MAGAZINE MAGAZINE 01.01.2017
JANUARY 1, 2017
ERIC GREITENS: YOURS IN SERVICE 5 QUESTIONS, 5 CONTRACT LOBBYISTS
CAPITOL RECONSTRUCTION
WORKING TO PRESERVE MISSOURI’S HISTORY
CLASS OF 2017: FRESHMAN YEARBOOK
WALSH TAKES OVER HOW AND WHY THE ONLY UNELECTED STATEWIDE OFFICER REVOLUTIONIZED AUDITS
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The Voice of Missouri BusinessŽ welcomes the new governor and legislators to our State Capitol. Established in 1919, we are Missouri’s oldest, premier business association. Our mission is to promote a favorable business climate for business, manufacturing and industry by empowering members through communications, education and advocacy before the legislature, administrative agencies and the public.
Let’s work together to strengthen Missouri businesses and the economy. Visit aimo.com for more information or contact AIM President Ray McCarty at rmccarty@aimo.com or 573-634-2246.
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CONTENTS CULTURE 8
FIVE BEST PLACES FOR A MEETING IN JCMO BECKY LOHMANN
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MORE THAN JUST A HOT DOG
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5 QUESTIONS 5 CONTRACT LOBBYISTS
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CAPITOL RECONSTRUCTION
LEGISLATURE
20 FRESHMAN YEARBOOK 30 5 THINGS YOU SHOULD DO THIS SESSION BRIAN GRACE
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WALSH TAKES OVER
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ONDER TALKS SJR39 AND MORE
PEOPLE 34
THE MAN BEHIND TRUMP’S VICTORY IN MISSOURI
36
TALENT ON TAP
POLICY 38
BUDGET WITHHOLDS DIRECTLY HURTING FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS
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TOP 10 REASONS WHY OVER 90% OF LEGISLATION FAILS IRL SCISSORS
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FUEL OF THE FUTURE
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ADOPTED NOVEMBER 8, 2016
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MISSOURI UBER ALLIES
EXECUTIVE 46
ERIC GREITENS: YOURS IN SERVICE
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VICTORY REMARKS GOV. -ELECT ERIC GREITENS
48 AN INTERVIEW WITH A GOVERNOR
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KINDER DEPARTS THE SECOND FLOOR
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MY FOND FAREWELL (REALLY) TO PETER KINDER JEFF MAZUR
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HOW AND WHY THE ONLY UNELECTED STATEWIDE OFFICE REVOLUTIONIZED AUDITS
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GALLOWAY ON BECOMING THE ONLY DEMOCRAT STATEWIDE OFFICE HOLDER AND THE ONLY PREGNANT STATEWIDE OFFICE IN MISSOURI’S HISTORY
OP ED
56 BUILDING A VIBRANT AND GROWING ECONOMY
SPEAKER TODD RICHARDSON
REGIONAL CHAMBER
ST. LOUIS REGIONAL DAY AT THE CAPITOL JANUARY 18, 2017 You’re invited to join the St. Louis Regional Chamber in Jefferson City, Missouri to build relationships with policymakers and discuss important issues facing our region. We will have scheduled meetings with top state officials and key lawmakers. Ride up and back on a luxurioius motor coach departing from the Shaw Park Garage in downtown Clayton, MO. Lunch provided in Jefferson City and Reception at the end of the day at Revel Catering and Events. RSVP by January 13, 2017 sbailey@stlregionalchamber.com | 314.444.1134
ALLEN ANDREWS J. EGGLESTON NATE WALKER CRAIG REDMON LINDELL SHUMAKE TIM REMOLE RUSTY BLACK JIM NEELY DELUS JOHNSON PAT CONWAY GALEN HIGDON KEN WILSON NICK MARSHALL KEVIN CORLEW NOEL SHULL BILL KIDD DAN STACY JEANIE LAUER DONNA PFAUTSCH REBECCA ROEBER GARY CROSS T.J. BERRY JOE DON MCGAUGH JIM HANSEN RANDY PIETZMAN BART KORMAN JAY HOUGHTON CHERI REISCH CHUCK BASYE DAVE MUNTZEL TRAVIS FITZWATER CALEB JONES DEAN DOHRMAN NATHAN BEARD GLEN KOLKMEYER DAN HOUX RICK BRATTIN
JACK BONDON WANDA BROWN DAVID WOOD MIKE BERNSKOETTER JAY BARNES JUSTIN ALFERMAN TOM HURST BRYAN SPENCER ROBERT CORNEJO TOM HANNEGAN MARK MATTIEWSEN DEAN PLOCHER CLORIA BROWN MARSHA HAEFNER DAVID GREGORY JOHN MCCAHERTY SHAMED DOGAN JEAN EVANS DEREK GRIER BRUCE DEGROOT KURT BAHR JOHN WIEMANN
KATHIE CONWAY PHIL CRISTOFANELLI CHRISSY SOMMER NICK SCHROER JUSTIN HILL PAUL CURTMAN KIRK MATHEWS SHANE RODEN ROB VESCOVO DAN SHAUL BECKY RUTH ELAINE GANNON KEVIN ENGLER MIKE HENDERSON NATE TATE JASON CHIPMAN KEITH FREDERICK STEVE LYNCH DIANE FRANKLIN ROCKY MILLER WARREN LOVE PATRICIA PIKE
MIKE KELLEY MIKE STEPHENS SANDY CRAWFORD JEFF MESSENGER SONYA MURRAY ANDERSON CURTIS TRENT ELIJAH HAAHR STEVE HELMS KEVIN AUSTIN LYNDALL FRAKER DON PHILLIPS JERED TAYLOR LYNN MORRIS HANNAH KELLY ROBERT ROSS JEFFREY POGUE PAUL FITZWATER RICK FRANCIS DONNA LICHTENEGGER KATHY SWAN HOLLY REHDER DON RONE ANDREW MCDANIEL TILA ROWLAND HUBRECHT TODD RICHARDSON STEVE COOKSON SHAWN RHOADS LYLE ROWLAND JEFF JUSTUS MIKE MOON SCOTT FITZPATRICK BILL LANT BILL REIBOLDT BILL WHITE CHARLIE DAVIS CODY SMITH
HRCC WELCOMES THE SUPERMAJORITY OF THE 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY3 Paid for by House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc., Eddy Justice, Treasurer
Statehouse Strategies welcomes Daryl Duwe Daryl Duwe brings a wealth of political and policy experience to the firm. Statehouse Strategies is excited to have Duwe join our team as we constantly evaluate better ways to meet our client’s objectives.
STATEHOUSE STRATEGIES (573) 632-4184
MAGAZINE MAGAZINE 01.01.2017
O W NFAUGHN ER SCOTT ScottOwner Faughn
P U BRACHAEL L I S H EHERNDON R & E DDUNN ITOR Publisher and Editor Rachael Herndon Dunn
rachael@themissouritimes.com
S TA F F
TRAVIS ZIMPFER Benjamin Peters travis@themissouritimes.com
Travis Zimpfer
BENJAMIN PETERS benjamin@themissouritimes.com CONTRIBUTORS
Brian Grace Steve Hankins Becky Lohmann Speaker Todd Richardson Irl Scissors
Tom Robbins, Steve Tilley, Amy Huber, Shawn Rigger
Welcome, 99th General Assembly! (573) 517-0030
Welcome back! BRENT HEMPHILL 4
& ASSOCIATES, INC. (573) 634-0050
Women’s Foundation Congratulations looks forward to a legislative session that advances economic development and policy solutions to improve the lives of women and their families. Cheers from Richard Wiles Research & Associates
+ Solutions = Results
kyna
“The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones that do.” - Anonymous www.womens-foundation.org
314-651-1185
kynaiman@earthlink.net
@WomensFound
WISHING EVERYONE A SUCCESSFUL SESSION!
(573) 632-4184
Statehouse Strategies welcomes ETTER Noel LTorpey FROM THE Noel Torpey brings a wealth of policy and advocacy experience to the firm. Noel’s expertise is a vital E Das Statehouse I T OStrategies R component of our mission
Publisher and Editor rachael@themissouritimes.com rachael@themissouritimes.com TRAVIS ZIMPFER TRAVIS ZIMPFER travis@themissouritimes.com travis@themissouritimes.com BENJAMIN PETERS BENJAMIN PETERS benjamin@themissouritimes.com benjamin@themissouritimes.com
strives to exceed our clients’ expectations. Hello, 2017!
STATEHOUSE STRATEGIES Thank you(573) for Steve picking up the firstHuber, editionShawn of the Rigger Missouri Tom Robbins, Tilley, Amy 632-4184
314-368-4330 letter from the editor
Tom Robbins, Steve Tilley, Amy Huber, ShawnitRigger Times Magazine! We’re very excited to release the same week as the inauguration of Missouri’s next governor and swearing in of the 99th General Assembly. . In honor of Missouri’s 56th governor, this edition has 56 pages.
Congratulations Congratulations and and Cheers Cheers from from Richard Wiles Richard Wiles & Associates & Associates
Welcome, Welcome, 99th 99th General General Assembly! Assembly!
In 2014, the Missouri Times had a magazine called Upon Adjournment. After brainstorming and dozens of phone calls, we realized a full-length magazine - still focused on the culture and politics of Jefferson City - was in demand to publish institutional knowledge and delve deeper into stakeholders.
(573) 517-0030
Missourians have(573) a lot of517-0030 changes to look for in 2017. With new leadership, a renewed supermajority in both chambers, and new amendments on the Constitution, voters made it abundantly clear what they want from their state government. As the editor of the Missouri Times and executive producer of This Week in Missouri Politics, I know there will be no shortage of content to deliver to our subscribers and loyal watchers.
Welcome Welcome back! back! You can expect to see the next editions of the Magazine on June 1 and September 1. This year, we’ll be doing the 100+ List differently - separating out 100 private from 50 government superstars. The June edition will feature the first 100 days of the new statewide officers and the 100+ List, while the September edition will preview veto session and the 50+ List. Please feel free to start emailing your nominations for consideration - please tell us not just who they are, but why they should be on the list.
BRENT HEMPHILL BRENT HEMPHILL & ASSOCIATES, INC. & ASSOCIATES, INC. (573) 634-0050 (573) 634-0050
I hope you enjoy the edition! Best,
Rachael Herndon Dunn Publisher and Editor, The Missouri Times Magazine rachael@themissouritimes.com
kyna kyna
“The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change “The ones whotheare crazyare enough to think world, the ones that they do.” can change the world,- are the ones that do.” Anonymous - Anonymous 314-651-1185 314-651-1185
kynaiman@earthlink.net kynaiman@earthlink.net
WISHING EVERYONE A SUCCESSFUL SESSION! WISHING EVERYONE A SUCCESSFUL SESSION!
Statehouse Strategies welcomes Noel Torpey Noel Torpey brings a wealth of policy and advocacy experience to the firm. Noel’s expertise is a vital component of our mission as Statehouse Strategies strives to exceed our clients’ expectations.
STATEHOUSE STRATEGIES (573) 632-4184
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The Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys. Here to defend citizen access to the courts & protect the right to trial by jury as outlined in the Bill of Rights & the Missouri State Constitution.
The wisdom of our sages and the blood of our heroes has been devoted to the attainment of trial by jury. It should be the creed of our political faith.
- Thomas Jefferson Representative government and trial by jury are the heart and lungs of liberty. Without them we have no other fortification against being ridden like horses, fleeced like sheep, worked like cattle and fed and clothed like swine and hounds.
- John Adams There was not a member of the Constitutional Convention who had the least objection to what is contended for by the advocates for a Bill of Rights and trial by jury.
- George Washington
7th Amendment In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law. Missouri Constitution Article 1 - Section 14. That the courts of justice shall be open to every person, and certain remedy afforded for every injury to person, property or character, and that right and justice shall be administered without sale, denial or delay. Article 1 - Section 22(a). That the right of trial by jury as heretofore enjoyed shall remain inviolate...
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STREAM ONLINE AT TWMP.TV
GROWING MISSOURI’S ECONOMY WITH SMARTER ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE The electric grid is the backbone of our economy. Now is the time to update Missouri’s century-old regulations that are holding us back. Working together, we can spur economic development in Missouri as we build a smarter, stronger grid that will benefit our customers.
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OPINION FIVE BEST PLACES FOR A MEETING IN JCMO BECKY LOHMANN CATALYST GROUP The Grand Cafe The Grand is our version of ‘Cheers.’ The staff here remembers your name and your order and let you charge your phone behind the bar. It is the spot to meet when you don’t mind a friend or five hijacking your lunch table to talk the latest in Capitol gossip. Whether your amendment was ruled out of order or your bill died on the Senate calendar due to a filibuster, our troubles are all the same at The Grand. Coffee Zone Coffee Zone is the place for a morning coffee meeting. It’s crawling with politicians and lobbyists so bring your holy water, but if that’s your thing you’ll be in good company. Their Rocket Fuel will give you more than enough energy to last a long day at the Capitol all the while wondering if you’re about to have a heart attack. Starbucks in Target or Hy-Vee When you can’t last the week without your pumpkin spice latte, the Starbucks tucked away in Tar-
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get or Hy-Vee will get you your fix. Neither location is walkable from the Capitol, which makes them a great place to get away for a meeting when you don’t want a crowd. You can pay with an app (if you’re tech savvy like Catalyst) and enjoy your cup of joe in some hard-to-find peace and quiet in JCMO. Cork Where else names their menu items after Capitol lobbyists? Cork has the convenience and ambiance of Grand without the traffic. You will never have a wait and are certain to avoid the normal Capitol denizens, making Cork the ideal spot for a last minute dinner meeting. Rotunda Location, location, location. When it’s January and too cold to consider going outside, or it’s April and you can’t find a moment to step away, the rotunda is the most convenient place for a meeting. The alcoves or stray folding table provide the ideal spot to take a load off and catch up with a colleague while simultaneously keeping an eye on what your opposition is up to.
MORE THAN BENJAMIN PETERS THE MISSOURI TIMES Jason Allabaugh whips a cheesesteak up, tossing the meat onto the two-foot flat top grill, allowing it to sizzle before chopping it up. After the meat browns, he places the white cheese on top, where it melts right into the meat. Grabbing a bun, he deftly slides it all in, a gooey mess of steak, cheese, onions, and peppers. Tom, his father, swears by the sandwich - cooked up right on the corner between the Truman Building and the Capitol. Despite Tom’s promise, hot dogs, not cheesesteaks are Allabaugh’s specialty at Street Dawgs. Steps away from the core of state buildings, hungry lawmakers, lobbyists, or state worker can grab a bite to eat not far from their haunt during the lunch hour. The mobile hot dog stand can be found outside of the Truman Building’s front doors nearly every weekday, regardless of the weather. The cart can be seen down the street on windy, cold, or even rainy days. Anyone who lives in Missouri knows that the weather can change at a moment’s notice, but that doesn’t seem to bother Allabaugh, the owner-operator of the Street Dawgs hot dog stand. “I don’t plan on stopping. I’m going to do it through the winter, if I can,” he says. “If there’s not snow or ice, and I can get up here, I’ll be here.” Allabaugh is a retired Army vet-
eran, who served a tour in Iraq as a combat medic and as the medical noncommissioned officer in charge for the 7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team. “Our unit was moved from Fort Leonard Wood to Jefferson City in June 2010. Everyone was just open arms, so supportive of the military,” he said. “We just decided this was where our roots were going to be, and we love it here.” After 19 years and one month of service in the country’s uniform, Allabaugh decided it was time to hang it all up. “I saw these younger guys and just knew I couldn’t keep up anymore,” he said with a laugh. Many would think the transition from soldiering to cooking on the sidewalk an odd career path, but after his retirement, Allabaugh decided to follow his passion. Born and raised in southern California, he spent time on both coasts of the country, and to him, food stands are second nature. “I’ve always had an interest in food, especially street food because that’s where you get some of your best meals,” he said. After the departure of the previous hot dog cart, there was a demand downtown for the lunchtime return of street food. Allabaugh knew this was his next calling. “Several people had been asking when a hot dog cart was going to come back,” he said, pulling buns from the warm cooler on a blustery Friday afternoon. “I just jumped
PHOTO/BENJAMIN PETERS
JUST A HOT DOG into it full swing, I didn’t even get prepared or nothing. I said, ‘I’m buying a hot dog cart and I’m going to open one in Jeff City.’” And he did. It didn’t take long before the stand drew in regular customers, all anxiously waiting for one of Allabaugh’s tasty versions of the classic hot dog. “I use Nathan’s [hot dogs]. I think they’re the best hot dog,” he said. There’s a variety to choose from, as Allabaugh names the dogs based on the ingredients and style used to make each one. There’s the Western Dawg, combining BBQ sauce, bacon and cheddar cheese; the Popper Dawg, which has bacon, jalapeños, cream cheese and French fried onions; or the Alley Dawg, with its unique pineapple habanero sauce, bacon, and cream cheese. Allabaugh also has the classic standards, with ketchup, mustard, relish or kraut. Or you can skip all of the toppings and get the “Sissy” dog. “People think I’m making fun of people who don’t like things on their hot dog, but it’s actually named for my sister,” he said. “I call her “Sissy”, and she does not like mustard or ketchup on her hot dogs. She has multiple sclerosis (MS), so I just want to be supportive and carry on her name.” And if hot dogs aren’t your thing, then just ask Allabaugh’s father, Tom, what to get. Tom is Jason’s partner, and can often be seen alongside his son outside the Truman Building. He’ll smile and tell
you to get the Philly cheesesteak, which he proudly proclaims to be some of the best around. The operation seems a simple one, but it requires a good amount of work to set up the cart. The father-son duo rolls out the cart, which Allabaugh stores at home and drives out in his car every day. Once everything is in place, Allabaugh fires up the burners, which run off propane tanks. By the time 11 a.m. rolls around, they’re ready to serve any hungry customer. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s so worth it to see the people I see every day,” Allabaugh said. “They get to know me, I get to know them. I’ve got my regulars, I know exactly what they want, and I have it ready and waiting for them.” One would think that the nearby restaurants might be less than happy to potentially have someone cutting into their profits, but Allabaugh says that in a place like Jefferson City, it’s the exact opposite. “I’m friends with most of the downtown business owners,” Allabaugh said. “They’ve been nothing but supportive and welcoming.” His clientele consists of people from just about every walk of life, whether it’s lawmakers, attorneys, state workers, or even local kids. He’s still hoping to get a governor to visit. He’s seen a lot of things in his time with the army and admits that he suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Allabaugh says the hot dog stand is a coping mech-
7 MINUTE READ anism, a way to relieve the stress. “I enjoy it. It’s a stress reliever if you want to think of it that way. Being a veteran, and diagnosed with PTSD, this is a way for me to try and combat some of the issues that I have. This is one of the things that my counselor says is a good idea because it gets me out here and facing my fears, so I can try and get past some of the things that have happened in my life.” After spending so much time in uniform, Allabaugh has been hardwired for service. He has dedicated his life to serving others, and after all of that time, he now is finding new ways to be of service. He’s happily married, with four children, along with his two English bulldogs and three Chihuahuas. He’s involved with the youth group at Southridge Baptist. He volunteers his efforts at the YMCA, as a coach for youth sports. One of his daughters is currently on a competitive traveling softball team which he coaches. Allabaugh says that running the hot dog stand is just another way of trying to serve the community that he now calls home. He hopes to one day open up his own restaurant, but says that will have to wait until the money is there to do so. “I want to give back to Jefferson City, to the community that has given so much to me and my family,” he said. “It’s just all about giving back. God has given me so much, and I just want to give back what He gives me.”
