Texas Governor Rick Perry (r) is making a trip to Missouri to supposedly poach jobs. The television and radio ad text running in Missouri from a press release from Governor Perry (r):

….This is Texas Governor Rick Perry. Like most businesses, Missouri companies are looking for stability in their state’s business environment. Before they invest in the future, they want to know they’re investing wisely.

Unfortunately your governor vetoed a bill that would have lowered taxes and controlled wasteful spending, making Missouri more competitive.

Vetoing a tax cut is the same thing as raising your taxes….

Governor Perry (r) is wasting money traveling to Missouri (paid for by TexasOne) to poach jobs and advocate for a change in Missouri law (HB 253) that would ostensibly (in his opinion) make it more difficult for Texas to poach Missouri jobs? Uh, definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Yesterday Secretary of State Jason Kander (D) called out Texas Governor Rick Perry’s (r) Missouri publicity stunt. Here’s the letter from the press release:

August 22, 2013

Governor Rick Perry

Office of the Governor

P.O. Box 12428

Austin, Texas 78711-2428

Dear Governor Perry,

I read with dismay about your decision to visit Missouri and run television advertisements to try and steal jobs that our businesses have worked so hard to create over the years. I hope that you reconsider.

Instead of launching a wholesale public relations effort meant to depress Missouri’s business climate in hopes of luring jobs to Texas, I suggest you spend your time asking Texas business owners if there’s anything you can do to help their companies move forward. If a company moves to Texas as a result of your sales pitch, there’s a good chance it will leave for a better deal in some other state in the future. But if a company starts in Texas, it’s more likely to stay there.

There are some great examples of that in Missouri. Consider Express Scripts, which was founded in Missouri in 1986. Not only have they thrived in the state in which they began, they’re still growing here. This summer, the company announced it is adding 1,500 jobs here by 2018. There’s also Monsanto, which started here in 1901and now has more than 21,000 employees worldwide. In April, the company announced it would add 675 jobs right here in Missouri. On the other side of the state we have Cerner, which was founded in Kansas City in 1979. Earlier this month, the company announced it would acquire 236 acres to build a campus big enough to expand by 12,000 new employees by 2020.

Those are just a few cases, but as you can see, there is a path to gain jobs by actually growing jobs. Simply poaching jobs from one state and bringing them to another doesn’t grow our nation’s economy, so I hope you reconsider your efforts and instead look at ways to cultivate new industries and companies in Texas, rather than just trying to steal other states’ successes.

But if you choose to come to Missouri next week anyway, there is a way you can make the trip worthwhile. I read in POLITICO that you are seeking $100 million in Medicaid funding for the disabled and elderly. Our state legislature in Missouri has refused to accept additional Medicaid funding from the federal government, so it would be great if you could explain to them why they should follow your lead on this issue.

Sincerely,

Jason Kander

Missouri Secretary of State

Heh.

A press release today from Representative Denny Hoskins (r):

NEWS From the Office of

Representative Denny Hoskins

54 District

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 19, 2013

CONTACT: Rep. Denny Hoskins

[….]

Rep. Hoskins selected as Republican Caucus nominee for Speaker Pro Tem

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Rep. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, has been selected as the Republican Caucus nominee for Speaker Pro Tem of the Missouri House of Representatives. Speaker Pro Tem is the second highest leadership position in the House and is responsible for all House proceedings if the Speaker of the House is absent.

“I eagerly anticipate taking a leadership position within the House,” said Hoskins. “There is no higher honor then being recognized by your colleges. I take this position very seriously and hope to use the office of Speaker Pro Tem to better serve my constituents and the entire state of Missouri,” he added.

The vote was taken during the Republican Summer Caucus meeting help August 16th and 17th in St. Louis Missouri. The Position of Speaker Pro Tem was vacated when the previous Speaker Pro Tem, Jason Smith, was elected to Congress for the 8th District. The official vote for Speaker Pro Tem will be taken September 11th, during the annual veto session.

