Missouri Times - May 20, 2019

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The Missouri Times

PRO-LIFE BILL PASSES MAY 20, 2019

GM BILL SURVIVES FILIBUSTER

KNOWLES WELCOMED AT CAPITOL www.missouritimes.com

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The Missouri Times

OPINION 225 Madison, Jefferson City, MO | (573) 746-2912

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Scott Faughn, Publisher | scott@themissouritimes.com | @ScottFaughn Rachael Herndon Dunn, Editor | rachael@themissouritimes.com | @TheRachDunn Alisha Shurr, Reporter | alisha@themissouritimes.com | @AlishaShurr Aaron Basham, Multimedia Producer | aaron@themissouritimes.com Kaden Quinn, Reporting Intern | kaden@themissouritimes.com Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Reporter | kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com | @K_Schallhorn

Rural broadband closer to becoming reality Eric Bohl

The Missouri Legislature has taken another step toward making broadband internet accessible to all Missourians. In early May, the legislature finalized the annual state budget, which included a $5 million appropriation for the newly-created Rural Broadband Development Fund. Governor Parson supports improved broadband access and is expected to sign it into law.

Missouri has lagged far behind where it should be in broadband access. As recently as last year, Missouri was ranked 42nd in the nation in broadband connectivity. Over one million Missourians do not have access to high-speed internet. The only states with more citizens lacking internet access are California and Texas, each of which has many times Missouri’s population.

Missouri Farm Bureau, University of Missouri Extension, the Missouri Department of Agriculture and Missouri Department of Natural Resources have been working with legislators and the state government for several years to make broadband more accessible to rural Missourians. In 2017 the group brought together over 100 stakeholders from private industry, all levels of government, and advocacy groups for a summit to discuss ways to improve access for unserved and underserved areas.

The consensus from this summit was that Missouri needed a more organized approach to its broadband deployment. Several other states have done this with great success. The coalition called on the governor to establish an office to coordinate broadband deployment, which he did in 2018.

This new Office of Broadband, housed within the Department of Economic

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Development, is preparing an action plan for Missouri’s broadband deployment efforts. It is also working with the telecommunications industry and the federal government to modernize mapping of Missouri’s current broadband assets. We need to have a good understanding of what we have before we spend money to fill in the gaps.

Last legislative session, MOFB and other organizations worked with the state legislature to create the Rural Broadband Development Fund. This fund did not see any appropriations in 2018 but will receive the $5 million amount from the 2019 budget. The fund will issue grants to assist broadband deployment projects in unserved or underserved areas of Missouri. No grant can provide more than half of a project’s total cost. Therefore, the grants issued with this year’s appropriation will be able to fund at least $10 million worth of projects.

The day before the state budget vote, the U.S. House of Representatives also approved broadband legislation. The Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Businesses Resources, Opportunities, Access, and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand (ACCESS BROADBAND) Act, H.R. 1328, passed by voice vote. This mouthful of a bill would establish a federal Office of Internet Connectivity to coordinate efforts much like the state Office of Broadband.

These efforts, combined with many others on both the state and federal levels, will help our rural areas get connected and boost economic opportunities. We need to continue to press for all Missourians to have access to fast, reliable internet. The modern world demands it.

The Missouri Times

HOT LIST PARSON

Missouri’s chief executive was able to push through some big pieces of legislation. Major components of his workforce agenda crossed the finish line, including Missouri One Start and Fast Track, as part of the GM bill.

Parson also had a big win with the pro-life legislation getting approval.

TASK FORCE ON TASK FORCES

Offered as an amendment to a Senate bill, lawmakers looked to create a Missouri Task Force Task Force. The

PHOTO OF THE WEEK Donna Baringer - @STLDonnaB - May 14 In search of a vessel for my legislation this week #moleg

task force would be charged with looking at task forces in the Show-Me State.

DOORKEEPERS

Major kudos to the Senate doorkeepers who kept sentry over the chambers during two overnight sessions during the final week of the legislative session.

Tweets of the Week Highlights in 280 characters or less.

Jamilah Nasheed @SenatorNasheed Sitting here at my desk and I’m noticing the absence of a quorum but I don’t have the energy to call for a quorum. #Ramadan #fasting Rob Dixon @DixonRob Economic development is a team sport! Thank you to the thousands of Missourians & #moleg who helped make this happen! @GovParsonMO @elijahhaahr @DaveSchatz26 @lincolnhough @MoEcoDevo @MoHigherEd Many more thanks to come. #BestInMidwest Erica Engelby @EricaEngelby Missouri House of Representatives just truly agreed and finally passed a resolution designating the Kansas City Chiefs the official professional football team of the state of Missouri. #ChiefsKingdom #BigSportsFans

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Building a renewable energy future we can all rely on.

KCP&L is committed to delivering safe, reliable, and sustainable energy – today and for generations to come. That commitment helped us generate 22% of our electricity from wind power in 2018. It’s also why we expect to have awarded more than $100 million in solar rebates to our Missouri customers by 2023. Learn more about how we’re embracing renewable energy resources and energy efficient solutions to help power a brighter future.

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SENATE PASSES SWEEPING ABORTION BAN; REPUBLICANS DECLARE VICTORY Kaitlyn Schallhorn

After hours of negotiations, the Missouri state Senate passed a sweeping ban on abortions in most instances early Thursday morning.

After recessing for nearly 12 hours, lawmakers voted in favor of a tweaked HB 126 along party lines shortly before 4 a.m. The law bans abortions after eight weeks and doesn’t allow for exemptions for rape or incest survivors.

Additionally, it doesn’t allow for abortions based on race, sex, or a diagnosis of Down syndrome. Both parents of a minor would need to sign off on an abortion procedure under the bill.

Should Roe v. Wade — the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared a woman’s constitutional right to privacy includes medical decisions such as abortion — be overturned, abortions would be illegal outright in Missouri, a state that already only has one clinic.

It was down to the wire for Republican leadership to pass an abortion ban; lawmakers face a 6 p.m. deadline on Friday to pass bills before the legislative session ends.

Following the bill’s passage, Senate

Republicans declared victory.

“We all collectively stand as one to defend the unborn,” Majority Floor Leader Caleb Rowden told reporters early Thursday morning. “This is a prolife state.”

“Surreal moment in Missouri history for the defense of life,” Sen. Bill Eigel said.