WH AT ’S FO R LU N C H? SISSY DAWG $2.50 Ketchup & mustard DOWNTOWN DAWG $3.00 Ketchup, mustard, onions, relish KRAUT DAWG $3.00 Kraut, hot mustard POPPER DAWG $3.50 Jalapeño, cream cheese, bacon, French fried onions ALLEY DAWG $3.50 Pineapple habanero, cream cheese, bacon WESTERN DAWG $3.50 Bacon, cheese, BBQ sauce CHILI CHEESE DAWG $3.50 Chili, shredded cheese PHILLY CHEESESTEAK $5.00 DAWGY BAG COMBO $5.00 Any Dawg, chips, soda or water All prices are with tax included. Menu as of 12/2016.
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PHOTOS/SUBMITTED
5 QUESTIONS 5 CONTRACT LOBBYISTS
The Missouri Times Magazine sat down with 5 contract lobbyists who are each celebrating a major career anniversary to learn more about what they do - how and why. Answers are in their own words with minor editing for clarity and grammar.
DAWN NICKLAS ONE YEAR
How did you become a lobbyist? It wasn’t a path I chose for myself, really, until last year, making a change, moving forward and pursuing my own goals by starting my own business. I’ve worked in and around the legislative arena my entire adult life - with associations, lobbyist, legislators and a governor. Over the years I’ve watched, listened, and learned how best to succeed. Why do you lobby? Good question, some days I wonder that myself! I honestly don’t know if I have the simple answer. I feel everyone deserves a voice, representation, knowledge of the process and how it affects our lives, those deci-
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sions made by others in the Capitol building. What legislation do you consider your biggest success and why? During 2016’s session, I worked successfully with legislators to pass legislation focused on job safety, job creation, and farm-to-table. I’m very proud of these bills and know they will help improve quality of life for many Missourians. It’s not always about passing bills though, sometimes you focus on defense and at times defeat can be a favorable outcome as well, and my team experienced much of that too. I believe my first year as Nicklas Lobby, founded in October 2015, is my greatest success.
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What is your favorite part about working in and around the Capitol? Our Capitol, I believe, is the prettiest building in the state. I feel very fortunate to go to work in such a beautiful building. I have also enjoyed great friendships, great parties, great losses, but overall great experiences. There are a few who’ve been around as long or longer than me, I’ve often thought maybe we should get together and write a book. If you could change one part of Missouri politics, what would it be? I would like to see kindness, civility and respect shown to all who enter the Missouri State Capitol. How we are to treat one another is carved in the walls.
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ELIZABETH LAUBER FIVE YEARS
How did you become a lobbyist? Via national politics. I served in congressional House Leadership and as a committee aide for Homeland Security, and as a corporate government affairs/communications administrative vice president. That route took me to Jefferson City and the Missouri Capitol. How state politics works is really a microcosm for how D.C. works, with a few difference, such as a faster pace for a shorter period of time, and more golf. Why do you lobby? Simply stated, for my clients, to get the policy changes they seek enact-
ed. To be clear, it’s really “legislative consulting” – lobbying fits under the umbrella of that; however, so does a lot of other components such as creating policy and coalition building, to name a few. What legislation do you consider your biggest success and why? A bill that just became law to establish a CTE Certificate in all of the high schools, offered by Sen. Gary Romine, with a similar bill by Rep. Kathy Swan. I’ve worked on bigger bills that people would consider more “political” or “notable,” but this is one where the Assembly and a great coalition come together
TRENT WATSON TEN YEARS
How did you become a lobbyist? I was hired by the lobby firm of Herzog & Rhoads in December of 2006. Prior I had been working for the Senate Majority Caucus as Policy Director. Why do you lobby? I lobby because I thoroughly enjoy the legislative process. I really get into working my client’s legislation either as a standalone bill or finding the right bill to add it to as an amendment. What legislation do you consider your biggest success and why? One time in an interview for a potential client, they asked me if I had ever worked on any “high-lev-
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el legislation” – I was taken back a bit – every piece of legislation that I pass or defeat for my clients is high-level to them. And that is how I see my job and the work I do for my clients. But, I have two bills that passed that have special meaning to me. One of them I worked on and passed while working for Pro Tem Mike Gibbons, the other I did pro bono as a lobbyist. SB 500 put the First Steps program into law. First Steps is Missouri’s Early Intervention system that provides services to families with children, birth to three years of age, with disabilities or developmental delays. The other bill, HB 922 dealt with food allergies. The son of a good friend and one of my nephews both have
all of its students. It was the citizen legislature at work. What is your favorite part working in and to pass overwhelmingly and it higharound the Capitol? lights that Missouri does care It's about the people whoabout all of its students. It was the citizen work hard for incredibly legislature at work. long hours. A shout out to the cafeteria staff. There's What is your favorite part working in and nothing better than coming around the Capitol? down right beforewho they close It’s about the people work hard and they made a fresh pot for incredibly long hours. A shout out of decaf because they know to the cafeteria staff. There’s nothing I'll show up. How niceright is bebetter than coming down fore they close and they made a fresh that? pot of decaf because they know I’ll show up. could How nicechange is that? one If you
part of Missouri politics If you could change one part of Missouri what would it be? politics what would it be? Changes to allow good Changes to allow good policy changpolicy changes to be made would be to extend the session for a few months so decisions aren't as rushed and bills that have merit but need adjusting can be modified. Also, eliminating term limits so people can
of a good friend and one of my nephews both has severe peanut allergies. I worked to pass HB 922, which required each school district severe peanut allergies. worked to to adopt a policy on Iallergy pass HB 922,and which required each prevention response. school district adopt into a policy The bill was to passed lawon allergy prevention and response. The and I invited my brother, his bill was passed into law and I invited family and my friend and my brother, his family and my friend his son to the bill signing in and his son to the bill signing in the the Governor’s Office. Both Governor’s Office. Both of these bills of these bills are truly great are truly great personal moments personal momentsIfor for me as something hadme helped as something had helped accomplish wouldI mean so much to children in ourwould state. mean accomplish so much to children in our What is your favorite part about working state. in and around the Capitol? The people. There are some truly What is your favorite amazing people that work in that part about working in building. I have many cherished and around the Capitol? friendships with people that I have
The people. There are some truly amazing people that work in that building. I have many cherished friendships with people that I have met over the years in the Capitol. One of my current clients
be subject matter experts and aren't coming in thinking about their next career move, and instead, establishing term limits es to be made would beto to extend for committee chairs the session a few months so dekeep themfor from becoming cisions aren’tfiefdom as rushed and bills committee lords. that have merit but need adjusting Yes, you might risk some can be modified. Also, eliminating people staying past their term limits so people can be subject due date however voters can matter experts and aren’t coming solve that for themselves. in thinking about their next career Change the internal process move, and instead, establishing term and you do make changes to limits for committee chairs to keep the culture. Goes with the them from becoming committee fiefdom lords. Yes, you might risk territory. some people staying past their due date however voters can solve that for themselves. Change the internal process and you do make changes to the culture - goes with the territory.
is someone I met back in 1998 when I was an intern and they were working at the Department of Revenue. We met then and have been met over the years the Capitol. great friends ever in since.
One of my current clients is someone I met in 1998 when Ione was an If youback could change intern and they were working at the part of Missouri poliDepartment of Revenue. We have tics, what would it be? been great friends ever since.
I do not care for how partisan building If you couldthe change one part has of Missouri become. There has politics, what would it be? always been Republicans I do not care for howand partisan the Democrats the building building has and become. There have always been Republicans and but Demhas always been divided, ocratsthe andlast the10 building always over years has or so it beenbecome divided, more but over the last 10 has divisive. years or so it has become more divisive.
*Now 11 years.
Missouri Right to Life welcomes our new State Officials and the General Assembly to Jefferson City.
We look forward to working with you to protect all innocent human life from inception to natural death.
P. O. Box 651 Jefferson City MO 65102 573.635.5110 www.missourilife.org The Missouri Affiliate of National Right to Life
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KATHI HARNESS TWENTY YEARS
How did you become a lobbyist? I became a lobbyist to be active in the political process. I wanted to continue to use my legal education and experience to make a difference. When making a career change from a paralegal in a law firm, I inquired of several professional associations and was referred to Harry Gallagher, the principal of Gallagher Consultants. He interviewed me and advised me of all the negatives about being a lobbyist. He didn’t sugar coat anything. When I left the interview, he suggested I think about a lobbying career, talk with other lobbyists and discuss it with my family. I did so and accepted a position in November, 1995, as an associate of Gallagher Consultants. In 1999, Harry and I formed an
Harness-Gallagher LLC In 2004, I left the firm and formed Harness & Associates, LLC I have worked with several of my clients since 1995, and the majority of them for at least 15 years. Why do you lobby? Obviously, I lobby to make a living and support my family. It is a career for me, not just a job. Working as a contract lobbyist affords me the ability to be informed on many issues. I feel accomplished when I can propose solutions, not simply present politicians and officials with problems. I am proud to have multiple successes over the years on behalf of my clients. My clients’ support and involvement in the legislative process has made me successful.
MARK RHOADS TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
How did you become a lobbyist? I started with the State Senate as an aide to Sen. Dick Webster, R-Carthage, in 1976 and worked with him and Sen. Paul Bradshaw, R-Springfield, for about 18 months. At that time, there was no Senate Research Staff, and Sen. Webster and Sen. Norman Merrell, D-Monticello, decided to create a staff dedicated to all senators to assist in drafting legislation, staffing Senate committees, and providing research on issues. They assigned me as the Republican staff member and Tom Sullivan as the Democrat staff member . We had a great secretary (Leorae Korsmeyer), so what is now a 20 or so member staff was created. In 1980, I was assigned the responsibilities of redistricting Senate and
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Congressional Districts for both parties. Keep in mind that we had none of the technology available today, so we created a “map room” on the Senate alcove side of the building where we hung all census maps detailing township lines and other demographic boundaries. It was really quite unique in that we had to add census tracts by calculators. Upon completion of redistricting, I was appointed by then-Gov. Kit Bond as Deputy Director of the Department of Consumer Affairs, Licensing and Regulation (the precursor department to the Department of Economic Development). Part of my duties was to work on eco devo legislation on behalf of the Department. In 1984, I briefly left state government to run the first election for Bill Webster’s successful run for
What legislation do you consider your biggest success and why? In 2009, the Missouri General Assembly approved one-time emergency funding in the amount of $12 million for Bi-State Development Agency’s public transportation system, Metro. This was a time of decreasing revenues in the State, and the budget was very tight. Due to a large budget deficit, it was necessary for Metro to reduce transit services. Leadership from the State of Missouri recognized the importance of transit to a robust regional and state economy. To help restore some transit service, the General Assembly approved a $12 million appropriation for Metro. Another great success came about in the
2014 legislative session. Rick and Treva Worth of Worth Harley Davidson in Kansas City came to me and asked how to change the law to allow motorcycle sales on Sunday in Missouri. At the time, Missouri still enforced the Blue Law and prohibited the sale of motor vehicles (including motorcycles) on Sunday. Keeping this statute in place was a priority for the Missouri Auto Dealers Association, and going up against the auto dealers was a monumental task. In addition, not all of the motorcycle dealers in the State supported being open for Sunday sales. With Rick’s involvement with the media outlets and much negotiating with the auto dealers, an agreement was reached with them. They agreed to be neutral on
the issue. However, several individual auto dealers as well as some of the motorcycle dealers continued to opposed the sale of motorcycles on Sundays. Making a controversial legislative change in one year does not happen often. It usually takes 3 to 5 years to pass a controversial piece of legislation. With the support of many legislators, the Worth’s involvement at the Capitol, and the neutrality of the auto dealers, HB 1735 became law on August 28, 2014 – allowing for the sale of motorcycles on Sunday.
Missouri Attorney General, then went back to state government as Director of Administration for the Attorney General’s Office. While I had numerous responsibilities in the office from 1984-1992, I was in also in charge of legislative matters. When Bill ran for governor in 1992, I resigned from my government position to assist with the campaign. We lost, and I decided to hang a shingle out as an independent lobbyist and created The Rhoads Company, LLC.
to advocate for clients.
re-codify and update election laws on behalf of the Missouri Association of County Clerks and Election Authorities which helped to streamline Missouri’s statutes. These elected and appointed officials spent a great deal of time and effort to rewrite and update our election statutes. I also successfully worked on legislation in 2016 to extend a funding sunset provision for Missouri’s Legal Aid Organizations, who provide legal aid to Missouri citizens who could not otherwise afford legal representation relating to domestic abuse, housing, and a myriad of other civil litigation matters. I have successfully lobbied for insurance reforms for several clients over the past few years which
I had fifteen years in state government positions that involved legislation and interaction with the General Assembly. It seemed a natural transition for me to attempt to try
Why do you lobby? I lobby for clients with whom I have a common interest in promoting their interests in Missouri. The majority of my clients are businesses and are interested in promoting additional economic development interests in Missouri. I also represent several key state associations, such as engineers, county clerks and election authorities, and legal aid organizations that I respect because of the services they provide to Missourians. What legislation do you consider your biggest success and why? I worked on legislation in 2015 to
What is your favorite part about working in and around the Capitol? The atmosphere around the Capitol is spirited, fast-paced and full of energy. There is never a dull day at the
Capitol. One of my favorite things at the Capitol is to collaborate with my colleagues on issues of mutual interest and identify solutions, work with the policy makers to determine a route to success, and make it happen. If you could change one part of Missouri politics, what would it be? Although term limits seemed like a good idea, they can lead to an influx of inexperienced policy makers and a lack of historical knowledge of the process and policies. Term limits shorten the careers of effective legislators.
has resulted in Missouri competing globally. It’s really difficult to enumerate successes over the years, but there have been many. What is your favorite part about working in and around the Capitol? I love this Capitol and recently took a tour with Bob Priddy. We sometimes forget the absolute beauty that this Capitol provides. The Priddy tour reminded me to pay attention to not only the beauty, but also the need to renovate and continue to invest in this Missouri treasure. If you could change one part of Missouri politics, what would it be? I am a lobbyist, so this is a very sensitive question.
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CAPITOL RECONSTRUCTION Working to preserve Missouri’s history BENJAMIN PETERS THE MISSOURI TIMES This January, the Missouri Capitol will be adjusting to several changes, including a brand new administration and several new faces in Jefferson City. But that will not be the only changes at the historic site of Missouri’s longtime home for politics. The Missouri State Capitol is changing as well. The historic building has housed Missouri’s government for one hundred years. The building itself is a marvel to look at, and with its columns and rounded dome, it is reminiscent of the stately buildings of government housed in the nation’s Capitol. During that time, no project of this magnitude has ever been undertaken in Missouri, and after all of that time, the Capitol has finally begun to show its true age. Construction was completed on the building in 1917, meaning that the 2017 year marks one hundred years of the service of Missouri. But building has begun deteriorating, as stonework is failing, steps are cracking, and maintaining the systems housed inside the building grows harder each year. Cathy Brown, the Director of Facilities Management, Design and Construction Staff for the state’s Office of Administration (OA). She says that over the last several years,
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there have been a number of projects at the Capitol focused on keeping up the stately building. Not only has the electrical infrastructure updated, an emergency generator was also added, with the capability of backing up the entire building in the event of an outage. For years, state officials and workers have been concerned with water leaking inside the building, through walls or from the ground. It was an area of concern for the Nixon administration, as decades of water damage continued to build up below. The need for repairs became clear when stalactites (pictured, page after next) were found forming underneath the steps as water seeped through the cracks above. In an effort to fix the growing number of issues, Governor Jay Nixon and the General Assembly approved the $40 million project back in 2015. “I think this brought home the bipartisanship. The Governor saw the need, the General Assembly saw the need, they got the bill passed and got Cathy’s group the money. They were able to get it done,” OA Commissioner Doug Nelson said. After months of construction, the first phase of the building’s repair project has been completed ahead of schedule. The Capitol steps are all back in place. New heating, ventilating and air conditioning ducts can be found in the basement, as well as replaced ceiling tiles and
carpet. “That project addressed, number one, life safety. That’s the improvements to the sub-structure, the steel beams down below on the south side of the building,” Brown said. “The second goal of that project was to eliminate water infiltration into the building. Number three was aesthetics. And we have accomplished all of that.” The steps on the south side of the building, the stone terraces and carriage drives on both the eastern and western sides received new waterproofing and foundation work as part of multi-phase renovation and repair project. “We’ve laid, more or less, a rubber membrane around all of the terraces,” Brown said. “We removed a very antiquated lead system that had holes in it, which had really become sort of a water fountain running into the basement. That has been eliminated with these improvements. We’re very pleased with the outcome of the project.” By fixing the leaks, as well as the simultaneous replacement or modification of the building’s HVAC system, state officials say the plan prevents any infiltration of water into the sub-structure of the Capitol, as well as any moisture in the air. During the project, several chambers underneath the stairs were opened up, in order to fix the issues. Now, those same chambers, which
had previously been walled off, will add more storage space in the basement. The completion of the work on the Capitol steps is a major accomplishment for several reasons. First, it fixes a much-needed issue of water leakage and damage inside the lower levels of the iconic center of Missouri politics. The issue of water was a concern for more than just the damage issues, though. Workers also discovered mold in several areas, which required attention as well. Second, the completion in late December means that the 2017 inauguration ceremonies can occur on the south side of the Capitol as is tradition. Of course, all of the decisions on the inauguration will be left to incoming Gov.-elect Eric Greitens and his team, but the completion of the project at the very least means that the steps are prepared to receive visitors once again. Now everyone is looking forward to the next phase, which will focus on the repairs to the exterior stone facades and the iconic dome. The work on the facades will look to repair the stones that have cracked, splintered, or chipped, as well as fix open joints. Dana Miller of the Capitol Commission says that making sure the stones are anchored securely is a necessity, noting that some stones have actually fallen out in recent
PHOTO/BENJAMIN PETERS
Now, everyone is looking forwardBut to that the next phase,that which will years. may mean some focus on the repairs to the exterior of the stones will have to be replaced. stone facades and the iconic dome. Once that is done, the stones will The work on the facades will look to be cleaned, revealing the polished repair the stones that have cracked, stone underneath years of splintered, or chipped, asweatherwell as fix ing. open joints. The second phase also Comsee Dana Miller of thewill Capitol themission replacement of stone pavers and says that making sure the stones areonanchored is a edge stones the northsecurely plaza and necessity,which notingis that some to stones sidewalks, expected be have actually fallen out The in recent welcomed by pedestrians. reyears.wall Butheight that ismay that taining alsomean expected some of the stones will have to be to be increased. replaced. Preparations have already begun Once that is done, the stones will onbe Phase 2, with work scheduled to cleaned, revealing the polished begin in the late summer of 2017, white marble and limestone underbutneath the completion of the next step years of weathering. is expected to takephase somewhere in the The second will also see the replacement of stone pavers and realm of 30-36 months. edge stones ontothe plaza and “You’re going seenorth scaffolding in sidewalks, is expected to be phases aroundwhich the building,” Brown welcomed by quickly pedestrians. resaid. But she notedThe that taining wall height is also expected they’ve been meticulously planning to be increased. around the annual 4th of July celePreparations have already begun brations and2,will work to ensure thatto on Phase with work scheduled those festivities and other events can begin in the late summer of 2017, gobut on the as scheduled with little intercompletion of the next step ruption. is expected to take somewhere in the months. “Werealm spendofa30-36 great deal of time co“You’reand going to see scaffolding ordinating working through the in phases around the logistics and planning, andbuilding,” someBrown she quickly noted times willsaid. stopBut or start the project that they’ve been meticulously planback up to give a window of time ning around the annual 4th of July for events like Salute to America,” celebrations, and will work to enBrown said.those “It’sfestivities really important sure that and other to events us to bring in all of scheduled those parties can go on as with and talkinterruption. to them. We want to have an little open“We dialogue at aallgreat times. It takes a spend deal of time lotcoordinating of planning.”and working through
the logistics and planning, and 7 MINUTE READ sometimes willkind stop or start the But that’s the of work it takes project back up to give a window of to ensure that the anchor of those time for events like Salute to Amertypes of events remains, and that ica,” Brown said. “It’s really imthose events can continue in the portant to us to bring in all of those same format. parties and talk to them. We want to While work is getting have anthe open dialogue at allundertimes. way, a number of people are conIt takes a lot of planning.” cerned state’s andit Butabout that’sthe the kindbudget, of work takes to could ensure thatfor the of what that mean theanchor project. those types ofproject’s events remains, and Whether the funding will that those events canGreitens continueadin continue under the new the same format. ministration remains to be seen, but While the work is getting underfor now, Nelson says the incoming way, a number of people are congovernor has been briefed on the cerned about the state's budget, project, and that that as longmean as thefor fundand what could the ing is there, the project will continue. project. “Our is that everyone The assumption incoming governor will have istoonlook board, and awebalanced continuebudget, to do toward and someNelson peoplesaid. are“We wondering the work,” don’t getif thesense funding for the project will conany of anything different, but tinue.getting them up to speed on we’re Whether thewhen project’s funding the next step, so the transition will continue under the new Greitoccurs, they’re well aware of what is ens administration remains to be going on.” seen, but for now, the work continAndNelson at the says very the least, the project ues. incoming govhas been successful by stopping the ernor has been briefed on the projleaks that that plagued theasCapitol subect, and as long the funding structure is there, for thedecades. project will continue. “Our assumption is that everyone isBEFORE onboard, weNext continue AND and AFTER: page to do the work,” Nelson said. “We don’t get any sense of anything different that, but we’re getting them up to speed on the next step, so when the transition occurs, they’re well aware of what is going on.” And at the very least, the project has been successful by stopping the leaks that plagued the Capitol sub-structure for decades.
