We journeyed to Jefferson City this morning, checked in at the House Communications Office and then set up our still cameras in a side gallery. Over the course of the morning session we had conversations with Representatives Joe Aull (D), Jason Kander (D), Chris Kelly (D), Jill Schupp (D) and Mary Still (D). Representative Denny Hoskins (r) crossed the aisle and we had a lengthy conversation in the side gallery about redistricting and its aftermath, the budget, revenues, and HB 1229.  

Speaker Steve Tilley (r) at the dais.

Stained glass above the press gallery and dais in the House chamber.

Representative Jill Schupp (D-82).

Old media in the press gallery above the dais. There’s a lot of space up there, but not very many people occupying it anymore.

 One gets the feeling that the paradigm has been changing and it isn’t finished just yet.

Debate across the aisle.

Representative Stephen Webber (D-23).

Representative Mary Still (D-25).

Minority Floor Leader Mike Talboy (D-37)(left) and Speaker Steve Tilley (r)(right) in conversation at the back of the House chamber.

After the noon recess in the House we encountered American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and Communications Workers of America (CWA) members with signs marching to the Capitol steps. After a few cheers the union members were instructed to leave their signs in a pile for collection before the went into the building. Later in the afternoon we encountered small groups in the halls  and offices speaking to individual members of the House.

Which side are you on? Which side are you on?

As the AFSCME, CWA and SEIU members gathered in front of the steps Representative Mark Parkinson (r) was exiting the building. We greeted each other and had a pleasant enough conversation. Apparently, Representative Parkinson believes public workers should be happier then they are.  

Previously: Reading is fundamental… (October 1, 2011)

@markparkinson Rep. Mark Parkinson

@MBersin Thanks for the mention! 6 hours ago

Shorter version: “I’m thinking.”

Then, approximately an hour later:

@markparkinson Rep. Mark Parkinson

@MBersin Since my last reading tweet was met with ridicule and scorn I have decided to have a good ole fashioned book burning the back yard! 5 hours ago

Missed it by that much.

@markparkinson Rep. Mark Parkinson

@MBersin please provide me a list of your “approved” reading material. I assume Marx, Lenin, & Stalin are all on the list. Correct? 5 hours ago

How can you be in two places at once when you’re not anywhere at all?

@markparkinson Rep. Mark Parkinson

@MBersin What about Mao & Polpot? Are these authors on your suggested reading list? 5 hours ago

To think everyone thought this sort of thing went out with Joe McCarthy and high button shoes.

According to John Adams and Alice Goodman, Henry Kissinger (r) assigned all four volumes [5:40] at Harvard.

And everything was going so well in Jefferson City.

President Obama spoke today on immigration reform.

Previously:

Representative Mark Parkinson (r): “Show us your papers, please.” (April 29, 2010):

….What he [Representative Mark Parkinson] wants to do, he wants to substitute that bill and create one that matches Arizona’s new law. Of course that law gives police the ability to ask for documentation if they suspect somebody is here illegally….

Governor Jay Nixon at Missouri Boys State: Q and A on Arizona’s SB 1070 (June 13, 2010):

….like I say, I think that, that Arizona took a political solution in which they tried to be the toughest in the world that I think crossed a line that’s not a line we should cross in America. I think basic civil rights, basic individual freedom is extremely important and, and, and just because it’s, it’s after one group today doesn’t mean that it’s, it’s not gonna be after another group tomorrow….

Jesse Lee of the the White House New Media Office hosted an on-line roundtable this afternoon:

July 01, 2010 1:00 PM EDT

Open for Questions Roundtable: Immigration

Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Cecilia Muñoz takes your questions on comprehensive immigration reform.

There was an interesting discussion on Arizona’s SB 1070:

….Jesse Lee: …The President touched on the fact that the law in Arizona has kind of brought this issue back to the fore recently. Uh, Jay’s first question, I think, was from Arizona. Uh, so just to take a couple on that….asks about the sentiment, uh, people who say, support the Arizona law because the feds can’t and won’t do their jobs. Another question we got earlier on Facebook, even before this started, was, um, the idea that, uh, they…had heard that, uh, basically all that law does is kind of repeat the federal laws on the book and folks then say we shouldn’t enforce it, so what’s wrong with that? So, maybe you can spell that out a little bit.