Sen. Andrew Koenig, the Senate handler of the bill, received ample praise from his colleagues for getting the bill across the finish line. Eigel called his fellow Republican a “hero” on social media.

And Rowden said he “exemplified what it means to be a senator.”

“This pro-life bill will save the lives of hundreds of unborn babies every year in Missouri. Thank you Conservative Caucus member Andrew Koenig for your hard work in getting this across the finish line,” Sen. Denny Hoskins told The Missouri Times.

“This is one of the best pro-life bills across the whole country,” Koenig said.

“It’s one of the strongest bills passed in the country.”

He also dismissed criticisms from fellow conservative Sen. Bob Onder that the bill had been “watered down” during the overnight negotiations.

Koenig said the legislation is “much more likely to be upheld” in court during any legal challenge compared to those recently passed in other states.

The bill sparked fierce debate on the Senate floor earlier Wednesday, with Democrats waging a nearly four-hour filibuster. Most took issue with the lack of exemptions for survivors of rape or incest.

“This is an unconscionable use of

“UNTIL THE DAY WE NO LONGER HAVE ABORTIONS IN THIS COUNTRY, I WILL NEVER WAIVER IN THE FIGHT FOR LIFE,” - GOV. MIKE PARSON

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our power as a legislature that will have negative repercussions” for young girls, Democratic Sen. Jill Schupp said.

“Politicians are putting the health and lives of Missouri women at risk in their race to make our state the one that overturns Roe v. Wade at the Supreme Court,” M’Evie Mead, director of policy and organizing for Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri, said Thursday morning. “These bans on safe, legal abortion will have real costs — expensive legal costs and human costs for the women and families who need reproductive health care.”

“At a time when maternal mortality is increasing in our state, we must be doing everything we can to increase access to health care — not cut it,” she added.

During the Senate recess — as negotiations were underway — Gov. Mike Parson, joined by other Republican lawmakers, held a rally to affirm his support for the legislation.

“Until the day we no longer have abortions in this country, I will never waiver in the fight for life,” he said.

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The Missouri Times

Protections for large livestock operations sent to governor’s desk Alisha Shurr

Local governments will be prohibited from creating rules for agricultural operations stricter than those already imposed at the state level under legislation approved by the Missouri General Assembly.

On Tuesday, SB 391, championed by Sen. Mike Bernskoetter, was truly agreed and finally passed with a 103-44 vote in the House. The measure passed the Senate last month in a 23-11 vote.

“This comes down to a simple question in my mind: Do we or do we not want to promote the agricultural economy in Missouri?” said Rep. David Gregory.

The legislation focuses on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) — commonly referred to as feedlots or farms — where a large amount of livestock is confined for more than 45 days of the year. Missouri has a number of cattle, hog, and poultry operations which fall under the definition of a CAFO. As far as experts are aware, the Show-Me State has no qualifying sheep farms.

SB 391 prohibits any county commission or health center board from establishing ordinances or other rules

on feedlots that are more stringent than those already in place at the state level.

Proponents argued the legislation would be beneficial to farmers — particularly smaller operations — by cutting red tape and creating more uniform standards.

“I don’t believe we should shut out the small guy, but I don’t believe we should shut out the large guy either,” said Rep. Hannah Kelly.

She said when it comes to farming, it’s personal.

She has watched farmers cry and ask what they can sell off to pay the bills, and she has witnessed family farms shuttered after an economic downturn.

It’s because of those encounters, Kelly said, that she supports the bill.

The bill isn’t just for the livestock industry in the state, according to Rep. Don Rone. Different sectors of agriculture are interconnected, with crop growers producing the feed for livestock

producers, Rone said, specifically pointing to the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). The fatal virus wiped out more than 7 million hogs when it swept through the U.S., and thus, the demand for soybeans went down.

“Our state and the [U.S. Department of Agriculture] are more capable of handling these issues than a county court,” said Rone.

But, Democrats argued the measure takes away control from local municipalities.

“We are talking about 20 counties,” said Rep. LaKeySha Bosley. “I think this is an extreme overreach of this body to regulate what these localities can do with their ordinances.”

Those opposed to the bill unsuccessfully tried to amend the legislation. Rep. Tracy McCreery,

“NOT ONLY WILL IT HELP FARMS AND FARM FAMILIES, BUT IT WILL HELP LOCAL ECONOMIES,” - BERNSKOETTER

the ranking member of the House Agricultural Policy Committee, failed to attach an amendment requiring local approval.

She argued the bill, as passed by the Senate, could cause Missouri to “go from a clean state to a dirty state very quickly.”

McCreery said she feared foreign companies will come to the state, “rape and pillage” the land, and then leave.

Fellow Democratic Rep. Doug Beck sought to ease those concerns by amending the bill to prevent foreign businesses from purchasing agricultural land in Missouri. The amendment failed as well.

“All the CAFOs in Missouri are family owned,” Rep. Dean Plocher countered.

The House ultimately made no changes to the bill and sent it to the governor’s desk. Several praised the General Assembly’s action, with Gov. Mike Parson calling it a big win for Missouri farmers and ranchers.

“Not only will it help farms and farm families, but it will help local economies,” Bernskoetter told the Missouri Times.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROVES CHANGES TO MISSOURI’S FLEDGLING HEMP PROGRAM Alisha Shurr Farmers have yet to plant their first hemp crops in Missouri yet the legislature has already altered the parameters of the program.

On Wednesday, the Missouri General Assembly truly agreed and finally passed an all-encompassing agriculture bill that included provisions on industrial hemp.

In a 131-6 vote from the House, SB 133 now heads to the governor’s desk.

The alterations, championed by Rep. Rick Francis and Sen. Denny Hoskins, update the language in Missouri statute to be consistent with the standards laid out in the U.S. 2018 Farm Bill.

“I’m happy for the agricultural community in the state of Missouri,” Francis, who sponsored the House version of the bill, told the Missouri

Times. “It will offer opportunities we have not seen for decades. It has the opportunity of becoming a crop which could economically benefit farmers here in the state.”

In 2018, the Missouri General Assembly authorized a pilot program in Missouri for hemp — as outlined in the 2014 U.S. Farm Bill. Under the Industrial Hemp Agricultural Pilot Program, production was limited to 2,000 acres statewide and to 10 acres to 40 acres per farmer — except for research purposes.

The newly approved provisions repeal the pilot program and remove the acreage restrictions on cultivating hemp.

It also brings Missouri’s statutes in line with federal requirements.

