The West County Democrats hosted Bob Allen, a presenter for the League of Women Voters to discuss the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Our Zoom meeting was recorded and the comments were captured. A transcript of Glenn Koenen’s legislative report is provided at the end of this post. The video of our meeting and Mr. Allen’s presentation may be found here:
Comments from the Meeting
Jan Wester: Mail Membership Dues to: West County Democrats, P.O. Box 31034, St. Louis, MO 63131
Grace James: Which of these horrifying, repressive, fascist, proposed laws have a chance of being enacted?
Jessica LaBozzetta: Have they reached out to those who have overpaid? I was on unemployment and haven’t received anything and I’m concerned they’ll ask for money back.
Cathy Marek: There is an excellent NPR podcast called “NO Compromise” which talks about organizations such as the Missouri Firearm Coalition which promotes “Christian Reconstruction”which says that Christians have a “God given right” to protect their families with guns.
Nancy Price: We need to support HR1—Federal law for voter rights that will eliminate MO voter suppression practices
Harvey Ferdman: how do we get more press coverage as a way to defeat these crazy bills?
Cathy Marek: And, this same group says that any gun laws are unconstitutional and go against the 2nd Amendment which states that guns rights cannot be “infringed” upon.
Cathy Marek: What about the 14th Amendment – Article 3? Can it be used to prevent Trump from running again?
Nancy Price: and human error, so count 3 times like in GA
Nancy Price: We need to push for access to wifi and more TV channels and radio. At least then there will be access to more different types of info/opinions
Maureen Jordan: Please join Holly Ragan tomorrow night at Chesterfield Twp Democrats event. She will discuss how we can engage with rural voters to help turn MO. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chesterfield-township-democrats-program-meeting-tickets-137140826905?aff=Website
Karen Cloyd: Thanks Maureen! This was going to be in my close. Rural outreach is essential.
Maureen Jordan: I heard Michael Steele discuss this several years ago. One thing that will happen is that many more GOP will actually vote in say a state like CA that could change the numbers. Can you comment on that observation?
Dennis Lavallee: Please comment —-Assuming that enough states pass the proposal to produce 270 electoral votes, that does not guarantee election of the person with the most votes. With some states supporting the Dem and some supporting the GOP, that would not guarantee to 270 … still a split electoral college vote that doesn’t give the 270 majority for a candidate..
Nancy Price: Dennis—All the states in the compact, once it goes into effect, would cast all their EC votes for whichever candidate received the most popular votes nationwide. Example–IF it had been in effect in 2020 in MO, all 10 of our EC votes would have been for Biden
Dennis Lavallee: Thanks Nancy — that helps to clarify.
Marian Bauer: do the state belonging to the compact use this method now?
Grace James: Doesn’t this, in effect make the Electoral College irrelevant? Won’t most Republican dominated state legislatures see this National Popular Vote movement as favoring Democrats? Did the LWV consider advocating for proportional allocation of electoral votes?
Nancy Price: Maureen, The feeling is that more voters would vote because each person’s vote would count in the national total, which would determine the national outcome. BUT in the 2020 election, republicans in CA did not count in the EC total, but they did count in the popular vote, and Biden won that
Nancy Price: Marian—the NPVCompact doesn’t go into effect until states which, in aggregate, have 270 EC votes. SO, while several states have passed NPV, no one is currently using it.
Nancy Price: Grace The EC would still exist, it would just vote for the winner of the National Vote. To eliminate this, it would take a constitutional amendment, which, if you follow the ERA, would take forever!
Nancy Price: Grace–There is no Democrat bias, because if the Republicans win the popular vote nationwide, their candidate would win. Despite this, many think this is a new plan because Hillary lost and this is a way to change the system to favor Dems.
Sydell Shayer: The League does not support propostional represent in chosing electors.
Steven Hughes: Great meeting! Great presentation!
Nancy Price: Grace—the League has looked at that, but the problem is that many states with smaller numbers of EC votes have a hard time dividing them up in any meaningful way
Nancy Price: Thank you for inviting the League! I am Speakers Bureau Chair nprice07@gmail.com
Legislative Report – February 8, 2021 Glenn Koenen
“Our government has suffered literally decades of rust,” said Max Stier, president of the Partnership For Public Service, a non-partisan group that seeks to make government more effective. “And then someone came in with a sledgehammer.” New York Times 2/4/21
Federal Items:
Like a melted piece of gum stuck to your shoe on a summer day, Donald Trump continues to confound American politics. Poll after poll finds that the majority of Republican voters still support Trump’s false contention that he won the election. And, Trump acolytes such as Marjorie Taylor Greene appear incapable of shame or truth, dragging the majority of Republican office holder with them.
