“….The choice facing members of the legislature has never been clearer: they can support Senate Bill 509 or they can support public schools, but they cannot do both….”

Today, from Governor Jay Nixon (D):

Gov. Nixon issues statement on data showing the impact of Senate Bill 509 on funding for local public schools

April 17, 2014

Senate Bill 509 would drain $620 million annually from public education and other priorities.

Jefferson City, MO

Gov. Jay Nixon today issued the following statement regarding data requested by the Missouri School Boards Association showing the impact Senate Bill 509 would have on local school districts across the state.

“These new numbers show that if the legislature succeeds in punching a $620 million hole in our state budget with this unaffordable giveaway to special interests, it’s our students and schools who will pay the price,” Gov. Nixon said. “Senate Bill 509 would drain hundreds of millions of dollars annually out of our K-12 schools — weakening our economy, undermining our stable business climate, and putting full funding of the foundation formula out of reach. Missourians want good schools and good jobs, not another dangerous scheme to defund our K-12 classrooms.”

According to the fiscal estimate produced by the legislature, Senate Bill 509 would reduce state revenues by more than $620 million annually when fully implemented.  K-12 education is heavily dependent on general revenue, so public schools are affected disproportionately by measures that reduce the general revenue budget, such as Senate Bill 509.

“Missouri already has the sixth lowest taxes in the nation and even the conservative Tax Foundation has slammed these ill-conceived gimmicks for failing to create jobs or generate economic growth,” Gov. Nixon said. “For our state to succeed in today’s high-tech global economy, we need to our students to be prepared to compete worldwide. But instead of investing in public education, this legislature has chosen to funnel money away from our classrooms and into the pockets of lawyers and lobbyists who need it the least.  The choice facing members of the legislature has never been clearer: they can support Senate Bill 509 or they can support public schools, but they cannot do both.”

Senate Bill 509 includes a 25 percent tax deduction for so-called “business-income.”  This type of income is often reported by wealthier individuals, such as lawyers and lobbyists, with LLCs or corporate partnerships.  In February, the right-leaning Tax Foundation wrote that “special carve-outs like this simply encourage individuals to structure themselves as pass-through entities for tax reasons, even if there is no economic or business reason for doing so.”

Instead of the unaffordable approach taken by Senate Bill 509, Gov. Nixon has laid out a proposal to fully fund the K-12 foundation formula and give working families a responsible tax cut by reining in wasteful tax credit expenditures.

Over the coming days, the Governor said his administration would continue to review the bill to identify any additional unintended consequences or drafting errors.

A link to the breakdown of district funding levels if Senate Bill 509 becomes law is available here.  The data was generated using the same methodology used by education groups in assessing the impact of House Bill 253 last year.

How the “Friends of K-12 and Higher Education” voted [pdf] in the House:

JOURNAL OF THE HOUSE

Second Regular Session, 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

FIFTY-THIRD DAY, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2014

[….]

On motion of Representative Koenig, SS#3 SCS SBs 509 & 496 was truly agreed to and

finally passed by the following vote:

