Tag Archives: Peter Merideth

Ignorance isn’t expensive, getting there is cheap

15 Saturday Apr 2023

Posted by in Missouri General Assembly, Missouri House

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It’s what follows that makes everyone in the future pay.

Missouri House Republicans want to defund libraries. Here’s why
Politics Updated on Apr 14, 2023 11:39 AM EDT — Published on Apr 13, 2023 5:11 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS– Missouri’s Republican-led House voted to cut all funding for libraries in its version of the state’s annual budget, an unprecedented move that has angered librarians and patrons across the state who rely on the facilities for everything from books to educational programming and internet access.

The proposal is not yet final; it now sits before the state Senate’s appropriations committee along with the rest of the annual $45.6 billion budget, and Republican chair Sen. Lincoln Hough said it would be his intention to restore library funding.

But for those who manage or use the state’s 160 library districts, especially in rural areas where services are not as robust, the threat feels real, librarians and patrons told the PBS NewsHour.

[….]

Tamara King, a parent and resident of St. Charles County, told the NewsHour it feels like the state’s residents should still be concerned even if the budget is not yet final.

“You start by taking away small things, right? And then you do that, you gain your support and then you go for the jugular, right? So that’s what they did. They took away everything. Now, where are these kids supposed to go and learn and have those activities that involve books?” King said. “Books create imagination.”

[….]

The right wingnut controlled Missouri General Assembly, go figure.

Last night:

Jonathan Capehart: Representative Meredith, you’re on the Missouri house budget committee. What was your reaction to this budget proposal that [cross talk] seeks to essentially defund libraries?

Rep. Peter Meridith: I mean, honestly, you can just, [cross talk], that’s right, even just hearing you talk about the facts right now, walk through the circumstances, it’s hard to believe. And that’s how we felt when it was first presented to us, when the budget chair presented his proposal that Library funding be zeroed out. And then when we asked him why he actually went so far to explicitly say it was because of them suing over this book ban and how dare they sue against a bill that the Missouri legislature passed, that they believe is unconstitutional and has created a really big problem.

Jonathan Capehart: And Katie, help us understand why librarians in Missouri wanted to fight this state law creating criminal penalties for workers like yourself, um, criminal penalties for what the law says is distribution of sexually explicit material?

Katie Earnhart, director of the Cape Girardeau Public Library: Yeah, I mean, obviously we are for Americans’, uh, First Amendment freedoms. We want to make sure that people have access to information. That’s, that’s a core tenet of our profession and we rely on that. And right now that’s in jeopardy which puts our jobs in jeopardy and that’s, that’s something that is concerning for, for all people in this profession. And it’s not happening just here in Missouri, it’s across the country.

Jonathan Capehart: And to that point, Representative Meredith, um, this effort to cut the library’s budget isn’t just happening in Missouri. In Llano, Texas this week Republican Commissioners walked back their threat to close three libraries over their opposition to a book ban that residents argued violated First Amendments rights. You know, why do you think, uh, Republican elected officials turn to defunding libraries when there’s pushback over legislation restricting access to certain books?

Rep. Peter Meridith: Honestly, in places like this they have what feels like absolute power to them and they’re appealing to the furthest right in their base. And so, right now they have decided somehow that libraries and teachers and schools are, uh, the bullies they want to call the enemy and talk about brainwashing our kids. And, you know, like this library thing they can’t point to a single example in Missouri of, of something inappropriate and obscene being given to a kid. but they’re gonna manufacture this problem to work up their base. Uh, and then the defunding the libraries just feels like the next step to them and how they exert power and punish them for, uh, exercising their First Amendment rights. It’s, it’s, straight out of a dystopian novel in my opinion.

Jonathan Capehart: Right, you know ,Katie the majority of Missouri’s public libraries are in small and rural communities. Describe how a budget cut like this would impact libraries like your own in Cape Girardeau.

