The Missouri Times - June 13, 2017 by Missouri Times

The Missouri Times

OSAGE CASINO ON THE WAY TO MO?

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Missouri The

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CIERPIOT IN FOR SENATE PAGE 7

Times JUNE 13, 2017

SECOND SPECIAL SESSION LEGISLATURE CHALLENGED TO REVICE ABORTION FACILITY LAWS PAGE 5

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEXT FOR HB1 PAGE 13

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THIS WEEK IN MISSOURI POLITICS

Adding Insult to Injury BY SCOTT FAUGHN Our new governor is obviously a very talented politician and a seemingly very complex guy. Missourians knew they were electing someone with no experience in governing and likely expected him to try some new things. Some seem to be working quite well. Others are head scratchers. I’ll just tell you, I went to the rally in New Madrid held by the Governor. There were more than 500 people there and I’m telling you 90 percent or more of that crowd had never been to a political event in their life. The cheering and passion was real – it might have been the most impressive political event I’ve ever attended. On the other hand, it is a unique approach having a governor calling the General Assembly back and asking them to consider passing legislation while he publicly insults them. In the lead up to the special session, the governor called the legislature “third graders” and mocked them about forcing them to cancel their vacations. I’m sure those phrases poll-tested well, but let me tell you a story about what I saw the Tuesday night of the special session: a legislator standing outside a restaurant on High Street about 8:00 at night was Facetiming with his wife so he could watch his son bat in a little league game. This legislator wasn’t missing a week in Maui on the beach, he was missing a week with his family who lives four hours from the Capitol, and was missing that special little league game to serve his state for an amount of money that, if you broke it down hourly, would be under the minimum wage even outside St. Louis. There is no question the Governor deserves credit for going all-in to recruit jobs to the state, and if he accomplishes his mission, then he deserves great credit and praise, but on the flip side, the rallies against Sen. Doug Libla were bizarre. Maybe he hadn’t flipped on upgrading the state’s wildly dilapidated grid by Saturday’s rallies, but by Tuesday, it was

bizarre. While he was sticking notes on Sen. Libla’s door on the second floor, his staff was twisting arms of House Utility Committee members in the basement to drop grid modernization and take the legislation exactly as Libla wanted all along…maybe they really did stop coordinating. I disagreed with Libla turning down the smelter legislation during session over some PSC enabling language, and without the Governor, the opportunity would have been lost. High stakes poker by the senator, I’m very glad for the part of the state that I’m from that he drew an ace on the river card. Bizarre semantics aside, the plain fact is that there is no factory without the Governor stepping up and delivering. Every time you quiz one of the Governor’s supporters about this type of behavior they nearly always tell you, “It doesn’t matter because the voters don’t care.” Even if that is true, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do things right. The state will miss having a professional like Jim Robertson not at the helm of the Columbia Tribune. He was the type of fair-minded person that is an example to others. Boy, Tony Messenger is on fire right now in his column breaking news… Standing Bear, #jealous. Speaking of the chief, the dark money debate is one with several sides. I think most people’s instincts are that transparency is best. However, leading conservatives like Carl Bearden and Gregg Keller make compelling arguments for secrecy. Maybe the pragmatic approach is to strengthen the laws against coordination between the politicians and the groups trying to influence them. Lastly, there were many touching statements offered in remembered of D-Day. Perhaps none more so than the quote Gov. Greitens shared from Lt. Colonel Robert Wolverton on his Facebook page. I once met a man who served at D-Day. His name was John Britton, he made his living after the war as a lobbyist.

The Missouri Times

HOT LIST

HCB3

A rally showed a swarm of activists praising the legislature for passing HCB3 and begging the Governor to sign the bill.

DR. ONDER

The Senator from St. Charles is the star of special session - agree with him or his bill or not, special session was called and eyes will be on him and his bill.

GOV’S PEN

There’s a writing utensil or a few on the second floor just itching to sign any of the vast majority of bills remaining to be signed...

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Peter Merideth - Facebook Also meant to post these pics of Rep. Bruce Franks Jr.’s event last night honoring local heroes working to prevent youth violence. Bruce is just one rep working hard in his community on our #molegvacation. Too bad we have to go back and waste more taxpayer money on another special session next week on a bill they could have passed during session had it truly been an extraordinary circumstance. It’s not like we have work to do back home...

Tweets of the Week Highlights in 140 characters or less.

Jill Schupp @JillSchupp Shame! “All-politics Greitens” shows no urgency on PDMP, healthcare for pre-existing conditions, Medicaid...#moleg #misplacedpriorities Bob Onder @BobOnderMO “This session is about 2 things, protecting pregnancy care centers and proposing common sense health and safety standards.”#moleg Kip Kendrick @Kip_Kendrick In a year of $450 million in budget cuts the #moleg sure seems to have a lot of money laying around for special sessions.

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SUNDAY MORNINGS KANSAS CITY - 38 THE SPOT AT 10:00 A.M. ST. LOUIS - ABC 30 KDNL AT 11:00 A.M. SPRINGFIELD - MC22 AT 11:00 A.M. MID-MO - MC22 AT 11:00 A.M.

STREAM ONLINE AT TWMP.TV

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Greitens brings legislators back for second special session by Travis Zimpfer

travis@themissouritimes.com

Gov. Eric Greitens confirmed rumors that he would call the second extraordinary session of his first year in office. This time, the extraordinary session will take place to create increased abortion regulations starting Monday, June 12. Greitens did not offer an official call as of press time. Instead, he released a video message on social media, saying one of the major facets of the special session would be a bill to void an ordinance passed by the city of St. Louis to include protections for reproductive choices, ranging from pregnancy to abortion, in their anti-discrimination statute. Opponents of the legislation say that it infringes on the freedom of religion. “Our faith community and volunteers do incredible work to support people in need. And there’s few finer examples than the work pregnancy care centers do across our state,” Greitens said. “In the city of St. Louis, some of these pregnancy care centers are under attack. There’s a new city law making St. Louis an abortion sanctuary city — where pregnancy care centers can’t work the way they’re supposed to. Politicians are trying to make it illegal, for example, for pro-life organizations to say that they just want to hire pro-life Missourians.”

