MOPAG – Missouri Political Action Group – met on Saturday, March 4 at the central St. Louis County Library Headquarters on Lindberg Blvd. Approximately 30 people attended. Steven Reed explained that MOPAG was formed with the intent to be an action-oriented political group but also fields an important mission to inform and educate.
Reed opened the meeting by introducing Deb Lavender, State Representative from the 90th District (Kirkwood and surrounding area). Representative Lavender reviewed for the group a three-pronged action strategy she’d introduced the previous week at a Democratic Strategy Session. Chief among these strategies is the Adopt-A-District plan described in a previous blog post on West County Democrats, click here.
Glenn Koenen followed with a Missouri Legislative report. Glenn provided a list of the bills and actions in various stages before the Missouri House and Senate. Foremost is Governor Greitens’ budget proposal calling for $572 million in cuts to the state budget. Specific items include:
- cuts to in-home and nursing home services for 20,000+ seniors & disabled
- large cuts to community colleges and four year colleges
- 3% cuts to reimbursement to doctors for Medicaid services
- additional cuts to transportation funding for school districts
When asked if he had any “good news” to share, Glenn said “no.”
Harvey Ferdman announced that Stephen Webber, Chair of the Missouri Democratic Party, would be speaking this month at the Grandview Branch of the St. Louis County Library at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7th and again at the Maryland Heights/Creve Coeur Democratic Club Meeting, Thursday, March 9th at 7:00 p.m. This latter event will take place at the Graphic Arts Banquet and Conference Center, 105 Progressive Parkway, Maryland Heights, MO 63043.
MOPAG members compiled and distributed a list of some 10 actions taking place in March in the St. Louis area. The group meets on the first Saturday of every month at the STLC – HQ on Lindberg Blvd beginning at 1:30 pm. Go to MOPAG.org for more information.
Submitted by Mark Kumming, WCD Member