AYES: 104

Allen Anderson Austin Bahr Barnes

Bernskoetter Brattin Brown Burlison Cierpiot

Conway 104 Cookson Cornejo Cox Crawford

Cross Curtman Davis Diehl Dohrman

Dugger Elmer Fitzpatrick Fitzwater Flanigan

Fraker Franklin Frederick Funderburk Gannon

Gatschenberger Gosen Grisamore Guernsey Haahr

Haefner Hampton Hansen Hicks Higdon

Hinson Hoskins Hough Houghton Hurst

Johnson Jones 50 Justus Keeney Kelley 127

Koenig Kolkmeyer Korman Lair Lant

Lauer Leara Lichtenegger Love Lynch

Marshall McCaherty McGaugh Messenger Miller

Molendorp Moon Morris Muntzel Neely

Neth Parkinson Pfautsch Phillips Pike

Pogue Redmon Rehder Remole Rhoads

Richardson Riddle Roorda Ross Rowden

Rowland Scharnhorst Schatz Schieber Shull

Shumake Solon Sommer Stream Swan

Thomson Torpey Walker White Wieland

Wilson Wood Zerr Mr. Speaker

NOES: 048

Anders Black Burns Butler Carpenter

Colona Conway 10 Curtis Dunn Ellington

English Englund Frame Gardner Harris

Hubbard Hummel Kelly 45 Kirkton Kratky

May Mayfield McCann Beatty McDonald McKenna

McManus McNeil Meredith Mims Mitten

Montecillo Morgan Newman Nichols Norr

Otto Pace Peters Pierson Rizzo

Runions Schieffer Schupp Smith Swearingen

Walton Gray Webber Wright

PRESENT: 000

ABSENT WITH LEAVE: 008

Berry Ellinger Engler Entlicher Hodges

LaFaver Reiboldt Spencer

VACANCIES: 003

Speaker Jones declared the bill passed.

[….]

104 members of the House voted to screw education. And they know it.

Previously:

New Missouri Rule: if the governor governs right of center you can’t call him a “liberal” (July 1, 2013)

Bill signing Kabuki (July 12, 2013)

Rep. Chris Kelly (D): HB 253 – “I’d like to know what your opinion is.” (July 19, 2013)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r): probably not gonna sustain the Governor’s veto of HB 253 (August 19, 2013)

Sec. of State Jason Kander (D) to Texas Gov. Rick Perry (r): You forgot about that Medicaid thing? (August 23, 2013)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r) to UCM on HB 253: I don’t care, I’d rather be the new Speaker Pro Tem (August 24, 2013)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r): your constituents know what you’re doing to them (August 26, 2013)

HB 253: Because those dissolute leeches at the public trough should shut up, that’s why! (August 28, 2013)

Missouri Democratic Party on HB 253: Yes, yes, let’s talk about Texas Gov. Rick Perry (r)…. (August 28, 2013)

AG Chris Koster (D) to Speaker Jones (r) on HB 253: you all certainly made a mess of things… (August 29, 2013)

Speaker Tim Jones (r) and HB 253: hone your legal analytical skills litigating birth certificates (August 30, 2013)

HB 253: any way you slice it (September 11, 2013)

HB 253: Watch out – It’ll be baaaaaaaaaack (September 11, 2013)

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C081111 01/02/2014 GATSCHENBERGER 4 MO Chuck Gatschenberger 2491 Foxbridge Ct Lake St Louis MO 63367 State of Missouri State Representative 12/31/2013 $30,000.00

C031159 01/02/2014 MISSOURIANS FOR KOSTER Fred Weber, Inc. 2320 Creve Coeur Mill Road Maryland Heights MO 63043 12/31/2013 $7,500.00

C071320 01/02/2014 SCHMITT FOR MISSOURI Noranda Aluminum, Inc. 391 St Jude Industrial Park New Madrid MO 63869 12/31/2013 $10,000.00

[emphasis added]

Or, if you prefer, under the fourth quarter wire.

Eight hundred thirty posts (so far) this year. And it wasn’t a big election year. What follows is a list of our top traffic generating posts written in 2013. One such post generated the equivalent of two to three months of normal traffic in the period of two days. That one went viral. Posts from previous years still generate considerable traffic – that’s another beauty of the Internets. We didn’t include those posts on this list.

Here’s our list.

=================================

At Number 1:

At the Missouri State Fair last night (August 11, 2013)

Yes, the rodeo clown/Obama incident at the Missouri State Fair. The promoted post (and photo) by a registered user garnered around 35,000 unique hits over the course of two days. The thing is, if the poster had known how to attach a photo at the Great Orange Satan his post over there would have probably dropped like a rock in the queue. Instead…

=================================

At Number 2:

Of state fair rodeo announcers and clowns: res ipsa loquitur (August 12, 2013)

Our post on the rodeo clown incident on the day after.