Cecilia Muñoz, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs: Yeah, the Arizona law doesn’t just repeat federal law. What it does is it is empowers local officials to be, um, to, in the course of doing their duties if they suspect someone to be unlawfully present in the United States it requires them to, to ask those folks for their papers and then to take action. What we’ve heard from law enforcement officials, and there were a number of them in the audience today, uh, uh, with the President, is that they believe that that, uh, undermines their ability to effectively enforce the law in their communities. Uh, we’ve heard from police chiefs who say that every time, if you’re required to do that, and you do a, say a traffic stop, and you ask somebody [inaudible] for their immigration papers, I’m not sure if anybody around this table actually carries papers in their wallet that prove that they’re U.S. citizens. Um, and so processing somebody like that can take hours and those are hours that that police officer is not gonna spend going after a burglar or, or somebody worse than that. And so we have law enforcement officials across the country saying to us, don’t undermine our ability to establish our own priorities on where we ought to be using our enforcement resources. We want to go after the biggest dangers to the community. If you require us to spend all our time chasing down immigrants, we’re not gonna be able to do our jobs effectively or well. So in the end, having a policy in Arizona and another one in a town in Nebraska and another one in towns in other parts of the country isn’t going to solve our immigration problem. It’s gonna create these other kinds of problems, especially for law enforcement. And it takes Congress off the hook….

[emphasis added]

Yes, that would be a really good question to ask anyone spouting off in support of Arizona’s SB 1070: “Your papers, please.” If they were asked that question by local law enforcement do you think they’d be screaming about it as loudly as they did about health care reform? Just asking.

Sigh, some people appear to have too much time on their hands and evidently never watch the Faux News Channel.

State Representative Mark Parkinson (r) via Twitter:

@MBersin (d-noun, cellist-verb) you will never be approved as “press” because smp is not a legitimate news organization.     10:48 PM May 8th  via Tweetie  from Harvester, MO   in reply to MBersin

Quite possibly in response to this exchange, directed by me to Chad Livengood:

@ChadLivengood “Introducing… your Missouri statehouse press corps!” – Heh. Bloggers need not apply, but the times they are a changin’…     9:35 PM May 8th  via web  in reply to ChadLivengood

The original from Chad Livengood via Twitter:

RT @christhedunn Introducing… your Missouri statehouse press corps! http://bit.ly/aXpX6o …….     8:35 PM May 8th  via txt  

You’d think that a republican state representative who ostensibly believes in the “free market” of ideas and communication wouldn’t make ex cathedra assertions about a noble entrepreneurial enterprise such as Show Me Progress. Heh.

Previously:

Living in a glass house (October 12, 2009)

Living in a glass house, part 2 (October 13, 2009)

Mark Parkinson: Legislative Supergenius (February 23, 2010)

Rep. Mark Parkinson (r): great moments in projection (April 10, 2010)

Representative Mark Parkinson (r): I know you are, but what am I? (April 11, 2010)

How long before a right wingnut politician in Missouri jumps on the Arizona Senate Bill 1070 [pdf] bandwagon? Not very.

Reporter Sloane Heller at KSHB-TV in Kansas City is reporting this morning that Representative Mark Parkinson (r) is intent on filing legislation similar to Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070, requiring individuals provide proof of citizenship to law enforcement based on “reasonable suspicion.”

[Kobach]…professor here at UMKC actually helped write the law in Arizona. So, uh, it’s possible, we don’t know, that he could actually help state Representative Mark Parkinson out of St. Charles. Now we talked to Parkinson’s aide yesterday. He gave us some new information about Parkinson’s plan for reform on immigration. Right now Parkinson is backing a bill that would make it a felony to transport illegal immigrants. What he wants to do, he wants to substitute that bill and create one that matches Arizona’s new law. Of course that law gives police the ability to ask for documentation if they suspect somebody is here illegally. Now Parkinson is hoping, uh, to introduce his new bill before the session ends. Uh, critics, of course, have been coming out and talking, the last couple of weeks, saying that this new law in Arizona encourages racial profiling…

If Mark Parkinson (r) has his way Missouri law enforcement officials will have to add B-movie dialog to their repertoire.

