A reminder to our members- West County Democrats is now collecting dues for 2022. Since we’ve been unable to meet face to face, we’ve depended on the US Mail and good old fashioned checks. Thank you for continuing your support in this year for WCD programs. Annual dues of $20 may be mailed to:
West County Democrats
P.O. Box 31034
St. Louis, MO 63131
In the opening comments, Suzanne mentioned the Democratic Legislative Network weekly meetings being held on Zoom. West County Democrats provides candidates the opportunity to speak at our meetings, but we do not endorse individual campaigns. If you would like to be actively involved in supporting Democratic candidates in Missouri you can register at this web site.
Our guest presenter for February was Stephen Webber, the Political Director of the Missouri AFL-CIO who updated us on the redistricting effort in Missouri and the progress of the PRO Act at the Federal level. The intent of the act is to reverse some of the anti-worker legislation that has been pursued throughout the country by Republican operatives and strengthen labor laws that protect working families.
For more information on the PRO Act , follow this link– Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act
Mr. Webber’s presentation and the full meeting may be viewed here:
Glenn Koenen’s Legislative Update
Federal Items:
At least one Republican member of Congress now believes Democrats employ the Soup Police…
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) confused gazpacho with the Nazi gestapo in comments targeting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) who she falsely claims has police officers roaming the halls of the Capitol and spying on Republicans. CNN
Of course, at a time when the former president has been accused of clogging his toilet with torn-up classified documents, the threshold for lunacy seems elusive.
Despite that, some of the regular work of Congress has been advancing…
- A short term extension of the debt limit (till 3/11) seems destined to be followed by a budget deal for the rest of the budget year [till 9/30/22];
- An updated of a version of the Violence Against Women Act is advancing;
- A change to federal law to prevent arbitration being the only option in many discrimination disputes has been approved; and,
- Despite anti-mask and anti-vax constituencies, funding for the public health response to COVID remains strong.
The Senate, of course, remains a study in dysfunction. With one Democrat senator (Ben Ray Luĵan from New Mexico) recovering from a stroke, the Democrats lack a majority – meaning nothing can advance unless it is completely non-controversial. This could have serious implication for the confirmation of a new Supreme Court justice.
Even more troubling, the lack of a clear, unified voice on the situation between Ukraine and Russia may give Putin more ammunition to go ahead with an invasion. Several political figures – including Missouri’s Senator Josh Hawley – have said America should not support Ukraine. Hawley has also slowed down consideration of top civilian Pentagon officials to show his displeasure with the Biden administration.
The federal bureaucracy continues to rebound from the trauma of the Trump years. Unfortunately, several government units, such as the Post Office, will need years to recover.
State Items:
A minority within the majority party in Jefferson City continues to deny Governor Mike Parson the ability to keep state government operating:
- The Missouri House tinkered with Parson’s pay raise request for state workers. Instead of a $15.00 an hour base, some will receive just $12.00. The starting date for the change and the 5.5% across the board jump has been pushed back.
- The “supplemental” budget authorization necessary to pay many bills – including for Medicaid Expansion – is languishing.
- The well qualified candidate to lead the Department of Health and Senior Services was voted down by the Senate because he was ‘squishy’ in his anti-mandate rhetoric.
- The Senate is prevented from voting on a plan for Congressional districts due to a filibuster by conservatives.
That redistricting map is crucial. With filing for office starting later this month, candidates could be in a position of not knowing what areas they would represent. The House districts were settled when the bipartisan commission (created by ‘dirty Missouri’) finally presented an agreed to map in January. The state Senate districts will be decided by six appellate court judges – and may be reviewed by other judges after presentation. The courts may also decide the Congressional district lines.
Basically, conservatives demand that Missouri have seven Republican and just one Democratic member of Congress. The “plan” was for a ‘six and two’ map, preserving the current status quo.
Also, some Republicans fear the Second district could fall into Democrat hands this decade: they want to make the Second bullet proof by centering the district on St. Charles County, adding the more rural counties around St. Charles and then lessening the Second’s footprint in St. Louis County.
Supporters of Congresswoman Cori Bush want more African American voters added to the First district. There are signs that three senators may side with the Republicans on a map to get the Bush changes.
Of course, those changes cause ripples in other districts. One possible outcome would put southern St. Louis County in the revised Third district, meaning Oakville could share a Congressman with Lake of The Ozarks.
Any member of the legislature can propose anything. That is very true this year.
Ultra conservative Senator Eric Burlison put up Senate Bill 666 [numbers are assigned in the order bills are presented], called by many in law enforcement the Make Murder Legal Act. The bill would have made it much, much harder for a prosecutor to claim a death was not the result of self-defense. Fortunately the bill died in committee.
Still alive are proposals to allow concealed weapons in schools and churches, making January 12 Rush Limbaugh Day, a ban on government money to Planned Parenthood, an absolute ban on abortions, a ban of “concessions” to trans people in schools and public settings, and, well, a mess of stuff to regulate what is taught in schools.
For example, one bill would allow any parent to sit-in on any (or all) of their child’s classes and raise objections during class to the material taught, creating what Rep. Ian Mackey called “The Heckler’s Veto.”
Meanwhile, a Parson proposal to raise the minimum teacher pay has stalled.
And, several legislators are calling for the state to eliminate last year’s fuel tax increases.
Moving through the Capitol and likely to go before voters is a proposal to change thew rules for initiative petitions. Now it takes 8% of registered voters in six of eight Congressional districts to put a measure on the ballot. Under the plan loved by Republicans, a petition would need signatures from 10% of the voters in all eight districts – an increase from roughly 180,000 to 300,000 in total signatures and a huge logistical problem of getting signers in the most rural part of Missouri.
Finally, for some fun among the onslaught of conspiracy theories and ignorance spewing from our elected officials, check out Dissent Pins