####

What are the odds that Representative Hoskins bucks the republican leadership and the republican caucus and votes for and with his district on HB 253? Just asking.

If “by better serve my constituents” he means screwing the school districts and the state university in his district he’s got it down cold.

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)

Via Twitter:

Me ‏@Taunia_Adams

“You can either be for public education or for House Bill 253, but you can’t be both.” #HB253Deserters get it and we thank them. #HB253 3:18 PM – 16 Aug 13

Speaker Timothy Jones (r) is not having a good day.

Speaker Timothy Jones (r), working the crowd yesterday at the Missouri State Fair.

Also today, via Twitter:

Tony Messenger ‏@tonymess

Every time @SpeakerTimJones types “FACT”, what he means is, “I don’t have the votes.” #moleg #hb253 2:29 PM – 16 Aug 13

And:

Yael T. Abouhalkah ‏@YaelTAbouhalkah 1h

@tonymess @SpeakerTimJones And I’m still waiting for links to those facts. 2:38 PM – 16 Aug 13

The St. Louis Post Dispatch and the Kansas City Star don’t appear to be particularly convinced.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: how astroturf (the fake grassroots) works (August 1, 2013)

Campaign Finance: En passant (July 31, 2013)

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

Governor Nixon saves Missouri from GOP anti-tax true believers’ leap of faith (June 6, 2013)

This evening via Twitter, from State Representative Caleb Rowden (r):

Caleb Rowden ‏@calebrowden44

MO Dems have a problem. Their 2016 Gov. candidate is in the pocket of the guy pushing 4 #HB253 override. #MOLeg #UhOh [….] 8:51 PM – 5 Aug 13

Dude, you voted for it:

[First Regular Session, 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SIXTY-SIXTH DAY, THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013]

2339 Journal of the House [pdf]

On motion of Representative Berry, SS HB 253, as amended, was truly agreed to and finally passed by the following vote:

AYES: 103

Allen Anderson Austin Bahr Barnes

Bernskoetter Berry Brattin Brown Burlison

Cierpiot Conway 104 Cookson Cornejo Cox

Crawford Cross Curtman Davis Diehl

Dohrman Dugger Elmer Engler Fitzpatrick

Fitzwater Flanigan Fraker Franklin Frederick

Gatschenberger Guernsey Haahr Haefner Hansen

Hicks Higdon Hinson Hodges Hoskins

Hough Houghton Hurst Johnson Jones 50

Justus Keeney Kelley 127 Koenig Kolkmeyer

Korman Lair Lant Lauer Leara

Love Lynch Marshall McCaherty McGaugh

Messenger Miller Molendorp Moon Morris

Muntzel Neely Neth Parkinson Pfautsch

Pike Pogue Redmon Rehder Reiboldt

Remole Rhoads Richardson Riddle Roorda

Ross Rowden Rowland Scharnhorst Schatz

Schieber Schieffer Shull Shumake Solon

Sommer Spencer Stream Swan Thomson

Torpey Walker White Wieland Wilson

Wood Zerr Mr Speaker

[emphasis added]

Pockets:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED – SUPPLEMENTAL

FRIENDS OF CALEB ROWDEN [pdf] 10/29/2012

House Republican Campaign Committee Inc. PO Box 1313 Jefferson City MO 65102 10/23/2012 $60,098.00 IN-KIND

House Republican Campaign Committee Inc. PO Box 1313 Jefferson City MO 65102 10/10/2012 $15,296.00 IN-KIND

Missouri Club for Growth PO Box 2068 St Louis MO 63158 10/11/2012 $4,000.00

[emphasis added]

One degree of separation, via the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C091068 HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC October Quarterly Report Rex Sinquefield

244 Bent Walnut Lane Westphalia MO 65085-2022 Retired 09/02/2011 $15,000.00 Monetary No

C091068 HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC January Quarterly Report Rex Sinquefield

244 Bent Walnut Lane Westphalia MO 65085-2022 Retired 12/21/2011 $100,000.00 Monetary No

C091068 HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC 30 Day After Primary Election-8/7/2012 Rex Sinquefield