“Passage of hemp legislation to take off the caps will allow hard-working Missouri farmers to fully participate in this exciting new commodity,” Hoskins, who sponsored the Senate version of the legislation, told the Missouri Times.

Farmers would be required to undergo a background check, obtain a permit from the Department of Agriculture, and submit to random testing of the crop.

Individuals with a felony record could be approved to grow hemp if the offense is older than 10 years.

Universities will be allowed to plant and research hemp starting this year. The legislature added an emergency clause, which was approved by both chambers, to the provisions related to university research. That section of the law will go

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into effect upon the governor’s signature.

“Our universities need to have this, our farmers need to have this,” Rep. Don Rone previously said.

The bill the hemp legislation is attached to also repeals the Missouri Treated Timber Law, allows for the assessment of civil penalties for violating statutes relating to eggs, and requires sawmills be classified as agricultural property.

SB 133 also creates the “Pesticide Education Fund,” which shall be used to provide funding for pesticide applicator certification programs, pesticide education programs, and pesticide waste and container disposal programs.

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L E G I S L AT U R E

General Assembly sends criminal justice reform measure to governor Kaitlyn Schallhorn The Missouri House truly agreed and finally passed legislation aimed at modifying mandatory minimum sentences and protecting Missourians from being jailed simply for being unable to pay board bills.

Championed by Rep. Bruce DeGroot, HB 192 strips the punishment of more prison time for someone who cannot afford the initial fines — often creating an unbreakable cycle.

DeGroot, a Republican, has pointed to a woman who was jailed for stealing an $8 tube of mascara. She racked up several thousand dollars in so-called “board bills,” and when she was unable to pay what she owed, she was required to show up to a court date once a month. When she missed a date, she was ordered to go back to prison, thus adding to her bill.

“She will never get out of the system,” DeGroot has said “This is a major step forward to reforming our system of criminal justice,” DeGroot told The Missouri Times after the 138-11 vote.

From the floor, DeGroot said, he

wanted to focus on the “injustice” of the current system.

“We had created a system where they could never leave,” he said. “We only want people in jail who we are truly afraid of.”

The Senate had attached additional language to the bill pertaining to mandatory minimum sentencing.

That language, stemming from one of Republican Rep. Cody Smith’s bill, eliminates mandatory minimum sentencing for certain nonviolent crimes.

Ahead of the vote, Smith pushed back against arguments from opponents, including Rep. Shane Roden, who contended the legislation could somehow increase the population in already crowded county prisons. He noted the budget appropriated several million dollars for an electronic monitoring program, which could keep certain offenders out of jail for a time.

“I hope that makes everybody feel a little better about the situation,” Smith said.

The bill’s fiscal note estimates a savings of nearly $6 million.

“A … benefit: when you have less people in prison, you spend less money as a state,” Smith previously told The Missouri Times. “Your incarceration rate goes down which leads to better outcomes, and when you have fewer people in prison, you spend less taxpayer dollars.”

“HB 192 puts Missouri one step closer to restructuring our criminal justice system,” ACLU of Missouri Legislative and Policy Director Sara Baker said in a statement. “This legislation supports the reform of a system that unfairly targets marginalized communities.”

Ahead of the final week of the legislative session, criminal justice reform advocates pointed to only a handful of bills that had hope of making it out of the General Assembly. Both DeGroot’s HB 192 and Smith’s mandatory minimum bill were included in that list.

DeGroot said he’s already spoken to attorneys on either side of the aisle about future reforms, including with civil asset forfeiture, he can push through the legislature next year.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY MOVES CHANGES TO EXPUNGEMENTS TO GOVERNOR Kaitlyn Schallhorn The Missouri House truly agreed to and finally passed legislation adding certain nonviolent offenses to a list of possible crimes that could be expunged from a person’s record.

In a 141-4 vote Tuesday afternoon, the House advanced SB 1, championed

by Democratic Sen. Kiki Curls. The bill adds property damage, stealing, and fraudulent use of a credit or debit card to the list of nonviolent offenses that could be expunged from an individual’s record.

“Just to be able to give some relief to those who have made mistakes in the past, have paid their debt to society, have lived on the straight and narrow, and deserve a second chance,” Curls previously said. “Over the past few years,

we’ve tried to make significant revisions to the criminal code here in Missouri, and this is another attempt at that.”

“Folks sometimes make mistakes as teenagers, and by the time they reach 50 or 60 [years old], it becomes very difficult for them to obtain work, jobs, or other things they’re wanting to do to live a pretty fruitful and successful life,” she said.

The state’s criminal code caused some strife on the House floor before the vote when Rep. Shane Roden offered an amendment — which he said was made a facetious “tongue-in-cheek” manner — to revise the code to only include four crimes: murder, involuntary manslaughter, sexual assault, and theft.

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Rep. Bruce Franks, a Democrat, pointed out the amendment didn’t include assault or arson and castigated the Republican for the “horrible way to use time to make a point.”

“Well, we’ve gotten to the point where we don’t want to put anyone in jail anymore,” Roden said before ultimately withdrawing the amendment.

On Monday, the House sent a bill to the governor that would modify mandatory minimum sentencing and protect Missourians from being jailed simply for being unable to pay board bills. That legislation, HB 192, was championed by Republican Rep. Bruce DeGroot and included a measure from fellow GOP Rep. Cody Smith.

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GM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BILL SURVIVES SENATE CONSERVATIVES’ MARATHON FILIBUSTER Kaitlyn Schallhorn

Gov. Mike Parson and Senate leadership waited out a nearly 30-hour filibuster waged by conservatives to pass a workforce development bill Tuesday evening — positioning the Senate to take up antiabortion legislation before the session ends.

Following the marathon filibuster, the Senate truly agreed to and finally passed SB 68, in a 25-8 vote, establishing the Missouri One Start Program with incentives spurred by a potential $1 billion investment from General Motors in its Wentzville plant and the inclusion of a controversial Fast Track grant program and closing fund.

As Sen. Lincoln Hough moved for the third reading of his SB 68, he said it was a “clear signal to rest of country that Missouri wants to grow its workforce and the state’s economy.”

“The single best asset that the state of Missouri has, the single best tool we can utilize, are the people we represent. SB 68 does just that,” Hough, a Republican, said.

“This is a big step in the right direction for a comprehensive economic and workforce development package that meets the needs of major employers and small businesses in the state,” Hough told The Missouri Times after the vote, adding the package was a collaborative effort among his colleagues.