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PHOTO/Capitol COMMISSION
Top Left: After decades of water trickling down through the steps of Missouri's Capitol building, the wear and tear on the sub-structure required an upgrade. Shown here is one of the chambers underneath the steps, with calcium buildup creating stalactites that hung from the ceiling of the cell. Bottom Left: After much needed renovations, the Capitol's sub-structure is now free from leaks, thanks to a new waterproofing system. The previously walled in chambers now can provide some in-demand storage space inside the building. Bottom Inset: Also completed with Phase One of the renovation project was the improvements to the building's HVAC system. The upgrades will not only increase the abilities to heat and cool the building, but will also help in the effort to keep moisture out of the air and prevent the return of any mold in the basement.
BEFORE & AFTER
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STRAIGHT TALK with Allen West
Presented by the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association ee
Join us for a steak dinner and the policy perspective of Allen West to benefit MCA’s Political Action Committee this February and help MCA continue to support policy and lawmakers who understand and protect Missouri’s beef cattle industry.
REGISTRATION $150 PER PERSON
February 15, 2017
Reception 5pm • Dinner 5:30pm
Capitol Plaza Hotel Jefferson City, Missouri
Show your support and become a sponsor! Prime Package - $5,000
• Table of 8 guests • Mentioned and Listed as Sponsor • All Guests Receive Guardian of the Republic Book • Exclusive VIP Meet & Greet with Allen West • Drink Tickets for Each Guest
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• Table of 8 guests • Mentioned and Listed as Sponsor • All Guests Receive Guardian of the Republic Book • Drink Tickets for Each Guest
Select Package - $1,500
• Table of 8 guests • Mentioned and Listed as Sponsor
Allen West Allen West currently serves as the National Center for Policy Analysis executive director and vice chairman. He believes it will be policy, not politics that secures a sound economic future for Americans — with growth, opportunity and returning the promise of the American dream for this generation and those to come. West was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia in the same neighborhood where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached. He is the third of four generations of military servicemen in his family, serving in the U.S. Army for 22 years and as a civilian volunteer for four more. In 2010, West was elected to Congress representing Florida’s 22nd District.
REGISTER BY FEB. 8 ONLINE www.mocattle.com
Contact MCA with questions or to sponsor 19 at 573-499-9162
Freshman Yearbook
Class of 2017 SENATE
In their own words in order of district, with only very minor editing.
Andrew Koenig SENATE DISTRICT 15 HOMETOWN | Manchester, grew up in Ballwin FAMILY | Wife: Brooke, Sons: Jeremiah, Isaac, and Gideon. 2 20-month-old foster twins. DAY JOB | Small business owner in construction HOBBY | Christianity, strategy board games, spending time with my family. POLITICAL INSPIRATION | Listening to talk radio I learned a lot about what's going on in the political world. Instead of complaining I wanted to be able to do something about it.
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Caleb Rowden SENATE DISTRICT 19 HOMETOWN | Columbia FAMILY | Wife: Aubrey, Son: Willem DAY JOB | Owner of Clarius Interactive, a media and marketing company HOBBY | Golf POLITICAL INSPIRATION | (What) Working with the community to identify problems and find solutions. Finding new innovative policy solutions that benefit my friends and neighbors in midMO. (Who) Paul Ryan
Denny Hoskins SENATE DISTRICT 21 HOMETOWN | I live in Warrensburg, but I grew up in Mid-MO (Eldon, Russellville and Loose Creek) FAMILY | I have two children, Cole and Amelia Hoskins. DAY JOB | I am a Principal with the CPA firm of Cochran Head Vick and Co, PC where I specialize in auditing governmental, not-for-profits, as well as helping agricultural/farming entities and small business clients. HOBBY | My favorite hobbies include coaching youth sports, fishing, hunting, traveling, running, golfing, basketball, softball and spending time with my children. POLITICAL INSPIRATION | Why you got into politics: My interest in government and politics began with Missouri Boys State and from that point it continued to grow through my academic and professional career. With a $27B budget, I believe the legislature can be better served through my experience as a CPA. Taxpayers want government to live within its means and during my tenure I will strive to meet their expectations.
Bill Eigel SENATE DISTRICT 23 HOMETOWN | Dayton, OH FAMILY | I have a wife, Amanda, and two kids. Kevin is 13 and Lisa is 10. DAY JOB | Small Business Owner (St. Louis SkyLights) HOBBY | Hunting and fishing POLITICAL INSPIRATION | I got into politics to reduce the role and interference of government in the everyday lives of Missouri citizens.
YEARBOOK | CONTINUED NEXT PAGE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
In their own words in order of district, with only very minor editing. continue to be of public service to the community that helped me raise my family. I believe my experience in education and board service work provides me with a strong background for policy decision making at the State level, and an understanding of how such policies impact citizens. Rusty Black HOUSE DISTRICT 7 HOMETOWN | 1961-1968 Amazonia MO 1969-1979 King City MO (Graduate of King City) 1989-present Chillicothe FAMILY | Wife Karie, Children-Jameson, Jessica Hoskins (husband Justin), Jaryn, Jon Grandchildren: Aevery and Ella Black, Case and Emmie Hoskins Parents: Jim and Margaret Black, King City, MO Siblings: Steve Black, Robin Veale, Cindy Williams, Doug Black, Lesa Eiberger In-laws: Ron and Dixie Crider, Maysville, MO DAY JOB | Retired Ag Teacher, Raise Hereford Cattle, Sub Bus Driver HOBBY | Exhibiting Livestock, some hunting and fishing, enjoy camping POLITICAL INSPIRATION | I have enjoyed studying, watching and participating in politics/ government since high school. I have had a goal to run for political office for the last fifteen plus years after my retirement from teaching. My strongest interest includes education and agriculture. I also enjoy learning about new things and listening to others and their perspectives.
Mark Ellebracht HOUSE DISTRICT 17 HOMETOWN | Liberty, Mo FAMILY | Single/No Children DAY JOB | Attorney HOBBY | Gardening, specifically tomatoes, and reading history POLITICAL INSPIRATION | I have always wanted to give back to my community in a way that I felt I could make a positive impact and was inspired to run for this office after having worked for Ike Skelton in Washington D.C. I wanted to take a little bit of his kindness and courtesy to Jefferson City to stand as a representative of my hometown.
Ingrid Burnett HOUSE DISTRICT 19 HOMETOWN | Kansas City, MO, 37 years. Childhood home: Webster Groves, MO FAMILY | John (husband), Sean, Denise & Jonathon Burnett (son & family), Elizabeth, Aaron & Jacob Cochran (daughter & family), Nicole, Mike, Shane & Jack Powers (daughter & family), DAY JOB | Retired Elementary School Counselor HOBBY | musician, fitness, reading POLITICAL INSPIRATION | I want to
Greg Razer HOUSE DISTRICT 25 HOMETOWN | Kansas City (raised in the small Bootheel town of Cooter) FAMILY | Single DAY JOB | Full time Legislator HOBBY | MIZZOU athletics, history buff, playing guitar POLITICAL INSPIRATION | Being involved in politics/as an elected official is one of the most effective ways to make a positive difference in my community and state. In a time when we as a people are so divided, I look forward to those moments when we can find common ground to move our state forward.
Teacher (Yea!) HOBBY | Travel POLITICAL INSPIRATION | I did an internship at the Missouri House of Representatives in 1993. I have always had a concern about helping the residents in my community and I have a strong desire to serve. My wife is very supportive and has urged me to be involved in the process of government.
Jerome Barnes HOUSE DISTRICT 28 HOMETOWN | Raytown MO FAMILY | wife (Donna) and three children DAY JOB | Retired from USPS, on Raytown C-2 School Board, sports referee HOBBY | photography, Love taking pictures. POLITICAL INSPIRATION | Servicing my community, I would like to see the educational foundation formula fully funded. I want to see if I can get the school formula funded because I know that unfunded mandates and an unfunded formula equals to unprepared youth.
Richard Brown HOUSE DISTRICT 27 HOMETOWN | Kansas City, MO FAMILY | Regina A. Brown (wife) Aja N. Brown (daughter - deceased 2002). DAY JOB | Retired Public School
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CATALYST WELCOMES THE 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY www.catalystgrouponline.com
A 22L E X E AT O N , D A N N Y P F E I F E R , B E C K Y L O H M A N N , G R E G P O R T E R
YEARBOOK | CONTINUED government and I'm here to help,” I mean it!
Dan Stacy HOUSE DISTRICT 31 HOMETOWN | Blue Springs, MO FAMILY | Lisa – wife, sons – Joe, Trevor, Shea DAY JOB | Business Owner LegalShield Independent Associate HOBBY | Studying History POLITICAL INSPIRATION | I sensed a nudging from God and I felt I was not being represented well. I believe in limited government, free enterprise, and strong families. Initially two bills I will file relate to Instant Runoff Voting/(Rank Choice Voting) and Closed Primaries.
Cheri Toalson Reisch HOUSE DISTRICT 44 HOMETOWN | Hallsville, Boone County, MO (6th generation) FAMILY | 2 sons, Jason (wife Sarah), and Eric, 3 granddaughters, Emma, Kierstin and Abigail DAY JOB | Legal Assistant, Office Manager at Cline, Braddock & Basinger Law Offices in Columbia, I also own a property management company in Hallsville. HOBBY | Genealogy, volunteer work POLITICAL INSPIRATION | I've been involved in politics my entire adult life. I want to help give Missourians a great, affordable, quality of life with a sense of family and community. When I say "I'm from the
Martha Stevens HOUSE DISTRICT 46 HOMETOWN | Raised all over the US and overseas growing up in a military family. Graduated from Waynesville High School before moving to Columbia in 2002 FAMILY | Married to Ben Edes DAY JOB | Social Worker, MSW HOBBY | Biking, cooking, gardening, caring for our 3 rescue dogs & 5 chickens in Central Columbia. POLITICAL INSPIRATION | I believe that the legislative process and public policy can be a vehicle to address social and economic issues. As a representative I intend on working on issues related to LGBTQ equality, increased access to health care for all Missourians, supporting our public schools & teachers, and being an advocate for higher education.
restart Missouri’s economy.
Tom Hannegan HOUSE DISTRICT 65 HOMETOWN | St. Charles, Missouri FAMILY | Hannegan (St. Charles, Father Side); Tlapek (Ste. Genevieve, Mother Side) DAY JOB | Publisher, Editor-in-Chief; StreetScape Magazine HOBBY | Travel POLITICAL INSPIRATION | Build On Region as a Tech Hub; Encourage New Business StartUps; Oppose Tax Increases; Cut Red-Tape; Help Small Businesses To Expand; Better Promote State's Advantages Nationwide To CEOs.
Gretchen Bangert HOUSE DISTRICT 69 HOMETOWN | St. Louis, MO FAMILY | Husband, Michael Feldmann. Children: Andrew Feldmann - Logistic Engineer at Anheuser Busch, Abigail Feldmann - High School Math Teacher - Northwest School District, Paul Feldmann - College Student - UMSL, Madeline Feldmann - College Student Mizzou. DAY JOB | Presently working with Holidays at Union Station HOBBY | Travel and working with Charity Events POLITICAL INSPIRATION | I became involved to make the lives of others better in anyway that I can and I will work hard to be a strong voice for others. Education is very important to me beginning with early childhood programs through adulthood. This need to be our focus to have a strong future.
Tommie Pierson, Jr. HOUSE DISTRICT 66
Dan Houx HOUSE DISTRICT 54 HOMETOWN | Warrensburg, MO FAMILY | WIfe- Toni DAY JOB | Real estate developer/ homebuilder HOBBY | Hunting, fishing, spending time in the great outdoors POLITICAL INSPIRATION | My political passion started in Boys State. I believe that we need to
Jay Mosley HOUSE DISTRICT 68
Mark Matthiesen HOUSE DISTRICT 70 HOMETOWN | Maryland Heights FAMILY | wife, Rene. Son, Zachary DAY JOB | Worked in Table Games at Ameristar Casino HOBBY | I am a chef and a singer. POLITICAL INSPIRATION | I was drawn into politics as I became more disappointed in the wrong path our Federal government has been on, becoming more determined to stand up
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MRTA - The Pension Watchdog! MRTA - protecting public educator pensions since 1960!
MRTA hosted over 1,000 attendees at MRTA Legislative Day 2016!
WHO IS MRTA? Missouri Retired Teachers Association and Public School Personnel (MRTA) consists of over 26,000 members who together make the largest education retiree organization in Missouri. THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS! MRTA is the only retired educator associaition whose #1 priority is to promote and protect pensions, programs, and benefits of all retired public school personnel.
Org. 1960 www.mrta.org 1-877-366-6782 24
MRTA, a 501(c)(4) not-for-profit corporation, is a grassroots advocacy association. MRTA is independent and nonpartisan.
YEARBOOK | CONTINUED for the 10th Amendment and protect our State's rights.
Cora Walker HOUSE DISTRICT 74 HOMETOWN | Ferguson, MO FAMILY | Husband (Tim) DAY JOB | Attorney, College Educator HOBBY | Hiking, Biking, Paddleboarding (Love the great outdoors), Cardinals Baseball POLITICAL INSPIRATION | As the daughter of a public school teacher and a disabled combat veteran, service to others has always been a priority in my family. I will champion innovative policy solutions and work for transformational change to healthcare in Missouri because I believe everyone should have the best possible opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives.
Alan Gray HOUSE DISTRICT 75
service. Try to fashion my work using H. L. Menken's motto: "to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable."
Steve Roberts HOUSE DISTRICT 77 HOMETOWN | St. Louis FAMILY | Eva Frazer and Steve Roberts Sr. (parents), Darci and Christian Roberts (siblings) DAY JOB | Attorney HOBBY | Reading and traveling POLITICAL INSPIRATION | After living and working outside of St. Louis for years, I realized that my passion was to return to my roots and give back to the community that raised me. Serving in the Missouri House is a means for me to create positive changes in our community through policy.
Bruce Franks HOUSE DISTRICT 78 HOMETOWN | St Louis, Mo FAMILY | 8 wife, 7 Kids DAY JOB | Business owner, non profit, artist, #Superhero HOBBY | Bowling, Poker, Writing POLITICAL INSPIRATION | My passion is disenfranchised communities, of all walks, shapes and sizes, but especially those who look like me. Allocating resources to our areas of need in my political passion and goal and is also the reason I ran, because we needed it true representation for the voiceless!
Peter Merideth HOUSE DISTRICT 80 HOMETOWN | St. Louis, Mo. FAMILY | I have a wife, Amy, and two daughters: Eliza and Piper. DAY JOB | I started my own law practice, GroundUp STL, which is based out of the Shaw neighborhood. HOBBY | I sing in a Celtic acappella quartet, The Wee Heavies, as well as at church and in weddings. I also love to do musical theatre. POLITICAL INSPIRATION | I believe good government can improve the lives for the people in my community, and that the greatest progress can be achieved with hard work from the ground up.
Alfred J. (Fred) Wessels HOUSE DISTRICT 81 HOMETOWN | St Louis FAMILY | Married to Gloria 46 years; 4 children Jason; Ben; Sara and Carrie; 5 grandchildren Fred, Violet, Lila, Henry and Clara. DAY JOB | None. Full time state representative; previously 40 years as a healthcare executive; 29 years 13th Ward alderman, St. Louis and 2 years as St. Louis director of community development. HOBBY | Playing golf and bridge POLITICAL INSPIRATION | From very young on I was fascinated by politics and the opportunity to help people through public
Donna M.C. Baringer HOUSE DISTRICT 82 HOMETOWN | I grew up in Jefferson city until high school when my father was transferred to St. Louis and we lived in West County. In my senior year, we moved to downtown St. Louis and I really enjoyed urban living. FAMILY | I have been married to my husband David for over 25 years and we have two sons, Brennan, who just was honorably discharged after 4 1/2 years in the marines and will now attend college, and Connor, who is a Senior at Mizzou majoring in Psychology and Biology and will be taking the MCATs in January for medical school. DAY JOB | I have been the 16th ward alderman for almost 14 years and held other positions in the private sector with the most current being the Executive Director of the Lemay Development Corporation. HOBBY | My hobby would be exercising. I've done it non-stop since I was 17 years old and bought my first Jane Fonda VCR tape. I don't like to exercise but continue because of all the other benefits I receive from it. The only reason I say it's hobby is because anytime I can get a workout and have fun that is a priority such as snow skiing, ice skating, snorkeling and my new favorite paddle boarding. POLITICAL INSPIRATION | If I were to look at a consistent thread in my life, my passion is being able to hear and represent the voice of the silent majority.
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MISSOURI MADE Missouri is a leader in biodiesel production. Biodiesel is a renewable,
energy-efficient, clean-burning fuel approved by all major engine manufacturers and made from Missouri’s top agricultural commodity – soybeans.
As the second largest producer in the nation, Missouri produces nearly 200 million gallons of biodiesel in eight production facilities.
GREENHOUSE GAS
PARTICULATES
HYDROCARBON EMISSIONS
LESS
LESS
LESS
86%
47%
67%
According to a 2002 study conducted by the EPA, biodiesel emissions levels are significantly lower than those created by petroleum diesel.
Lower emission levels mean that biodiesel removes the equivalent of 2 million passenger cars from Missouri’s roads in one year of average driving.
Ask for biodiesel where you buy fuel.