Greitens also noted that increased regulations on abortion clinics would be a focus of the session. In April, U.S. District Judge Howard Sachs ruled that some of Missouri’s abortion regulations, namely laws calling for abortion doctors to have admitting privileges to a nearby hospital and for abortion clinics to meet the standards of ambulatory surgical centers. That decision was the direct result of a Supreme Court case last year which ruled several highly similar laws from Texas as unconstitutional. Legislators and activists react Sen. Bob Onder, the legislator who offered one of the major abortion legislation bills in the Senate during the regular session, applauded the governor’s call. Onder added that he had discussions with the governor’s staff since the Sachs ruling came down, and that a special session to address the changes were a possibility even then. “It’s urgent the Missouri legislature act to protect the health and safety of women and to assure people in the city of St. Louis have their constitutional rights of freedom of speech and freedom of religion protected,” Onder said. “I think the call definitely meets the standards of importance and urgency that governors use as their standard.” On the other side of the spectrum, Sen. Jill Schupp, one of the foremost Democratic sup-

porters of abortion access in the upper chamber, said she believed the call exceeded the governor’s authority. “Just because these bills didn’t make it through the legislative process doesn’t mean you call a special session for it,” Schupp said. “You have a very deliberative and complex process for a bill to become law in the general session, and that’s a good thing. Sometimes it takes years, and that’s because we want to make sure that when we do finalize a bill that it is based on a lot of input and deliberation and consideration about what the outcome of that bill will be, and we try to think through unintended consequences.” Sen. Andrew Koenig, a Republican, was on both sides of the issue. While he’s fervently pro-life, he had mixed feelings about another special session and questioned the cost of such a project. “I don’t necessarily want to have the legislature in a continuous special session, but that being said, I am pro-life,” Koenig said. “As long as he’s not going to keep calling us back. We’re supposed to be a citizen legislature, we all have businesses to run, but on the pro-life stuff, I’d be happy to be called in for that.” Alison Dreith, the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri, said Greitens was putting the welfare of Missouri women at risk by calling a session purely to prove himself as a conservative. She noted Texas Gov. Greg

Abbott called a special session in his own state, which included taking a look at abortion measures. However, Dreith highlighted that Abbott also included other priorities in his call, while Greitens continues to bring back the General Assembly multiple times. “This emergency meeting of the state legislature is an appalling example of out-of-touch priorities,” Dreith said. “Make no mistake about it, the intent behind the governor’s actions is to shame women for their personal medical decisions and make basic reproductive health care harder to access.” On the other hand, anti-abortion advocates across the state applauded the move. Susan Klein, the legislative liaison of Missouri Rightto-Life, said the organization was “grateful for Gov. Greitens and his commitment to protecting women and unborn babies.” Samuel Lee, a longtime fixture at the Capitol for the anti-abortion movement, said he looked forward to the supermajority Republican legislature voting on these issues next week. “Based on the votes during the regular session, we know that state lawmakers overwhelmingly support protecting the conscience rights of pregnancy centers and faith-based organizations, and ending the madness caused by abortion advocates in St. Louis,” Lee said.

Rachael Dunn and Ben Peters contributed to this report.

Abortion access groups ramp up efforts ahead of special session by Travis Zimpfer

travis@themissouritimes.com

New trend involving lots of paper and tape emerges in the Capitol Volunteers from Reproaction and NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri spent their morning taping hundreds of notes from individuals across the state to the door of Gov. Eric Greitens’ reception office on the second floor. The two abortion access groups are calling for an end to the state funding of crisis pregnancy centers, which they say mislead pregnant women by giving them false information about abortion procedures. “One of the most alarming things about fake clinics or crisis pregnancy centers is that they’re unregulated by law under the state,” Pamela Merritt, a co-director of Reproaction,

said. “Regardless of what they say they do, they aren’t saying it under penalty of law, and we have no idea what they really do.” Some of those funds towards crisis pregnancy centers include federal Temproary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds, a welfare program meant to support pregnant women and families in poverty. Reproaction has also launched a new project aimed at addressing infant and maternal mortality. Statistics from 2016 show that 6.3 Missouri infants die per 1,000 live births. Merritt added that black infants and mothers face higher fatality rates than their white counterparts. The push from Reproaction and NARAL Missouri also comes as whispers of Greitens calling a second extraordinary session in the last month, this time to implement more abortion regulations, persist in the Capitol.

Abortion access supporters have not welcomed the news, and have asked why one of the most restrictive states in the union for abortions would need further regulations.

Show me your papers The small protest also marked another chapter in what has become an emerging trend at the Missouri State Capitol – masses of posters on taped onto doorways. Greitens himself started the trend with his rally during the special session. The governor led a group of a few hundred people through the halls of the Senate to plaster notes on the doors of Sens. Doug Libla, Gary Romine and Rob Schaaf, urging them to allow a measure that could bring a steel mill to Southeast Missouri. Libla, Romine and Schaaf had opposed legislation that would make broad ratemaking

changes in the past, and eventually they succeeded in forcing a law to pass that may still bring the steel mill to the state without overhauls in Missouri’s utilities structure. However, turnabout has become fair play as multiple groups and individuals have turned to their rolls of tape. After Greitens led his march through the Capitol, Rep. Bruce Franks printed off emails he received and taped them to the governor’s door, calling on the chief executive to veto Romine’s discrimination bill and Rep. Jason Chipman’s bill to forbid municipalities from raising their minimum wage above the state’s set rate. Disability advocates on Tuesday put postit notes on Greitens’ door requesting that he maintain state funding for services that help the elderly and disabled. With the abortion advocates’ protest Wednesday, that makes for something of a trend in the Capitol.

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benjamin@themissouritimes.com

Members of a municipal joint action energy agency are calling on the Missouri Public Service Commission to make a decision in regard to the Grain Belt Express Clean Line wind energy project. Following an agenda meeting on May 24, in which the PSC gave an update on the case status for the project’s application, the 68 members of the Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission (MJMEUC) are asking the PSC to not further delay a decision in the case. The MJMEUC on May 31 filed a response with the PSC regarding that update, requesting a decision to not be substantially delayed, saying that it could “operate as a de facto denial” of Grain Belt’s application and “in turn, materially prejudice MJMEUC’s members.” The document goes say the the transmission line project is needed because Kansas’ wind energy would save MJMEUC members hundreds of millions of dollars over the more than 20-year-life of the MJMEUC’s Transmission Services Agreement with Grain Belt. Missouri Landowner Alliance expert Joseph Jaskulski calculates the deal to save at least $3 million annually under the TSA, which would add up to at least $60 million in savings over two decades. The MLA also says that the Grain Belt proj-

Energy groups request ‘timely decision’ in Grain Belt case ect may amount to “savings of several dollars per month on MJMEUC’s retail electric bills.” The PSC commission had said in the agenda meeting that the reason no decision had been made at this time is that a case pending before the Supreme Court could potentially have an effect on the case, saying that they were monitoring that case. That case is the Neighbors United Against Ameren’s Power Line v. PSC decision that was recently rendered by the Missouri Appellate Court’s Western District. But MJMEUC says that decision is not applicable to the Grain Belt case, and offers no obstacles or guidance for the PSC in the making of their decision.