In an earlier report Heller also stated that this would be offered as a substitute for HB 2449. HB 2449, in its current form:

HB 2449 Creates various crimes for trafficking, concealing, haboring, sheltering, or transporting illegal aliens

Sponsor: Parkinson, Mark A. (16) Proposed Effective Date: 08/28/2010

CoSponsor: Jones, Timothy W. (89) ……….etal. LR Number: 5481L.02I

Last Action: 04/20/2010 – Referred: International Trade and Immigration (H)

HB2449

Next Hearing: INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND IMMIGRATION

Date: Wednesday, 04/28/2010 Time: 5:00p.m. or upon afternoon adjournment

Location: Hearing Room 7

Executive session may follow.

Calendar: Bill currently not on a calendar

Missouri House proposes immigration reform

….The measure was proposed on April 1, and is the only bill proposed this year that deals directly with the criminal enforcement of illegal immigration.

The sponsor, State Rep. Mark Parkinson, R-St. Charles, said the bill has “nothing to do with Arizona,” and called it an “economic issue.” He cited the state’s unemployment figures, which were at 9.5 percent in March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Mr. Parkinson said the bill would protect undocumented workers from exploitation by employers, and would assert the state’s stance against federal immigration reform, which has yet to be proposed.

“This is going to send a message to the White House,” Mr. Parkinson said. “Missourians don’t want amnesty….”

“…he [Parkinson] wants to substitute that bill and create one that matches Arizona’s new law…”

“…nothing to do with Arizona…” Really. Which side of your mouth did that come out of?

And what does the Sheriff of Pima County, Arizona (which is on the state’s southern border with Mexico) think of the law?:

The Dupnik rebellion: Pima’s top cop says “no” to SB 1070

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) – Pima County’s top lawman says he has no intention of enforcing Arizona’s controversial crackdown on illegal immigration.  Sheriff Clarence Dupnik calls SB 1070 “racist,” “disgusting,” and “unnecessary.”

Speaking Tuesday morning with KGUN9’s Steve Nunez, Dupnik made it clear that while he will not comply with the provisions of the new law, nor will he let illegal immigrants go free.  “We’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing all along,” Dupnik said.  “We’re going to stop and detain these people for the Border Patrol.”

The sheriff acknowledged that this course of action could get him hauled into court.  SB 1070 allows citizens to sue any law enforcement official who doesn’t comply with the law.  But Dupnik told Nunez that SB 1070 would force his deputies to adopt racial profiling as an enforcement tactic, which Dupnik says could also get him sued. “So we’re kind of in a damned if we do, damned if we don’t situation. It’s just a stupid law.”

Dupnik had harsh words for anyone who thinks SB 1070 will not lead to racial profiling. “If I tell my people to go out and look for A, B, and C, they’re going to do it. They’ll find some flimsy excuse like a tail light that’s not working  as a basis for a stop, which is a bunch of baloney.”

Remember, Pima County is on the border with Mexico.

So, how long before teabaggers flood town halls screaming about a ‘police state’. [sound of crickets]

Previously: Rep. Mark Parkinson (r): great moments in projection

Ah, some members of the Missouri House of Representatives seem to want to go out of their way to try and prove that we never get out of junior high school. A case in point – Representative Mark Parkinson (r), via Twitter:

@MBersin (d-noun, cellist/tracker-verbs) it just occurred to me why you have an infatuation with trackers, as you are one.     26 minutes ago  via Tweetie  from Spencer Creek, MO  

Did he just say, “I know you are, but what am I?”

