The Daily Dish – May 11, 2012

Lawmakers send budget bills to Nixon By Rudi Keller, Columbia Daily Tribune

Missouri lawmakers approved a $24 billion state budget and sent it to Gov. Jay Nixon this week.

Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission recommends denying downtown rezoning request By Jaime Williams, Columbia Missourian

The Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend denying developers Jon and Nathan Odle a request to rezone property on the south side of Walnut Street.

Kelly says he didn’t trap fellow rep By Rudi Keller, Columbia Daily Tribune

State Rep. Chris Kelly denied that involvement in trapping fellow state Rep. Mary Still.

The Daily Dish — May 9, 2012

Columbia moving forward with tax-increment financing plans By Kip Hill, Columbia Missourian

The Columbia City Council voted to rescind a resolution that created an advisory board for the enhanced enterprise zone program.

Matthes seeks spending cuts to protect general fund By Andrew Denney, Columbia Daily Tribune

City Manager Mike Matthes said he wants city departments to cut spending to protect the general fund, which is about $78 million.

Spending compromise would boost funds for several colleges By Rudi Keller, Columbia Daily Tribune

State legislators have until 6 p.m. Friday to pass a deal that would divide $3 million among seven state colleges and universities appeared

The Daily Dish – May 8, 2012

$2 million for university ties up $24 billion Missouri budget plan, By David A. Lieb, The Associated Press

Disagreements between two members of the Missouri General Assembly over whether Southeast Missouri State University should receive a $2 million funding increase turned personal.

Columbia City Council discusses change to trash collection method, By Antony Lee, Columbia Missourian

The Columbia City Council discussed a potential move that would completely change the way residents throw away their trash during Monday’s pre-council meeting. If the move is approved, residents would use roll carts instead of plastic trash bags.

Budget talk on tap for mini-retreat at City Hall, By Andrew Denney, Columbia Daily Tribune

The Columbia City Council will begin a two-day mini-retreat Tuesday evening to start discussing the 2013 budget that will be proposed by City Manager Mike Matthes within the next few months.

The Daily Dish, May 7, 2012

Funding for veterans, blind health care in doubt in Missouri budget By Jason Hancock, The Kansas City Star

Arguments are made to discuss whether money should be spent for veterans, blind health care. If the Senate fails to approve a plan to fund Missouri’s veterans’ nursing homes it could mean the end of a health care program for the blind. The veterans legislation is one Senate vote away from being sent to the governor, but Senate President Pro Tem Rob Mayer, a Dexter Republican, said he won’t bring it up for a vote.

Transportation panel appointment is a return to public work for Jetton AUDIO By Mike Lear, Missourinet

A 21-member committee will hold meetings across the state this spring and summer looking into the future of transportation in Missouri. It also marks a return to public service for a former House Speaker a year after pleading guilty to assault. The Blue Ribbon Citizens Committee on Missouri Transportation Needs has been appointed by House Speaker Steven Tilley (R-Perryville), who wants it to look at the state’s transportation needs and look for solutions.

MSU leasing bill heads to Nixon’s desk for approval By Josh Nelson, News-Leader.com

A bill giving Missouri State University greater flexibility in leasing property is headed to Gov. Jay Nixon’s desk for approval. The Senate gave final approval last week to Senate Bill 562, and it reverses a 2011 law that requires Missouri State and seven other public universities to get prior approval from lawmakers when leasing property. It is said that the change makes it easier for Missouri State to develop areas like the Jordan Valley Innovation Center or the new Robert W. Plaster Center for Free Enterprise and Business Development.

The Daily Dish, May 6, 2012

Budget clock ticking; senate trouble threatened (AUDIO) By Bob Priddy, Missourinet

As our legislators return to Jefferson City, there’s only five days left to decide how to spend 24 billion dollars in te next fiscal year. House and Senate negotiators have to deal with some strongly-held positions taken by lawmakers in both chambers.  Some senators have wanted to tell their negotiators not to give in on three issues–two of them being budget cuts for Southeast Missouri State University advocated by Cape Girardeau Senator Jason Crowell.  St. Joseph Senator Rob Schaaf  has tried to force senate negotiators to refuse to discuss those issues. 