Jason Rosenbaum ‏@jrosenbaum

This quip from ShowMeProgress’ @MBersin makes me chuckle: “Anyone interested in some posts on campaign finance?” [….] 5:33 PM – 12 Aug 13

=================================

At Number 3:

HB 170: so much for “originalism” (January 16, 2013)

A tenther gun nullification bill (what else is new?) in the Missouri House. Who knew that people were interested in lunatic fringe right wingnut legislation making its way through the General Assembly? The bill was sponsored by Representative Casey Guernsey (r).

=================================

At Number 4:

Why does Ann Wagner think she speaks for me? (September 26, 2013)

Representative Ann Wagner (r) and Obamacare. The gift that keeps on giving.

=================================

At Number 5:

License Bureau Blues (April 25, 2013)

A Penrose cartoon posted here and mentioned in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch sent traffic our way.

=================================

At Number 6:

Vicky Hartzler: Wallowing in the pork trough while children do without (July 22, 2013)

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r), one of “…fourteen Republican representatives who voted – are you ready – to cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from the farm bill while retaining massive agricultural subsidies they themselves receive…”

Representative Hartzler (r) consistently provides us with plenty of material to cover.

=================================

At Number 7:

Forward! On to the Stone Age!: The Editorial Life of Peter D. Kinder (January 2, 2013)

A sampling of Lieutenant Governor (and possible 8th Congressional District candidate) Peter Kinder’s (r) newspaper editorials written back in the days when they didn’t buy electrons by the terabyte.

=================================

At Number 8:

Missouri Women United – march and rally in Jefferson City (April 27, 2013)

Yes, we still live in a world where we have to protest this stuff.

=================================

At Number 9:

HB 291: keping misooree stoopit (January 4, 2013)

Representative Rick Brattin (r) strikes another severe blow against intelligent…

=================================

At Number 10 (tie):

The high cost of the Missouri GOP’s Obamacare tantrum (March 31, 2013)

We talked about republican intransigence on Medicaid in Missouri. We’ll continue to do so.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D) at the NRLCA convention in St. Louis – August 13, 2013 (August 14, 2013)

The National Rural Letter Carriers Association held their convention in St. Louis. Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) spoke:

“…And keep in mind that when I left Washington, uh, almost two weeks ago Congress had sent thirteen bills to the President’s desk. The smallest number in the history of the republic. And most of those were naming post offices. [laughter, applause] That’s hardly postal reform. [laughter]…”

=================================

Honorable mention:

Norman Rockwell ain’t got nothin’ on the real Kansas City – part 3 (September 7, 2013)

Our posted videos of Representative Emanuel Cleaver’s (D) town hall on Syria were cited by Digby (another a-list national political blog). They didn’t provide the post URL, but instead linked to the main Show Me Progress URL. It did generate a lot of traffic.

Previously:

The Political Year in Pictures – 2013 – part 1 (December 29, 2013)

The Political Year in Pictures – 2013 – part 2 (December 29, 2013)

The Political Year in Pictures – 2013 – part 3 (December 29, 2013)

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.

We took our annual road trip to the Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa on September 15, 2013:

Vice President Joe Biden, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, and Senator Tom Harkin in Indianola, Iowa (September 15, 2013).

The Harkin Steak Fry 2013 – photos (September 15, 2013)

Yep, that’s about it (September 16, 2013)

‘Twas an epic roadtrip, that’s for sure (September 16, 2013)

Joe Biden at Harkin Steak Fry video by Jerry Schmidt (September 17, 2013)

And less than a week later, in Kansas City:

President Obama at the Ford Stamping Plant in Liberty, Missouri (September 20, 2013).