(573) 635-3819 26
brought to you by Missouri soybean farmers and their checkoff
YEARBOOK | CONTINUED keeping up with current events and devoting time to the Affton School District. POLITICAL INSPIRATION | Affording people the opportunity to realize their full potential, ensure Missouri schools are the best they can be, real and meaningful ethics reform and fighting for the working people of our state. Sarah Unsicker HOUSE DISTRICT 91 HOMETOWN | I was born in Denver and grew up in Plano, Texas. I have lived most of my adult life in St. Louis and consider Shrewsbury to be my hometown. FAMILY | I live in Shrewsbury with my husband and our two sons. DAY JOB | Mom HOBBY | Knitting – although I haven’t had time for it in a long time! POLITICAL INSPIRATION | Representing the citizens of my district and making Missouri a better place to live.
Doug Beck HOUSE DISTRICT 92 HOMETOWN | Affton, MO FAMILY | Married to Marilyn for 32 years. We have one daughter Kara Beck who is married to John Dirnberger and a son, Corey Beck. We also welcomed the arrival of our first grandchild, Isla Rose Dirnberger in August. DAY JOB | 30- year member of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562. Currently employed with Haberberger Mechanical Contractors. I currently serve on Affton School Board, a position I have held for 7 years. HOBBY | I enjoy the St. Louis Cardinals, am a heartbroken St. Louis Rams fan and enjoy Mizzou football and basketball. I enjoy home remodeling,
David J. Gregory HOUSE DISTRICT 96 HOMETOWN | St. Louis FAMILY | Mother, Father, Twin brother - Dan, Sister - Sarah DAY JOB | Attorney/Litigator/ Business Owner HOBBY | Coaching/Playing Hockey POLITICAL INSPIRATION | To genuinely and aggressively protect my district and the State of Missouri
Jean Evans HOUSE DISTRICT 99 HOMETOWN | St. Louis, MO FAMILY | Daughter, Danielle Rohlfing DAY JOB | Real estate agent and investor, Volleyball coach HOBBY | Playing indoor and beach volleyball POLITICAL INSPIRATION | My goal is help get the economy of Mo growing again, so my kids and grandkids can have the same opportunities that I have had.
ing, I love every aspect. POLITICAL INSPIRATION | I’m fiscally conservative, pro-life, and for de-regulating small businesses in particular.
Derek Grier HOUSE DISTRICT 100 HOMETOWN | Chesterfield, MO FAMILY | I have a wife, Ashley, and two sons, Jack, age 3, and Logan, age 1. DAY JOB | I’m a small business owner in real estate consulting and acquisitions) HOBBY | Music (playing the saxophone), boating, and travel POLITICAL INSPIRATION | My political passion lies in reinforcing the principles our founding fathers envisioned for this country when it was created. Thomas Jefferson described the sum of good government as "Wise and frugal, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.” I think that still represents our ideals as Americans today and I aim to focus my energy as a legislator to that end.
Bruce DeGroot HOUSE DISTRICT 101 HOMETOWN | Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and has lived in chesterfield since 1987 FAMILY | I have a wife named Jill, with three kids: Reagan, 22, Cliff, 17, and Thomas, 14 DAY JOB | Lawyer HOBBY | I love all kid’s sports, whether it’s watching, coach-
Phil Christofanelli HOUSE DISTRICT 105 HOMETOWN | Springfield, Ill. FAMILY | My mother, Cindy, works at SSM Healthcare and lives on the Hill in Saint Louis City. My father, Cosmo, and my brother, Mike, live in Springfield, where they run a small financial planning business. I have two cats: Rand and Sue. DAY JOB | I am a former Congressional Staffer. I left my job to campaign full time. Any work in addition to my legislative responsibilities is to be determined! HOBBY | Video Games POLITICAL INSPIRATION | Effective and efficient, 21st Century governance
Nick Schroer HOUSE DISTRICT 107 HOMETOWN | I was born in Ferguson, MO but spent most of my free time at our family farm in Fayette, MO. Currently, I live in O'Fallon, MO. FAMILY | My wife, Kate, is a nurse practitioner in Lake St. Louis, MO. We have an amazing two year old daughter, Delaney, and a rescue dog named Riley. I am extremely close with my 97 year old grandfather, Arthur, and credit him for
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YEARBOOK | CONTINUED molding me into the staunch conservative I am today. DAY JOB | Up until November of 2016, I was practicing family law in St. Charles, MO. Since November, I became general counsel for Arrowhead Building Supply, Inc., located in St. Charles County. However, the greatest job I have is being a father to my gorgeous daughter and husband to my incredible wife. HOBBY | I love spending time with my wife and daughter when I am not working. I also love hunting and going up to the farm in Fayette, MO. I am an avid music lover and thoroughly enjoy seeing my favorite bands live in concert. POLITICAL INSPIRATION | My political passion was established by my 97 year old grandfather. Coming from a politically polarized family, I started doing my own "homework" on political issues which helped me question issues and make up my own mind. As a Christian, I want to preserve our inalienable rights given to us by God. As a constitutional conservative, I want to protect the liberties given to us by our founding fathers. As a fiscal conservative, I want to maintain a balanced budget without raising taxes. As the State Representative for House District 107, I want to advocate for my neighbors in the district, listen to their concerns, and bring their voice in Jefferson City.
Mike Henderson HOUSE DISTRICT 117 HOMETOWN | Desloge FAMILY | I have been married to Cheri Shelton Henderson for 33 years. I have two grown children, Amanda and Sean. I have one grandchild Charlie who is three. DAY JOB | I worked in public
education for 31 years. I retired a little over two years ago. I was a teacher, coach and administrator. HOBBY | My hobbies include golf, running and yard work. POLITICAL INSPIRATION | My true political passion is trying to make a positive difference for the people of the 117 District and the state of Missouri.
Nate Tate HOUSE DISTRICT 119 HOMETOWN | St. Clair, MO FAMILY | Wife-Vicki, Daughter-Grace, Son-Braden, Daughter-Ella DAY JOB | Sales Manager at Main Line Hauling HOBBY | Working out at the gym POLITICAL INSPIRATION | Sounds cliche I'm sure, but my passion is to truly represent the people. That's what I ran on with my can: "A VOICE FOR YOU!"
Mike Stephens HOUSE DISTRICT 128 HOMETOWN | Lifelong resident of Bolivar, Graduate of Bolivar High School, class of ‘64. Attended Southwest Baptist College for two years, graduated from UMKC Pharmacy School in 1971. FAMILY | I have a wife, Nancy, and three daughters: Mary Helen, Carmen and Nancy, as well as two stepchildren: Angela and Anthony. I also have five grandchildren. DAY JOB | Owner and operator of
Stephens Pharmacy of Bolivar for 41 years. HOBBY | Boating and golfing POLITICAL INSPIRATION | Focusing on the wellbeing of our state and serving its citizens.
and ensuring that the business of government is accomplished efficiently. I want everyone to have the opportunity to pursue happiness and the American Dream.
Crystal Quade HOUSE DISTRICT 132 HOMETOWN | Rogersville, MO FAMILY | Husband (Kevin) and three children (Aydin, Naomi, and Alexa) DAY JOB | Director of Chapter Services, Care to Learn (www. caretolearnfund.org) HOBBY | rock climbing POLITICAL INSPIRATION | children and educational issues
Steve Helms HOUSE DISTRICT 135 HOMETOWN | Springfield, Mo. FAMILY | I have been married to my wife, Virginia, for over 28 years and we have three children, Sarah, David, and Elizabeth. DAY JOB | I sell Senior Insurance as an independent broker. I have my own agency - SAMA Insurance. HOBBY | Urban farming POLITICAL INSPIRATION | I am involved in politics because I believe that we need better policy so that more Missourians have a better chance to be more successful.
Curtis D. Trent HOUSE DISTRICT 133 HOMETOWN | I grew up on a small farm in Ava, Missouri, in Douglas County. FAMILY | I’m single, and also a Fifth Generation Missourian with ancestors in the Battle of Wilson's Creek and the Revolutionary War. DAY JOB | I am an attorney. I most recently practiced Social Security Disability law helping people who have been injured or otherwise have a disability. HOBBY | I enjoy reading, especially about American, English, Roman, and Greek history. POLITICAL INSPIRATION | I am passionate about making government work for everyone by protecting people's liberty
Hannah Kelly HOUSE DISTRICT 141 HOMETOWN | Mountain Grove FAMILY | 5 Brothers and Sisters, 13 Nieces/Nephews DAY JOB | Realtor/Broker HOBBY | Reading/gardening/ hunting POLITICAL INSPIRATION | Helping small businesses grow. Job creation. Stopping Federal Government Overreach. Inspiring future voters/workforce to dream big and put action behind those dreams.
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YEARBOOK | CONTINUED
Rick Francis HOUSE DISTRICT 145 HOMETOWN | Perryville FAMILY | My wife Chrissy and I have four children and their three spouses: Nick & Siobahn, Benn & Kasey, Whitney & JP, and Dane. We also five grandchildren: Zoe, Theo, Jewel, Lincoln, and Sadie. DAY JOB | Farming and raising cattle HOBBY | Golfing, boating, and family time POLITICAL INSPIRATION | Giving back to a community/district that I care deeply about and that has been extraordinarily good to me and my family.
OPINION
5 THINGS YOU SHOULD DO THIS SESSION Brian Grace Dentons Group 1. Build a relationship with the outsider You may not have gotten to know him during the campaign, but Eric Greitens is your governor and he holds a tremendous amount of influence over your legislative agenda. 2. Tweet more There is a conversation happening about your legislation and you're missing it if you're not on Twitter. It's time that more of you enter the conversation. 3. Avoid scandal Sounds easy, right? Your constituents sent you here to do a job. Make them proud.
Cody Smith HOUSE DISTRICT 163 HOMETOWN | Carthage FAMILY | My wife Jana and I have been married for six years and we have 3-year-old son named Charlie. DAY JOB | Owner/Director of Business Development, UV Sanitized. Also, I've been a licensed Realtor for the last 11 years. HOBBY | Playing guitar, reading. POLITICAL INSPIRATION | I am passionate about the principle of limited government. I got into politics to promote this principle on behalf of the people of my district who overwhelmingly agree that we need less government and more freedoms.
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4. Build relationships in the other chamber You can only control 50 percent of the legislative process. You are going to need an ally to help with the other half of the work. 5. Embrace ride-sharing Thirty-five other states have done it and it's downright embarrassing that Missouri hasn't. Yes, I'm biased. But the Missouri Times gave me this space and I'm going to take advantage of it. Brian Grace first registered as a lobbyist at the age of 19. He’s now 35. Since leaving Gov. Matt Blunt’s administration, he has helped build the government affairs practice at Dentons from an unknown commodity to an A-list firm in Missouri and has cultivated a national practice with lobbyists in all 50 state capitals.
CONGRATULATES our client
Lieutenant Governor Mike Parson on his inauguration. We also congratulate
Scott Faughn and the team at
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on entering their fourth year as Missouri’s premier source of political news. Specializing in grassroots and grasstops outreach, lobbying, public affairs, and campaign consulting since 2006. 122 E. High St., Ste. 200 Jefferson City, MO 65101
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PHOTO/TRAVIS ZIMPFER
WALSH TAKES OVER
THE WEIGHT ON HER SHOULDERS TRAVIS ZIMPFER THE MISSOURI TIMES As election results poured in Nov. 8, Sen. Gina Walsh, D-Bellafontaine Neighbors, saw any hope of progress for the Democratic Party in Jefferson City tumble into nothingness. Every Democratic statewide office holder lost, including her close friend and fellow labor champion, Attorney General Chris Koster, in the most important race of all. What surprised her most though was Rep. Stephen Webber’s loss in Columbia to Rep. Caleb Rowden for the 19th District Senate Seat. Webber’s victory was supposed to signal a shift in power in the Senate away from the Republican supermajority. The 19th was where Democrats thought they could begin making inroads to a more equitable standing in the chamber. “I thought we could do this one seat at a time,” Walsh said. However, it was not to be. Webber lost by just over 2,000 votes. Now after one of the worst election cycles for Democrats in the
state’s history, newly-elected Senate Minority Leader Walsh unexpectedly bears the mantle of being the most powerful member of her party in Jefferson City. In addition, she will now have to fight from the back foot against a multitude of legislative challenges in the coming session. The Republican iron grip on the General Assembly and a Gov.-elect Eric Greitens means that many
did before. All it does is reduce wages for the middle class. You might create more jobs, but at what cost? “I’m not going to roll over.” That said, Walsh expressed some optimism that Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard said he wanted to focus on improving health care for Missourians, even if it would not happen via Medicaid expansion. Yet, she believes that a reassessment in strategy and perhaps in ideology for Democrats is the primary way to make progress in the state. She argues that Democrats may need to make their way back to the middle. “Sometimes for where we are, there’s issues that we take on not necessarily as Democrats,” she said. “I consider myself a moderate. I don’t want to be find myself so far to the left that I’m bumping up to the right on the other side. We are not going to make any gains if we can’t restore the people’s faith in our party.” However, uncertainty still plagues many Democrats. While the
“I’m not going to roll over.” Democratically-opposed reforms like right-to-work, paycheck protection and the collateral source rule are likely law by this time next year with Democrats nearly helpless to stop them. Walsh did not confirm whether she would lead a filibuster on right-to-work, but did say she would continue to fight against the measure. “I’m going to be talking about it,” she said. “I understand this is a top priority for the governor and the majority leadership. But I still feel the same way about this issue as I
4 MINUTE READ populism and economic prosperity promised by President-elect Donald Trump undoubtedly helped himself and other Republican candidates in Rust Belt states like Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Hillary Clinton’s popular vote total continues to grow - the margin now rests at over 2 million votes. Walsh conceded though that Trump attracted a lot of people from those important blue collar states, many of which were considered clear Clinton states in the weeks and even days leading up to the election. While Democratic politics may not be inherently unpopular in some parts of the nation, they were in Missouri during the last election cycle. “Some of the people that I know that have supported Mr. Trump have shocked me, and it’s people I never would have thought,” she said, urging that it meant a re-evaluation of what the party should promise. “We need to get back in touch with our base and figure out what went wrong.”
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STATEWIDE RIDESHARING LAWS: 34 & COUNTING
01 / 04 / 2017 32
PHOTO/THIS WEEK IN MISSOURI POLITICS
Onder talks SJR39 and more STEVE HANKINS
FOR THE MISSOURI TIMES MAGAZINE Anyone with a steady career, large family and all the challenges life slings their way reasonably could be labeled "busy." Sen. Dr. Bob Onder, R-Lake St. Louis, falls certainly into that category. And he likes it that way. "On a daily basis my office handles constituents' issues, from troubles with local traffic issues to people with relatives in prison having problems," Onder said. "My goals have always been to improve the jobs and business climates within our state. "Improving public education is paramount, as are promoting safety and decreasing inner-city violence," he adds. "It really is a rewarding task." Onder is both a physician with nearly 25 years in private practice who graduated from Washington University Medical School, and an attorney with more than two decades of experience under his belt. Voters elected Onder to a seat in the Missouri House of Representatives, where he served during the 2007-2008 session. He ran for Congress in 2008 and was defeated, despite endorsements from a number of conservative organizations and an "A" rating from the NRA. That didn't put the brakes on busy. Folks say one sometimes must learn how to lose to learn how to win. Onder proceeded with his medical practice and tossed his hat in Missouri's political ring again, successfully. In 2015, Onder was sworn in as a state senator, elected to represent constituents in Western St. Charles County. As a legislator, he's sponsored nearly 30 bills during his tenure and served with colleagues in committees ranging from education and veterans care and health to Missouri Human Trafficking Task Force and Task Force for Examining Statewide Medicaid Models. Some describe the senator as a conservative man of conviction,
which sometimes invites resistance. So when Onder sponsored the controversial Religious Freedom Bill, SJR 39, the result at Jefferson City was remarkable. Democratic legislators who opposed the measure mounted a 40hour filibuster. Although SJR 39 passed the Senate overwhelmingly in a 23-7 margin, the bill failed in a House committee. Ultimately, SJR 39 would have offered Missouri voters the opportunity to decide if state government could impose penalties regarding ...individuals and religious entities who refuse to participate in samesex marriage ceremonies due to sincerely held religious beliefs." Onder insists his thinking wasn't about limiting the rights of the LGBT community, especially the right of same-sex couples to marry, - he maintains federal law supersedes state law, and says it's important to put the bill into context. "The first time that any jurisdiction anywhere on the planet legalized same-sex marriage was in 2003, when the Massachusetts Supreme Court decided that the state constitution allowed same-sex couples to marry," the senator explains. "That was really a first in human history. "About two-thirds of the states clarified in their constitutions that marriage is between one man and one woman," Onder continues. "But in June of 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court, in an act of incredible overreach and judicial imperialism, decided to invalidate all of those laws. [Justices] found a right in the U.S. Constitution that no one had ever seen there before - the right of same-sex couples to marry." Onder says that interpretation from the high court might have answered one question, yet raised many others. "The biggest question raised is 'what are the rights of those who disagree with this newly found right?'" he asks. "What SJR 39 would do is clarify that pastors, churches, religious organizations and a very small class of private individuals, those who work in the wedding industry, could not be punished by the government for liv-
ing out their sincerely held religious beliefs about marriage. "The way I sometimes put it, in any pluralistic society, we respect people's conscience and people's beliefs," Onder adds. "We don't punish them for their religious beliefs. SJR 39 was an attempt to clarify where those beliefs stood after the Supreme Court's decision." The controversy ignited by the bill didn't end with some of Onder's legislative colleagues, nor with those in the LGBT community, but extended into the business sector and fueled opposition from the St. Louis Regional Chamber of Commerce. Despite this dissent, the senator is emphatic about his positive relationships among business leaders. "I've stood for tax reform, regulatory reform, tort reform and labor reform," Onder says. "All positions that the business community has supported. "In this particular issue, the business community decided to make a very dangerous foray into social issues and Constitutional law," he continues. "I think that was a mistake. I know why they did it. But I think they were mistaken in doing so. I think it sets a bad precedent. The concern is that 'will liberal activists press the business community to weigh in on other contentious proposals?' I think that was the biggest surprise." The senator pointed out Missouri's major business player is agriculture, and the Missouri Farm Bureau endorsed SJR 39. "I was very proud," the senator says of MFB. "The Missouri Baptist Convention, the Assemblies of God, the Catholic Bishops, all supported my bill. "I had quiet support from many, many, many individuals, from Missourians around the state," he adds. "When I walk into grocery stores, I still have people thanking me for the Religious Liberty Bill. So, I think by and large, our own polling shows about 70 percent of Missourians, given the chance to vote on protecting religious liberty, would do so. I was proud of the grass-roots support I received. I really wish those grass-roots supporters would
7 MINUTE READ have had the opportunity to vote on the bill." And while Gov.-elect Eric Greitens opposed the legislation, Onder endorsed Greiten's successful bid. "When we're looking at the governor's race, we're looking at the difference between [Greitens and] a candidate who is all-in on the radical gay rights agenda," Onder says. "Further, I'd say Eric and I see eyeto-eye on 95 percent of the issues, rather than all the disagreements I have with Chris Koster's proposed policies. "Ronald Reagan once said ‘The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is your friend and not your enemy,'" the senator explains. "So I had no trouble supporting a gubernatorial candidate I see eye-to-eye with 95 percent of the time." Onder said he's unsure if the Missouri Senate will file any bills similar to SJR 39, and he's unsure how Missouri House legislators might take the lead regarding like proposals. "I don't know what various House members are looking at," he says. "[SJR 39's defeat] was a surprise to me to some extent. "For instance, in Arizona, Arkansas and other states, previous controversies were all over Religious Freedom Restoration Acts," he adds. "The hit on RFRAs were, they were so broad as to protect any and all religious beliefs. The concern expressed by many in the LGBT community were they were so broad that they included unintended consequences. SJR 39 was written to very narrowly protect a particular class of people in the wedding industry, and then churches who needed their religious beliefs protected." "SJR 39 was written in such a way that, in my view, was perhaps more acceptable to some of those concerns [expressed by LGBT advocates]," Onder says. "Any bill in this political space whatsoever is going to meet resistance. "I fear that's where we are today," he continues. "Any legislation that attempts to protect religious freedoms will meet resistance. And that's very sad."