Minimum wage, payday loan petitions submitted for Missouri ballot, ByThe Associated Press

Supporters of raising Missouri’s minimum wage and limiting payday loans submitted petitions Sunday to get the separate measures on the November ballot, beating this weekend’s deadline to turn in signatures. The proposed minimum wage increase would put Missouri’s minimum pay at $8.25 an hour starting in 2013, with an annual cost-of living adjustment in subsequent years. If the federal minimum wage were to rise above the state rate, then Missouri would adopt the federal wage and apply cost-of-living adjustments to that.

 

The Daily Dish, May 5, 2012

Cigarette tax supporters turn in signatures By Rudi Keller, The Columbia Daily Tribune

Supporters of a proposal to increase the tax on cigarettes by 73 cents per pack collected 220,000 petition signatures yesterday in hopes of putting the measure on the November ballot. The proposal would generate $283 million to $423 million annually. Half the money would be used for public school programs, 30 percent would go to higher education and 20 percent would support smoking cessation programs.

Lawmakers consider Missouri fund for college building By Chris Blank, The Associated Press, The Kansas City Star

Missouri lawmakers are considering a new way to help pay for construction on college campuses. The proposal would create the Higher Education Capital Fund to provide state matching funds for local contributions for new higher education building projects. 

Impasse over Mo. budget with one week left to pass it By Marshall Griffin, St. Louis Public Radio

House and Senate budget negotiators remain at an impasse on what’s become the main barrier to reaching an agreement:  finding a way to fund veterans’ homes. The House this week passed legislation that would fund veterans homes with gaming revenues currently designated for early childhood programs, and replace it with money from a tobacco settlement.  The Senate has so far refused to take up the measure.  

The Daily Dish, May 4, 2012

Missouri governor candidate backs limits on lobbyist gifts By David A. Lieb, The Associated Press, Kansas City Star

Missouri gubernatorial candidate Dave Spence outlined an ethics proposal Thursday that would limit lobbyist gifts to public officials and require greater financial disclosure by nonprofit groups running ads in Missouri and companies seeking state contracts. The proposal would also require certain nonprofit groups who spend money in Missouri politics to file financial disclosure reports and mandate that companies seeking state contracts disclose the political contributions they have made in past three years.

Schaefer in the middle of state budget battle By Rudi Keller, The Columbia Daily Tribune

The state budget for next year is stalled because of an intramural struggle among Republicans that features testy exchanges between the House and Senate leadership and criticism of Sen. Kurt Schaefer from the man who put him in charge of the Senate’s budgeting team. The holdup comes from a mix of issues including a budget boost for one university, and a political attack on a program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis that has become tied to a bill dealing with how veterans programs are funded. How those negotiations are being handled sparked criticism of Schaefer, R-Columbia and Senate Appropriations Committee chairman, by Senate President Pro Tem Rob Mayer, R-Dexter. Mayer put Schaefer in charge of the appropriations committee last year.

 

Petition calls for cigarette tax hike By The Associated Press, Springfield News-Leader

Advocates submitted petition signatures on Friday to get a proposed increase in the state’s cigarette tax on the November ballot. The proposal would raise Missouri’s tax on cigarettes to 90 cents per pack up from the current 17 cents, which is the lowest in the nation.

The Daily Dish — May 3, 2012

City manager Mike Matthes reflects on his first year By Antony Lee, Jon Mcclure, The Columbia Missourian.

Tuesday is Matthes’ first anniversary in office as a city manager, and he reviewed several of his key initiatives for his first year, which includes Columbia regional airport, managing the city budget, strategic planing initiative, improving the Columbia Police Department, and improving the government’s customer service .

