The West County Democrats hosted Representative Trish Gunby to discuss her experiences in the Missouri legislature.
The presentation and discussion from that meeting may be viewed here.
Legislative Report – Glenn Koenen October 11, 2021
Who you gonna believe – me or your lying eyes?
Richard Pryor
Federal Items:
No fiction writer could top this: Mike Pence – sought out for possible lynching by the January 6 mob – now claims the ‘incident’ was an overblown attempt by ‘the media’ to ‘demean’ Trump supporters by keeping the spotlight on “one day in January” instead of the “failing Boden administration.”
That alternate reality pops up among those who claim “science” proves the Covid vaccine kills thousands (and is more dangerous than the virus), and, of course, that Donald Trump had his election win stolen.
Meanwhile, the Trump-sculpted Supreme Court appears headed towards the gutting of Roe v. Wade, federal and state controls on firearms, and, consumer protections. The only defense against radical decisions appears to be Chief Justice John Roberts’ desire to not have ‘his court’ go down in history as a legal farce. (Take clowns, give points.)
Congress remains virtually non-functional. Note that while Senate Republicans gave half an inch to prevent a government default (with 11 of them voting to allow a vote on a stopgap bill which no Republican then supported), none of the combatants has a workable plan to move any legislation.
That said, it still appears possible that a slimmed-down social spending bill – perhaps $1.8 trillion instead of $3.5 – could squeak through before the end of the year.
Unfortunately, while the media covers the antics on Capitol Hill, in the South China Sea the stage is being set for a dangerous confrontation between the United States and its allies and China. The Beijing government is rallying support among their people for absorbing Taiwan back into China, as well as establishing naval and economic dominance over the region from Australia and Indonesia up through the Philippines.
If the Chinese really want Taiwan, I expect that Walmart America will sacrifice her rather than lose access to cheap polyester clothing. While the GOP will huff and puff, they have no desire for an economic or military confrontation. It is unlikely that Joe Biden will be allowed any workable options to protect Taiwan.
State Items
Missouri has finally opened-up Medicaid as voters demanded…kinda.
While the head of MO HealthNet (former House Speaker Todd Richardson) has returned to work after a seven month leave of absence – during the most tumultuous period in Medicaid history – the Parson Administration has not dedicated the resources necessary to bring the newly-eligible into the system.
If fact, the administration has constructed a parallel track for the Adult Eligibility Group, meaning they will always be on computer click away from being thrown off the rolls.
As recent press coverage has noted, Mike Parson vetoed some targeted wage increases for certain state employees. Meanwhile, he has spent millions of dollars on out of state consultants to look at Missouri’s system of paying workers.
Remember, as a legislator Parson opposed the state minimum wage initiative. And, he has been chastised by Republican judges in Missouri courts for refusing to bargain with unions representing state workers.
Unfortunately, chastising thew governor has not gotten him to pay a $115 million settlement from years past to corrections workers, nor has it caused him to let union reps talk to new employees (despite federal law).
None of the governor’s vetoes from last session were overturned by the legislature this September. While the GOP controlled House did reject the governor’s rejection o a few items, Parson’s friends in the Senate prevented any action.
Please note that one of the sustained vetoes had a back story. In Lincoln County law enforcement and the prosecutor discovered a horrible child abuse situation. Their elected people in the Capitol got a special $140,000 line item in the budget to pay for two investigators and a prosecutor to work on this special situation. In normal times such a request in a $35 billion+ budget would be a legislative courtesy.
Mike Parson brooks no changes to his budget.
Missouri continues to have a healthy bank balance. Though current fiscal year revenues are down by 9.4%, that number is deceiving. A large portion of FY20 revenues – due to the pandemic – were not received until FY21. The actual receipts for this year, plus federal pandemic aid not yet spent, have Missouri billions ahead of where the state has been in recent years. (Remember, per the state auditor, Missouri annual general revenue is still $4 billion a year below the Hancock Amendment cap.)
Redistricting at all levels of government is sort of underway.
The Missouri legislature has yet to start working on Congressional lines. Rumors point at a major disagreement within Republican ranks over how St. Charles County and a couple of other areas are assigned. Census numbers showed a decline in St. Louis city and the northern inner suburbs, as well as population loses in most rural counties. Governor Parson may let the legislature wait till the general session in January to work on the Congressional districts. Filing for all state and federal offices opens early in 2022.
The “dirty Missouri” commissions to set state house and senate lines are beginning public hearings (including a House session this week and a Senate session next week at an airport hotel). It is possible the work of the commissions will not produce clean maps.
The St. Louis County Council Reapportionment Commission (of which I am one of seven Democrat members) is not able to meet: two of the Republican commissioners are elected officials, meaning the county charter prohibits them from being on the commission. The local GOP has refused to replace the two, with the matter now referred to Wesley Bell’s office.