Katie Earnhart, director of the Cape Girardeau Public Library: Yeah, Jonathan, we’re set to lose roughly twenty-six thousand dollars with this cut, um, for our upcoming budget year. That’s money that we use for our collection development, to buy the books that you see behind me. And for us that makes up about twenty percent of our collection development [cross talk], collection development budget. You know, for, for us it, it’s only two percent of our overall budget, but for some libraries it’s a much larger, uh, percentage, a much larger impact that they’re going to have to, uh, withstand. Some libraries are going to have to evaluate whether or not they stay open as, as many hours whether or not they reduce services that they provide, very important services that they provide for their communities. And it’s something that we don’t want to have to, to worry about that. We already have shoestring budgets and when we have that money taken away, even a little bit ,it just makes our jobs that much harder to provide the needed resources and services that our communities rely on.

Missouri, where readin’ isn’t fundamental.

Peter Merideth (D) [2021 file photo].

This is Missouri

12 Wednesday Apr 2023

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

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Lunacy.

In the Missouri General Assembly:

Rep. Peter Merideth (D): I’ve heard you talk about parents’ rights to raise their kids the way they want. In fact, I just double checked, you voted ‘no’ on making it illegal for kids to be married to adults at the age of twelve if their parents consented to it. You said, actually, that should be the law because it’s the parents’ right and the kid’s right to decide what’s best for them. To be raped by an adult. Okay. [crosstalk] With marriage.

Sen Mike Moon (r): [crosstalk] Do you know any kids that have been married, age twelve?

Rep. Peter Merideth (D): That was the law. [crosstalk] You voted not to change it.

Sen Mike Moon (r): Do you know any kids? [crosstalk] Do you know any kids that have been married at age twelve?

Rep. Peter Merideth (D): I don’t need to. [crosstalk] Uh.

Sen Mike Moon (r): I do. And guess what? They’re still married.
[….]

Mike Moon (r) called them “kids”. He knows.

We called Rep. Peter Merideth’s (D) office in the capitol in Jefferson City to confirm that this exchange with Sen. Mike Moon (r) at a House committee hearing did indeed take place.

It did.

Mike Moon (r) [2019 file photo].

From Rep. Peter Merideth (D) [April 11, 2023]:

Just had a rough inquiry with Sen Mike Moon on his hateful ban on trans medical care. I asked about his typical opposition to government interference with parenting decisions, even those that (unlike gender affirming care) are considered dangerous and harmful by pediatricians and psychologists around the country. I pointed to this vote of his from a couple years ago.

That’s right. He believes government has no right to prevent a 12 year old girl from marrying and legally having sex with a 40 year old if their parents are ok with it. But he thinks it’s the government’s role to ban kids getting medical treatments that have the support of their parents, the overwhelming medical community, and years of medical and psychological counseling and deliberation.

[….]

Peter Merideth (D) [2021 file photo].

This is Missouri.

The right wingnut controlled Missouri House – The Way of the Gun

09 Thursday Feb 2023

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

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Peter Merideth (D) [2021 file photo].

Last night:

[image cropped]

Rep. Peter Merideth @PeterforMO
Every MO R voted that children can carry guns in public. They voted to defund police if a cop helps stop a fed gun crime. They voted to ban a 12 year old rape victim with major health risks from having an abortion. Bills to ban mentioning racism or LGBT issues, ban drag….
[….]
8:23 PM · Feb 8, 2023

Rep. Peter Merideth @PeterforMO
Kids carrying guns on the street or in a park is a matter of individual freedom and personal responsibility. Kids seeing a drag queen read a children’s book or sing a song is a danger the government must ban. Do I have that right MO GOP? #moleg
7:58 PM · Feb 8, 2023

Rep. Peter Merideth @PeterforMO
That’s right. I choose not to own a gun so I can’t have opinions about gun laws. They CAN’T get pregnant but certainly don’t mind passing laws about pregnancy. And I bet most of them don’t know much about drugs but are happy to throw people in prison for those every day, too.
[….]
7:35 PM · Feb 8, 2023

Crystal Quade (D) [2018 file photo].

Crystal Quade @crystal_quade
Republican #moleg men: “Democrats don’t understand guns so shouldn’t be legislating them!!”

Also #moleg Republican men: “What does trans mean? What’s an ectopic pregnancy? Let’s legislate it anyway!”
4:50 PM · Feb 8, 2023

Previously:

Missouri, well (February 8, 2023)

Missouri, well

08 Wednesday Feb 2023

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

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Peter Merideth (D) [2021 file photo].