As such, they are requesting a timely decision in the case. Several other comments were filed in the case last week, with Infinity Wind Power (Infinity) and Renew Missouri echoing the sentiments of the MJMEUC. Grain Belt also filed a response which reads in a similar manner, but also noted that a delayed decision could hurt the company’s ability to make the investments needed to put the project in place. “Grain Belt Express must invest tens of millions of dollars in engineering, environmental permitting, and easement acquisition to continue to develop the Project,” the document

reads. They also stated that wind generators need to make capital commitments this year to begin construction on their wind farms in order to qualify for the current value of the federal production tax credit, which they say will decline in 2018. If delayed until 2018, they said, it will increase the cost that Missouri utilities would have to pay for the power delivered by the clean line project. At this time, though, all eyes remain focused on the PSC’s agenda schedule, to see just when the case will appear once again.

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Greitens announces Rob Dixon as new director for Dept. of Economic Development by Benjamin Peters

benjamin@themissouritimes.com

Governor Eric Greitens has selected the current president of the Missouri Community College Association as Missouri’s new Acting Director of Economic Development. In a release issued Friday afternoon, Greitens announced his decision to name Rob Dixon as the head of the state’s economic development agency.

“Our top priority is more jobs and higher pay for the people of Missouri. For too long, Missouri’s economy has struggled. Real change and bold leadership are needed to bring jobs back to our state,” Greitens released in a statement. “Rob has proven that he knows how to get results and drive change. His experiences as a Marine, economic developer, and leader of Missouri’s community colleges will help to make Missouri one of the top states for jobs. We are excited for Rob to join our team and get to work helping the people of Missouri find quality jobs.” Dixon previously worked as executive vice president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and as executive director of the

Hollister Area Chamber of Commerce, before landing him with the MCCA as the CEO. Under his leadership, the MCCA made a major announcement this past legislative session, in which Dixon helped successfully coordinate an agreement with major policy changes for Missouri’s 12 community colleges. Prior to Dixon’s career in economic development, he served as a Marine in Afghanistan and Pakistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Rob earned his Associate’s Degree from St. Charles Community College, graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Missouri St. Louis, and earned his Master’s degree in Public Administration from Missouri State University. “Governor Greitens and I share the same desire to transform the way Missouri does economic development. The people of Missouri need more jobs and higher pay,” Dixon said. “We’re going to compete with every state in the country to win jobs for our people. I look forward to working with economic developers across the state to create one of the top business climates in the nation.” The move was applauded by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “We are very excited about the announcement. Dixon is a proven professional in the economic development field and this announcement is great news for Missouri employers,” said Dan Mehan, Missouri Chamber president and CEO. “Few areas of state government work as closely with Missouri employers as does the Department of Economic Development. As Director, Dixon has the opportunity to greatly impact Missouri’s job growth and future prosperity of our state.” “Dixon’s experience will be a great asset to the state,” Mehan said. “He has years of experience working for the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, a fast-growing Missouri region. Most recently, he served as the head of the Missouri Community College Association, giving him valuable exposure to institutions on the front line of training our future workforce.” The Chamber say Dixon has been a strong supporter of their strategic economic plan for the state, Missouri 2030: An Agenda to Lead. Under his leadership, the Missouri Community College Association endorsed the plan. The appointment is still subject to Senate confirmation.

Cierpiot announces his run for Senate by Kaden Quinn

kaden@themissouritimes.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – On Sunday, House Majority Floor Leader Mike Cierpiot appeared on This Week Missouri Politics’ June 4 episode to make a special announcement in regards to the future of his career. Cierpiot revealed that he has decided to run for Senate in the 8th District, which represents part of Jackson County. Throughout his time on the show, Cierpiot spoke on a range of topics that pertained to him and his future campaign. Beginning with the 8th District itself, Cierpiot detailed the areas that are within its limits, including most of Blue Springs, Green Valley and the majority of the southeast corner of Jackson County. When asked why he would want to run for Senate after his years in the House, Cierpiot responded by explaining his history in Missouri politics and how that influenced his belief in continuing the tradition of conservative values in the Senate. “There’s a steep learning curve in Jefferson City,” Cierpiot said. “I was amazed when I first got there and it’s been a long term project. I know a lot more than I used to know, and I think my philosophy reflects the conservative nature of that district, much like Sen. [Will] Kraus does

today. I’d like to continue that.” Cierpiot plans on advancing conservative measures that already have a history of support from previous Missouri senators, such as gun rights and the protection of the Second Amendment. Transitioning from his campaign to his work in Missouri government, Cierpiot voiced his opinion on the previous special session referring to the Ford Claycomo plant and how it will affect jobs within Kansas City as well as Ameren customers. Preparing for a second special session, this time to address the topic of abortion, Cierpiot talked about the conflict between St. Louis and the state as the city’s actions counteract state law on abortion providers, making abortion more easily accessible inside the city. “The conflict we have down there, often, is local control,” Cierpiot said. “But in some areas, we think it’s important enough for the state to step in.” After expressing his positive feelings towards Gov. Eric Greitens and his leadership, the conversation came to a close with Cierpiot stating that he doesn’t expect the Republican Party to clear the primary for him considering its open Senate seat that anyone is capable of picking up in the near future. It’s a position that he plans on working for himself.

