next Hearing: Hearing not scheduled

Calendar: Bill currently not on a calendar

The bill.

Interesting. There are no co-sponsors.

We received the following press release:

Patty Johnson Announces Candidacy for State Representative

Alderman Bobby Davidson and Lyle Gregory Join Patty at campaign kick-off

BELTON – Raymore attorney Patty Johnson announced today that she is seeking the Democratic nomination for State Representative in the 123rd district, which encompasses Belton and Raymore in Cass County. Patty owns her own firm in Raymore and she works as a guardian ad litem for children and as a family law mediator.

“As a small business owner and the daughter of a farmer, I understand the value of hard work and see first-hand the problems and difficulties facing families in our community.  Our families need a voice for common sense and I will be that voice,” said Johnson.

Belton Alderman Bobby Davidson and Raymore attorney Lyle Gregory joined Johnson as she kicked-off her campaign on Main Street in Belton.

“It is time for new leadership in state government.  Patty will put working families first over special interests as our State representative and that’s why I’m proud to support her,” said Bobby Davidson.

“Given Patty’s community leadership and her commitment to helping families in need, she is absolutely the best choice as our next State Representative,” said Lyle Gregory.

Patty serves as the President of the Board of Directors for Hope Haven, Cass County’s Domestic Violence Shelter, and she is Secretary for Bel-Ray Sunrise Lions Club.  Patty and her husband Jerry are actively involved in St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Raymore.

###

The 123rd Legislative District covers northwest Cass County immediately south of Jackson County. The seat is currently held by republican Chris Molendorp who is in his first term. By Representative Molendorp’s (r) list of bill sponsorship we see that he’s interested in insurance, all kinds of ethics reform, and he’s a “tenther”.

Looking at Molendorp’s fourth quarter 2009 campaign finance report, filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission in January, we see :

Detailed Summary of Committee Disclosure Report

Committe: FRIENDS OF CHRIS MOLENDORP

1. TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR THIS ELECTION PREVIOUSLY REPORTED $8,650.00

2. ALL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED THIS PERIOD $8,500.00

9. TOTAL ALL RECEIPTS THIS ELECTION(SUM 1B + 7A – 8A) $17,150.00

25. MONEY ON HAND AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (INCLUDING FUNDS IN DEPOSITORY, CASH, SAVINGS ACCOUNTS AND ALL OTHER INVESTMENTS) $2,270.29

28. MONEY ON HAND AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 25 + 26 – 27) $9,016.68

[emphasis added] That’s some burn rate.

And where did Molendorp’s contributions come from?:

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received

Committee: FRIENDS OF CHRIS MOLENDORP

Report Date: 1/11/2010

A. ITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM COMMITTEES REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT, OR FROM PERSONS GIVING MORE THAN $100 TO A COMMITTEE.

RightCHOICE Managed Care, Inc.  Cincinnati, OH 12/11/2009 $1,000.00

Gene A. Molendorp Peculiar, MO retired 10/31/2009 $500.00

CHC of Kansas  KCMO 10/30/2009 $150.00

MO Optometric Assn Jefferson City, MO 10/30/2009 $200.00

GKC MO Dental PAC Jefferson City, MO 11/17/2009 $250.00

MO Correctional Officers Assoc Jefferson City, MO 10/12/2009 $300.00

Friends of Vicky Hartzler Harrisonville, MO 10/13/2009 $250.00

MO Assn of Insurance & Financial Advisors PAC Jefferson City, MO 10/12/2009 $500.00

Wal-Mart, Inc. Bentonville, AR 12/31/2009 $250.00

NRA Political Victory Fund Fairfax, VA 12/31/2009 $250.00

MO Assn of Municipal Utilities Columbia, MO 12/05/2009 $150.00

American Family Insurance MO PAC St. Joseph, MO 12/04/2009 $350.00

RGA Reinsurance Company Chesterfield, MO 12/31/2009 $300.00

Terry Reardon Village of Loch Lloyd, MO  retired 11/23/2009 $1,000.00

ATT Missouri Employee Political Action Committee St. Louis, MO 11/16/2009 $200.00

Anheuser-Busch Cos., Inc. St. Louis, MO 11/13/2009 $500.00

MO ASSN of Nurse Anesthetists PACJefferson City, MO 11/15/2009 $325.00

Long Term Care Leadership PAC Jefferson City, MO 12/28/2009 $1,000.00

Missouri Independent Banker Assn PAC  Liberty, MO 11/23/2009 $325.00

( 8. TOTAL: ITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS THIS PERIOD : $7,800.00 )

Vicky Hartzler? That ‘s all you need to know.

So much for the grass rootsie feel of the rest. And what’s with the dental PAC?

HB 1588 Changes the penalty for any person practicing dentistry or dental hygiene without a license

Sponsor: Molendorp, Chris (123) Proposed Effective Date: 08/28/2010

CoSponsor: LR Number: 4286L.01I

Last Action: 01/13/2010 – Read Second Time (H)

HB1588

Next Hearing: Hearing not scheduled

Calendar: Bill currently not on a calendar

Can you picture some kid in Belton at bedtime when he’s told to go brush his teeth replying, “But Representative Molendorp introduced a bill making it a felony to practice dental hygiene without a license. I don’t have my license yet…”

HB 1620 Prohibits any contract between a health insurer and a dentist from requiring the dentist to provide services in a dental plan at a fee established by the insurer if the services are not covered in the plan

Sponsor: Molendorp, Chris (123) Proposed Effective Date: 08/28/2010

CoSponsor: Swinger, Terry (162) LR Number: 4285L.01I

Last Action: 01/14/2010 – Read Second Time (H)

HB1620

Next Hearing: Hearing not scheduled

Calendar: Bill currently not on a calendar

A twofer! Dentistry and Insurance!

Let’s look election result from that 2008 open seat election:

Official Election Returns

State of Missouri General Election  – 2008 General Election

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

As announced by the Board of State Canvassers

on Tuesday, December 02, 2008

State Representative – District 123 – Summary

Precincts Reporting 18 of 18

Molendorp, Chris REP 11,643 56.2%

Alonzo, Juan I. DEM 9,058 43.8%

Total Votes   20,701

This race is doable.