This afternoon:

Rep. Peter Merideth @PeterforMO
Right now Republicans in the MO House are fighting against an amendment that would say children can’t carry guns in public. (Yep it’s legal right now.) They’re saying it would violate the 2nd amendment to deny a 12 yr old the right to carry an AR-15 down the street. #moleg
4:56 PM · Feb 8, 2023

What could possibly go wrong?

HCR 10 and HCR 11

12 Tuesday Jan 2021

Posted by in Josh Hawley, Missouri General Assembly, Missouri House

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Today in the Missouri House of Representatives:

FIRST REGULAR SESSION
House Concurrent Resolution No. 10 [pdf]
101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE MERIDETH.
1790H.01I DANA RADEMAN MILLER, Chief Clerk

WHEREAS, on January 6, 2021, violent insurrectionists incited by President Donald J. Trump did storm and briefly occupy the United States Capitol in a lawless attempt to block Congress from formalizing President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory and illegally keep President Trump in office; and

WHEREAS, United States Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri was a leader of the effort to overturn the Electoral College results of several states won by President-elect Biden; and

WHEREAS, in that role Senator Hawley did repeat and amplify false claims of fraud in those states that have been rejected by more than 60 state and federal courts across the nation due o the complete lack of any evidence; and

WHEREAS, Senator Hawley’s efforts to disenfranchise millions of voters and overturn a lawful and legitimate election demonstrates an animosity toward democracy and the American system of government; and

WHEREAS, in a sickening display of political self-interest Senator Hawley issued a campaign fundraising appeal as the insurrectionist mob was making its way to the Capitol; and

WHEREAS, as the attack on the Capitol was getting underway, Senator Hawley was photographed showing support for the insurrectionists; and

WHEREAS, Senator Hawley’s actions in promoting demonstrable lies did further incite and inflame the insurrectionists; and

WHEREAS, after the insurrection had been quelled, Senator Hawley did continue repeating the lies about election fraud and resumed his efforts to overturn the lawful and legitimate election results; and

WHEREAS, five people died as a result of the Capitol insurrection, including U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick; and

WHEREAS, more than 50 police officers sustained injuries during the insurrection; and

WHEREAS, Senator Hawley has expressed more remorse over the loss of his book deal than he has over those deaths and injuries or the actions he took that helped create the conditions that made them possible; and

WHEREAS, Senator Hawley, upon being being sworn into office in 2019, did take a solemn oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;” and

WHEREAS, Senator Hawley has violated that oath; and

WHEREAS, since the events of January 6, Senator Hawley has faced widespread condemnation throughout Missouri and the country for his role in encouraging the worst assault on the U.S. Capitol since the War of 1812; and

WHEREAS, it is the duty of all elected officials and citizens to strongly reject sedition and insurrection:

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the members of the House of Representatives of the One Hundred First General Assembly, First Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, hereby urge Senator Josh Hawley to immediately resign from the United States Senate for inciting sedition and violent insurrection against the government and people of the United States in violation of his oath of office; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare a properly inscribed copy of this resolution for Senator Hawley.

The seditionist:

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

And:

FIRST REGULAR SESSION
House Concurrent Resolution No. 11 [pdf]
101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ELLEBRACHT.
1778H.02I DANA RADEMAN MILLER, Chief Clerk

WHEREAS, the members of the House of Representatives of the State of Missouri together with the members of the Senate of the State of Missouri roundly condemn violent and destructive demonstration of all kinds; and

WHEREAS, the violent acts and crimes of property destruction that occurred in cities across the United States over the past year have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law that local and state law enforcement agencies have had the power to pursue; and

WHEREAS, the state of Missouri and its residents universally believe that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere; and

WHEREAS, the members of the One Hundred First General Assembly were collectively horrified by the disgraceful and craven acts of certain individuals who, on January 6, 2021, violently and seditiously invaded the Capitol of the United States of America in an effort to disrupt and possibly altogether prevent the certification of the count of the Electoral College votes, and in so doing committed various and sundry criminal acts; and

WHEREAS, the criminal acts engaged in by those individuals resulted in shame and embarrassment of the people of Missouri, as yet uncalculated property damage, and, most tragically, the loss of five human lives:

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the members of the House of Representatives of the One Hundred First General Assembly, First Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, hereby strongly and most emphatically request that the President of the

United States refrain from pardoning, providing amnesty, commuting sentences, or offering any other relief or excuse from liability for any of the criminal acts that occurred on the Capitol grounds and inside the Capitol building on January 6, 2021, and that those individuals be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law that federal law enforcement agencies have the power
to pursue; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare a properly inscribed copy of this resolution for distribution to the Office of the President of the United States of America, the Office of the Attorney General of the United States of America, the Office of the Pardon Attorney for the United States Department of Justice, and the members of Missouri’s congressional delegation.