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PHOTO/AARON WILLARD
Mark Rhoads and The Rhoads Company, LLC congratulate our new statewide elected officials and all members of the Missouri General Assembly. On behalf of our clients, we look forward to working with you in 2017.
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“ Representing Missouri Auto Dealers since 1938”
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AARON WILLARD
BENJAMIN PETERS THE MISSOURI TIMES Aaron Willard’s story is one of unlikely success. He’s been involved in Missouri politics for years now, and built his way from the ground up. But he could very easily have wound up in a completely different lifestyle, if not for a couple of key decisions that would shape his future. A charismatic man with a disarming smile, Willard combines his passion with a multitude of skills and talents to excel in the Missouri political environment. He loves finding ways to solve problems, and enjoys using data to develop and refine strategies in the political realm. The intelligence exhibited by Willard is equally matched by a calm demeanor, but do not let that fool you; his tenacity for the job is exceptional, and his ability to see risks as opportunities has led him up the proverbial ladder in a short amount of time. Born and raised in the small town of Troy, Mo., politics was never really an interest for Willard. His first involvement in anything political didn’t come until the age of 18, when he was seeking to attend the naval academy. “I went to a couple of events to meet Rep. Kenny Hulshof, because you have to get a nomination from your local Congressman or U.S. Senator to go, and that was the most involved I had ever been,” Willard said. He got a scholarship, but in the end, decided against going. He headed to the University of Missouri, where he decided to major in engineering. But after taking a theoretical calculus class, he realized he wanted to take a more hands-on approach. He switched to economics and fell in love. It was then he discovered his place in the political spectrum. “In college, when I was going through and writing a paper for a class in economics, it just kind of hit me: Oh my God, I’m a Republican,” Willard said. “For me, it was something that wasn’t an inherited process, but learned. It was pretty profound, because I came to that opinion on my own perceptions and
beliefs.” His venture into the political world began as an intern at the Capitol, working in the communications office. “I think they looked at me like I was foreign,” Willard said with a laugh. “What is this econ nerd doing in the communications office?” So he began writing, and after time, found out that he had been writing some for the House Speaker. After that, he was approached by Dave Hageman, who is now the president at Victory Enterprises, asking if Willard had any interest in doing political campaigns. Without any prior experience, he signed on. “I thought I had failed, that I didn’t do very well,” Willard said. “They came back and offered me a job, and I was really surprised. They said they never really thought they would have a chance in those districts, but because of what I had done, they became competitive.” Since then, he has put together an impressive resume in a rather short amount of time, which all began with Willard’s work as the chief of staff for former House Speaker Rod Jetton and his service as the executive director for the Missouri House Republican Campaign Committee. “I still remember doing an HRCC field team campaign school. We asked people to make a political prediction for a couple years from now. And I still remember thinking ‘Republicans will have a veto-proof majority in the House’,” he said. “They thought I was crazy. But I had spent a lot of time looking at maps, looking at margins, and I just believed we could do it. There’s a way this could be done.” They began heavily recruiting after the 2008 election, and with a change in the political environment, everything fell into place. The Republicans won the seats needed for a supermajority, and the GOP’s resurgence in Missouri began. Following that success, Willard worked as campaign manager for Ann Wagner’s bid for Congress, and, most recently, as chief of staff for Sen. Ryan Silvey. He also spent some time in the private sector, working as the treasurer and
spokesperson at Grow Missouri, where he helped push forward the passage of SB 509, the first income tax cut in Missouri in nearly a century. He attributes his success to his experiences and the lessons he learned under people like Rob Knodell, Steve Tilley, Tony Feather, Jetton and Hageman. “I got exposed to all sorts of stuff, and what I learned was incredible. I was working on policy issues, helping out on legislation, and working with caucuses,” Willard said. “I was very lucky to see how they operated. They were people of really high character and integrity. I was fortunate to work with people of that caliber and quality.” But his most recent accomplishment has garnered him the most recognition: he served as the political director for the Trump campaign in Missouri. He was picked as Trump’s Missouri State Director in August of 2016, shortly after the Republican National Convention. “The more I thought about it, I knew what was really important to me was the success of our party. I thought this was a way to get engaged in a campaign and help out everybody,” Willard said. The media has called the Trump campaign one of the most controversial campaigns in recent times, but Trump’s resonance with voters rang clearly on election night. Many believed Hillary Clinton to be the favorite, but a late surge in the polls gave the billionaire’s campaign hope. Willard believes that surge stemmed from a strong effort by the grassroots movement. “Probably the thing I found to be most impressive was the quality and dedication of the people at the grassroots level supporting Mr. Trump,” Willard said. “People from all walks of life saying they were tired of the direction. These were people spending a tremendous amount of time and money to be able to help the effort, and it was incredible. It was energizing for me, because I felt I owed it to them to make sure I’m doing everything I could, too.” The Republican candidate surged through Missouri, all the while
7 MINUTE READ claiming several states that had supported the Democratic candidate in the previous presidential election. Willard and the campaign had put together a projection of what they realistically thought would be the highest anticipated results for voters, and Missouri literally threw it to the curb, exceeding their highest total projections by more than 100,000 votes. “I will admit I thought we would win by double digits, but I didn’t anticipate that we would win by 19 percent,” Willard said. “I don’t know that there has ever been a victory that was that big or a margin that large for a presidential candidate, Republican or Democrat in the state of Missouri. It’s kind of neat to be a part of that history, not to mention the history that will go down in the books about his candidacy and presidency.” Trump’s win in Missouri led to even more success for the GOP, as Republican candidates swept all of the statewide offices, as well as a GOP-dominated legislature. The question now is this: what is next for Willard? Many have speculated that he will be offered a position in Washington, D.C. under Trump’s administration, but Willard says that nothing has been mentioned at this time. If there is an offer, Willard would consider it, but says that any decision would have to take his family into consideration. A strong family man, he’s happily married with a four-year-old daughter, a job that he says is the most important to him. He also says that it would be hard to leave the rolling hills and rivers of the nation’s heartland. Others wonder if Willard might seek office on his own, but when asked about it, he just laughed, saying he prefers to work behind the scenes. Whatever his decision may be, Willard will always remember the halls of the Missouri State Capitol as the training grounds that helped make him the political powerhouse he has become, even though he might be too humble to acknowledge that title.
The man behind Trump’s victory in Missouri
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TALENT ON TAP TRAVIS ZIMPFER THE MISSOURI TIMES What sets Palm Strategic Group apart from its peers? Its founders say they know a little something about victory. “We know how to win races,” Jonathan Ratliff, one of the founding members of the team, says plainly. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because after he served as the House Republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) political director, he managed the campaign of Republican Sen.-elect Caleb Rowden to victory in Senate District 19 against Rep. Stephen Webber in what many Democrats around the state thought would be a sure win for the blue in one of few districts Democrats believed they could flip in the upper chamber. Rowden attributed that success came from Palm Strategic. The political strategy team formed earlier this year under Ratliff, the former political director of
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the HRCC, and Scott Dieckhaus, a former representative and head of the HRCC. Their tenures at the HRCC led to a lot of success in expanding the caucus, increasing their majority from 89 seats to 118. But they also did that while keeping a stable budget and constantly innovating their message. During that time, they also formulated software - the Majority Maker system - that tracks voters across the state in order to give people more options and better strategies when going doorto-door, something crucial in tight House and Senate district races. “We’ve focused in on harnessing the data, finding the best pathway forward,” Ratliff says. “A lot of the other consultants around the state and around the country like to talk about data, and it’s more of a buzzword but I think the difference with us is that we built a system that uses it and we’ve shown that we win races that no one else thinks we can.” That drive for efficiency of message and resources echoes fellow
Palm Strategic makes a tsunami splash in their first year
Missourian and political consultant Jeff Roe, who achieved fame on the national stage as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s campaign manager in his bid for the presidency. When it came time for them to start their own political strategy group, they carried over many of the same goals with a philosophy to do everything they could do to win. This belief involves an extensive survey of any given race, whether at a statewide or local level, including an analysis of the district itself, studying media markets and identifying what essentially makes an area tick. Whereas other political strategists may have a set guide for spending a certain percentage of funds on radio and television as opposed to newspaper ads, Ratliff and Dieckhaus have more flexibility given their knowledge of a district, but it doesn’t stop there. “We’re not afraid to use new mediums of communication with voters, whether that be a heavier use of social media or mobile targeting
than maybe a lot of consultants that have been doing this for a lot longer may be comfortable with,” Dieckhaus says. “We’re probably better at finding a good media mix to communicate with the greatest number of voters. A lot of the consultants are focused on putting as much money on television as they can… more and more, we’re seeing all across the country that that’s not as reliable as it used to be with cord cutters and all the other folks out there that aren’t tuning in to traditional media outlets.” While the Rowden race was a clear success, that’s not to say they have only had their ups in the short time they have worked as a private partnership. Their other notable clients had varying degrees of success: their work with Missourians for Fair Taxation helped Amendment 4 pass on the ballot, John Brunner finished second in the Missouri governor’s race to Gov.-elect Eric Greitens, but Sen. Kurt Schaefer lost by a wide margin in his defeat at the
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SIX QUICK QUESTIONS WITH PARTNER JONATHAN RATLIFF
4 MINUTE READ hands of Attorney General-elect Josh Hawley. Regardless, the future looks bright for the young company. Ratliff says the two are examining expanding to other states at an undetermined time in the future, and they want to knock Sen. Jill Schupp out of office in Senate District 24 come 2018. The two, however, are leaving the door open for any other opportunities to emerge organically. “I don’t know that we really have an endgame for Palm,” Dieckhaus says. “Our focus is on recruiting the best candidates for races we’re interested in working in. When the time comes, I think Palm will probably expand.” From his new seat in the upper chamber earned in large part because of Palm’s work, Rowden believes the duo will go far and fast. “I fully expect them to be a force to be reckoned with in 2018 and beyond in Missouri and on the national political landscape,” he says.
Why did you choose the name Palm Strategic Group? JONATHAN RATLIFF: Throughout history, palm trees and branches have held significant symbolism. In ancient Greece and Rome, winners of physical competitions and debates would receive palm branches to signify their victories. In this business, winning matters to us and our clients. When did you know you two could and would become partners? RATLIFF: Scott and I worked together for over 4 years at HRCC growing the house majority to an historic 118 seats. During that time, even as Scott was the Executive Director and I was the Political Director, we always worked as partners. So at the end of 2015 when we both decided to take the next step in our careers and look for new challenges, it was an easy fit to continue the formula that proved so successful during our time at HRCC. What lesson have you learned the hardest since founding? RATLIFF: That taxes are rough on small business owners. We knew this before, but seeing the amount of money that goes out every month is tough. What advice would you give any candidate-turned-official? RATLIFF: Show up and do the job the voters elected you to do. Remember the issues you ran on, the conversations you had with voters, and then make sure you fight for those things everyday. And most importantly, be honest with people. In this business, there is nothing more important than your word. What is one thing an elected official can do to become a better candidate? RATLIFF: Elected officials meet so many new people everyday. If they keep record of who they met, what they talked about, contact information, etc., when election season comes around, it becomes easier to reach out directly to those people as voters and to remind them about the issues you are working on that they care about. How do you celebrate a success? RATLIFF: The celebrations are typically only on election nights and only for one night. The next day, we move on to the next election and finding more quality people to work with to become the next generation of leaders. Maybe one day we will take a real break.
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COLLEGE BOUND TRAVIS ZIMPFER THE MISSOURI TIMES One of the earliest difficulties Gov.-elect Eric Greitens will have to face in his administration is the likelihood that he may have to withhold some money from the state budget due to revenue shortfalls. Despite Gov. Jay Nixon withholding $115 million in July, an additional $60 million in September, and just over $50 million in December, House Budget Chair Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick has projected a nearly $200 million budget shortfall that must be rectified almost as soon as Greitens steps into office. Those withholds typically affect government agencies; the $60 million withhold mostly affected the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. However, some specific line items affect organizations that simply receive funds from the state that not only supplement their activities but allow them to grow. Unfortunately, those organizations could feel the most sting if Missouri continues to tighten its belt. Take College Bound in St. Louis: a nonprofit for high school students of need that have made a commitment to attending college. For the past 10 years, College Bound has taken high schoolers from around St. Louis under their wings, given them the resources to make a college education a reality, and then followed them through college graduation, usually at four-year universities. Most of the students chosen will be first-generation college-goers. Scott Baier, the executive director of College Bound and former executive director for Teach for America-St. Louis, says that takes a lot of work. In high school, it means making sure students are academically prepared and qualified for the college they hope to attend. Academic preparedness entails applying for Advanced Placement credit classes, getting a high enough GPA, taking dual enrollment classes, managing extra-curricular activities, community service, looking for advanced classes at local com-
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munity colleges, ACT prep courses anything that may make them stand out to colleges. Baier says that since most of the kids will not have parents that know the college prep experience, College Bound serves as that resource. “The biggest problem is not academic, it’s the unnecessarily byzantine process of getting into college,” he says. “We’re working with some kids that come from some pretty vulnerable circumstances who just happen to be growing up in poverty, but they’re as intelligent and deserving as any kid. We’re trying to level that playing field for them.” When a student gets into college, which ranges from a four-year state school to an Ivy League institution, the help does not end. First, College Bound helps students choose what school is right for a student and their pursuits. Then they help them fill out scholarship applications and FAFSA forms, then they advise them on sticking with their initial goal of college graduation. College Bound just graduated its first class from college in May and held a cap-and-gown event to celebrate those students’ achievements, and for Baier, the stories he hears from successful students who have turned into successful people makes all of the difference. “It allows me to go to work everyday with a level of joy. Even in the frustration, I know that the work I’m doing is creating a more equitable society,” he says. “I get the opportunity to work with some incredibly charming and intelligent and deserving kids. It’s easy to stay motivated. It becomes more than a job.” Roughly one hundred kids per year are accepted into
Budget withholds directly hurting firstgeneration college students the program. Yet to properly serve those students, it takes money and funding. Currently, College Bound receives a fairly large sum of money from AmeriCorps, and it holds an annual gala that this past year brought in roughly $800,000 dollars for the organization. The nonprofit receives other private donations from corporations and individuals, but state funding could propel it to the next level. College Bound fought for and had carved a line item in the budget of $450,000, but it was withheld in July. They will now have to make the appeal that the program has significant enough impact to warrant hundreds of thousands of dollars Baier foresees that an expansion of services to other parts of the state could easily happen with a line item in the state budget that specifies funding for groups like College Bound. The group draws from poorer students who have parents that have not attended college, who typically graduate college at a rate of roughly seven to nine percent. The students that participate in
5 MINUTE READ their program graduate college at 50 percent. They believe they can get that number up to 65 percent. A college degree also brings with it multiple benefits, especially economically. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that a college degree typically leads to better pay and a lower unemployment rate. Baier says it also comes with collateral benefits. “Students that have higher education are healthier, they do not go to jail as frequently, they vote more often. All of the indicators you look at for an engaged citizenry are there,” he says. “Education in my mind is the wisest investment a state can make in its own economic viability because you’re removing people that might have been blanks on the taxpaying side.” It remains to be seen whether or not College Bound can retain a small chunk of the FY 2018 budget, but their plight only highlights one of dozens, if not hundreds, of organizations, both within and outside of government around the state that also want a piece of the pie.
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OPINION TOP 10 REASONS WHY OVER 90% OF LEGISLATION FAILS Irl Scissors Gateway Government Relations 1. Legislation does not have the votes. Gateway works closely with legislative leaders to educate and inform members regarding client issues, building long-term relationships and successful coalitions of support. 2. Legislative sponsor not chosen correctly. Gateway uses its vast network, working with political leaders of all parties to strategically seek out legislative leaders who are the most effective policy makers. 3. Legislation stuck in the process. Gateway relies on its expertise of the political process closely monitors and advocates making sure client issues are addressed. 4. Legislation incorrectly drafted. Gateway works closely with legislative researchers to make sure legislation “says what it is supposed to say.” 5. Legislation absorbed by larger omnibus bill that stalls. Gateway works with legislative leaders to make sure client issues addressed in legislation have multiple avenues for success. 6. Time runs out. Gateway works closely with clients and legislators to educate and advocate well in advance of any actual legislative session, mapping out strategies and goals at the most advanced opportunity. 7. If a tree falls… Some bills go unnoticed or inadequate attention is given to certain issues. At Gateway, we fight to make sure client issues become priority legislative matters. 8. Fear and dissuasion regarding pay-to-play. Many people fear the political system and feel that if you don’t have significant resources at your disposal, then you cannot compete. Not true. At Gateway, we advocate for clients, large and small. Regardless of your sphere of influence, we consider your issue a priority and that is how we approach our advocacy. 9. Education, education, education. Most bills do not see the light of day because legislators are not informed of their subject matter. At Gateway, we build client support at a grassroots level and provide legislative leaders with clear and understandable information for them to process. 10. Timing is everything. Often, the successful passage of legislation is related to current popular events. At Gateway, we make sure all client issues are foremost on the minds of policymakers and success is not reliant on their high or low profile in the media or otherwise.
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FUEL OF THE FUTURE BENJAMIN PETERS THE MISSOURI TIMES
The Missouri Soybean Association has come a long way in 50 years. 2016 marks the 50th anniversary for the organization, and since its inception, their goal has always been the same: to advocate for the soybean industry, a major cash crop for farmers and a multi-billion dollar business. Missouri is currently the second largest producer of biodiesel in the nation The organization is also a significant political player, as they endorse state officials and make contributions through a political action committee. But things have not always been easy for the MSA. Just a few years ago, the MSA was in the midst of a complete overhaul of their organization’s structure. Several people resigned or were let go as part of a major shakeup and the changes went all of the way to the top.