244 Bent Walnut Lane Westphalia MO 65085-2022 Retired 09/01/2012 $15,000.00 Monetary No

C101046 MISSOURI CLUB FOR GROWTH POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE July Quarterly Report Rex Sinquefield

244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 05/17/2012 $500,005.00 Monetary No

C101046 MISSOURI CLUB FOR GROWTH POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE October Quarterly Report Rex Sinquefield

244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65082 Retired 08/31/2012 $160,000.00 Monetary No

[emphasis added]

Isn’t that the guy pushing for a veto override of HB 253? Just asking.

Pockets, indeed.

Meanwhile:

Nixon uses school funding scenarios to fight veto override

By Rudi Keller

Wednesday, July 24, 2013 at 2:00 pm

[….]

Rep. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, supported the bill when it passed 103-51 in May. He said yesterday that he’s not certain how he will vote on the override. Its impact on education will be a major concern, he said.

[….]

House speaker not giving up on override of Nixon’s tax cut veto

Nixon continues defense of veto.

By Rudi Keller

Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 2:00 pm

[….]

From the local delegation, Nixon can count on all three Democrats – Reps. Chris Kelly, John Wright and Stephen Webber. Rep. Caleb Jones, R-Columbia, will vote to override Nixon, but Rep. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, has not decided.

[….]

It all must depend on which pocket.

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C010081 08/05/2013 MO CHAMBER PAC Burns & McDonnell 9400 Ward Parkway Kansas City MO 64114 8/5/2013 $15,000.00

[emphasis added]

It’ll still help pay for running some of those HB 253 veto override commercials.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: how astroturf (the fake grassroots) works (August 1, 2013)

Campaign Finance: En passant (July 31, 2013)

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

Governor Nixon saves Missouri from GOP anti-tax true believers’ leap of faith (June 6, 2013)

The money to support the effort to override Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of HB 253 is trickling downhill.

Astroturfing – A professional political campaign disguised as a ‘grassroots’ uprising (astroturf is artificial grass). Also used to claim that a political opponent’s supporters are motivated not by honest philosophical disagreement but by coarse opportunism….

If the coarse opportunism fits…

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C010081 08/01/2013 MO CHAMBER PAC Grow Missouri 308 E High Street Suite 301 Jefferson City MO 65101 7/30/2013 $200,000.00

[emphasis added]

Why, that’s quite a chunk of change. Where could it have come from?:

Campaign Finance: be afraid, be very afraid (July 11, 2013)

[….]

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C131097 07/11/2013 GROW MISSOURI Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 7/9/2013 $1,300,000.00

[emphasis added]

Yep, it’s ironic. Nope, that’s not a typo.

Ah, apparently it’s all about drumming up propaganda to promote overriding Governor Jay Nixon’s (D) veto of HB 253.

Gee, who would benefit from that?

One person, one really big check, many PACs. It’s so simple even a right wingnut billionaire can fund it.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: En passant (July 31, 2013)

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

Governor Nixon saves Missouri from GOP anti-tax true believers’ leap of faith (June 6, 2013)

“…The truth is that you are being used by a small group of very self interested people.  When, in the future, you read about the manipulation of the government by a few super rich people at the expense of average citizens remember that you actively participated in just such a scheme when you sent this letter…”

Representative Chris Kelly (D). [file photo]

Representative Chris Kelly (D) replied to a letter he received on HB 253. The letter he received:

Dear Representative Kelly:

HB253 is the first opportunity in nearly 100 years to reduce taxes for all Missourians – and take a stand on the side of every day Missourians who have weathered the storm of this economic recession instead of special interests and government bureaucrats who only wish to serve their own interests.

Perhaps more importantly, HB253 would allow Missouri to stop spending and start growing by directing an increase in state revenues back to taxpayers instead of into expanding the size of government that promotes greater waste.

I urge you to support HB253 during the upcoming veto session.