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American Gaming Association touts benefits in Show-Me State as Osage by Benjamin Peters

benjamin@themissouritimes.com

The American Gaming Association is in St. Louis today for the second stop of their Small Business Jobs Tour, part of the organization’s “Get to Know Gaming” campaign. “Casino gaming is and always has been a strong community partner in Missouri and across the country where hundreds of thousands of small business jobs are supported,” Geoff Freeman, president and CEaO of AGA, said. “The industry exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit with a special emphasis on creating good local jobs for American workers both inside and outside our casinos in nearly every state.” The nationwide tour is meant to highlight casino gaming’s commitment to small businesses around the country. The casino industry is a $240 billion-a-year industry that supports 1.7 million jobs across the U.S. In Missouri alone, the industry has an economic impact of roughly $3.3 billion, employs more than 20,000 people, and supports $836 million in wages throughout the Show-Me State. Missouri casinos in 2016 gave approximately $324.1 million to the state’s Gaming Proceeds for Education Fund. The fund, which was established by the Missouri Legislature in 1993, distributes money annually to statewide education programs. Also in 2016, approximately $77.7 million in gaming tax and admissions fee revenue was returned to the local governments that host Missouri’s casinos. All of this lends itself to a story that has received notice in the past few weeks, concerning a potential casino being built in Cuba, Mo. by the Osage Nation. The Osage Nation is looking to use an exception that lies within the Indian Gaming

Regulatory Act of 1988, which allows a tribe to buy land within their historical reservation boundaries and use it for gaming purposes. The Osage Nation’s historical reservation has been identified as the entire state of Missouri, meaning they could technically purchase land anywhere across the state. It was reported by Osage News back in January that Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear had revealed three possible sites for possible gaming locations in the Show-Me State. Those three locations were Kimberling City, Cuba, and along the traffic route of Interstate 44. It seems that their focus is most heavily on Cuba, a city where officials are receptive to the idea of a casino being built. Cuba is also the spot where a 30-foot statue of Osage warriors is being built – with money from the city. “Are we interested? Yeah,” Dennis Roedemeier, president of the Cuba Development Group, told Tony Messenger of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Am I counting on it? We’re not there yet. The governor has to bless this to move it forward.” And it seems that Chief Standing Bear and the Osage Nation have been working to try and gain the governor’s favor. Chief Standing Bear told the Gaming Enterprise Board about a $50,000 donation made to the Committee for A New Missouri, Inc., a nonprofit supporting the governor’s agenda, back in December. Chief Standing Bear told Messenger it was his way of trying to establish a good relationship with Greitens. His hope is that it will lead to the Governor’s blessing and a casino. He says that when he asked Greitens if he would support a Native American casino in Missouri, Greitens responded by saying that if it was good for Missouri and good for the Osage, he would.

Osage Nation’s efforts for a casino already has opposition by Benjamin Peters

benjamin@themissouritimes.com

If the Osage Nation’s hope of landing a casino in the Show-Me State is to come to fruition, it will first have to demonstrate its benefits for the state. Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear of the Osage Nation told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Gov. Eric Greitens had said he would support a Native American casino in Missouri if it was good for the state and good for the Osage. Rep. Jason Chipman, R-Steelville, is the representative for Crawford and Phelps Counties. He says he would support a Native American casino in Cuba, as it would potentially lead to more revenue in the county, as well as more industry and jobs through tourism. “The devil is always in the details,” Chipman said. “I think it will provide an opportunity to bring more revenue into a county that really needs it. Overall, it would be a benefit for Crawford County, Cuba, the state and the Osage. Obviously, we don’t want to do anything that would be detrimental to the state.” Chipman says that the governor’s number one job is doing what is best for the state, and that should be the deciding factor. But not everyone shares that sentiment. Don Hinkle, the public policy advisor for the influential Missouri Baptist Convention, editor of The Pathway, and one of the state’s most vocal evangelicals, says that the Missouri Baptist Convention would strongly oppose a casino because of the detrimental effects they believe gambling has on a society. Hinkle says that he would say the exact same things to the governor if he were sitting next to him and that if this were to ever appear before the legislature, he would be there fighting it. “We’ll fight it tooth and nail because it’s

bad stuff,” Hinkle said. “A new casino coming to Missouri would be a bad and destructive thing. There is no way that Missourians who have a lot of common sense and are good at math… and they know that the numbers do not work. It doesn’t add up. Because of the vice and crime that casinos bring with them, they destroy families, they bring financial ruin, they prey on the impoverished, and they prey on our children. “Gambling is a form of economic predation. They’re predators. It benefits international corporations while opposing the lower class, the very people we need to be helping here in Missouri. Allowing casinos to prey on them is not good economics, it’s not good business, and it’s not good for Missouri. Every Missourian ought to stand up and call this out for what it is. It’s wrong, and we don’t need it in Missouri. Missouri has a great economy with great people who are willing to work.” Hinkle says that Greitens’ response in which he said he would support it if it were good for Missouri should be taken with a grain of salt. “That’s a mighty big caveat, and I’d tend to give the governor some slack here. It doesn’t sound to me like he’s committed to it,” he said. He also said he would not comment on the governor’s potential connections in the efforts leading to a Native American casino or how the governor raised his money but said that in general terms, the Missouri Baptist Convention would call on all politicians to be transparent.

The Missouri Times

What you need to know about Missouri’s evolving campaign finance laws by Travis Zimpfer

travis@themissouritimes.com

Attorney General Josh Hawley announced last week that he would appeal a decision from U.S. District Court Judge Ortrie Smith from early May that found many parts of Missouri’s new campaign contribution limits amendment unconstitutional. “As attorney general, I have a duty to defend the laws and constitution of the State of Missouri,” Hawley said in a brief statement. “The people of Missouri overwhelmingly voted to place these rules in our constitution, and my office will defend them.” Despite Hawley’s commitment to appeal the decision on an amendment approved by 70 percent of Missouri voters, he may run out of time to stop Smith’s changes from going into effect. The decision on Missouri Electric Cooperatives v. Missouri came down May 5, and had a 45-day enforcement stay attached to it. On June 20, Missouri’s campaign finance laws will once again experience drastic changes for the second time in roughly six months. The Missouri Ethics Commission even updated their own primer on the constitutional amendment and how the decision affected it, and MEC Director James Klahr issued an advisory opinion that political party committees in the House and Senate are not bound to the $25,000 aggregate limit in accordance with the ruling. So what are some of the most significant changes Missouri campaigns will need to consider as they ramp up fundraising efforts ahead of the 2018 election? Here are a few of the most

basic rules that will go into effect June 20 in accordance with Smith’s ruling. The $2,600 limit per candidate per election from individual donors and political action committees (PACs) is still in place Donations to political parties from various types of committee types are still capped at $25,000 Candidate committees cannot donate to other candidate committees or PACs Money transfers can continue between PACs. This activity was banned under Amendment 2 but overturned by the court decision Labor unions and corporations (both in-

Attorney Chuck Hatfield was one of the lawyers who sued the state on behalf of electric co-ops for the state. He added that some of the major changes to the law have occurred in regards to ballot measures. Ballot measure campaign committees, he says are “wide open” after the decision. “You can take as much as you want from pretty much whoever you want.” Another major change is that those co-ops, along with banks and insurance companies can now freely contribute funds to their own PACs. Under the original amendment, PACs can only accept contributions from corporations formed under certain sections of the