President Obama in Kansas City – September 20, 2013 (September 20, 2013)

President Obama in Kansas City – September 20, 2013 – photos (September 20, 2013)

President Obama in Kansas City – September 20, 2013 – photos – part 2 (September 21, 2013)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r) has a sad because President Obama visited Missouri (September 21, 2013)

President Obama in Kansas City – September 20, 2013 – republican hostage taking on the debt (September 22, 2013)

We took close to two thousand images at each event.

Previously:

The Political Year in Pictures – 2013 – part 1 (December 29, 2013)

The Political Year in Pictures – 2013 – part 2 (December 29, 2013)

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.

Ah yes, August:

It wasn’t our photo.

August. The Missouri State Fair Rodeo caused quite a stir. And we were close to the center of it. Yes, the rodeo clown incident:

….Most of the traffic spike has subsided. Near as we can tell, the main post, ancillary posts, and our site entry URL combined for a traffic spike of 35,000 unique hits. That’s the equivalent of three to five months (depending on the time of year) of normal traffic. We’ve had traffic spikes in the past, just nothing like this[.]…

At the Missouri State Fair last night (August 11, 2013)

Of state fair rodeo announcers and clowns: res ipsa loquitur (August 12, 2013)

You know you’ve struck a nerve… (August 12, 2013)

What happened in Sedalia didn’t stay in Sedalia (August 12, 2013)

We don’t get a lot of mail (August 13, 2013)

If heads rolling was a rodeo event… (August 13, 2013)

Seriously? (August 14, 2013)

The Rodeo, The Crowd, Their Clown & His Announcer (August 16, 2013)

Rodeo Quote of the Week (August 17, 2013)

Ye shall know them by their fruits (August 19, 2013)

“Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries. “ (August 20, 2013)

We get clown mail (August 20, 2013)

In that period we also took a trip to St. Louis to cover the Rural Letter Carriers Association National Convention:

Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) addressing the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association

convention in St. Louis, Missouri (August 13, 2013).

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D) at the NRLCA convention in St. Louis – August 13, 2013 (August 13, 2013)

And a few days later:

The Governor’s Ham Breakfast at the Missouri State Fair – 2013 (August 15, 2013)

It just wasn’t as well attended this year.

Then there was Syria. Our coverage of Representative Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City town hall on Syria on September 5, 2013 was noted at another a-list national blog:

Suppose they gave a town hall before rushing off to war and everybody came (September 5, 2013)

Norman Rockwell ain’t got nothin’ on the real Kansas City (September 5, 2013)

Norman Rockwell ain’t got nothin’ on the real Kansas City – part 2 (September 6, 2013)

A short interview with Rep. Cleaver after last night’s town hall (September 6, 2013)

Norman Rockwell ain’t got nothin’ on the real Kansas City – part 3 (September 7, 2013)

Norman Rockwell ain’t got nothin’ on the real Kansas City – part 4 (September 7, 2013)

Norman Rockwell ain’t got nothin’ on the real Kansas City – part 5 (September 7, 2013)

Norman Rockwell ain’t got nothin’ on the real Kansas City – part 6 (September 7, 2013)

Norman Rockwell ain’t got nothin’ on the real Kansas City – part 7 (September 8, 2013)

Norman Rockwell ain’t got nothin’ on the real Kansas City – part 8 (September 8, 2013)

Norman Rockwell ain’t got nothin’ on the real Kansas City – part 9 (September 8, 2013)

September was definitely interesting.

Previously:

The Political Year in Pictures – 2013 – part 1 (December 29, 2013)

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.

In May we witnessed the end of the republican controlled General Assembly train wreck in Jefferson City:

Representative Chris Kelly (D) on the floor of the House in Jefferson City (May 14, 2013).