Sincerely,

[xxxx]

The response from Representative Kelly (D):

Dear [xxxx],

Thank you for the letter regarding HB 253.

The bill is significant to me not simply as a state rep but also as a taxpayer.  I am 66 years old and had a heart attack this past May.  I now take six different pre[s]cription medications.  253 imposes the state sales tax on that medicine.  My pharmacist calculated that if the veto override, which you support is successful I will pay about $140 per year in sales tax; significantly more than any benefit from the income tax decrease.  I am not alone.  In fact I am probably paying less for medicine than most people in my demographic (geezers).  

The bill also imposes the sales tax on college text books.

In addition,  the bill allows income tax payers to go back three years to file amended returns and receive more refunds.  The sponsors claim that this is a “mistake”.  They now say that the prescription medicine tax is a mistake.  If anyone in the private sector made those kind of mistakes they would be fired.

That amounts to about  half a billion dollars worth of “mistakes”.  It turns out that all the “mistakes” are things wanted by Rex Sin[que]field, the guy who made more than $1.5 million in campaign contributions to the supporters of the bill.

This is one of the sloppiest bills I have seen in my 17 years in the House.  It is a disgrace that any legislator would allow it to move forward, if for no other reason than its quality.

The truth is that you are being used by a small group of very self interested people.  When, in the future, you read about the manipulation of the government by a few super rich people at the expense of average citizens remember that you actively participated in just such a scheme when you sent this letter.

The very wealthy will see a huge benefit and average people will pay the tab. Every supporter of [HB]253 should be ashamed.

A further note.  The letter you sent me is a form written by the media people who are funding the political campaign for [HB] 253.  I’d like to know what your opinion is.

Chris Kelly

And that’s how you deal with astroturf.

Heh, astroturf.

You think somebody loves them some HB 253? Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C101046 07/17/2013 MISSOURI CLUB FOR GROWTH POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 7/15/2013 $750,000.00

[emphasis added]

Jay, I wonder what they’re gonna spend all that money on? Nothing says “grassroots groundswell” like a check for three quarters of a million dollars from one person.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: be afraid, be very afraid (July 11, 2013)

Campaign Finance: total warfare, on all fronts (July 12, 2013)

Campaign Finance: total warfare, on all fronts – part 2 (July 12, 2013)

Missouri politics, where everyone is your friend and everything is all sweetness and light.

Governor Jay Nixon (D), in Warrensburg on the campus of the University of Central Missouri – July 11, 2013.

Yesterday morning in Warrensburg, on the campus of the University of Central Missouri, Governor Jay Nixon (D) signed SB 381 into law. The bill “officially defines in state statute an Innovation Campus as an educational partnership comprised of one or more Missouri public community colleges…one or more Missouri public or private four-year institution of higher education, one or more Missouri high schools or K-12 school districts, and at least one Missouri-based business.” In the scheme of things everyone involved in supporting the bill is patting themselves on the back that this is a good thing for education in the state. The amount of good varies with who you ask.

Governor Nixon (D) signing SB 381 into law – July 11, 2013.

These kinds of public self-congratulatory exercises are a magnet for state legislators in or near the districts where the bill signing takes place. The bill handlers from the Senate and the House tend to show up, too. Senator Will Kraus (r) and Representative Gary Cross (r) were in attendance and took the opportunity to heap praise. Senator David Pearce (r) and Representatives Denny Hoskins (r) and Dean Dohrman (r), who represent the districts most closely connected to the University of Central Missouri, were also in attendance. They, too, praised the bill and the institution.

An excerpt from Representative Dean Dohrman’s (r) brief remarks:

Ah, political science. That’s really interesting, considering that whole nullification thing was settled one hundred fifty years ago.

Representative Gary Cross (r) – July 11, 2013.

Representatives Dean Dohrman (r) (left) and Denny Hoskins (r) (right) – July 11, 2013.