The meta, for those who aren’t clueless:

….At Show Me Progress we cover campaign, public, and government events. We sometimes cover fundraisers when we get an invitation to do so. We either wear ID in the form of a photo credential or we present a business card with our contact information, clearly identifying our affiliation with this blog. Our identification informs those at the events that we cover that what they say to us is on the record. We utilize the public record, the Missouri Sunshine Law, as well as other public resources to access public information. Further, there’s nothing keeping Representative Hoskins from signing up on this blog and participating consistent with our user guidelines.  

A tracker, on the other hand, is a paid political operative who may or may not identify his or her associations/affiliations.

Show Me Progress: How are you doing?

Tracker: Hello. How are you?

SMP: Good, good. So, are you a tracker or something?

Tracker: Uh, you could say that I guess.

SMP: Yeah. I’m with Show Me Progress. [I handed him my business card. He took it.]

Tracker: Oh!

SMP: Yeah. So, so, where are you from?

Tracker: Uh, I’d rather not say.

SMP: Oh, okay, that’s cool. [sound of camera shutter]

Tracker: You like the license plate? [In response to me photographing the back of the car.]

SMP: Actually? Interesting.

Tracker: Um, hm.

SMP: Yeah, so, uh, so have you been doing this for long or working in, in politics and stuff like that? [crosstalk]

Tracker: Uh, yeah, I’ve been working in politics for a while. [crosstalk]

SMP: Yeah. Good, good. Uh, where are you from, just in, are you from Missouri or just?

Tracker: I’d rather not say.

SMP: Okay, that’s cool. Well, listen, have a good evening, all right?

Clear enough for you now? Or is that irony definition thing still a little fuzzy for you?….

More junior high school, from the current session:

…the new Mark Parkinson idea is far weirder and angrier than the antique slot machines idea which was narrowly defeated in 2009. His new idea: deducting from Jay Nixon’s salary to buy Powerball tickets. An idea so absurd, asinine, and petty that it’s one of the better Republican revenue ideas ever (by default)…

I rest my case.

From time to time someone will reply to a post via Twitter and I don’t catch that reply right away. Sure enough, this evening I was checking for replies and, lo and behold, look what I found, from Representative Mark Parkinson (r):

@MBersin do you honestly think Rep. Hoskins has it in his budget to hire a tracker? If so, you are an idiot.     8:36 PM Mar 31st  via Tweetie  from Jefferson, MO   in reply to MBersin

“…If so, you are an idiot…” Heh. That wasn’t very nice. But, that’s okay, it’s still really nice to know that Representative Parkinson (r) reads Show Me Progress.

Well, there was a tracker. That’s indisputable. But Representative Parkinson (r) may have a point about that budget stuff since Representative Hoskins (r – noun, verb, CPA) couldn’t even pay his taxes on time.

Unless he thinks someone else hired the tracker:

…A common, but perhaps unfortunate fact in politics today is that political parties use videographers, or “trackers,” to record the political activities of candidates for offices…

Well, okay, but if trackers are “icky” and republican don’t use them, the question remains:

…With this tracker stuff out in front of the public does that mean we won’t be seeing any darkly lit shaky videos or grainy photographs along with shock headlines and disturbing music in cable television commercials in the 121st District before the November election? Just asking.

Update: Heh. Representative Parkinson (r) posted via Twitter:

@MBersin (d-noun, cellist-verb) smp is read to track the negative mentions of R’s. The R with the most wins (it means we are effective).     about 6 hours ago  via web  in reply to MBersin

Ah, I get it. There’s a tie for first place in the mention department and someone will take the lead if they post more on Twitter.

As for being effective? That claim is debatable.

Previously:

Campaign Tracker: the worst job in politics and you still have to wear a suit (March 17, 2010)

Representative Denny Hoskins (r): tracker, what tracker? (March 22, 2010)

Representative Denny Hoskins (r): a clueless pilgrim in the land of republican false equivalence (March 27, 2010)

Representative Denny Hoskins (r): appropriate legal remedy? (March 31, 2010)

Courtney Cole (D) in the 121st Legislative District – letter to the editor (April 6, 2010)

The Pitch’s blog reports that the new Mark Parkinson idea is far weirder and angrier than the antique slot machines idea which was narrowly defeated in 2009. His new idea: deducting from Jay Nixon’s salary to buy Powerball tickets. An idea so absurd, asinine, and petty that it’s one of the better Republican revenue ideas ever (by default).