It’s the last week of the session (May 14, 2013)

May as well (May 15, 2013)

KC-Area Faith Leaders on SB29, Paycheck Deception (May 15, 2013)

Faith, Hope, Charity…and Persistence (May 15, 2013)

Point of Order – HSA 1 to HA 5 to SB 224 (May 16, 2013)

Curse the darkness (May 17, 2013)

Truman Days in Jackson County, Missouri:

Arizona Representative Raul Grijalva (D) was the keynote speaker at the Jackson County Democratic Committee’s

annual Truman Days dinner in Kansas City on May 18, 2013.

That’s Liza with a Z, not Lisa with an S… (May 18, 2013)

Truman Days in Jackson County – 2013 (May 18, 2013)

Truman Days 2013 – Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D) – Breakfast Keynote – May 18, 2013 (May 19, 2013)

Truman Days 2013 – Attorney General Chris Koster – May 18, 2013 (May 20, 2013)

Truman Days 2013 – Rep. Raul Grijalva (D) – May 18, 2013 (May 20, 2013)

In June Missouri Boys State attracts a number of political speakers:

Bob Woodward, associate editor of the Washington Post, speaking in Warrensburg

at Missouri Boys State on the campus of the University of Central Missouri (June 18, 2013).

Missouri Boys State – 2013 (June 16, 2013)

Kansas City Mayor Sly James – Missouri Boys State – June 16, 2013 (June 17, 2013)

State Treasurer Clint Zweifel (D) – Missouri Boys State – June 17, 2013 – one word (June 17, 2013)

State Treasurer Clint Zweifel (D) – Missouri Boys State – June 17, 2013 (June 18, 2013)

State Treasurer Clint Zweifel (D) – Missouri Boys State – June 17, 2013 – Q and A (June 18, 2013)

Bob Woodward – Missouri Boys State – June 18, 2013 (June 19, 2013)

Bob Woodward – Missouri Boys State – June 18, 2013 – Q and A, parts 1, 2 & 3 (June 20, 2013)

Bob Woodward – Missouri Boys State – June 18, 2013 – Q and A, parts 4 & 5 (June 20, 2013)

Secretary of State Jason Kander (D) – Missouri Boys State – June 20, 2013 (June 20, 2013)

State Auditor Tom Schweich (r) – Missouri Boys State – June 20, 2013 (June 21, 2013)

Kansas City Mayor Sly James on gun violence and the Missouri General Assembly (June 28, 2013)

Our coverage of the posturing at a bill signing in July got us some notice and traffic from the Great Orange Satan:

Governor Jay Nixon (D), in Warrensburg on the campus of the University of Central Missouri to sign SB 381 into law (July 11, 2013).

New Missouri Rule: if the governor governs right of center you can’t call him a “liberal” (July 1, 2013)

Bill signing Kabuki (July 12, 2013)

Rep. Chris Kelly (D): HB 253 – “I’d like to know what your opinion is.” (July 19, 2013)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r): probably not gonna sustain the Governor’s veto of HB 253 (August 19, 2013)

Sec. of State Jason Kander (D) to Texas Gov. Rick Perry (r): You forgot about that Medicaid thing? (August 23, 2013)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r) to UCM on HB 253: I don’t care, I’d rather be the new Speaker Pro Tem (August 24, 2013)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r): your constituents know what you’re doing to them (August 26, 2013)

HB 253: Because those dissolute leeches at the public trough should shut up, that’s why! (August 28, 2013)

Missouri Democratic Party on HB 253: Yes, yes, let’s talk about Texas Gov. Rick Perry (r)…. (August 28, 2013)

AG Chris Koster (D) to Speaker Jones (r) on HB 253: you all certainly made a mess of things… (August 29, 2013)

Speaker Tim Jones (r) and HB 253: hone your legal analytical skills litigating birth certificates (August 30, 2013)

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) gave us plenty to write about in the past year – just not too many opportunities for photos, though:

Zack Brown, of Representative Vicky Hartzler’s (r) district staff, at a constituent “listening post” in Warrensburg on August 7, 2013.