COURTESY OF CHUCK HATFIELD/STINSON LEONARD STREET state and out-of-state) cannot contribute to candidate committees, exploratory committees, political party committees or political parties Labor unions and corporations (both instate and out-of-state) can donate to state PACs and ballot measure campaign committees. This was also banned under Amendment 2 but overturned by the court decision Candidate, political party and campaign committees cannot contribute to PACs and continuing committees

statute, which didn’t include banks, insurance companies or electric co-ops. Thus, PACs could not accept funds from them. The final large change is that PACs are now free to accept an unlimited amount of funds from other PACs and donate to other PACs. Those kinds of donations were completely prohibited under the constitutional amendment, but Hatfield suspects this is the primary part of the law the attorney general plans to appeal. The Missouri Times reached out to the attorney general’s office for specifics on what

precisely Hawley would seek to appeal but did not receive that information as of press time. However, one more wrinkle adds to the complexity of the new regulation: the rise of candidate PACs. In May, Rep. Holly Rehder, a prolific Republican fundraiser, announced the formation of the “Holly PAC” to help raise money for labor and tort reform candidates. The PAC essentially functions as a state PAC as there is technically no such filing as a candidate PAC. They are able to give unlimited money to fellow state PACs and ballot measure campaign committees and limited to $2,600 candidate campaign committees. So long as Rehder has no direct oversight over the workings of the PAC, only raising funds for it and not involved in anyway with the disbursement of those funds, it’s completely legal. Still, Hatfield says it’s a gray area and likened it to Gov. Eric Greitens’ A New Missouri, Inc. While Greitens has often stated he has no control over the day-to-day operations of the political nonprofit, Hatfield noted not many candidates control the day-to-day operations of their own campaign committees. “Calling a committee ‘Holly PAC,’ after the name of the candidate and then saying the candidate doesn’t control or direct it… You’re asking for trouble,” Hatfield said. Given the pending litigation with Hawley’s appeal, Klahr did not answer too many specifics regarding the evolving situation, but he said that his office would seek to answer any questions regarding the changes. He urged anyone with specific inquiries to simply call into the MEC offices. “We continue to get questions for guidance and either through the formal and informal process,” Klahr said “We’re continuing to provide advice as best we can.”

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Moody’s upgrades credit ratings for BSD

KCU opens doors to first new medical school in nearly 50 years in Joplin by Benjamin Peters

benjamin@themissouritimes.com

JOPLIN, Mo. – The city of Joplin is celebrating a major development, opening the first new medical school in the Show-Me State in 46 years. The Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences held their grand opening for the new Joplin campus, called the KCU Farber-McIntire campus, on Tuesday afternoon, establishing an osteopathic medical school that has been years in the making. “This is indeed an amazing day,” Marc B. Hahn, DO, president and CEO of KCU, said. “Together, we have established an innovative and collaborative approach to medical education that will serve as a model for our country.” KCU-Joplin will feature cutting-edge technology, anatomy and physical diagnosis laboratories, and advanced robotics for patient simulation and other unique features. The Joplin campus will emphasize primary care and rural health, in order to help address a growing concern of not having enough physicians in rural areas. The American Association of Colleges and Osteopathic Medicine says the primary care physician shortage is expected to surpass 50,000 in 2025. Currently, 150 students have been accepted to the school to attend classes this fall, with more on the waiting list. Many of the students who will be attending grew up in the region, and plan to remain in the region in order to help improve access to high-quality primary medical care. But another noteworthy factor is how the new med school will affect the surrounding region. Dr. Paula Gregory, the dean of the Joplin campus, says they have projected the new

school to bring in an estimated $110 million per year back into the community. She also said that 95 percent of the sub-contractors all came from within the region. “The impact will be from the housing, medical care, using the local facilities, and the retailer outlets. The community will benefit directly from those,” Gregory said. Photo Courtesy of KCU/Bret Silvas As for job creation, nearly two dozen faculty members and 60 staff members are also on board. Gregory says that when everything is in place, it will be a fully-equipped medical facility, with housekeeping, security, and food service to compliment the medical staff. The work to bring a medical school to Joplin first began in 2008, after which officials from Missouri Southern State University formed a partnership with KCU in 2009. Their proposal called for $10 million to help finance construction of a 35,000-square-foot building, which would be rented to KCU, but the project fell apart in 2010. In March 2015, President Hahn announced that the school would develop a 600-student medical school in Joplin by repurposing the temporary Mercy Hospital that had been built after the tornado hit in May 2011. The current facility is a direct result of that. “Our university is extremely proud to be part of the story that is the continuing rebirth of Joplin,” Hahn said. ”We are honored to be opening this medical school on the hallowed grounds of the former St. John’s Hospital. It is, indeed, like the “Phoenix rising from the ashes.” The first class will graduate from the medical school in 2021.

ST. LOUIS – Good news for Bi-State Development Agency (BSD): Moody’s Investors Service announced earlier this month that it has upgraded the agency’s bond credit ratings. In a report issued on May 12, Moody’s raised the ratings for BSD’s combined outstanding lien sales tax bonds, totaling $299.1 million, from a rating of Aa3 to Aa2, while also bumping up the outstanding senior lien sales tax bonds, the amount of which comes in at $97.2 million, from A1 to Aa3. Moody’s cited several factors for the upgrades, including stability in pledged revenues, a sizable and diverse tax base, and increased coverage of maximum annual debt service. The newly upgraded ratings are some of the highest grades given out by Moody’s, which BSD says indicates that the bonds are judged to be of high quality and subject to very low credit risk. “Financial markets are recognizing our fiscal responsibility, and this announcement tells the world that Bi-State Development is a sound

investment,” John Nations, Bi-State Development President and Chief Executive Officer, said. “This is not only good news for us, this is good economic news for the region. These upgraded credit ratings give us a stronger position in the marketplace, allowing us to pursue better investment and development opportunities in the bi-state area.” BSD owns and operates St. Louis Downtown Airport and the Gateway Arch Riverboats, and also operates the Gateway Arch Revenue Collections Center and Gateway Arch trams. BSD is also the operator of the Metro public transportation system for the St. Louis region, which includes the 87 vehicle, 46-mile MetroLink light rail system; a MetroBus vehicle fleet of approximately 400 vehicles operating on 79 MetroBus routes; and Metro Call-ARide, a paratransit fleet of 120 vans. BSD also operates the Bi-State Development Research Institute and the St. Louis Regional Freightway, the region’s freight district.