You know, if you deduct $2 from the weekly pay of each State Rep and Senator, you’d have the money to buy 394 Powerball tickets a week. I think the odds might be around 500000 to 1 (if the state is lucky), which means the state, if it plays every week, will be guaranteed to win at least once before the year 6820. It’s a guaranteed win-win!

BTW, Allen Icet co-sponsoring this bill probably won’t be noted in his Auditor ads. Although it makes him look better than pointing out how he cut meals on wheels out of the budget his committee passed.

Typically, the announcement of the reproduction of 80+ years of Missouri in online form would go unnoticed by most people who are not somehow thrilled by these events (you know, history enthusiasts and the such).

But Kevin Engler, fresh off his heroic stand against litter, is making a stand to say that the Official Manual should be published online only.

One issue is that of money. Representative Mark Parkinson’s comment was helpful for pointing that 40,000 Blue Books are published for a cost of $490,000. Quick math shows that is a high cost of $12.25 per Blue Book.

Now, it’d be interesting to see what sort of costs other states which publish similar manuals deal with in the publication of their manuals. Also would be interesting to check into how the 40,000 copies are divided up between libraries, elected officials and others. But digging too deeply is harder than just ending the publication in the eyes of the Veruca Salt wing of the Republican Party. And if there’s anything better than a well-thought out solution, it’s a quick and easy solution.

Really, If $490K for Missouri Official Manuals is the worst expenditure of $490K being made by this state, then we’re all way more fortunate than we’ll ever know.

Also, I wish to point out this Engler quote, which has to be up there for “best simplistic quotes of 2009”:

“We are not talking about withholding information from people. Everyone in the state has internet access, either in their home or at a local library,”

It’s always good to have a quote that is technically true (depending on how you define “local”) but still flawed. I’d also hope that every local library in Missouri has internet access, but I can’t confirm or refute that claim right now.

Engler also noted that he wouldn’t be receiving his supply of complimentary Blue Books to give to constituents. Which is unusually consistent for someone making a stand.

If you’re unfortunate enough to have Mark Parkinson as your state Representative, you verify if Parkinson is doing the same thing. But it’s worth noting that the Parkinson Blue Book elimination bill went nowhere in the 2009 session, and probably won’t go anywhere in 2010 either unless the House gets bored and wants to defeat it by 130 votes like they did on the slot machine bill. When the 2009 session of the Republican General Assembly doesn’t care enough for your anti-spending bill, that’s a heck of a rejection.

Oh yeah, here’s the Blue Book collection for those of you who wish to check it out. (My apologies to the MU Digital Library which is close to losing a certain bookmark in my Firefox soon.) A good portion of the pre-1923 Manuals were already available in other locations because of copyright “expiration” (Google Books is too busy conquering the Universe to notice which books are not copyrighted and can be reproduced anyways).

Also, the 2009-2010 Official State Manual will be available very soon and that will make a great Christmas gift for the relatives that you only talk to twice a year.

Previously: Living in a glass house

Missouri Representative Mark Parkinson (r) attempts to dip into the same stand-up comedy well as other Missouri republicans. Via Twitter:

Because Obama threw out the first picth at the MLB All-Star game here in St. Louis is he now the front runner for the Cy Young Award? 8:30 PM Oct 9th from Tweetie

Like the Saint Louis Rams, Obama is 0-5, but the Nobel Prize Committee proclaims the Rams Super Bowl Champions! 4:17 PM Oct 11th from Tweetie

Let’s look at Representative Parkinson’s long list of legislative success:

Missouri House of Representatives

2009

95th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session

Legislation Sponsored by Rep. Mark A. Parkinson

SPONSOR

HB348

Authorizes a state income tax deduction for school supplies and books purchased for home schooling a child