The approval of the journal is an otherwise mundane activity in the General Assembly, but during the last week of the session, it took the Senate two days to approve it with conservatives waging war against the amended SB 68.

Working in shifts, the Conservative Caucus led a 28-hour filibuster — the longest of this legislative session by far — decrying the amended bill and “corporate welfare.”

But by Tuesday evening, Sen. Bill Eigel said his colleagues had a choice to make: forge ahead with the filibuster or ensure the body

had enough time to take up an anti-abortion bill before the session is over.

“It’s time to turn our discussion and it’s time to turn our attention for the time we have left to protecting human life,” Eigel said just before 6 p.m. Tuesday.

“It’s almost unprecedented in the last week of session to have six senators of the majority party who would be forced to spend about [28] hours in debate to oppose misguided economic polices that are quite offensive,” Sen. Bob Onder, a Conservative Caucus member, said. “This bill was used … as a way to piggyback other ill-advised programs. We had a better option.”

During the earlier hours of the filibuster Monday, the House passed a scaled-back version of an incentive package that didn’t include Fast Track or a closing fund. The conservative senators urged the Senate to take up that legislation — as opposed to SB 68 — and promised a favorable and quick vote. However, GM officials were not on board with the scaled-back plan, sources have said.

Kicking off the filibuster early Monday afternoon, Eigel said, “Where SB 68 falls short is the fact that they have added things to SB 68 which clearly, in my mind, are not necessary for the overall GM deal.”

“SB 68 says the government knows what’s best for you,” Eigel said, arguing the former Soviet Union “went broke” because it believed “the government knew better than the people” at the time. “SB 68 is a step along that direction.”

As members of the Conservative Caucus held court on the Senate floor, some read books: Sen. Andrew Koenig read a few chapters of “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist” by Tuesday morning; Sen. Denny Hoskins read from “The Case for Trump,” a book he picked up at a local bookstore

earlier this week; Sen. Eric Burlison read from “In Search of Self-Governance.”

Several quorum calls occurred throughout the night — but Sen. Jamilah Nasheed noticeably wasn’t behind most of them. The Democrat said on Twitter she didn’t have the “energy” because she is fasting for Ramadan.

Parson had made the workforce development initiative a priority for his administration and called on senators to hold a vote earlier Tuesday.

“I believe the people in this state agree with it, and I believe they deserve a vote — up or down — on this issue,” Parson said. “I know people don’t like it, and they disagree with it. … But for people to have the right to vote on this issue, up or down, and I think that’s important.”

Parson praised the vote Tuesday evening as a “complete victory for Missourians and jobs in every corner of the state.”

Susan Klein, the executive director of Missouri Right to Life, also praised the body for moving on to take up a sweeping abortion bill this week.

“Expediting the GM bill in order to ensure there was enough time to properly debate and ensure passage of the most important pro-life legislation in Missouri history is a testament to the commitment of every senator in the process, and the pro-life community is grateful for their commitment to protecting the sanctity of human life,” Klein said in a statement to The Missouri Times.

Eigel had kicked off the floor filibuster by calling for some give and take: “This is the week for compromise. This is the week where, if folks aren’t willing to compromise, we’ll be disappointed by the results of this week.”

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House approves incentive package aimed to attract GM Wentzville expansion Alisha Shurr The House brought up and attached to a Senate bill an incentive package spurred by a potential $1 billion investment from General Motors in its Wentzville plant Thursday night.

The House voted 92-51 in favor of a comprehensive economic development proposal. Added to Sen. Lincoln Hough’s SB 68 on the Missouri One Start Program was a House amendment that included a new version of the Fast Track grant program and tax credits for investments from automotive manufacturers.

“I am confident this will show not only General Motors here tonight but the rest that Missouri is open for business,” said Rep. Nick Schroer, the Republican who offered the amendment.

At the beginning of May, officials from Generals Motors met with Gov. Mike Parson and other state leaders to begin preliminary talks about a potential $1 billion expansion at its Wentzville plant.

General Motors Wentzville Assembly has been operating since 1983 and employs roughly 4,600 hourly and salary employees who work over three shifts. The plant is situated on 438 acres of land in a former wheat field about 40 miles west of St. Louis in Wentzville.

One of the major pieces of the incentive package designed to lure the expansion to Missouri is tax incentives for the automotive industry. The automotive economic development provision is aimed at helping retain automotive jobs by granting $5 million in tax credits annually to manufacturers that invest $500 million or more in plant upgrades and agree to retain current workers.

Missouri’s current overall tax credit liability is unknown.

The other provision added to the bill is a new version of the Fast Track grant program. The program, which would create a scholarship program for adults seeking training in high demand jobs, has had a rocky time in the state Senate.

The original version of the program has made it to the Senate floor but

received considerable pushback from some lawmakers, and there is debate on what a path forward would look like — if there is one.

Based on some of the criticisms of the versions currently in the General Assembly, lawmakers made some tweaks to the program.

“Some of the concerns I had, you are addressing,” said Rep. Ron Hicks, who noted he originally had many reservations about the program.

The new version of Fast Track will sunset after three years, unless reauthorized. If reauthorized, it would then be renewed for a six-year period. It also requires the funds be used after all other aid has been distributed.

Those who receive the grant would be required to live in Missouri within 12 months of graduation and then live and work in the state for three years.

“If we in a state are going to invest in you, we are counting on you to invest in us, and if you don’t it will be converted into a loan,” said Schroer.

But those changes were not enough to sway everyone.

“Haste makes waste, and there’s a lot of waste here,” said Republican Rep. Bryan Spencer.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade questioned the lack of employee retention provisions in the bill and unsuccessfully attempted to tie tax credits to a company maintaining current employment levels.

“All of us will feel bad, I think, if we gave a company $50 million in taxpayer dollars and they turn around and lay off half their employees,” said Rep. Kip Kendrick, a Democrat.

Following the passage of the bill in the House, Gov. Mike Parson praised House leadership and Schroer specifically.

“We are now one step closer to passing one of the most comprehensive workforce and economic development proposals that proves to the country that Missouri is open for business,” Parson said. “Missouri will soon have the tools to compete and win big for jobs and growth across the entire state.”

The bill now goes back to the other side of the Capitol, where a warm reception is questionable. Provisions in the bill have stalled on the Senate floor, and some lawmakers in the upper chamber have previously raised doubts on the incentive plan. Yet, some lawmakers praised the House’s action.