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Fast forward two years, and now the organization is thriving under the leadership of Executive Director/CEO Gary Wheeler, who took over in April 2014. And one of the major focuses for the organization now is finding a way to make biodiesel fuels more available to Missourians. Missouri's soybean organization has been a national leader in developing soy-based fuel used in diesel vehicles since the inception of the idea. Missouri soybean farmers first funded research into biodiesel in the early 90s, partnering with the University of Missouri. “They got the idea from some research that was being done in Germany on rapeseed oil,” Christine Tew, the communications director for the Missouri Soybean Association, said. “Farmers invested in that early research as way to find a use for soybean oil. Prior to that, soybean oil was used to control dust on gravel roads.” Through the soybean checkoff,
farmers continue to invest in research, working on policy to help get the fuel recognized by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), to set up testing protocols, distribution networks, and everything that comes with establishing a new industry. “In 2002, the Missouri Qualified Biodiesel Producer Incentive Fund was established, and that provided some funding opportunities for the biodiesel industry, specifically biodiesel plants,” Tew said. The MSA played a major role in getting farmers to help start the first biodiesel fuel plant in Missouri, Mid-America Biofuels, which was built in Mexico, Mo. in 2006. Now, the Show Me State boasts eight biodiesel plants in the state and creates nearly 200 million gallons of biodiesel fuels from soybeans every year. “A lot of our biodiesel gets exported to other states, and that’s something that we’re really looking at – how we make biodiesel avail-
able to consumers in the state,” Tew said. “Right now, we’ve got less than 20 fuel stations where a consumer can go and buy biodiesel for their vehicle. We produce 200 million gallons of this clean, local renewable fuel that has great benefits for air quality and sustainability, and that’s the only places you can buy it.” According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were roughly 115,000 gas stations in 2012. Out of that, Missouri has a total of 18 gas stations in the state which offer biodiesel as a purchasing option. Tew says that their goal is to get Missourians to look at soybeans as an alternative fuel source, and to see the benefits of switching to biodiesel. They estimate that Missouri would create 86 percent fewer greenhouse gases and reduce hydrocarbon emissions by 67 percent by using biodiesel. The MSA says the lower emission levels for biodiesel would be the equivalent of taking two million cars off the road
Missouri soybeans look to replace diesel every year. In addition to that, they say the economic benefits would be great as well. Tew says that biodiesel supports nearly 2,500 jobs in Missouri, and has created $1.7 billion in value added benefits to the state’s GDP since 2007. One group of Missourians looks to receive the most benefits from biodiesel: farmers. An increased demand for biodiesel would mean increased demand for soybean oil, and in turn, would require more soybean crops to be planted. The MSA estimates that biodiesel adds more than a 15 percent increase per bushel to the farmers’ bottom line. It also means that in the effort to create the soybean oil, there would be more soybean meal, the leftovers after the oil is extracted. The oil accounts for about 20 percent of the soybean. That, in turn, would mean more soybean meal on the market, which would lead to lower prices for farmers seeking to feed their livestock
with it. But the difficulty is that there isn’t much of a demand for biodiesel in Missouri. Many fuel stations are yet to make the switch to biodiesel because it would require the usage of their current tanks and pumps, or the installation of new ones. So, the demand has to come from the customers. That’s where Tew says the MSA has to focus their efforts: creating the demand, dispelling the myths, and building the network. She says there are plenty of reasons to use biodiesel fuel if you can. “The idea that biodiesel is something that doesn’t have quality standards, or isn’t tested… that’s an education hurdle that we have to clear,” Tew said. “This is a priority area for us going forward. It’s approved by all of the major engine manufacturers. If you have diesel engine, biodiesel blends do not violate your warranty, or require any special treatment. We’ve got a great testing protocol with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, and all
of it meets the highest quality standards.” One way the MSA is looking to educate people about biodiesel is by putting their money where their mouth is: the organization has purchased a pair of 2014 Chevy Cruzes, both of which run on the biodiesel fuel. The University of Missouri is also promoting the usage of biodiesel with the football team’s equipment truck. TrumanOne, a Peterbilt Model 579 truck, is supplied by a homegrown Missouri trucking company and fueled by biodiesel made in Missouri. Tew says they have had meetings with fuel suppliers and farmers, as well as offered training to mechanics and colleges. She says that is the top priority for the MSA to further the biodiesel initiative. “We’ll do meetings around the state this winter; January and February are a big time for us for meetings, since harvest is done. We’re working with retailers to make sure they and their staffs have the infor-
mation, but we also need consumers to ask for it. It’s a little bit of a chicken and egg situation in terms of supply and demand,” she said. Tew says the main struggle is getting people to make the change. “Change can be tough for everyone. Missouri doesn’t have a mandate, or anything that requires a retailer to carry biodiesel, so it’s up to the free market,” she said. “Looking ahead, the big opportunity is to grow our distribution and make this available to people.”
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ARTICLE X, SECTION 26 No new sales tax on services
the obvious - car repair, haircuts, ticeable, according to Sebree. He and doctor’s visits - to more comviewed the measure as more of a plex acts which could be legally inpre-emptive strike on a tax war that terpreted as services. Advertising, could come. John Sebree, the CEO of Misbanking, and real-estate commis“Because it was to rule out souri Realtors, had a good night on sions could also be regarded as sersomething that isn’t currently hapNov. 8. Among all the other historic vices if a particularly enterprising pening, the fast answer is nothing happenings that night, his organigovernment body interpreted it as should happen,” he said, adding the zation’s baby, Amendment 4 had such. amendment “is a clear mandate to passed by a convincing margin after Service sales tax laws have gone state bureaucrats and policymakers a relatively under-the-radar caminto effect in North Carolina and about the directions they may look paign. Sebree said the moment he Washington, and other states have for new revenue.” saw it projected to win was surreal. heard proposals on such measures. Scott Charton served as the pri“There was so much attention No such wide-sweeping legislamary spokesperson for Missourians on the presidential race, on our tion has emerged in Missouri, even for Fair Taxation, the organization US Senate race, our gubernatorial though the state does have a few who championed Amendment 4 race,” Sebree said. “With all of these specific instances of services which into the state’s guiding document. other high-profile races, the burden are applicable to tax already. Among WITH He noted that the Missouri Departof getting the message out and eduGROWING MISSOURI’S ECONOMY those services that can be taxed are ment of Revenue had gone out of cating the public was especially difSMARTER ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE mandatory gratuity at restaurants its way to begin taxing some serficult. When you have that kind of for tables with large parties, advices by reinterpreting existing law. environment, it’s tough to know if Theyou’re electric grid is thewith backbone of our economy. is the time to update Missouri’s mission Now to sports, entertainment Sen. WIll Kraus passed a bill last connecting the voters.” and recreation facilities like theme regarding one of those inBut they apparently did as their century-old regulations that are holding us back. Working together, we can spursession economic parks and stadiums, and rooms, stances, when the DOR began taxconstitutional amendment won just development Missouri will benefitor our customers. foodstronger or drinksgrid soldthat at restaurants ing instructional classes arbitrarily. a hair overin57 percentas ofwe thebuild vote.a smarter, hotels (which can be construed as a Those instances figured into Char“It was incredible,” Sebree said. ton’s work on the campaign trail. So what will the amendment do? service, not a good). It is unclear exactly what the new “We talked about the department In fairly plain language, it prohibits constitutional amendment means of revenue going out on its own ineither the state legislature or any for these specific instances, but if terpreting existing laws to include body within the executive branch the law acts as expected, its immecertain services. That should stop,” from instituting a sales tax on a diate impact should hardly be nohe said. “Whether bureaucrats are service. Those services range from
TRAVIS ZIMPFER THE MISSOURI TIMES
4 MINUTE READ listening and paying attention: time will tell.” While opponents to the measure voiced concern that this amendment would tie the hands of future legislators and governors’ administrations, Charton said regardless, the solution was not to tax services and that the state should maximize its collection on goods if it wants to see a revenue increase. “It does not shut off any revenue source,” Charton said. “We should maximize the collections that are legally allowed now.” Sebree argued that funds simply need to be spent more wisely on essentials like education, law enforcement and first responders. “Typically what the public believes is they pay a certain amount of money in taxes and the government should be able to exist on that,” he said. “They should be using that money for its intended purpose. We should be looking if we’re paying the taxpayers’ funds correctly.” The amendment went into effect. Dec. 7.
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(ADOPTED NOVEMBER 8, 2016) ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 23 Campaign finance reform
7 MINUTE READ
BENJAMIN PETERS THE MISSOURI TIMES The 2016 General Election featured several candidates running as outsiders, priding themselves on their distance from the political machines of the two major parties. One of the strongest rallying cries from a number of Republican candidates was the promise to clean up Jefferson City, leading a surge of red and taking over control of the Show Me State. Gov.-elect Eric Greitens referenced “corrupt career politicians” numerous times in his bid for Missouri’s highest office. The newly-elected governor says career politicians have “turned Jefferson City into a corrupt, do-nothing embarrassment” and vowed to put a ban on lobbyist gifts and place term-limits on every statewide elected official. The website for Josh Hawley, Missouri’s next attorney general, also ran on the platform of cleaning up politics, saying “politicians have delivered failure, embarrassment and gridlock, trading favors with special interests rather than standing up for the people of Missouri… It’s time to make the political establishment clean up their act and get our government back to serving the people.” The accusations of crooked politics and unethical behavior at the Capitol stem from a number of issues inside the statehouse in recent times, including two sexually charged scandals with interns in 2015, hundreds of thousands of dollars in lobbyist gifts and record-high campaign contributions. Following the events of 2015, the General Assembly vowed to work on ethics reform. Since then, it has been the center of attention for Missouri politicians in 2016, with the House and Senate working on several attempts to pass legislation on the issue. Ethics bills passed through the Missouri House with little effort, but stalled in the Senate, where opponents of the measures became bogged down with cuts before being
killed on the floor. The end result was a six-month “cooling off period” for lawmakers before becoming lobbyists, a ban on lawmakers working as political consultants while in office, and a ban on elected officials holding onto their campaign funds if they become lobbyists. Throughout the election, campaign finance was a constant topic of controversy. The 2016 election cycle featured six- or even seven-figure donations to campaigns in the Show Me State, with multimillion-dollar donations in the governor’s race breaking records. Members of the Missouri Democratic Party even went so far as to file complaints with the Missouri Ethics Commission, asking for an investigation into the Greitens’ campaign donors. Missouri was just one of a handful of states with no limits on campaign contributions or lobbyist gifts, having abolished donation limits in 2008. But the November passage of the Missouri State and Judicial Campaign Contribution Limits Initiative, also known as Constitutional Amendment 2, put an end to that. Voters passed the constitutional amendment to reinstate campaign contribution limits with a strong margin of more than one million votes, and elected several new officials who have vowed to put an end to corruption in the state Capitol. But the passing of the amendment has left many people scratching their heads and searching for answers. They typically turn to the Missouri Ethics Commission, who says they have received several calls in regard to the new amendment. “People are wanting to understand how aspects of Amendment 2 may impact what they’re doing, especially in the campaign finance world,” James Klahr said. Klahr has served as the executive director for the Missouri Ethics Commission since 2013. He says that one question people have been asking about is the effective date for Constitutional Amendment 2. There’s been some confusion as to when the law takes effect,
because a previous law putting contribution limits in place took effect immediately after the election. Klahr says that’s because the last time it passed, it was a proposition, which goes into effect immediately. This time, as an amendment, it goes into effect after 30 days, or December 8th. Another question being asked is this: how will the new restrictions change campaign contributions in Missouri? Under the new law, donors can no longer give unlimited amounts of money to candidates seeking office in Missouri; instead, it puts a $2,600 cap on donations to any state legislative, judicial or executive office, and the limits will increase with inflation every four years. In a year dominated by massive campaign donations, the new stipulation would prevent donors from making sizeable contributions. It also caps donations to political parties at $25,000 and bars corporations and labor unions from directly contributing to a campaign. Democrat gubernatorial candidate Chris Koster raised more than $24 million, roughly $8.6 million of which came from labor-related groups. The new amendment also puts restrictions on political candidates donating to another candidate’s committee, makes it illegal to shuffle money between committees, and bans candidates from accepting money from out-of-state committees and foreign entities. The majority of contributions to the Greitens campaign came from out-of-state. The election limits apply to just one election, but as the law states that a primary election and the following general election are separate elections, meaning the contributions apply to each individual election. The amendment does not affect candidates in local elections. The reporting deadlines are still going to be required, but Klahr says it wouldn’t be a stretch to expect changes in the operation and execution of the law as it is interpreted by the commission moving forward.
“Some things will change. Right now, there’s a statute that says within 48 hours of receiving a contribution of over $5,000, there’s a report that must be sent to us within 48 hours after receiving that. Of course, that’s not going to be a frequent issue anymore with the new limits, because the new limits are below the $5,000 mark,” he said. “I’m not sure day-to-day it will affect how we deal with the reporting side of things, but I think one of the things that is going to require the legislature to look at is what the interaction is between Amendment 2 and our statutes.” Any entity that violates the rules will receive a warning from the Missouri Ethics Commission, and have 10 days to return the funds. If violated a second time, the person transferring the funds will be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor. A third violation will result in a Class D felony. Klahr said they are putting information on the Missouri Ethics Commission’s website, and will continue to do so in an effort to provide more context about the amendment, while also answering phone calls. “We also, under the statute, have the ability to field more formal advisory opinion requests. We’ve received a couple those, and I anticipate that, as the commission meets later this year, we will be putting those questions to the commission for possible response. That will give some further guidance to the regulating community.” More changes could still come, as legislators look to return several ethics bills to the General Assembly. A number of ethics proposals are expected to appear in 2017, including a ban on lobbyist gifts, a waiting period extension for lawmakers looking to become lobbyists, a ban on legislative staff doing paid campaign work for interest groups, a ban on campaign donations during the legislative session and the possibility of increasing the powers of prosecution for the Missouri Ethics Commission.
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MISSOURI RIDESHARE ALLIES
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Uber and Lyft find friends in the legislature
7 MINUTE READ
TRAVIS ZIMPFER THE MISSOURI TIMES Lyft has grand designs for the future of ridesharing. It foresees a system in which urban dwellers give up their own cars and turn to a subscription model with Lyft drivers to get around town or take excursions on the weekend. It sees less congestion in major urban areas as fleets of their company’s drivers that are part of their as people decide whether or not they even need a car anymore. However, that puts the cart before the horse, and first, Lyft must conquer a prize that it has had its eyes on for some time - Missouri. Although the company currently operates in 37 states and the District of Columbia, Missouri is not one of them anymore after the company left St. Louis and Kansas City in 2014. Lyft says that the reason is because Missouri does not have a favorable regulatory environment. However, they’re hoping to change that this year. “We have statewide operating rules in 35 states and the District of Columbia,” said Adrian Durbin, a spokesman for Lyft. “We look for common sense policy proposals that put safety first and foremost, but also provide a framework under which the part time nature of our driver community allows them to take advantage of these opportunities.” Last year when transportation networking companies (TNC) like Lyft and their primary market competitor and legislative ally, Uber, set their sites on passing comprehensive statewide regulations in Missouri, their attempts began explosively with widespread support before quickly fizzling out in the Senate. Bills authored by Sen. Bob Onder and Rep. Kirk Mathews contained provisions that a few legislators in Kansas City and St. Louis found untenable, especially a provision that would not require TNCs to use fingerprint background checks like the St. Louis Metropolitan Taxicab Commission (MTC) uses.
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Some Kansas City legislators were incensed that TNCs had attempted to pass statewide legislation that would supercede an ordinance in Kansas City. Opponents of the measure did not necessarily dislike the idea of TNCs, but they said they merely prioritized the safety of passengers, questioning whether or not Uber or Lyft could effectively vet their own drivers. Proponents of the measure are optimistic about the chances an “Uber bill” reaches Gov.-elect Eric Greitens’ desk. Onder pre-filed the legislation and said he believed it would be a priority in both the House and the Senate. “I can never say what definitively all of the priorities will be because we’re going to be doing some very big things this year, but I think this is one of the biggest economic development bills we could do this session,” Onder said. Speaker Todd Richardson has also stressed the issue’s importance to him in the upcoming session. “It’s one of those things that’s just a common sense level of economic freedom in addition to a service that a lot of people would like to have access to,” he said. “I travel to other states and you see how well it’s working there, and I think it’s important we have that kind of business to operate and thrive here in Missouri.” Richardson added that it had a public safety benefit by keeping drunk drivers off of the road. Although Lyft does not operate in the state, Uber has taken some steps to make its case to Missourians. It began service in Springfield in November after the Springfield City Council approved of an Uberbacked ordinance that left background checks to the TNCs. Uber spokesman Bobby Kellman said that Missouri should use that legislation as a model going forward. "Every Missourian should have access to safe, reliable and affordable transportation options and opportunities to earn a living with greater flexibility," Uber spokesman
Bobby Kellman said. Uber also began service in St. Louis last year, but they did so to much controversy. After the St. Louis MTC voted Sept. 18, 2015 to mandate fingerprint background checks and the requirement of a chauffeur's license for TNC drivers, Uber simply started offering their UberX service in the city the same day. Uber also filed an antitrust lawsuit against the St. Louis MTC that day as well, which is still pending. The MTC even said in May that they would ticket Uber drivers in St. Louis. Jane Dueker, a St. Louis attorney, stressed that the MTC wants parity for all ride-for-hire companies, regardless of the precise business model. “Right now, Uber is operating illegally,” she said. “They don’t have any capital investment, they don’t have cars, they don’t pay taxes, so they’re clearly at a competitive advantage. From the cabbie’s perspective, statewide standards are not necessarily a problem as long as there’s not a competitive advantage for ride sharers vs. other vehicles for hire. However, Onder called the taxicab commission a primary obstacle to Uber for “wanting to keep competition out at the cost of the consumer and at the expense of seeing a valuable service come to market.” He believes that Uber is inevitable and that waiting only puts Missouri further behind other states. “It’s going to happen, and [the MTC] needs to do some things to adapt their own business model to the 21st century,” Onder said. In St. Louis and Kansas City, many lawmakers and advocates have criticized Uber’s unwillingness to play nice and work towards compromise. “Uber wants to do business, but they only want to do it on their terms,” Rep. Kevin Corlew told the Kansas City Star in May. On the floor during debate over the bill, he expanded on his remarks. “I am not against innovation. I think
it’s a wonderful service that they’ve got and I think it provides a great means of using technology. However, just because something is innovative doesn’t mean we completely forget safety regulations and don’t try to provide as much safety as possible.” Dueker succinctly agreed with Corlew’s perspective. “Most people who negotiate with Uber feel there’s not a whole lot of negotiating,” she said. “They basically say this is our way or the highway.” That mentality led to efforts for both Uber and Lyft to abruptly leave Austin after voters in the Texas city struck down an initiative sponsored by the two TNCs that would replace regulations set on ridesharing companies by the Austin city government. Among the changes, Proposition 1 stated TNCs would not have to undergo FBI fingerprint background checks for their drivers. When it failed by nearly 10,000 votes, the two companies quickly ceased all business in the city, though other ridesharing companies willing to adhere to those rules have sprung up in their absence. However, Uber has shown interest in going back to the city with a new public affairs manager for Austin City Hall. Lyft has done something similar in Missouri, while Uber has taken a different track and, in the case of St. Louis, it has defied and largely ignored regulations meant to bind it. Yet, they are hoping the new legislation offered this year means they can operate legally within the state, especially since that means access to St. Louis and Kansas City. “Missouri has two of the largest markets in the country that don’t have traditional ridesharing including Lyft,” Durbin said. “We would love for that to change this year and will work as hard as possible to ensure it does.”
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ERIC GREITENS
YOURS IN SERVICE RACHAEL HERNDON DUNN THE MISSOURI TIMES As a token of appreciation for the relentless dedication of law enforcement around the state, Eric Greitens has had one clear resounding message: he has their backs. When tragedy struck Ballwin in late July, then-Republican primary candidate for governor Greitens penned a 2,200-plus word letter released on July 20 simply titled “Tragedy.” In the letter, he declared the weeks before the shooting of Ballwin Officer Michael Flamion as the “worst loss of life for our police officers since September 11, 2001.” A few months later, Officer Blake Snyder of the St. Louis County Police Department was killed while he and his partner responded to a disturbance. Ambush attacks have become both a danger and a reality for those who put on the uniform in the United States. The National Law Enforcement Memorial (NLEM) says officer fatalities are up 21 percent from last year, and the fatal shooting of police officers is up 68 percent. Sixty-four of the nation’s 137 police deaths this year were related to firearms. On average, the NLEM says one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 61 hours. Texas leads the nation with 18 record law enforcement deaths in 2016, as Dallas became the site of a deadly attack in July, which claimed the lives of five officers. Another six officers were shot in an attack in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, three of whom died. Missouri has seen two officers killed in the line of duty in 2016, as well as several injured during attacks.