HB348 — (LR# 0717L.01I)

TAX REFORM

Voted Do Pass (H)

HB349

Allows persons who are permanently disabled to apply to the Department of Revenue to have a notation indicating that status on his or her driver’s or nondriver’s license

HB349 — (LR# 0029L.01I)

TRANSPORTATION

Voted Do Pass (H)

HB350

Makes it a crime for a person to conceal, harbor, or shelter from detection any alien knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that the alien has entered or remained in the country illegally

HCS HB 350 — (LR# 0718L.02C)

Referred: Rules – Pursuant to Rule 25(32)(f) (H)

HB351

Requires any person who is found guilty of or pleads guilty or nolo contendere to a felony in this state on or after August 28, 2009, to serve a minimum prison term of 85% of his or her court sentence

HB351 — (LR# 0716L.01I)

CRIME PREVENTION

Public Hearing Completed (H)

HB385

Requires the Driver License Bureau within the Department of Revenue to establish a database of next of kin persons for use in emergency situations

HB385 — (LR# 0861L.02I)

PUBLIC SAFETY

Public Hearing Completed (H)

HB625

Exempts personal and residential property owned by certain taxpayers 65 years of age or older from increases in assessed valuation and limits increases in their personal and property tax

HB625 — (LR# 0719L.02I)

Referred: Ways and Means (H)

HB779

Allows any person to purchase or sell any slot machine for operation at the residence of the owner if the slot machine is not operated for gambling purposes

HB779 — (LR# 1929L.01I)

Perfection Defeated (H)

HB801

Exempts political subdivisions from paying taxes levied by the state or other political subdivisions

HB801 — (LR# 1899L.01I)

Referred: Tax Reform (H)

HB833

Requires information from reports made to the state literacy hotline regarding students who have dropped out of school to be made available electronically with personal-identity information withheld

HB833 — (LR# 2010L.01I)

Referred: Elementary and Secondary Education (H)

HB977

Establishes the Annual Sportsman Sales Tax Holiday Act which authorizes an annual state sales and use tax exemption on purchases of certain outdoor sportsman equipment

HB977 — (LR# 2051L.03I)

WAYS AND MEANS

Public Hearing Completed (H)

HB1009

Requires the Official State Manual to be made avaiable for distribution only in an electronic format on compact discs with exceptions

HB1009 — (LR# 2386L.01I)

Rules – Reported Do Pass (H)

Well, he did introduce bills. The slot machine bill is quite striking, don’t you think? I was really hoping that one would win the prize. Alas, nothing in the session made it through.

Missouri House of Representatives

2008

94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session

Legislation Sponsored by Rep. Mark A. Parkinson

SPONSOR

HB2366

Changes the laws regarding illegal aliens and immigration status verification

Approved CCS SS HCS HB 1549, 1771, 1395 & 2366 — (LR# 3681L.12T)

Delivered to Secretary of State (G)

HB2564

Establishes the Missouri Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act regarding illegal aliens in the state

HB2564 — (LR# 5635L.01I)

Referred: Special Committee on Immigration (H)

HB2573

Exempts personal and residential property owned by certain taxpayers 65 years of age or older from increases in assessed valuation and limits increases in their personal and property tax

HB2573 — (LR# 5632L.01I)

Referred: Ways and Means (H)

HB2580

Authorizes a state income tax deduction for school supplies and books purchased for home schooling a child

HB2580 — (LR# 5631L.01I)

SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON TAX REFORM

Public Hearing Completed (H)

Wait, he got one through. One.

…During his tenure in the General Assembly, Rep. Parkinson was the sponsor of HB 2366 in 2008, a bill that became part of the successful immigration reform omnibus bill that session. For his work on this issue, Rep. Parkinson was recognized as one of the freshman legislators of the year…

He doesn’t tell us who “recognized” him, does he? You think it was one of those republican caucus “give the guy a ribbon for showing up” things they hand out like cheap candy on Halloween? Just asking.

Do we have another candidate for Speaker of the United States House of Representatives?