Democratic Sen. Jason Holsman, while talking about the budget near midnight Thursday, called on the chamber to pass SB 68. Hough, the original bill sponsor, was also supportive.

“This is a much larger economic development package than any one company. This is about showing businesses across the county that Missouri is not only open for business, but we look forward to working with companies that make investments in our communities, our working families, and the future of innovation,” Hough, a Republican, told The Missouri Times. “I am excited that the Missouri House worked with our Governors office and businesses across the state to formulate a plan for growth and economic vitality for our next generation of Missouri workers.”

Fast Track has encountered problems in the Senate for months.

The Conservative Caucus has been the most outspoken group opposing it — though noting any path forward might need to be tied with education reform.

Tax credits, too, may not have easy sailing.

“I am excited about the prospect that one of our major employers in St. Charles is thinking about making a major investment in our area. That being said, there is a lot more to St. Charles County than tax credits,” Sen. Bill Eigel, a Conservative Caucus member who has been critical of Fast Track, told The Missouri Times.

“The idea that we need to expand our programs at the state level, I just don’t think that is accurate. I want to look for every opportunity to encourage General Motors or any employer to want to invest their resources in St. Charles County — we just have to it the right way.”

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‘GM LITE’: HOUSE PROPOSES JOB RETENTION REQUIREMENT WITHOUT FAST TRACK, CLOSING FUND Alisha Shurr The House is sending the Senate a scaled-back version of an incentive package spurred by a potential $1 billion investment from General Motors in its Wentzville plant.

The House voted 114-31 in favor of Sen. Wayne Wallingford’s SB 184, which now includes tax credits for the automotive industry. This is the second bill that includes the investment incentives.

“We wanted to have a couple different options out there,” said Rep. Nick Schroer, who introduced both amendments on the two bills.

At the beginning of May, officials from Generals Motors met with Gov. Mike Parson and other state leaders to begin preliminary talks about a potential $1 billion expansion at its Wentzville plant. Though Missouri is not the only state under consideration for the investment.

General Motors Wentzville Assembly has been operating since 1983 and employs roughly 4,600 hourly and salary employees who work over three shifts. The plant is situated on 438 acres of land in a former wheat field about 40 miles west of St. Louis in Wentzville.

On Thursday, the House approved

of the original incentive package — added on to SB 68 — designed to lure the expansion to Missouri with tax incentives for the automotive company. The original plan included the Missouri Works – Deal Closing Fund, Fast Track, Missouri One Start, and tax credits.

The Conservative Caucus has been in opposition to the closing fund and Fast Track — and even the amended version of the adult-scholarship program has not swayed their opinion.

“I cannot support [a] bill that includes ill-conceived ‘deal closing’ slush funds. TX Enterprise Fd often held up as exemplar. Appearance of pay-to-pay corruption can’t be ignored in the year of Stenger. Unnecessary for [General Motors] deal!” Sen. Onder tweeted.

The newest version does not include Fast Track or the closing fund, but it still includes tax incentives for the automotive industry. The automotive economic development provision is aimed at helping retain automotive jobs by granting $5 million in tax credits annually to manufacturers that invest $500 million or more in plant upgrades and agree to retain current CONTINUE ONLINE workers.

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SIMON’S LAW GIVEN UNANIMOUS APPROVAL, SENT TO GOVERNOR’S DESK Alisha Shurr Sheryl Crosier has made it her mission for the past several years to ensure no other family goes through what her family did. And on Monday she was successful in her home state.

Simon, Crosier’s son, was born September 7, 2010. He passed away by Christmas.

The not-quite unique aspect of Simon’s life was a doctor, without the consent of either parent, placing a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order on his chart. Crosier noted the practice is legal and happens far more often than she expected.

Diagnosed with Trisomy 18, also

known as Edward’s syndrome, Simon had a life-threatening developmental disorder. Only about 10 percent of those with the disorder live into adulthood, Rep. Bill Kidd noted.

According to Crosier, Simon’s diagnosis altered his care. She said one doctor turned off Simon’s monitor, and he was given so-called comfort feeds, or the least amount of food.

And just three days before Simon was scheduled to meet with a cardiac surgeon, they “watched in disbelief as our child took his last breaths inside a hospital where he had been a patient for

months and no ‘code blue’ resuscitation was engaged.”

Simon died on December 3, 2010.

It was only after his death did Simon’s family learn of the DNR. What the doctor did, putting a DNR on a minor’s chart with parental knowledge, is legal in Missouri and elsewhere around the country. On May 13, 2019, the Missouri General Assembly voted unanimously to make it illegal.

“Today I can rest easy in the fact that I will be able to take my children to a hospital in Missouri and not feel like there are secret DNRs,” Crosier told the

Missouri Times. “I was not going to let another attending physician anywhere do this to another child of mine. So I had thought in my mind, ‘Okay, where are the safe states?’”

Missouri, Crosier’s home state, is the fourth to pass “Simon’s Law.” The bill, HB 138 championed by Kidd, requires a physician communicate with the parents of a minor child, with two witnesses, about a DNR and the chart the response.

An early version of the bill had the parent signing the order, but according to Kidd, some felt it was like signing the

death warrant for their child.

“We have rewritten and revised it and rewritten it and revised it until we have gotten…language everyone is agreeable to,” Kidd told the Missouri Times.

He called the path to the bill’s passage a “five-year labor of love.”

With Missouri finally passing the law, this is not the end of Crosier’s advocacy.

She is working to take the movement national.

Senate propels bill aiding domestic violence victims Kaitlyn Schallhorn A House bill aimed at aiding victims of domestic violence by waiving fees for birth certificates made headway in the Senate Thursday.

HB 1135, championed by Republican Rep. Chris Dinkins, would waive the one-time $15 fee for domestic violence victims who need a new copy of his or her birth certificate.

Often, victims could need to flee a dangerous situation too quickly to grab important documentation, or an abuser could withhold these items, Dinkins said. And birth certificates are needed to obtain a driver’s license, set up a bank account, or enroll in school.

“I think it’s an important step that we help these people get out of abusive situations so they can move on with their lives,” Dinkins told The Missouri Times in an interview. “These people are often very vulnerable because of the lifestyle

they’ve been living, and it’s hard for them to break away. We just want to do everything we can to help them be able to get back on their feet and get a job and start their lives over again.”