Our times.

Previously:

Senator Claire McCaskill (D) – town hall in Warrensburg – Press Q and A – August 17, 2017 (August 17, 2017)

What passes for a flatbed truck at “…Yale, I think, or Harvard, one of those, one of those fancy ones…” (August 16, 2018)

Josh Hawley (r): throwing shit against the wall to see if anything sticks (December 30, 2020)

Josh Hawley (r): ladders and rakes (December 30, 2020)

Ladder Climbing 101: by the book (December 31, 2020)

Burning bridges (December 31, 2020)

Sedition, sedition…sedition (January 2, 2021)

What it is, is sedition… (January 3, 2021)

If you can’t stand the heat, trample people on your way to a live mic (January 3, 2021)

Nothing much going on. Why do you ask? (January 3, 2021)

The third Senator from Virginia (January 5, 2021)

Fascist pig (January 6, 2021)

What hath Josh Hawley (r) wrought? (January 6, 2021)

Josh Hawley (r): Dumbass (January 7, 2021)

Sedition is bad for business (January 11, 2021)

Rep. Peter Merideth (D): about that Sunshine Law…

09 Friday Aug 2019

Posted by in Missouri General Assembly, Missouri House

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A release, yesterday, from Representative Peter Merideth (D):

State Rep. Peter Merideth
80th District
peter.merideth@house.mo.gov

For Immediate Release:
Aug. 8, 2019

Five months later, Schmitt hasn’t provided requested legal opinion
Attorney general shows pattern of protecting GOP officials in Sunshine Law cases

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – More than five months after state Rep. Peter Merideth submitted a request for a legal opinion from Attorney General Eric Schmitt regarding whether the Republican-controlled House of Representatives is violating state law and the Missouri Constitution by preventing public access to certain lawmaker records, Schmitt has yet to respond – even though his office promised to do so with 90 days.

Yesterday, State Auditor Nicole Galloway noted that Schmitt, a Republican, likewise has failed to timely act on a request she submitted on May 7 seeking the attorney general’s opinion on whether government entities can assert the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as justification to close portions of public documents that are open under Missouri’s Sunshine Law. Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s office recently invented the novel legal argument, which has been ridiculed by experts in open records law.

“Eric Schmitt has established an unfortunate pattern of looking the other way when Republican elected officials violate the law by shielding public records from public scrutiny,” said Merideth, D-St. Louis. “As attorney general, it is his duty to fight for transparency and protect Missourians. Instead he has chosen to protect officials of his own party and keep Missourians from holding their state government accountable.”

Merideth submitted his request for an attorney general’s opinion on March 7. Other than a same-day letter acknowledging receipt of the request and promising to respond to respond “within 90 days,” Merideth has received no further information from Schmitt regarding this issue.

“Missouri law requires the attorney general to issue legal opinions when requested by other elected officials,” Merideth said. “Eric Schmitt needs to do his job.”

Merideth’s original opinion request and the attorney general’s letter of acknowledgment are attached.

-30-

The original request for an opinion from Attorney General Eric Schmitt (r):

Request for Attorney General Opinion

1. Information about requestor: Representative Peter Merideth represents Missouri House District 80. He was first elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2016, reelected in 2018, and currently serves as a member of the 100th General Assembly.

2. Official capacity of requestor: Rep. Merideth is a duly elected State Representative serving the constituents of St. Louis City residing in Missouri House of Representatives District 80. He currently serves as a member of the 100th General Assembly, First Regular Session. His principal office is in Cole County, Missouri, in the Missouri Capitol building.