Here’s the all too familiar Kabuki element in Missouri politics: on one hand they’ll show up for the photo op and glory in the credit for one bill which supports an institution in their district, all the while, voting for a more far reaching bill which seriously screws that same institution. They can get away with it because most of their constituents usually aren’t paying attention when the screwing actually happens. And that occurred with HB 253.  

What would HB 253 do to the University of Central Missouri, along with a whole bunch of other institutions and essential programs across the state?:

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

[….]

Governor Jay Nixon (D): With a price tag of at least eight hundred million dollars annually House Bill 253 would undermine our fiscal foundation now and for years to come. It’s the equivalent of cutting all support for higher education, all of it, closing all of our prisons, or shutting down the entire Department of mental Health. House Bill 253 is a dangerous experiment we simply cannot afford. These costs are real and immediate if my veto is not sustained.

[….]

“…These costs are real and immediate if my veto is not sustained…”

And how did those Representatives vote? The vote on HB 253, from the Journal of the House (2339) [pdf]:

[….]

On motion of Representative Berry, SS HB 253, as amended, was truly agreed to and finally

passed by the following vote:

AYES: 103

Allen Anderson Austin Bahr Barnes

Bernskoetter Berry Brattin Brown Burlison

Cierpiot Conway 104 Cookson Cornejo Cox

Crawford Cross Curtman Davis Diehl

Dohrman Dugger Elmer Engler Fitzpatrick

Fitzwater Flanigan Fraker Franklin Frederick

Gatschenberger Guernsey Haahr Haefner Hansen

Hicks Higdon Hinson Hodges Hoskins

Hough Houghton Hurst Johnson Jones 50

Justus Keeney Kelley 127 Koenig Kolkmeyer

Korman Lair Lant Lauer Leara

Love Lynch Marshall McCaherty McGaugh

Messenger Miller Molendorp Moon Morris

Muntzel Neely Neth Parkinson Pfautsch

Pike Pogue Redmon Rehder Reiboldt

Remole Rhoads Richardson Riddle Roorda

Ross Rowden Rowland Scharnhorst Schatz

Schieber Schieffer Shull Shumake Solon

Sommer Spencer Stream Swan Thomson

Torpey Walker White Wieland Wilson

Wood Zerr Mr Speaker

NOES: 051

Anders Black Burns Butler Carpenter

Colona Conway 10 Curtis Dunn Ellinger

Ellington English Englund Fowler Frame

Gannon Gardner Hampton Harris Hubbard

Hummel Kirkton Kratky LaFaver May

Mayfield McCann Beatty McDonald McKenna McManus

McNeil Meredith Mims Montecillo Morgan

Newman Nichols Norr Otto Pace

Peters Pierson Rizzo Runions Schupp

Smith 85 Swearingen Walton Gray Webb Webber

Wright

PRESENT: 000

ABSENT WITH LEAVE: 009

Entlicher Funderburk Gosen Grisamore Kelly 45

Lichtenegger Mitten Phillips Smith 120

Representative Frederick declared the bill passed.[….]

[emphasis added]

Senator Will Kraus (r) – July 11, 2013.

And the vote [pdf], from the Journal of the Senate (1512):

[….]

Senator Schmitt moved that SS for HB 253, as amended, be called from the Informal Calendar and taken up for 3rd reading and final passage, which motion prevailed.

SS for HB 253, as amended, was read the 3rd time and passed by the following vote:

YEAS-Senators

Brown Cunningham Dempsey Dixon Emery Kehoe Kraus Lager

Lamping Libla McKenna Munzlinger Nieves Parson Richard Romine

Rupp Sater Schaaf Schaefer Schmitt Silvey Wallingford Wasson-24

NAYS-Senators

Chappelle-Nadal Curls Justus Keaveny LeVota Nasheed Pearce Sifton Walsh-9

Absent-Senators-None

Absent with leave-Senator Holsman-1

Vacancies-None

The President declared the bill passed.

[emphasis added]

Do you think they won’t vote to overturn the governor’s veto? Somebody’s spending big bucks to make sure they do overturn it.

They’re republicans, the outlook isn’t good for the rest of us.