Additionally, the bill includes a provision that would waive the fee for homeless or unaccompanied minors.

Sometimes, these younger people have escaped abusive environments and could desperately need access to a birth certificate as well, Dinkins noted.

She said she was recently told of a woman who visited a domestic violence shelter with her five children just before Christmas. The center not only provided a sanctuary for the family, but also helped collect the $15 per child needed in order to get birth certificates and enroll them in school.

“Fifteen dollars might not seem like a lot of money, but when you’re put in

that kind of situation, you usually don’t have anything, and for the people that are helping you, they are continuously helping people, and it does get burdensome trying to come up with all of that,” Dinkins said.

Despite a stalemate between the two chambers over other issues this week, Dinkins’ bill unanimously passed out of the Senate Seniors, Families and Children Committee with no changes Thursday.

“The idea that they can access their birth certificates for a multitude of reasons they might need them at no cost really takes away a hurdle so I think it’s a really important piece of legislation,” Democratic Sen. Jill Schupp, a committee member, told The Missouri Times Thursday evening.

Aside from pushing for the bill to pass this session, Schupp said she is also

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working with state officials to ensure new, federal grant money is being used to help domestic violence survivors with costs such as these. With both the bill and the grant money, “everything will fall into place,” she contended.

“We’re going to try to make sure with the grant process that the federal dollars that are available to use to cover the costs of these birth certificates for these people in need whose lives can be changed by somebody helping them with a $15 cost,” Schupp said.

Dinkins rejected the fiscal note attached to her legislation from the Department of Health and Senior Services, calling it “way out of line than where it should be.”

She contended many domestic violence survivors would reach out to local health departments as opposed to the state department in Jefferson City

because of convenience. And she also scoffed at the department’s assertion it would need to hire as many as eight new full-time employees, with a $28,527 salary, to process the additional birth certificates should the law go into effect.

“The birth certificates are already being supplied, but they’re having to come up with the money. So it’s not like you’re going to be making more birth certificates than what you already are,” Dinkins said. “That doesn’t make sense that you’re going to need two to eight more full-time employees. If that’s really the case, you all need to do some reevaluation of what’s really going on in that department.”

Dinkins bill passed out of the House last week in a 151-3 vote.

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Alisha Shurr

The Missouri General Assembly has voted to extend state appropriations for the Truman Sports Complex and Bartle Hall as funding is set to expire.

Championed by freshman GOP Rep. Jon Patterson, the bill also includes funding for improvements to the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

On Wednesday, the House voted 8958 to truly agree and finally pass HB 677.

The proposal received pushback from multiple members of the body who saw funding for centers that house Missouri’s professional sports teams as a misuse of taxpayer funds.

“This is welfare for the rich,” said

Republican Rep. Bruce DeGroot.

Opponents argued the state only has a limited amount of resources, and taxpayer money going to “billionaire sports teams” may not be the best use of those funds. They questioned if it would be a good investment for the Show-Me State.

Patterson pushed back, pointing to the amount of direct revenue brought in to the state; direct taxes collected from the Truman Sports Complex alone amounted to roughly $27 million in 2017.

He also argued that investing in the Enterprise Center would enable large

events to be held in Missouri, which would bring in millions in tax revenue.

Patterson noted the city will miss out on events from NCAA Wrestling, USA Gymnastics, LiveNation, US Figure Skating, and more without the investment.

“Do we think it wise in our state to make a small investment and host premiere events?” asked Patterson.

Under the bill, the Truman Sports Complex — home to the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs — would continue to get $3 million for operations annually through 2029, Bartle Hall would continue receiving $2 million

in state funding, and the Enterprise Center — home of the St. Louis Blues — would get $3.5 million for 20 years for improvements.

Added in the Senate is a clawback provision that will allow the state to recuperate investment if the Blues ever relocate.

Others in support of the measure noted the buildings are publicly owned, and the Blues only occupy the building part of the time.

The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.

General Assembly moves to make redistricting progress more transparent Alisha Shurr

The Missouri General Assembly has truly agreed and finally passed a measure designed to make the process of drawing districts more open and transparent.

SB 213, championed by Sen. Dan Hegeman and Rep. Curtis Trent, alters provisions related to the newlycreated position of “nonpartisan state demographer” and the requirements under which the position operates. The measure passed the Senate at the end of March with a 26-7 vote and passed the House on Thursday with a 142-3 vote. It now heads to the governor’s desk.

“I’m happy to see this legislation go forward and bring some transparency, some openness, and set some parameters for this new positions of state demographer,” Hegeman told the Missouri Times.

In November, Missourians approved a new constitutional amendment making sweeping changes to the ethics standards in the legislature and altering the way legislative districts are drawn.

Under the so-dubbed Clean Missouri amendment, a nonpartisan state demographer will be selected to draw

the districts that make up the General Assembly.

“Hopefully, it will make the process stronger,” Trent said.

The measure requires the demographer to create an online portal for public commentary. Individuals who submit comments through the Redistricting Public Comment Portal will be required to disclose if the person was paid to make the submission and who paid for the submission.

The measure also lays out parameters for what the nonpartisan state

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demographer can do while in the position. The demographer can only receive compensation from the state of Missouri, will not be allowed to accept gifts of any kind, and can’t engage in communications about the redistricting process unless through the Redistricting Public Comment Portal.

“It just tries to make the process as open and as transparent as possible,” said Hegeman. “I think that is what people were asking for in Clean Missouri. This bill just goes in accordance with that.”

L E G I S L AT U R E

LEGISLATURE VOTES TO CONTINUE FUNDING CONVENTION, SPORTS CENTERS

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ST. LOUIS, Missouri When customers in the St. Louis area are looking for a pool table, a jukebox, or even a Skee-Ball machine, they turn to Amini’s, a local speciality-furniture store that’s been in the community since 1975. Still, competing with mass-market online retailers proved challenging for this brick-and-mortar store.

So Amini’s CEO Arash Amini–the son of founders Mack and Jeanna Amini–decided to expand the company’s digital presence.

Now Amini’s uses Google Ads to target potential customers, and relies on Google My Business to stay visible on Google Search.

This new digital strategy helps Arash put e-commerce at the center of his plans for the business’ future.

Millions of Americans, like Arash, are growing their businesses with Google’s help.