3. The question of LAW upon which I request your legal opinion is as follows: Does Rule 127 of the rules governing proceedings before the Missouri House of Representatives for the 100th General Assembly, as set forth in House Resolution 7, passed by the Missouri House of Representatives on January 15, 2019, violate Article III, Section 19(b) of the Missouri Constitution?

4. A complete statement of the FACTS giving rise to this question is as follows: Constitutional Amendment 1 (“Clean Missouri”) On November 6, 2018, 62 percent of Missouri voters approved Constitutional Amendment 1, also known as the “Clean Missouri” Amendment. Among its provisions, Constitutional Amendment 1 required all legislative records, defined broadly, to be subject to the state open meetings and records law, known as the Missouri Sunshine Law. Subsequent to its approval, Article III, Section 19 of the Missouri Constitution was amended to include subsection (b), which states: “Legislative records shall be public records and subject to generally applicable state laws governing public access to public records, including the Sunshine Law. Legislative records include, but are not limited to, all records, in whatever form or format, of the official acts of the general assembly, of the official acts of legislative committees, of the official acts of members of the general assembly, of individual legislators, their employees and staff, of the conduct of legislative business and all records that are created, stored or distributed through legislative branch facilities, equipment or mechanisms, including electronic. Each member of the general assembly is the custodian of legislative records under the custody and control of the member, their employees and staff. The chief clerk of the house or the secretary of the senate are the custodians for all other legislative records relating to the house and the senate, respectively.” House Rule 127 On January 15, 2019, the Missouri House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 7, which details the rules governing proceedings before the Missouri House of Representatives for the 100th General Assembly. House Resolution 7 included a new rule, Rule 127, “House Records,” which purports to grant Members of the Missouri House of Representatives the authority to close constituent case files, which it defined broadly, as well as records containing caucus strategy, which it did not define. The rule states: “Members may keep constituent case files, and records of the caucus of the majority or minority party of the house that contain caucus strategy, confidential. Constituent case files include any correspondence, written or electronic, between a member and a constituent, or between a member and any other party pertaining to a constituent’s grievance, a question of eligibility for any benefit as it relates to a particular constituent, or any issue regarding a constituent’s request for assistance.” Sunshine Request On March 2, 2019, Rep. Peter Merideth, who is currently an elected official in the Missouri House of Representatives, received two requests for legislative records pursuant to the Missouri Sunshine law. The first request specifically asked for emails purportedly, though likely fraudulently, sent to Rep. Merideth using his constituent’s email address. The second request specifically asked for emails, including attachments to said emails, sent from Democratic caucus staff and leadership to Rep. Merideth in regards to certain bills filed in 2018.

5. List each and every governmental entity involved in this request:
Rep. Peter Merideth The House Minority Caucus.

6. Which of the entities listed in response to Question 5 have attorneys paid with public funds? For each entity listed, attach a copy of the written legal opinion of each such attorney on the question involved herein. Rep. Merideth is represented in this matter by the House Minority Caucus Counsel, Casey Millburg. As an employee of the Missouri House of Representatives, Ms. Millburg is paid with public funds. Ms. Millburg’s written legal opinion on the question is attached.

7. State in detail how the question of law relates to your official position or to the discharge of your duties. Pursuant Article III, Section 19(b) of the Missouri Constitution, each member of the general assembly is the custodian of legislative records under the custody and control of the member, their employees and staff. As the custodian of such records for his office, Rep. Merideth is responsible for determining how to comply with Sunshine requests made for his office’s legislative records. Further, pursuant to this subsection, in doing so Rep. Merideth must comply with the provisions of the state’s open records laws. As a duly elected official serving as a Member of the Missouri House of Representatives, Rep. Merideth is also subject to the rules governing proceedings before the Missouri House of Representatives for the 100th General Assembly. As set forth in House Resolution 7 passed by the General Assembly on January 15, 2019, Rule 127 purports to give Rep. Merideth and all Members of the Missouri House of Representatives the power to determine whether or not to release constituent case files of the type at issue in Mr. Pedroli’s request in response to a Sunshine request for such records.

8. Is any litigation pending involving the issues raised in your opinion request? We are aware of no pending litigation involving the specific issues in this request.

9. If the answer to Question 8 is “yes” list the name of case, court in which it is pending and docket number of case: See above.

It ain’t exactly rocket surgery.