The Missouri Times

Kansas City company awarded major VA contract by Benjamin Peters

benjamin@themissouritimes.com

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs is moving away from their longtime electronic health records system, looking to a commercial EHR technology more along the lines of those being utilized by the Dept. of Defense and the Military Health System (MHS). VA Secretary David Shulkin announced on Monday that the federal agency would be abandoning its

current system, VistA EHR, after decades of work and development. “I said recently to Congress that I was committed to getting VA out of the software business, that I didn’t see remaining in that business as benefitting Veterans,” he stated. “And, because of that, we’re making a decision to move towards a commercial off-the-shelf product.” “For these reasons, I have decided that VA will adopt the same EHR system as DoD, now known as MHS GENESIS, which at its core consists of Cerner Millennium.” Why do you care? The contract for the VA’s next generation EHR system has been awarded to Cerner, a company based in Kansas City. T h e

company had already been working on the DoD’s current system, MHS Genesis, which carried a price tag of $4.3 billion. It was their work there that Secretary Shulkin said pushed their decision into Cerner’s favor. There was no “full and open competition” for the contract, to which Shulkin said there was a “public interest exception” that allows them to award the contract to Cerner. What will it do? The implementation of the new system will “ultimately result in all patient data residing in one common system”, according to the secretary. In effect, it would effectively allow for easy transfer of data among the nation’s military Carew facilities and health care providers where both former and current service members receive treatment and care. When will it take effect? The announcement did not include any timeline for implementation, nor did it include the value of the contract.

Cerner spokesman Dan Smith released the following statement Monday morning: Earlier today, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced its decision to modernize its existing health records platform by choosing Cerner’s commercial off-the-shelf Millennium EHR solution. We are honored and humbled to be selected to lead the VA’s important project. We believe this project, in concert with ongoing progress towards implementing the Department of Defense’s MHS Genesis system, will lead to ongoing innovation, improved interoperability and the creation of a single longitudinal health record that can facilitate the efficient exchange of data among military care facilities and the thousands of civilian health care providers where current and former service members receive health care. We look forward to sharing more information as we build the team of innovative and experienced partners that will join us to complete this vital work.

12 www.themissouritimes.com

Governor’s tax committee hears case for historic preservation tax credits by Benjamin Peters

benjamin@themissouritimes.com

With just weeks before the scheduled end for the Governor’s Committee on Simple, Fair and Low Taxes, the members continue rolling through their weekly meetings, listening to guest presentations. This week’s quorum of members heard testimony from several developers from St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield. The group, led by Steve Stogel, a developer out of St. Louis who pioneered the use of tax credits in downtown St. Louis, spoke before the committee on historic preservation tax credits, an issue that Chairman Joel Walters said they needed to look into to see what, if any, changes or modifications could be made to improve the program or eliminate inefficiencies. Stogel told the committee of how the federal and state credits have helped revitalize areas in the Show-Me State, noting that Missouri led the U.S. in the number of projects with St. Louis ranking number one. “Real estate development takes time. The hard thing about historic development is that every building is a snowflake,” Stogel said.

He noted that where a construction company building from scratch could just begin with new materials, a lot of the revitalized projects required work fixing already installed materials and replacing out of date materials and structures. He argued that by revitalizing buildings, it, in turn, leads to more development in nearby vacant properties. Stogel added the historic credits were needed to protect those neighborhoods considered to be dilapidated or crumbling. Former State Sen. Jason Crowell voiced his concerns about the tax credits, though, saying he could not understand why these developers and tax credits did not have to go through the appropriations process like others do. “We live in a world with limited resources,” Crowell says. “Why can’t they go to Jefferson City and lobby like everyone else for what you want. Even a child’s access to autistic therapy is subject to the appropriations process.” He referred to all of the presenters as developers, noting that developers benefit from the projects. “I don’t understand why you all should get money before anyone else,” Crowell said. Stogel replied that the developers take risks,

put capital and time into the projects, saying that “seems to be a balanced risk.” He noted that not every developer succeeds. “Imagine St. Louis as Newark,” he said. “It’s a tough business, but there are laws in place that provide access to the tax credits, and we’re here to talk about whether those laws should be sharpened or modified.” Rep. Holly Rehder asked whether the other states with this type of tax credit have caps and were subject to annual appropriations. Stogel responded that some are uncapped, some do have caps, but that he didn’t know if they are subject to annual appropriations. That presentation was followed by a short round of testimony from a representative from the Department of Agriculture. Walters noted that it had been added with short notice, saying that he had only texted new director Chris Chinn last Friday, giving them little time to put together a presentation. The representative spoke to the committee about some of the tax credits available but said that they were still in the process of looking into them themselves, adding they would be willing to return and answer any questions about how they might be best modified or consolidated to better fit the state’s needs.

Renew Missouri’s Wilson stepping down, Owen to take over by Benjamin Peters

benjamin@themissouritimes.com

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Renew Missouri is losing its executive director, but also gaining a new one. The organization on Tuesday announced that PJ Wilson, the co-founder and Executive Director of Renew Missouri, is stepping down at the end of June. During Wilson’s time with Renew Missouri, the organization has taken large strides in their mission of promoting renewable and clean energy in the Show-Me State. “Renew Missouri has become the go-to group for clean energy advocacy in Missouri,” Wilson said. “The whole movement would never have gotten started without co-founder Erin Noble (now with St. Louis’ StraightUp Solar) and Henry Robertson (with Great Rivers Environmental Law Center) during those crucial, early years as well as the support from so many others along the way.” Renew Missouri first began as part of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, but thanks to Wilson’s leadership, the organization is now an independent entity. The organization can trace its successes back nearly a decade when in 2007, the organization promoted the passage of a law allowing all Missourians access to solar and small wind. They also played a role in the passage of Prop C in 2008, which required utilities operating in the state to increase their usage of renewable energy. It also paved the way in rebates for utility customers using rooftop solar. In 2010, Renew Missouri advocated for the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) law enabling municipalities to pay 100 percent of the upfront costs for renewable energy and energy efficiency building upgrades, and in 2014, the organization championed extending tax

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The Missouri Times

HB 1 passed, so what’s next for the steel mill and smelter? by Benjamin Peters

benjamin@themissouritimes.com

A collective sigh of relief could be heard last Friday as the extraordinary session wrapped up in the State Capitol, allowing lawmakers, lobbyists and other interested parties to head home for the Memorial Day Weekend. With the Senate and House both signing off on HB 1, a bill that would allow the Missouri Public Service Commission to offer a special rate to steel mills, aluminum smelters and other large consumers of electricity, the next step requires simply the signature of Gov. Eric Greitens. But that’s where the real work begins. The legislation passed last week only gives the PSC the authority to give out special rates, but does not actually set any agreements in place. In effect, it just untied the PSC’s hands in the matter, allowing them to get to work as quickly as they can. But, for the goals behind the passage HB 1, particularly the restarting of the old Noranda aluminum smelter and the creation of a new steel mill in New Madrid, to truly begin, it must begin the ratemaking process with the PSC. To do this, the companies and utilities that would be involved in such a deal must first file an application with the PSC, which isn’t as simple as just filling out a form. Starting the process First, the question is who will file the application. “The way the legislation is written, it depends on whether it’s a customer or facility that is currently in an electrical corporation’s territory or outside of it,” Natelle Dietrich, director of PSC staff, said. “If it is inside a territory, the electric company would file an application. If it’s a company that is outside of an electrical company’s service territory then the facility would file the application.”