Epistemic closure, still here, alive, kicking, though not quite screaming (August 7, 2013)

August was going to get really interesting.

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.

Medicaid expansion. We’re still going to be talking about it in 2014. And talking. And talking:

Governor Jay Nixon (D) greets nursing students after speaking on Medicaid expansion in Warrensburg, Missouri on March 15, 2013.

Gov. Jay Nixon (D): on Medicaid expansion – Warrensburg, Missouri – March 15, 2013 (March 15, 2013)

Gov. Jay Nixon (D): press avail[a]bility – Warrensburg, Missouri – March 15, 2013 (March 16, 2013)

Lilly Ledbetter spoke on the campus of the University of Central Missouri in early April:

Lilly Ledbetter  (April 3, 2013).

Lilly Ledbetter – Politics and Social Justice – April 3, 2013 (April 4, 2013)

Sen. Jolie Justus (D) – Politics and Social Justice – April 4, 2013 (April 5, 2013)

Lilly Ledbetter: a short coda (April 6, 2013)

A future governor:

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster (D) speaking in Belton, Missouri on April 14, 2013.

AG Chris Koster (D) – Back to Blue Dinner – Belton, Missouri – April 13, 2013 (April 14, 2013)

Sen. Paul LeVota (D) – Back to Blue Dinner – Belton, Missouri – April 13, 2013 (April 14, 2013)

Women and men continue to march:

Missouri Women United march and rally in Jefferson City (April 27, 2013).

Missouri Women United – march in Jefferson City on April 27th (April 15, 2013)

Missouri Women United – march and rally in Jefferson City (April 27, 2013)

Missouri Women United – signs (April 28, 2013)

And we’ll still be talking about immigration in 2014. And talking. And talking. Representative Luis V. Gutierrez (D) joined  Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) for an immigration town hall on the campus of MCC-Penn Valley in Kansas City on May 4, 2013:

Representative Luis V. Gutierrez (D) at Representative Emanuel Cleaver’s (D) immigration town hall in Kansas City on May 4, 2013.

Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D): Immigration town hall in Kansas City – May 4, 2013 (May 5, 2013)

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D): Immigration town hall in Kansas City – May 4, 2013 (May 5, 2013)

Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D): Q and A – Immigration town hall in Kansas City – May 4, 2013 (May 5, 2013)

Missouri Boys State is taking place this week in Warrensburg on the campus of the University of Central Missouri. Close to one thousand boys from across the state are participating in the program. This year sixteen boys from the People’s Republic of China are participating as part of the US-China Youth Leadership Exchange. Keynote speakers this week include Kansas City Mayor Sly James, State Treasurer Clint Zweifel, Bob Woodward, Secretary of State Jason Kander, and State Auditor Tom Schweich.

Jill Druskis, Director of the American Legion Commission on Americanism

and the American Legion Commission on Children and Youth.

Matt Dameron, a long time Missouri Boys State volunteer, introducing Kansas City Mayor Sly James.

Kansas City Mayor Sly James was the keynote speaker this evening.

After his address he took questions from Boys State citizens.

Previously:

That’s Liza with a Z, not Lisa with an S… (May 18, 2013)

We’re covering the Jackson County Democratic Committee annual Truman Days celebration at the Holiday Inn Coco Key in Kansas City this weekend. Last night the hospitality suites were open:

Jessica Podhola  (right), Executive Director of the Jackson County Democratic Committee.

Working people!

You got that right.

Judy Baker.

A young Democrat.

Crystal Williams, President of the Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus

Tonight the featured speaker is U.S. Representative, Congressman Raúl Grijalva of Arizona. Other scheduled speakers include Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, State Treasurer Clint Zweifel, Secretary of State Jason Kander, and Attorney General Chris Koster.

There are municipal elections all over the state today. You know what to do: vote.

By 8:00 a.m. (the polls open at 6:00 a.m.) I was the one a handful of voters who cast a ballot.