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"Sheena and my prayers are with their families and with all law enforcement officers who step out to do dangerous work for us every day,” he wrote. “We have your back. Always. These men and women go out each day and night to do their job. They say goodbye to their families—as tens of thousands of officers do—to protect all of us. And they go to protect the constitutional rights of others—even as many protest against them.” When two more officers were shot on each side of Missouri on November 20, Greitens quickly announced his first specific policy initiative - calling on the legislature to establish a “Blue Alert” system. The Blue Alert system, set up similarly to Amber and Silver Alerts, “would send out emergency notices to speed up the capture of anyone who shoots a police officer.” “Twenty-seven other states have such a system in place, and it is time Missouri do the same.” After visiting one of the victims at a hospital in St. Louis just hours after the attack, Greitens released a statement that Monday ensuring that he would work as governor to ensure the protection of those in law enforcement. “We must stand up for those who stand guard for us,” Greitens wrote. “In the year ahead, my administration will push for the strictest possible punishments for anyone who assaults a police officer.” On December 12, as paralyzed Officer Michael Flamion was scheduled to be presented with the Law Enforcement Purple Heart and Medal of Valor, Greitens declared Flamion a hero, applauding his years of service and again echoing his consistent call to action for Missouri to “have the backs” of law enforcement.
He called on citizens to act in the July letter, stating politicians "have failed” citizens and "the media would move on.” His 6-point callto-action for Missourians included prayer, thankfulness, engagement, donation, studying - including reading the Constitution and the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” - and participating in a ride-along. Greitens' letter promised things can change. On December 13, Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin, announced he would be pre-filing a bill to establish a Blue Alert system. “The goal is to put this vital information in the hands of our police officers and the public as quickly as possible so that these criminals can be brought to justice,” said Dogan. “We have seen far too much violence directed against the men and women who protect and serve our communities, including the heinous attack on Ballwin Officer Michael Flamion in my district and the murder of St. Louis County Officer Blake Snyder. It’s important that we send a strong message that we will not tolerate crimes directed at our law enforcement community.” Greitens has continued to not only call for action from the legislature, but to consistently focus public appearances and releases on the support he and his administration will offer law enforcement. "In the face of this violence, we must take action,” Greitens said on November 20. "We must stand up for those who stand guard for us. In the year ahead, my administration will push for the strictest possible punishments for anyone who assaults a police officer.” Less than two weeks later, pre-filing from the legislature opened and bills were quickly filed by Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff; Rep. Marsha Haefner, R-St. Louis; and Rep.-
elect Nick Schroer, R-O’Fallon, to declare an assault on a member of law enforcement as a hate crime. "I have talked with Speaker Richardson, and he has given me his full support and says he will move this bill,” Haefner said. "I know there will probably be other similar bills filed, but he said he would give it attention, and I believe this is important to Gov.-elect Greitens, too." When asked if she anticipated the Gov.-elect cracking down on crimes against law enforcement, Haefner said, "I hope so, and I think it's about time." In an unexpected turn, Greitens’ wife, Sheena - an assistant professor of comparative politics at the University of Missouri - was robbed at gunpoint not far from the Greitens’ home in the Central West End of St. Louis on December 5. The robbery was carried out by three young men - two minors - who stole Sheena’s phone and laptop. Greitens released information saying the law enforcement response was “swift and skilled…and we thank God for their presence tonight. "I have spoken in the past about the importance of public safety. About the need to take care of the men and women of law enforcement who have our backs. About the danger too many Missourians feel walking in their neighborhoods at night, or taking their kids to school, or going to the grocery store. "If tonight's incident has done anything, it has only served to strengthen my—and our family's— resolve. We are, now more than ever, committed to the law enforcement officials who were by Sheena's side within minutes. We are, now more than ever, disturbed by the violence and chaos in our communities. And we are, now more than ever, focused on the mission of cre-
VICTORY REMARKS ERIC GREITENS GOVERNOR-ELECT NOVEMBER 9, 2016 PHOTO/MEDIA RELEASE
ating safer neighborhoods for all of our families and all of our children. Greitens displayed great humanity in his press conference the next day, addressing the robbery. “My first thought as a husband was for my wife’s safety. My second thought was for justice. And I’m glad these men of law enforcement found these young men before I did,” he said. “These young men victimized many people last night, and they need to face the justice system for what they did.” Greitens also said his thoughts turned to the boys involved in the crimes and to their families. “As a father, I know that for these young men, their lives also changed and I feel for their families,” he said. “Faith teaches us that we must forgive. And that’s what Sheena and I plan to do.” “We want those young men to know that today, we want their families to know that today,” he continued, his voice cracking. “I plan to sit down with their mothers and their families to discuss what we can do together to make sure that every family and every community in the state of Missouri knows that they can go home at night, look at their kids, and know they will be safe.” The newly-elected governor has vowed to increase public safety in the coming months, as both he and his wife said the events of the previous night only highlighted what is an increasing concern all across the state. “Law and order must prevail. It must prevail in all of our communities,” he said. “But I also recognize that we have a choice to make here in the state of Missouri. If we continue down our current path, it will continue to lead to more disorder, more lawlessness, more chaos, people living farther and farther
apart from each other, divided by fear. This has strengthened my belief that we must do different in the state of Missouri.” Days later, Greitens stood with police chiefs (pictured, above) from around the state for their annual conference in Jefferson City, further reaffirming his commitment. "I stand ready to work with all of you, and every one of the men and women who serve in your communities, to make sure that the officers who are on the front lines know that they have strong leadership all the way up to the governor's office,” Greitens told fall conference. "For too long, career politicians have only supported law enforcement when it was convenient. And when a media story ran in the wrong direction and the politics turned, they were abandoned. I want you to know that ends with me.” In addition to calling for legislation, Greitens will have other opportunities in his new capacity to support law enforcement, including making new appointments to state boards relating to law enforcement - many of which have vacancies or members will soon or long expired terms. "To those in law enforcement: We have your backs, and we’re going to fight for you,” Greitens wrote on November 21. "Always.” The heartfelt promise marks when the governor-elect followed through with a subtle change in his messaging, beginning to sign emails with: Yours in Service, Eric Greitens. Benjamin Peters and Travis Zimpfer contributed to this story.
We did it! We did it because of your incredible dedication and devotion, your heart and hard work. Sheena and I thank all of you. Thank you for your faith, your prayers, your hard work, your courage, and your sacrifice. Thank you for having our back. Around this state, thousands of you joined us in a grassroots campaign—a movement that hasn’t been seen in Missouri for generations. There were law enforcement officers and first responders who brought their friends and family out and made thousands of phone calls. High school students who woke up before the sun rose to put up campaign signs. And so many strong veterans around the state who stood beside us. This campaign reminded us that great teams can be formed out of great struggle. All of us on this campaign knew how much was at stake. We knew how many people were counting on us. That mission gave us clarity and courage. That shared purpose gave us strength. Our mission was—and is—to create a stronger Missouri, to take this state in a new and better direction. And we are going to work to make sure we bring more jobs, higher pay, safer streets, and better schools to our state. What we earned yesterday is something sacred: the privilege to serve. As your Governor, I intend to be a servant-leader. As citizens, we all need to serve alongside and for each other. Now we must take all of this energy, all of this compassion, all of this courage— and use it to build a Missouri we can be proud to pass on to our kids and grandkids. Sheena and I are honored, humbled, and inspired to be on this journey with you. Almost three thousand years ago, the poet Homer wrote the story of an ancient warrior named Odysseus. His war was over, and Odysseus and his crew faced a difficult journey home. Thinking of the obstacles and the uncertainty ahead, they said: “We will endure it, keeping a stubborn spirit inside us. We have done much hard work on the waves and in the fighting. Now, let this adventure begin.” 47
AN INTERVIEW WITH A GOVERNOR With Gov. Jay Nixon leaving office, Missouri will lose a public servant that has worked in the Capitol for nearly three decades. After Missouri Southern State University named a new building after him, he spoke in November to Missouri Times publisher Scott Faughn on This Week in Missouri Politics to discuss his last eight years as the chief executive of the Show Me State and about elections that finally seemed to have cemented Missouri’s status as a red state. Scott Faughn: You’re somebody who has ran for governor of Missouri, overwhelmingly elected - twice. You’re from Jefferson County. I think you might be a unique person to have served in government but be from an area that understands a Trump voter. Why did he win and what are your thoughts on that? Gov. Jay Nixon: First of all, he hit a nerve, a clear nerve, a populist, outsider nerve, both in the primary on the Republican side and in the general election, and second, I think Missourians never warmed up to Secretary Clinton. It was never a race in which she was making progress, and so we always knew the Republican was going to have a wide avenue to run in Missouri with her as our candidate. Faughn: You were able to run with a president who didn’t do well in Missouri in 2012, and you won and flipped that. Why do you think Trump had more coattails at this time? Nixon: I’m not quite sure what you
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mean by coattails, but the folks that got elected statewide Republicans got far fewer votes than he did, the governor 51 percent, the senator less than that, so I think it was more of a Trump move than a partisan move. I worked really hard, I know the state well, I’m not going to say anything to be derogatory to anyone else running I think the people of the state of Missouri knew me, they knew I worked in the middle, they knew I was able to bring people together, they saw my 16 years as attorney general where I fought for them each and every day. Then after the first term as governor - that after the pressure was on and things needed to be handled, whether it was a fiscal crisis or a tornado in Joplin - that they had somebody that was willing to bring people together and lead. Faughn: It looks like we saw a little bit about that this week. What did you think about him, what did you think of his campaign? Nixon: When you’re in this job, the campaigns seem stunningly simplistic. The message field you deal with and responsibilities you deal with are much broader than clips and sound bites. As we begin the process, trying to make sure that he is a capable and intelligent fellow, understands the breadth of the office and that we’re really open with moving forward with him to maintain fiscal discipline to keep the progress on things we’re involved in and to make sure he has the information he needs to make the decisions over the next few years to keep
this state moving forward.
Faughn: You strike me as somebody that if Eric Greitens has a question in March, something he’s never seen, you’ll take his phone call. Nixon: I’ve really been helped by former governors, especially Gov. Bond. He had that recession - ‘81’82 - that was kind of similar in a way. Ours was a little bigger when it came in, but the same kind of structure. Kit was really helpful in that regard and gave me some good advice and some strength to make decisions and make them quickly. When you have budget problems, you have to solve those problems early. And the legislature’s not going to solve those problems, all the legislature does is pass the budget authorization. The Governor balances the budget. The constitution gives you that responsibility, and so you have to make those choices, and as a former governor, as I said to Gov.-elect Greitens, “You and I are going to be in the same time sometime soon, former governors. It’s going to come faster than you think.” Faughn: What’s the day you’re most proud of? Nixon: In an odd way, when school started in Joplin on Aug. 17 after that tornado. We had 98 percent of the kids show back up. I was really fearful that you could lose a town. When you have 7,500 houses gone, 161 people dead, 1,100 people injured, 11,000 cars gone, nine schools and you’re able to retrofit a
11 MINUTE READ high school into a mall in 54 days, you’re able to build a middle school in an old factory, but most importantly, the people stayed and they had confidence the future of their community was going to be strong. As I sat there with the principals and everyone else, literally getting accounts from each of the various middle schools and elementary schools and seeing 96, 97, 98 percent [attendance], and comparing that to Greenwood, Kansas where fewer that 20 percent of people still live in that town after that tornado, that was a moment where I felt like everybody tried really hard together. I was able to marshal some resources and work with the will and spirit of Missourians and in a lot of ways, that town was saved. Faughn: As an outstate person, it looked like you personally cared about bringing Joplin back. Nixon: Absolutely, when you have that much loss, we had 105 law enforcement agencies working under unified command down there… I gave the graduation speech at Missouri Southern on that Saturday, and then Sunday is when the tornado happened and when I got back there, that same room I gave the speech in had 450 people on cots that had been injured and while I was there the sirens went off for the next tornado and we had to evacuate that place. The things you remember about it, the happiness of a graduation met by disaster. I was there for 10 of the first 11 days, we set up a permanent resource center and marshaled resources and got it
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done. Faughn: Let me ask you about a day you would like to have back, give me a decision you would like to have another bite at the apple on. Nixon: I continue to believe if you look at some of the bills… on the fiscal side that they’re getting a little loose. Some of these tax breaks they continue to pass, whether it’s the retroactive one this year for ag or a special tax break for the tax company in Kansas City. These special interest tax breaks… Also 509, I don’t think that Kansas-style tax cut of saying we’re going to give you a break on LLC money has created jobs in Kansas City, I think it’s instead had people go to their accountants and say, ‘How do I move my income in a way so that it doesn’t have tax.’ I think it hasn’t worked in Kansas, and even though it’s a little smaller here and it will begin to go into effect, I don’t think that’s good policy. If you’re going to get rid of taxes, the way I have - getting rid of the franchise tax, getting rid of the tax on veterans, making sure we’re keeping taxes low. I think Democrats have held the line on taxes and cut taxes - I don’t think that is the way to cut taxes and long-range, I think that’s going to make it very difficult to fund the necessary services that can move the state forward.” Faughn: Some folks look to Kansas and say they haven’t cut a lot of spending and that seems to be part of the problem. They’ve cut taxes, they haven’t cut the spending part. Nixon: Well, we did. Back when the first part of this happened, the House passes a big budget and we got to the Senate, we got serious. We
had to cut more after that, but I’ll be forever thankful to Rob Mayer for being a real statesman in a difficult time for his state and standing up and standing with us to make sure that budget got a lot closer. Now, the economy kept going down and I had to take more out of it, but I really appreciate the statesmanship and the knowledge which he showed. I went up to the Senate as the bill was being finished that day and I waited on the side gallery to thank him on behalf of Missourians for the work he’d done. I think we got serious about cutting the budget. We now have 5,100 fewer employees, we have basically $1.5 billion less. That first year, I had to restrict 7 different times. Eleven states have had their credit rating drop and ours has stayed at the top of the country. Faughn: Campaign finance, you’ve been outspoken on it. You’re someone that maybe the last time you manage a divided government for some time in this state… You’ve ran on the system of limits and without limits. What’re the differences and which one’s better? Nixon: I believe limits to candidate committees are important themselves. I went to the United States Supreme Court and argued that case personally and we won it 6-3. I understand there’s going to be money in politics, I understand there’s going to be independent expenditures and coordinated expenditures, but I believe that the candidate committees should have limits because what happens if you don’t is two things: huge checks and corrosive effects of directing two candidates to money as opposed to coor-
dinated party expenditures or what not, and secondarily candidates get a little lazy. Instead of going out and raising $25 or $50 or $100, they just get wired transferred $40,000 out of some leadership PAC and they don’t have to do the hard work. As governor, there’s been a number of times where I’ve been surprised when a local candidate didn’t know about his home district as much as I did. If you have to go out and do that sort of stuff, raise that money and make those connections in your local community when you’re running, that’s a positive part of democracy. Money is involved in politics, I just think those candidate committees… are different and should be treated differently. I’m not here saying money’s not going to be in politics and all of this sort of stuff, but I do think that limiting the contributions to those committees is a very important part of our process.” Faughn: You know, it’s interesting thing, I worked in politics under limits and you go to the golf tournaments in a rep’s district and you’d see the car dealer and the insurance company, and that means that legislator had to call them and talk to them about what they cared about and ask if they would sponsor a hole. Now you see lobbyist signs. You don’t see a lot of those local businesses writing those $200 checks, and it means they haven’t had to talk to them a lot… you lose contact.
a day and my donor base grew up to tens of thousands, not by the internet, but by real people. And boy, they tell you stuff. They really do. Politics is the exact opposite of plumbing: When a plumber comes to your house and fixes something, you pay him and you never want to see him again. But if a politician comes and you give him 25 bucks, you get more invested and interested in what their future is. People that actually give something, whether its time, put up a sign or put a bumper sticker on or a small check, they become more invested in the system. They become more invested in the candidate and democracy as a whole. If they think the system is rigged or controlled by a few smart people, a few rich people, they’re much more cynical about the democracy that is so important for our country. Faughn: Will Missourians ever have the chance to vote for you again? Nixon: I don’t think I’m going to run here for office again. Once you’ve been governor, what other job is there? Thirty years of working, and they put you on the day shift. I’ve had the chance to serve as a senator, to be attorney general, to argue before the Supreme Court, to be governor… Getting out with my integrity and some portion of my sense of humor intact, the First Lady and I are ready for the next chapter.
Nixon: Even when I ran for governor, we did things called 5Ks. Every weekend we would go out and do $25, $50 head events and 5K was our goal - to raise $5,000 in small increments. We did three or four
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KINDER DEPARTS
THE SECOND FLOOR TRAVIS ZIMPFER THE MISSOURI TIMES When Sen. Peter Kinder first came to Jefferson City to represent Cape Girardeau in 1992, he recalls it as a much different place than it is today. For one, people in town drink a lot less today than they did years ago, and the culture of debauchery still often emphasized has diminished considerably. “There’s a popular perception that I think is a misconception that it’s all parties every night,” he says. “I’m here to tell you it’s a small fraction of what it used to be.” Colors have changed too, now that he ends his 12-year tenure as the state’s lieutenant governor and a 24-year career in the Missouri Capitol. His hair, once a graying blond, has become a shocking, almost trademark shade of white. The state’s color, meanwhile, has shifted from a nearly solid slate of blue to purple to a deep crimson at all levels of government as Republicans have cemented their status as the majority party in the state. Kinder served as one of the primary instigators of the state’s shift into a red hue. Pam Dixon, a longtime friend and campaign manager says that stems from a deep belief in rightwing values like self-subsistence, limited government and Christian values. “He’s conservative to the core,” she says. “It’s a part of who he is. A lot of people get into politics to promote themselves, where with Peter, it was always about moving the conservative agenda. He cares so much more about conservative policies being in place than what’s good for his political career.”