Arash Amini Amini’s

Last year, Google helped provide $2.98 billion of economic activity for Missouri businesses, website publishers, and nonprofits. Read more at google.com/economicimpact

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The Missouri Times

Alisha Shurr

The current deputy director of the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS), who previously served as acting director, will once again step into the top role on Wednesday.

Gov. Mike Parson announced that Jennifer Tidball will take the helm of DSS effective May 15. In mid-April, Steve Corsi announced his resignation as Social Services Director.

“I appreciate Jennifer Tidball’s

willingness to serve the people of Missouri in this new role and know she will build off the positive reforms made within the department under Director Corsi,” said Parson. “I have full confidence the Department of Social Services will continue providing excellent service to the people of Missouri under her leadership.”

Prior to serving as deputy director,

Tidball was the DSS Director of the Division of Finance and Administrative Services and served as the Interim MO HealthNet Division Director. From January 10, 2017, to June 18, 2017, she served as acting director of DSS. Tidball joined the agency in 1995 and has also worked in departments formally known as the Division of Family Services and the Division

of Child Support Enforcement and worked at Systems & Methods, Inc. implementing statewide child support receipt and disbursement systems. Tidball holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Master of public administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

“It is a privilege to serve the Department, the Governor, and the people of Missouri in this capacity,

EXECUTIVE

Jennifer Tidball to serve as acting director of DSS

and I am honored that Governor Parson has placed his trust in me to perform these duties,” Tidball said in the statement. “I am pleased to continue to work with Governor Parson’s team on initiatives to help Missourians support themselves and to keep Missouri’s children safe.”

State of Missouri health, family services professionals across four departments participate in The Missouri Way management training Gov. Mike Parson kicked off the sixth session of The Missouri Way advanced management training today for about 200 health and family services professionals from the departments of Health and Senior Services, Mental Health, Social Services, and the Missouri Veterans Commission within the Department of Public Safety. The intensive, threeday training will go until Wednesday, May 15.

Gov. Parson launched the first-ever The Missouri Way training in August, establishing it as an important component to the state’s management transformation. The program was created to develop leaders across the state’s 16 executive departments. It equips supervisors, managers, and department leadership with the necessary management skills to better lead change and improve services for the citizens of Missouri.

The Missouri Way session this month brings together health

and family services professionals across Missouri in a collaborative environment. They not only have the opportunity to learn new management and leadership skills, but also to discuss the strategic goals established for the State of Missouri and their departments.

While unique individually, the four departments’ strategic goals share the common mission of promoting the health, safety, and wellbeing of all Missourians.

“Health and family services professionals in these departments serve the critical health needs of Missourians every day in a variety of ways — supporting the Missouri Medicaid program, caring for veterans in veterans’ homes, battling the opioid epidemic, monitoring communicable diseases, and more,” said Drew Erdmann, State of Missouri Chief Operating Officer. “The growing demands on the state’s health and family services professionals require

our leaders to be equipped with strong management and leadership skills.”

“Our ultimate goal is to protect the health of Missourians and keep them safe from harm,” said Dr. Randall Williams, Director of the Department of Health and Senior Services. “To provide the best service to the citizens of Missouri, we must ensure leaders at all levels have the management and leadership skills they need.

The Missouri Way training helps us accomplish that.”

“The Missouri Way training offers leaders the tools and techniques necessary to support their teams in reaching their goals,” said Mark Stringer, Director of the Department of Mental Health. “Our leaders are crucial to making a positive impact on those we serve — individuals with mental illness, substance use disorders, and developmental disabilities.”

“I’m thankful for our team

members in Social Services for embracing The Missouri Way training this week,” said Jennifer Tidball, Deputy Director of the Department of Social Services. “We want to build the capacity of individuals, families, and communities to secure and sustain healthy, safe, and productive lives. Strong leaders are key to making this happen.”

“Veterans deserve our best every day,” said Col. Grace Link, Missouri Veterans Commission Executive Director. “The Missouri Way management training program helps our leaders be their best. I know they’ll take back what they’ve learned to their teams, which will ultimately result in stronger teams and better care for our veterans.”

The Missouri Way introduces senior leaders, managers, supervisors, and other emerging leaders to the tools and approaches of solving basic management challenges and improving their teams’ performance.

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The program’s first classes have included each department’s top leadership ranks. Participants are identified by department leaders.

The state is holding the training approximately every 90 days, with the goal of training 1,000 managers by the end of 2019.

The Missouri Way’s approach is practical and based upon proven principles from high-performing businesses and other government organizations. The curriculum will provide common approaches, tools, and vocabulary in areas ranging from how to manage change within an organization and redesigning business processes to customer experience and project management.

The sessions involve a mix of classroom instruction with individual and group exercises.

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Missouri Times Ad 2.pdf 1 1/23/2019 3:41:28 PM

The Missouri Times

CHECK ANY TIME AND SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THE CALENDAR IN YOUR EMAIL WEEKLY AT THEMISSOURITIMES.COM/CALENDAR Sent events for included to calendar@themissouritimes.com.

June 3 JeffCo Now at Topgolf — St. Louis — 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

8 Cattlemen’s Steak Fry – State Fairgrounds – Social Hour at 5:00 p.m., Dinner at 6:00 p.m.

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13 Cody Smith Bowling Fundraiser

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23 Rep. Dan Houx’ Annual Fish Fry — 4 p.m.