“There’s a predecessor step to that, which is the development of the application and the potential tariff end or contracts,” Warren Wood, Ameren’s vice president of external affairs, said. “We have to work with – this is Ameren Missouri, and the expectation is that we would be the electric service provider – and we need to have conversations with the smelter operators, both the aluminum and steel. We have had some of those conversations, and we’re looking forward to getting back into those discussions now that the special session passed legislation. Wood said they have also met with the PSC staff a couple of times to talk about what the potential operators would look like and the range that might be requested, in order to give them time to start thinking about everything before the application is submitted. Dietrich and Wood both say the bill lays out things that the commission would have to consider in regard to giving a special rate: • Impact on the state • Operation able to start with or without the special rate • The effect on other ratepayers • Conditions the PSC might want to impose • What the rate is • How long the company is asking for the special rate • Any intervenors Wood says that the application of Magnitude 7 could be filed sooner than that of the steel mill, as the facilities and groundwork are already in place for their operations, thanks to the old Noranda smelter. He also said that part of the work that would need to be done is establishing how the power will reach the facilities. In the case of Magnitude 7, the necessary components, for the most part, are already in place, so Wood said that Ameren would just need access to the lines to reach the site. That just requires a deal between Ameren and the owner of the transmission lines.

The case of the steel mill, however, may take more time, since power lines and more may need to be put up to reach the proposed site.

How a rate case works Before any hearings ever happen, the PSC’s staff of engineers, accountants, and auditors will investigate and review the company’s books and records, which can sometimes take months to complete. During that time, the PSC also takes recommendations from other parties, like the Office of Public Counsel, as well as consumer groups and industrial customers in regard to the rate change, and allow for applications of intervention. An intervenor can also request a hearing in the rate case. Once that has been completed, the PSC would set a procedural schedule in the case, which begins with a pre-hearing conference in which the issues of the case are discussed. According to the PSC’s website, ratemaking is a two-step process. The first step is determining the “revenue requirement,” or the amount of money the utility should collect from customers each year. That determination is focused on four factors: (1) the company’s reasonable and prudent operating expenses (2) the total investment or “rate base” upon which a return may be earned (3) the accumulated and ongoing depreciation of plant and equipment (4) the “rate of return” or profit the utility has an opportunity to earn. The second part of the equation is for the PSC to design rates that will collect the required revenue from the utility’s residential, commercial, and industrial classes of customers. In some cases, the PSC will conduct local public hearings to hear from the citizens affected by the proposal. If an agreement cannot be reached in a rate case between the involved parties, then formal

evidentiary hearings are held. At these hearings, the utility must demonstrate that its request is reasonable. Testimony addressing the issues of the case is prepared and presented along with exhibits, and a court reporter records all of the proceedings. In most cases, the utility, the PSC staff, Office of Public Counsel and any intervenors will present testimony in writing, followed by cross-examination, just like lawyers would in a trial in court. After that, the five commissioners will read the testimony, review records and briefs, question witnesses and consider all of the evidence presented before them in order to come to a decision. The PSC only authorizes rate changes that are reasonable and just, as required by law to ensure fairness in the industry for both the companies and the ratepayers and is in the best interest of the public. Typically, when a utility company files for a rate case, the PSC usually has 11 months from the day of the filing to make a decision. In this situation, however, that is unclear. “Until there’s actually an application, there’s really no way to know because we don’t know what they would ask for,” Dietrich said. “We just don’t have any real idea at this point. The legislation does not have any time frame in it as far as a commission decision or any kind of action, there really is no statutory deadline.” Which is an interesting thing to consider, as the reason for the extraordinary session was that Gov. Greitens and lawmakers in support of the bill felt this legislation could not wait until the next legislative session. It stands to reason that once the applications are filed, the process could move quickly, as it was moved through the General Assembly. But in the end, it will be more of a scenario in which they have to play it by ear, and basically, treat is as they do other rate cases as they work to establish the parameters of the new law.

14 www.themissouritimes.com

THINGS THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK

1. Republicans, Democrats predictably split on abortion special session 2. Rep. Hill to Donate Daily Legislative Allowance to Pro-Life Charity 3. Rep. Roberts says new report emphasizes need to address continued racial disparities in traffic stops 4. Former Speaker Tim Jones gets own radio show 5. Missouri Democratic Party announces new political director Read these and more online at www.missouritimes.com. Email your news to pressreleases@themissouritimes.com

The Missouri Times

Up Close and Personal with... Rep. Robert Cornejo

Rep. Robert Cornejo made his bid for House Speaker right at the tail-end of session, becoming the first official candidate for what’s expected to be a tight leadership race when current Speaker Todd Richardson term limits at the end of the 2017 session. He currently chairs the House General Laws Committee, one of the more wide-ranging committees in the chamber, and he also played a large role in the Special Committee on Litigation Reform this session, discussing the tort reform efforts undertaken by the House this semester. He spoke with The Missouri Times about his plans for the future of the Missouri House and how he got to where he is today. The Missouri Times: You donating your special session per diem has generated a lot of buzz. Why did you do it? Cornejo: I did it to send a message. The House did its job and did it well. However, certain senators blocked the Senate from taking action on several measures. I also have sincere concerns that what the Senate did to HCB 3 is unconstitutional. Those concerns are exactly why I stood with my Speaker and the Budget Chairman in voting against the Senate version of HCB 3. I am afraid it could get thrown out in court and put vulnerable citizens at risk of losing services. I could have spent the money on buying my caucus coffee or even a lunch, but I believe the money will be better served in this fashion. Even though the donation will be small, I hope it will send a message that the House is dedicated to protecting seniors. I also understand that the Missouri legislature is considered a part-time job and this Special Session is going to take House members away from their other paying jobs. That is why I respect my colleagues and am not calling on other House members to make similar donations because