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His conservatism and involvement in Republican politics started at a relatively early age for a family that was decidedly non-politically active, though still influential. His father, James Kinder, was a pediatrician so revered in Cape Girardeau that Southeast Missouri Hospital named their pediatric wing after him when he died. He still enjoys a close relationship with his three brothers. Kinder also knew Rush Limbaugh growing up as their mothers were best friends. Kinder’s political career began when he campaigned for then-Attorney General Jack Danforth just after he finished high school, and he managed Congressman Bill Emerson’s campaign against incumbent Congressman Bill Burlison in 1980. He worked on Emerson’s staff in Washington D.C. for a few years before returning to Missouri. After working as an attorney and editorialist for a time, he ran on his conservative principles and came to Jefferson City and helped transform it into a haven for conservative politicians. “I grew up in a Missouri in which the only election that matter was the August Democratic primary,” he says. “We did not win statewide offices, then along came Jack Danforth and Kit Bond. We began to win without standing candidates, but we still couldn’t break through at the legislative level.” Yet, Kinder and other conservatives found that most Democratic areas of the state, especially in rural areas, still had socially conservative values. Kinder and other Republicans increased their messages on a platform emphasizing gun rights, anti-abortion policies, low taxes
and limited government regulation - driven by Kinder. “He has such a pulse on the conservative base, he knew if an issue would be important or not,” Dixon says. “It resonated with him so it would resonate with other members of the base.” Public Service Commission Commissioner Bill Kenney, another friend and former state senator, also added that Kinder had a strong feeling for what conservatives in Missouri wanted in their government. “He’s a guy that is very politically astute as to what’s happening on the forefront,” Kenney says. “He’s a true conservative and someone who accomplished a lot of things.” When Republicans shifted to an emphasis in socially conservative ideals emphasized by strong social conservatives like Kinder and, later former House Speaker Catherine Hanaway, they immediately saw results. Since then, they have continued to chip away at Democratic strongholds while Democrats have been limited to more progressive areas like St. Louis, Kansas City and Columbia. All of those cities’ metropolitan areas now have significant Republican representation. “The Democratic Party has been almost completely cleaned out of its pro-life legislatures and that swing has turned into veto-proof majorities in the House and Senate,” he said. “We have been moving towards much more business-friendly and investor-friendly policies that will endure to the benefit of Missourians.” That mission has made him one of the leaders of the party within the state. Joe Passanise, a longtime
Republican politico, said that oftentimes he would be tasked with making progress on tough legislative issues like right-to-work or the fight against partial birth abortions. “Peter has been a faithful servant to the Republican Party for his tenure in office with his loyalty to spreading and teaching conservatism and his approach to government,” Passanise said. When Kinder became lt. governor in 2002, he focused on making the office more active than merely a part-time job that oversaw and governed the Senate. He focused on veterans’ issues around the state and worked with several charitable causes around the state, especially in St. Louis’ urban areas. Kenney believes that shift to making the lt. governor position a full-time role that emphasized service has been a massive part of Kinder’s continued relevance in state politics. “He set a precedent,” Kenney says. “I don’t think it’s going to go back to that temporary office anymore.” During Kinder’s tenure, statewide offices still eluded Republicans until the 2016 election cycle. As the results rolled in and Republicans claimed victory in every statewide office race on the ballot, Kinder relished what was still a bittersweet moment for him. He would not be a part of the victorious Republican revolution that for which he had worked so hard. He had lost in the Republican gubernatorial primary to Gov.-elect Eric Greitens and he had finished third behind John Brunner in August. But he remembered his many victorious elections. “I always told myself when I won,
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My fond farewell (really) to Peter Kinder JEFF MAZUR LAUNCH CODE
7 MINUTE READ that both victory and defeat are impostors, and it’s never as bad as it looks when you lose and it’s never as good as it looks when you win,” Kinder says, echoing Kipling and adding that the impetus was on the Republican Party to move the state. “Everyone is watching us. And they’re looking for performance. They’re not looking for rhetoric, they’re looking for results. So they need to keep one thing in mind: under-promise and over-perform.” Now, he leaves the office to Lt. Gov.-elect Mike Parson, a well-respected legislator in both chambers. Kinder says the transition has gone smoothly thus far and that he has met and spoke with the state’s next second-in-command multiple times since the election. “Whenever he asks my advice, I tell him to hit the ground running,” Kinder says. “He’s well-known in the House and the Senate, and I told him to trust his instincts and I think he’ll make a fine lieutenant governor.” As he gets set to leave the second floor, Kinder says he has options open in front of him. The 62-yearold has some opportunities available to him in the private sector that he does not wish to disclose at this time, but he also has contacts with Donald Trump’s transition team. He may have a spot in that administration. The only thing for certain is that when February rolls around, Peter Kinder will not work in the Capitol for the first time in 24 years. Even though he will not physically be there, the legacy he left and the party he helped built will serve as a testament to his efforts.
It’s been a running joke for years among my Missouri Democratic political friends that we’d find great sadness when Peter Kinder no longer held office. Kinder is someone we can chuckle at, the gag went, while he keeps a statewide seat from a Republican who might actually parlay the office into a bigger and more dangerous role. Kinder was a safe adversary. He was the devil we knew, one whose tweets we could ridicule. Now as Peter Kinder’s time in public office dwindles I am struck by a genuine (if mild) disappointment, but not for the reasons I’d previously offered as a punchline. Kinder’s exit is the symbol of a sad transition from statewide candidates defined by their longevity and familiarity to those most notable for their novelty, ambition, and access to money. We are worse for the change. What Peter Kinder had in politics he earned with hard work over a long period of time. Three terms in the State Senate, more than ten years of his time there spent in the minority. Three terms as Lieutenant Governor, only one concurrent with that of a Governor who recognized his existence. A refugee from the pre-term limits era, Kinder served in these inglorious roles for nearly a quarter century. Whether you found him to be a steadfast crusader or a gadfly ideologue, you knew who Peter Kinder was. The new era is dominated by the idea that longevity is a cancer. We are sold on the pessimistic, post-merit notion that anyone who has been around long enough to be recognizable based on shared experience is unqualified to serve longer or in a higher role. If Kinder’s great strengths of hard-won familiarity and determined, patient careerism are successfully cast as anathema to democracy, we will build a world in which people come to rule us by swearing off the very virtues we aim to ingrain in our own children. “Fresh faces” are just a well-marketed cover for self-denial.
It is not just that Peter Kinder was around for so long, but also that his were campaigns built on old school politicking rather than the overfunded, death-from-above adfests that are the state of the art in statewide politics. People who know will tell you Peter Kinder has a relationship with everyone who’s anyone in Missouri GOP politics, and has since before he wore glasses. Kinder works the grassroots organizations and knows the issues by heart. What Kinder never had was steady access to a handful of multi-millionaire megadonors who could fund the media deluge necessary to break through the crowded din of a four-way primary. Kinder belonged to every Missouri Republican, and the big-ego political funders of 2016 require membership in a more exclusive ownership group. On money, contrast Kinder with Josh Hawley, a prototype for the new statewide candidate. In 2016, Kinder could look back on decades of political leadership and success, all of which earned him enough funding to be thoroughly outspent by all three of his primary opponents. Hawley, meanwhile, took his litigation on behalf of a home decor retailer and nascent relationships with national groups like the Federalist Society and Washington-based funders and rode them to literally millions of dollars in support for his successful Attorney General primary. Maybe Josh Hawley’s story appeals to an irrational entrepreneurial exuberance that tricks us into to believing we, too, could someday be whisked to success on a cloud of someone else’s venture. But as a tale of representational democracy, it sucks the wind from us. The influence of money in politics has on its own a well-known corrosive power. Corrode democracy to the benefit of people who’ve hardly gotten to know us and we can be excused for feeling cheated. Beyond having little experience and access to lots of campaign cash, the new model statewide candidate has ambition on a scale and with an expected velocity that are unprece-
6 MINUTE READ dented in Missouri. GOP newcomer Eric Greitens is running for office for the first time, and it’s for Governor. If he’s successful, he’ll begin jockeying almost immediately for the 2020 Republican Presidential nomination. Vast ambition understates Greitens’ posture. After studying such seemingly inhuman certainty, the thoughtful, look-before-I-leap track record of Peter Kinder is a comfort. Twice before opting into the 2016 GOP governor race, Kinder stepped to the edge of a gubernatorial run only to walk back to the safety of Lieutenant Governor. I think what kept Peter Kinder from trying quickly to climb the ladder was that he believed he was doing the best thing he could possibly be doing. Not every stone is a stepping stone, some are the place where you build. Peter Kinder had spent much of his career in service. It was who he was. Lieutenant Governor was a way to let that continue, to let him do the things he thought important to do and help the people he felt it was important to help. Ambition was, when he weighed the odds, more likely a pathway out of doing the best thing he could possibly be doing than it was a pathway to doing something better. Isn’t that how we should want our elected officials to approach these decisions? Don’t we appreciate when a statewide official sees his office as more important than just a placeholder until he can gamble on a “more important” post? That’s how Peter Kinder did it until he didn’t do it that way any more. And now he’s on his way out. And I’ll miss him for having done it that way for so long. To be sure, I won’t miss the things that Peter Kinder stood for in office; his politics and mine are incompatible. But when I see the stylistic alternative — the guy who just dropped in from nowhere with millions pledged, the man people know mostly from the commercials, the one with his eyes four years down the field — I’ll remember Peter Kinder fondly, with warm distaste earned honestly, over the years.
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HOW AND WHY THE ONLY UNELECTED STATEWIDE OFFICER REVOLUTIONIZED AUDITS BENJAMIN PETERS THE MISSOURI TIMES In a day and age in which hackers have become prevalent, protecting online information has become a necessity for everyone. Everything is connected to the internet these days, which is a double-edged sword. As a society, we’re better connected worldwide than we have ever been. But that also means that someone with malicious intent is more connected than ever. We’re no longer in a day when a person just has to protect their computers; instead, everything you need is literally at our fingertips, through the use of cell phones, watches, smart TVs, and tablets. Hackers can even use some items you wouldn’t even consider, such as home routers, security cameras, refrigerators, heating and air conditioning systems, or even baby monitors. And with that kind of threat always waiting in the background, cybersecurity has become more important than ever. Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway has been a strong voice in the effort to increase cybersecurity in Missouri. Galloway says it’s often way too easy for computer hackers to get access to what otherwise should be uncompromisingly secure data, and the statistics prove her point. “This is something that affects everyone. My five-year-old is in
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pre-K, and I fill out forms with Social Security numbers and health information at the school and turning over personal information on myself and my family,” she said. “That’s information that I understand is needed to serve my son and my family. But if you are requiring that information, then you should proactively protect that information so that it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Every time that there is an access, there’s an opportunity for vulnerability.” In 2015, the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) reported 781 data breaches in the U.S., the second highest year on record since the ITRC began tracking breaches in 2005. And as of November 29, 2016, the U.S. has seen even more; 932 breaches, potentially exposing 34,305,616 records. Over the past few years, criminal hackers seem to have targeted more large-scale attacks. In 2015, hackers broke into Anthem’s servers and stole more than 37.5 million records that contained personally identifiable information. Target’s famous security breach in late 2013 exposed 40 million customer debit and credit card accounts. One largescale attack in late October of this year took down a number of favorite websites and services like Twitter, Spotify, and Netflix, leaving people wondering why they were having trouble accessing the sites. Hackers flooded Dyn, one of the biggest
internet management companies in the country with junk traffic, basically shutting down services and websites throughout the region for hours. One of the most preferred methods for hackers looking to attack any system is by using a distributed denial of service attack, or DDoS. A DDoS attack looks to break through a server by flooding the firewall with junk traffic. DDoS attacks have been around since the dawn of the modern internet, but they've been growing more powerful as technological advances continue evolving. Once in, hackers can access personal information, steal your money or impersonate you. They also can take all of the records and sell it to interested buyers, or encrypt the entire system, ransoming it for money. While shutting down Twitter or accessing Target’s records may not sound like a matter of national security, it highlights a real concern: What if these attacks were turned on the systems providing services needed for day-to-day operations in government, hospitals, or business? Most data breaches occur in the business sector, but the second largest victim of hacking is in the medical/healthcare realm. And while they are targeted less than the business sector, more records were potentially exposed in the medical sector than in any other category in 2016.
Hacking also happens in governmental sectors, impacting city, county and state offices and school districts across the country. A massive data breach at the federal Office of Personnel Management in 2015 compromised the personal information of more than 22 million people, proving that the government isn’t immune to breaches any more than the private sector. Since Galloway’s appointment to the post in the spring of 2015, she has worked to make cybersecurity a top priority in Missouri. Her office has conducted several audits since then, working to discover weak spots in state and local government. “I look at this through an accountability lens, through the lens of an auditor. We can talk about cybersecurity, we can implement policies, we can do all of these things,” she said. “But how do we make sure those policies are followed? How do we reevaluate to make sure that we are addressing the correct risks when it comes to cybersecurity? That’s where my office comes, that’s what our role is.” One series of audits of the state’s education system found several potential weaknesses. One cybersecurity audit of the Missouri Student Information System used by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education found the department unnecessarily collected and retained personally identifiable information, including Social Secu-
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7 MINUTE READ rity numbers, from school districts across the state. Since that audit, DESE no longer uses that practice. And those kinds of weaknesses in the school system, in turn, can take resources from a school budget. “In terms of school districts, instead of providing services, educating our kids, or doing everything a school district needs to be doing with limited resources, they’re instead monitoring kids’ credit scores, hiring attorneys, hiring cybersecurity experts to figure out what happened, and how to prevent it in the future,” she said. “Cybersecurity is all about taking preventative measures. Why not avoid these conversations to begin with by putting policies, procedures, and practices in place to prevent bad things from happening?” Another state audit found potential weaknesses in the Judicial Information System, which is operated by the Office of State Courts Administrator. The system is used to store court records, case files, sentencing and conviction information, as well as financial records. According to the audit, those weaknesses in the system could lead to unauthorized users tampering with data on prisoners, including sentences and release dates. Galloway says that one of the most common issues that the audits have identified is problems with user access. “We often find that government
employees have access to more information than they need to do their job,” Galloway said. “Sometimes this occurs because systems were put in place a decade ago. Everybody had access to every part of a computerized system, and it’s never been re-evaluated to see if it’s needed.” But perhaps the common issue found by these audits is the most troublesome; agencies are failing to use safe password protocols. Often, they have found a group of users sharing a single password and account. In some cases, they have found no password at all. “We can tell folks they need to have passwords on their computers, but sometimes, until an auditor checks, there is no accountability for protecting people’s personal information,” Galloway said. The good news for Missouri is that many of the recommendations are simple fixes, such as requiring a password change, implementing a system backup or creating a data breach response policy. Taxpayers will also surely be glad to hear that most solutions would require no cost.
GALLOWAY ON...
...becoming the only Democrat statewide office holder...and the only pregnant statewide officer in Missouri’s history
Nicole Galloway was never elected to the office of Missouri Auditor but was appointed by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon in April of 2015. Her appointment came at a time when nearly every statewide office was held by Democrat. Following the general election this past November, Galloway has now become the only incumbent in a sea of red. Surrounded by a new group of Republican leaders, Galloway is officially the highest ranking Democrat in Missouri’s statewide offices. But anyone who thinks that will faze the Auditor and her team is mistaken. For them, Galloway says, it will be business as usual. “It doesn’t really change anything or the approach of the office. Since taking office, we have shown our independence. We are fair and thorough. We have shown strong audits that get results for citizens and taxpayers, and will continue to do that moving forward.” The mother of two is expected to give birth to another child in January, making her the first statewide office holder in the history of the state to become pregnant while in office. Galloway says her team has already put plans in place to see that the office continues to do their job during her absence, but anyone who knows the former Boone County treasurer will tell you that she’ll back at work before you know it. The knowledge of her pregnancy has led to speculation from other publications as to whether she will step down as state auditor. That, however, will not be the case. She will not resign. Galloway has stated that she intends to run for the office in 2018, and after the results of the past election, she’ll be facing tough opposition from the Republican Party. The newly elected leaders of the Missouri Democratic Party have stated that the re-election of Galloway and U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill will be key to their success in 2018.
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OPINION
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Building a vibrant and growing economy REP. TODD RICHARDSON SPEAKER OF THE MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES With the results of the 2016 election in the rearview mirror, it is time to lead the State into 2017. I am coming to the end of my sixth year as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives and about to begin my second legislative session as Speaker of the House, the question I get asked all the time this time of year is what are the legislature’s priorities going to be in the upcoming session. Missouri voters overwhelming reelected a Republican supermajority in Jefferson City. It seems like Missouri voters sent a message both to Washington D.C and Jefferson City about what our priorities should be this year. While Donald Trump received 1,585,752 votes in Missouri and won the State by an astounding 19+ points, I am proud to say that State House Republicans received 1,600,728 votes collectively defeating the Democratic opposition by 32 points, 66 to 34. If that isn’t a mandate to lead, I don’t know what is. Despite resounding victories in Missouri, when I look around at the current state of political dialogue in Missouri and Nationally I sometimes wonder how we got here. It is clear that political discord has devolved into something almost unrecognizable. While problems are always argued about on TV, solutions are rarely discussed. Campaigns have become crusades against your opponent and rarely discussions of your own accomplishments and beliefs. Since the first day that I decided to put my name on the ballot to run for office, I vowed to be part of the solution and not contribute to the problem. It is my goal, that over the next few
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years, the House will demonstrate to Missourians that we are worthy of the trust that they have given us to lead. For years, in Missouri, we have had sluggish growth and stagnant wages. We have a Medicaid system that is growing enrollment by the tens of thousands and bankrupting the taxpayers. Our infrastructure is crumbling, our urban schools are failing an entire generation of children and college graduates are leaving Missouri to find employment elsewhere. These are big problems that are going to take fundamentally rethinking how government does business and our leaders are going to have to be willing to make tough decisions. We must start by getting back to the basics; restoring the public trust in government and building a strong vibrant economy. Last session, we began the process of reforming Missouri’s ethics laws, passing the first revolving door ban which prevents legislators from leaving office and immediately becoming lobbyists. Also becoming law this year, were prohibitions on legislators serving as consultants on their fellow legislators campaigns and strict restrictions on what elected officials may do with money in their campaign accounts. But this was just the first step, as I have said since the bill was killed on the last day of session last year, the first bill out of the House this session will be a restriction on lobbyists gifts and meals to legislators. These are common-sense issues that will help improve the culture in Jefferson City and, more importantly, restore the public’s trust in state government. Rebuilding the State’s economy is going to take several steps. Missouri’s legal system puts the trial bar ahead of small business owners and it continues to hurt
our economic growth. Reforming Missouri’s legal climate will be a top priority. Missouri is also in the minority nationally and one of the last states in the region not to give employees the freedom to decide whether or not they want to join a union. Voters overwhelming elected a Republican governor largely campaigning on labor and legal reform over a candidate who supported the status quo on both fronts, the voters have spoken and it is time for us to act. For years, the Missouri House has worked to reform our state’s legal and labor climate. This session, these important reforms will once again be among our top priorities. Additionally, Missouri will never be able to realize its full potential until it is willing to embrace new and disruptive technologies. Missouri should stop fighting against innovation and build a regulatory framework that encourages those who seek to break the mold and create 21st Century jobs in our state. Transportation network companies like Uber, Lyft and others are changing the way people travel, not to mention, providing jobs and new economic opportunity to thousands of people around the country. Missouri however, is still stuck in a 20th century mindset by refusing to acknowledge that technology is changing. Home sharing and short term rental companies like AirBnB, HomeAway and VRBO are also changing the way that people travel, revolutionizing the lodging industry and providing people with options and income potential. Our government should be encouraging this kind of innovation, not standing in the way. There is no one silver bullet for economic growth, but, with these emerging companies, consumers have spoken. We must provide the right environment for
6 MINUTE READ growth to be possible. By getting government out of the way, innovation and modernization are happening. We need to decide if they are going to happen here or somewhere else. Our entitlement systems have long been broken with far too much federal involvement. One in six Missourians is currently on a broken but rapidly growing Medicaid system. We are going to have to get serious about getting the federal government out of micromanaging Missouri’s health care system. By providing a Missouri solution to our health care challenges, we can reform these programs and move people off welfare and back into the workforce. Lastly, Missouri’s long-term economic outlook requires a worldclass education system. We must be focused on accountability and innovation. As we have for years, this session, the Missouri House will pursue reforms that give parents and students more choices, reforms that ensure accountability for all school employees, and, most importantly, ensure that children in failing school districts have more available options to pursue a quality education. The Republican Caucus that voters sent to Jefferson City are some of the finest individuals I know and it is an honor to work with them to lead the House of Representatives towards a better more vibrant Missouri. I will work to make sure my two children Sawyer and Briley grow up in an America and especially a Missouri that values work more than welfare and opportunity more than opportunism and faith in God more than dependency on an ever-expanding government. As big as our challenges are, we have the capacity and the people to solve them.
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