Don’t forget that Ann Wagner voted against Trump’s impeachment and sanctions on Rep. Taylor Greene.
While even John Danforth has turned on Josh Hawley, he remains the best known Missouri politician.
The impeachment trial starting this week will offer a stark contrast between the parties. Republicans, feeling they must defend Donald Trump, will have to downplay the January 6 attempted coup. Democrats now become the “law and order” party.
The good news: Congress seems to be on-track to pass President Biden’s major aid package.
The bad news: it is probable that the aid package will not receive even one GOP vote.
The impact of the coronavirus will be the primary driver of legislation for at least the next year. Better than 10 million jobs have been lost. It is likely that millions of those lost jobs will never be restored in the hospitality and travel industries. Absorbing those workers – and business people – back into the economy will require tremendous effort.
The process of rebuilding the bureaucracy and offsetting four years of crazy will take years. In the short term, the Biden administration has made enhancing basic benefit programs – such as food stamps – a priority. The new leadership is also prioritizing rebuilding the EPA. Already a change of policy on pipelines and other energy projects which impact the environment is in progress.
State Items:
The governor does not play well with others.
With unchecked control of state government, Missouri Republicans now spend their time attacking each other. Governor Mike Parson has been critical of the House Speaker, the Conservative Caucus criticizes the governor and House and Senate leadership, and, major donors have expressed dismay at the way the legislature keeps getting caught up in issues – such as ‘gun freedom’ – business doesn’t want.
Again this session, the legislature is pursuing a number of problematic proposals:
CHARTER SCHOOL EXPANSION & SCHOOL VOUCHERS The related efforts would siphon dollars from public schools at a time when funding is already very lean.
COVID LIABILITY WAIVERS No business or group would be liable for even preventable exposure of employees or guests to COVID-19.
SECESSION FROM FEDERAL FIREARM LAWS In fact, any law enforcement agency which worked with the FBI, DEA or ATF could be fined $50,000 – making coordinated anti-gun crime efforts illegal.
ELIMINATING PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES Over five years 99.9% of personal property tax collections would be killed, leaving local governments to make up millions and millions in revenue.
ELECTION LAW CHANGES A series of proposals, from increasing the number of signatures necessary to place a measure on the ballot to preventing courts from reviewing ballot language to a requirement that every ballot cast be with pen to paper and then every ballot must be counted without electronic or mechanical equipment.
LIMITING LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT AUTHORITY Even in a pandemic, health officials would be limited in what they could do to protect the public: no restrictions on religious activities allowed.
Not known for recognizing irony, a measure to allow passengers on public transit to carry concealed weapons is being considered while security guards on Metro and other transit agencies are forbidden to carry guns. Yes, the people protecting riders could be the only ones without guns.
Follow the money…
Please remember that while the legislature authorizes spending, it is the governor who must insure that the state budget is balanced. As a result, the House and Senate can knowingly pass an impossible budget, leaving the dirty work to the governor.
In recent years the state’s revenue has been one-third general revenue, one-third targeted funds (such as fuel taxes), and one-third federal funds. For Fiscal Year 2022 [7/1/21 – 6/30/22] the mix has changed, with federal funds growing to 38% of revenue: much of that Washington money needs to passed by the Democratic majority. The total budget spending, $34,1 billion, includes $10.6 billion in general revenue which pays for education, the state’s share of Medicaid and other operations.
The governor expects state generated general revenue to be $9.8 billion, or, $800 million less than GR’s commitments.
Beginning in July, Missouri will expand Medicaid, giving 200,000 to 400,000 more citizens health coverage. The cost of the expansion is a matter of contention. Advocates for expansion point to the revised federal funding formula and expect the state to either come out a little bit ahead even with he extra covered people, or, result in a minor state cost increase. Opponents predict hundreds of millions in new state obligations.
Complicating the matter, while the governor has said he’ll follow the will of voters and expand Medicaid, the new budget calls for 200 fewer staff in the Department of Social Services – the folks who will process Medicaid applications and payments!
Meanwhile, decades of being cheap continue to hurt state government efficiency. For example, a major reason for tens of thousands of Missourians being forced to payback unemployment benefits is dated data processing systems which couldn’t adapt to new rules and requirements. Much of Missouri state government uses computer programming developed in the 1980’s and 1970’s.