each representative is different and already has to make unique sacrifices to serve their districts. TMT: You were spotted at the Governor’s bootheel rallies this weekend? Why did you go? Cornejo: I know that Rep. Don Rone and other members from the Bootheel work hard for their region and that this legislation is extremely important to them. I was there to support Rep. Rone, Rep. [Steve] Cookson, Rep. [Andrew] McDaniel, and Rep. [Donna] Lichtenegger, who also attended. Gov. Eric Greitens and I have not had a chance to have any substantive conversation over the course of the past year up to today due to our conflicting schedules and other time restraints. I attended the event because Rep. Rone made a request and I was happy to support my House colleagues. TMT: The General Laws committee you chair sees a variety of interesting legislation. How do you manage such a watched committee? Cornejo: I have enjoyed being Chairman of the General Laws Committee and seeing such a wide range of legislation come through such as ethics, Uber/ Lyft, gun bills, motorcycle helmet bills, education reform and tort reform. When dealing with such a wide-range of topics I think it is important to be open, honest, level-headed, and knowledgeable about the issues, the House rules, and committee members. We had some priority legislation come through the committee and nothing ever failed in my committee on a vote. I think that comes down to having a working relationship and great communication with every committee member since not everyone can vote for every bill. Everyone’s voice was heard in committee, every amendment that members

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Speaker Pro Tem Elijah Haahr

Speaker Pro Tem Elijah Haahr has been front and center this session, working hard to help push through a number of conservative policies. And having now announced his bid for the position of Speaker, we talked to the representative about a number of issues to get his thoughts on where Missouri goes next and the things he still sees as work that needs to be done. MT: In your first year as the Speaker Pro Tem, what has been the biggest challenge for you? In your opinion, what is the hardest part of being the Speaker Pro Tem?

EH: The difficult part of the office is also the most challenging – the Pro Tem does not have a constitutionally or caucus defined role other than to assist the Speaker. As such, the office is what you make it. My goal was twofold: to maintain orderly debate from the dais and to provide our caucus with consistent messaging so that all 117 caucus members could speak with one voice when we were united. But every Pro Tem will want to carve out their own unique niche and that is both the most difficult and most challenging part of the job. MT: The issue of human sex-trafficking has been one that you have carried the torch for some time now. Do you feel like Missouri has made significant strides in that fight, and what do you still see as areas we need to improve on? EH: Absolutely. In the last two years, the legislature passed numerous reforms including a ban on advertising and expanding the safe at home program for trafficking victims. Our task force helped to raise awareness around the state and now many of those members are joining Attorney General [Josh] Hawley in serving on his standing task force. Work remains to be done and Rep. Cloria Brown will continue to lead

that effort in the Missouri House. Her work to advocate for more resources for victims and better statutory authority on behalf of law enforcement will be vital as we work to keep Missouri at the forefront of this fight. MT: In a recent Twitter poll by the Missouri Times, you were the favorite candidate to win the race for Speaker of the House. What do you think qualifies you for the role, and what strengths do you believe you can bring if you win the race? EH: The caucus has seen me as a bill sponsor and watched me shepherd legislation through the House and Senate. They witnessed my work as a committee chair handling the toughest and highest pressure issues. And they watched my work as part of the leadership team and running the House floor while presiding from the dais. Each of these positions are different and require unique skill sets. I believe the skills I demonstrated in handling each of these individual roles tells a much better story of what I would be like as Speaker of the House than any pledge or promise. MT: If we’re asking about strengths, it only makes sense to ask about weaknesses. What would you describe as the one thing you wish you change during your time in the House, and why? EH: Every freshman and every senior will invariably tell you that experience is so important to become an effective legislator. I came into office having never interned or worked in the Capitol and I still, to this day, am continuing to become better equipped to pass good legislation. Caucus members like Justin Alferman, Curtis Trent, and Phil Christofanelli all began with more experience by intern-

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by Benjamin Peters

benjamin@themissouritimes.com

Rep. Holly Rehder

Representative Holly Rehder has been at the forefront of several contentious issues during the year’s legislative session. We sat down with her to get her thoughts on a number of topics, from the governor to prescription drugs, but Rehder shared even more with us, discussing her family, faith and convictions, the very things that drive her to be the passionate voice that has rang out so clearly in Missouri’s legislature.

BP: Republicans pulled off a major victory in the November elections in Missouri. What does that tell you about what the state’s voters want from the government, and do you think that the party can continue building on that success in the coming elections? HR: I do. I think that the voters spoke very loudly in November. We had two very distinct positions running for governor, Eric Greitens, who was for labor reform, and Chris Koster, who has always been against it. And so I think that was an incredibly strong message that what the largest majority in the legislature have been pushing for several years now, and the voters really locked that in by voting overwhelmingly for Governor Greitens. It’s a very exciting time for us. BP: With so many Republicans now in the Missouri House and Senate, do you think that makes it easier to accomplish the party goals, or is it tougher to be heard with so many voices? HR: That’s a great question. As our caucus has grown over the past years, we’ve definitely seen more infighting, but I think that everyone is very respectful of each other’s’ opinions. Take my bill on prescription drug monitoring. It’s one that very much has many Republicans that are against it. For me, this is business. Business and personal

are two different things, and I’m a businesswoman. So I’ve never had hard feelings when some of my closest friends do not support my legislation. It has nothing to do with how well I like them. We have fun with it at times, because there are many things that we are going to have to support each other in. But we have to also understand that there are some things we cannot support each other in, whether it be our district, our personal convictions. But it’s still important to respect one another. BP: The story of your life has been a rather unique one – you grew up on welfare, became a mother at a young age, experiencing many of the struggles that many Missouria families face every day. How did you overcome that, and how has that helped shape you and your values? HR: When I look at our system, our social net, I feel that it was put in place for the right reasons, and it was very compassionate. Yet our compassion overrides our common sense at times. In our efforts to do good, we are keeping people from ever realizing their potential. For whatever reason, God allowed me to get out, and I have my family to look at. My cousin, a brilliant, beautiful, and intelligent lady, died at 39 from years of opioid abuse, and left behind two children. I look at my family, and see my sister broken. I’m 47, she’s 49, and she’s on full disability from years of addiction and not having that solid foundation that she needed. She never realized her potential, what she could do. My cousin never realized that, and my mother never realized what she could be. And I think that we need to understand our self-worth. And for me, being in the legislature, I always say God didn’t give

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