Changes to teacher layoffs OK’d by Missouri House By Chris Blank, The Associated Press, Kansas City Star

State House narrowly approved a legislation that would bar seniority from playing a role in Missouri teacher layoffs.Schools that are forced to reduce staff no longer would be banned from laying off tenures, and teachers’ seniority and salaries would not be a consideration in choosing teachers. Performance would need to be the most important factor when selecting which teachers to keep.

GOP incumbents face well-funded challengers By Rudi Keller, The Columbia Daily Tribune

The Boone County’s incumbent Republicans will face well-funded Democrats’ challenges for two first-term officeholders. State Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, state Rep. Mary Still, D-Columbia,  U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler and Democrat Teresa Hensley will file for the two seats.

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Mapping 2012 City Council campaign contributions

Google Fusion Tables City Council campaign contributions 2012 map (link will open new tab)

Final campaign finance reports for the April 3 City Council elections were due to the Missouri Ethics Commission on Thursday. According to those reports, unsuccessful Sixth Ward candidate Bill Tillotson both earned and spent the greatest amount during the campaign, with totals of $33,519.50 and $27,245.51, respectively. His opponent, Sixth Ward Councilwoman Barbara Hoppe, raised $26,272.16, including more than $8,500 in the final two weeks of the campaign, after Tillotson released ads accusing Hoppe of abuse of power in her involvement in a dispute between the East Campus Neighborhood Association and Beta Theta Pi fraternity over the height of their new house under construction on College Avenue. Hoppe spent $25,316 on her campaign.

In the Second Ward, which comprises the northwest part of Columbia, election winner and sitting Second Ward Councilman Michael Trapp reported the greatest amount of contributions and expenses. His totals were $7,260.37 raised and $6,760.37 spent. Opponent Mike Atkinson raised $5,615 and spent $5,593.57. Bill Pauls opted for an austere campaign, saying at several campaign events that he was the “$3,000 dollar man” and would not spend a penny over that amount. Pauls met his goal, raising $2,885.27 and spending $2,536.27.

The Google map below, created using Fusion Tables and contribution amounts collected from the Missouri Ethics Commission, lists individual contributors to all campaigns, their address, their contribution amount and listed occupation. The “Filter” button that appears at the top of the map will allow you to limit results by these qualifiers. For more detailed instructions on how to use the filter tool, or any other questions about navigating the map, consult Google’s own guide.

The following key explains which color represents which contribution amount:

Green: $0 to $49
Yellow: $51 to $99
Red: $100 to $149
Purple: $150 or more

Click the map marker for more detailed information about each contribution.

View the termination reports, including final campaign contribution and expense figures, in .pdf form below. For more information, visit the Missouri Ethics Commission website or contact Missourian Public Life reporter Kip Hill via email. And, as always, thanks for reading!

Google Fusion Tables City Council campaign contributions 2012 map (link will open new tab)

Michael Trapp final report (.pdf)
Bill Pauls final report (.pdf)
Mike Atkinson final report (.pdf)
Bill Tillotson final report (.pdf)
Barbara Hoppe final report (.pdf)

The Daily Dish — May 2, 2012

UPDATE: Missouri lawmakers delay budget negotiations By The Associated Press, The Columbia Missourian

The budget conference committee meeting on Wednesday was delayed until at least Thursday, but the discussion are still ongoing. One of the most pressing decisions is whether to cut funding for a health care program for blind residents. 

 

Tax Plan cost estimates soaring (again) by Brad Cooper, The Kansas City Star

Democratic lawmakers are calculating new numbers at Jefferson City today, and statistics shows that the proposed tax plan could leave a $712 million financial deficiency by 2018. The proposal would keep deductions for interest on home mortgages and charitable contributions. 

 

MO. lawmaker Wyatt says he is gay, denounces school bill By The Associated Press and Kelsey Proud, St. Louis Public Radio.

Rep. Zachary Wyatt held a Capitol news conference Wednesday at which he said he was disclosing his sexual orientation for the first time. This is to denounced a bill that would prohibit teaching, extracurricular activities or materials that discuss sexual orientation- unless they relate to the scientific facts about human reproduction.