July 14 Last Day for Governor to Veto Bills

28 Passed Legislation Goes Into Effect September

19 Missouri Soybean Association PAC Golf Tournament – Richmond

9 Sen. Luetkemeyer Reception – AuBuchon Home – 5 p.m.

August

25-27 Missouri Insurance Coalition Annual Meeting – Kansas City

2 Missouri Soybean Association PAC Golf Tournament – Dexter

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Activity Date Lobbyist Name Principal From To 05/16/2019 Payne, John William TerraMa Holdings, LLC 05/09/2019 05/16/2019 Payne, John William Next Gen Natures Releaf, LLC 05/13/2019 05/16/2019 Payne, John William Missouri Essentials 05/01/2019 05/16/2019 Payne, John William Elavera Partnership, LLC 05/15/2019 05/16/2019 Payne, John William Evolve Wellness, LLC 05/15/2019 05/16/2019 Payne, John William The Dispensary, LLC 05/15/2019 05/16/2019 Payne, John William Amendment 2 Consultants, LLC 05/15/2019 05/15/2019 Robbins, Thomas AM Medical Marketing LLC 05/15/2019 05/15/2019 Tilley, Steven AM Medical Marketing LLC 05/15/2019 05/14/2019 Farnen, Mark Dakota Power Partners 01/08/2019 05/13/2019 Aboussie, Jeffrey P STL Land Development, LLC 05/01/2019 05/13/2019 Rhoads, Mark J Appriss Safety 05/10/2019 05/13/2019 Rhoads, Mark J BioKyowa 05/09/2019 05/13/2019 Thampy, Eapen A Thousand Ripples Warrior Retreat 05/01/2019 05/12/2019 Aboussie, Jeffrey P MC District Cooling 05/01/2019 05/11/2019 Thampy, Eapen Mo Cann Pharma LLC 05/11/2019 05/10/2019 Altmann, Jeffrey CDB Kratom 05/09/2019 05/10/2019 Mertens, Courtney Curo Group LLC 05/10/2019 05/10/2019 Scaglia, Phillip P. Senworth 01/17/2017 05/10/2019 05/09/2019 Bardgett, Jacqueline FB Farming Co. 05/09/2019 05/09/2019 Bardgett, Jacqueline Abundant Holdings, LLC 05/09/2019 05/09/2019 Bardgett, Jacqueline Lavvan, Inc. 05/09/2019 05/09/2019 Bardgett, John E FB Farming Co.

05/09/2019 05/09/2019 Bardgett, John E Abundant Holdings, LLC 05/09/2019 05/09/2019 Bardgett, John E Lavvan, Inc. 05/09/2019 05/09/2019 Harris, James FWD.us 05/09/2019 05/09/2019 Harris, James Navigant Consulting, Inc. 05/09/2019 05/09/2019 Leonard, Erika FB Farming Co. 05/09/2019 05/09/2019 Leonard, Erika Abundant Holdings, LLC 05/09/2019 05/09/2019 Leonard, Erika Lavvan, Inc. 05/09/2019 05/09/2019 Roepe, Christopher ‘Chris’ FB Farming Co. 05/09/2019 05/09/2019 Roepe, Christopher ‘Chris’ Abundant Holdings, LLC 05/09/2019 05/09/2019 Roepe, Christopher ‘Chris’ Lavvan, Inc. 05/09/2019 05/08/2019 Clarkston, Heath Navigant Consulting, Inc. 05/06/2019 05/08/2019 Linton, David Lake Perry Lot Owners Association 05/07/2019 05/08/2019 Nelson, Doug Navigant Consulting, Inc. 05/06/2019 05/08/2019 Schaefer, Kurt Navigant Consulting, Inc. 05/06/2019 05/07/2019 Baker, Aaron City of Clarksville 05/07/2019 05/07/2019 Brooks, Jeffery American Prison Data Systems 05/07/2019 05/07/2019 Gamble, Cynthia American Prison Data Systems 05/07/2019 05/07/2019 Gamble, Kathryn American Prison Data Systems 05/07/2019 05/07/2019 Gamble, William American Prison Data Systems 05/07/2019 05/07/2019 Rainford, Jeff STL Land Development, LLC 10/01/2019 05/07/2019 Rainford, Jeff MC District Cooling 05/07/2019 05/07/2019 Schlemeier, Jorgen American Prison Data Systems 05/07/2019 05/07/2019 Schlemeier, Sarah American Prison Data Systems 05/07/2019 05/07/2019 Topp, Sarah American Prison Data Systems 05/07/2019 05/07/2019 Wilson, Olivia American

C U LT U R E

Lobbyist Moves

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS WELCOME AUTHOR MICHAEL KNOWLES TO CAPITOL AFTER UMKC INCIDENT Kaitlyn Schallhorn

Nearly a month after Michael Knowles was allegedly assaulted during an event at the University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC), the conservative author and commentator was back in the ShowMe State.

At the invitation of Republican Sen. Eric Burlison, Knowles met with a group of Republican lawmakers Thursday morning and addressed a few dozen supporters in the Capitol Rotunda. Burlison had invited Knowles to the Capitol following a public controversy last month.

Knowles was asked to give a speech at UMKC by the public school’s Young Americans for Freedom student group. One UMKC student was arrested for allegedly assaulting Knowles, a controversial speaker, by spraying him with a liquid substance, and the chancellor came under fire for his response.

UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal initially praised the students who demonstrated against the guest speaker, saying the “UMKC community responded in the best

way — by organizing and conducting a counter-event across campus … that focused on positive messages about diversity and inclusion.”

Agrawal has since apologized for any misconceptions from his initial remarks and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to “support freedom of expression for all” and “to rise to the higher principle of promoting a respectful exchange of ideas for our students to form their own views and engage in critical thinking.”

“I think it’s really important that we make up for the embarrassment that happened at the University of Missouri – Kansas City,” Burlison told The Missouri Times. “With that in mind, I think we accomplished that mission.”

Although it wasn’t his first time back in Missouri since the oncampus altercation, Knowles — a host and author for The Daily Wire who is based in Los Angeles — said he wanted to meet with lawmakers to advocate for a “robust liberal education system.” His meetings,

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he said, were encouraging.”

“tremendously

After the UMKC event, “I flew back to Los Angeles, but the conservative students at that university stayed here, and they got a message from their administration that their views were not welcome on campus, and that they were not encouraged on campus,” Knowles, 29, told The Missouri Times.

“I felt it was important to come here … to defend liberal education, to defend the values that undergird liberal education, and to remind us that what’s happening on campuses is a preview of what’s going to happen in our country 20 years from now,” Knowles continued. “A free, selfgoverning republic cannot exist without a robust liberal education system. And if that has been hollowed out, and if bedrock principles of our country are not only not being defended, but are being dismissed and negated, we’re not going to have a recognizable country in the future.”

Knowles decried the state of the

country’s public education system, particularly a perceived lack of accountability.

“It’s very hard to fire bad administrators. It’s very hard to stop the crazy administrative bloat that has caused so many of the problems in the universities, and so I think it’s incumbent on us not just to talk to legislators and say, ‘Fix our problems for us,’ but it’s incumbent on us who are the voters, who are the taxpayers, who are complicit in this issue of rotten education systems to vote with our purse strings and force a change at the universities.”

After the debacle, multiple Republicans in the Missouri legislator publicly offered support for the political commentator. Sen. David Sater suggested the chancellor step down from his position, and Rep. Justin Hill introduced a House resolution calling for his removal.

No action has been taken on the resolution.

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