May 2011
73 posts
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More redistricting testimony from Cunningham and...
Here are the final two videos I shot from yesterday’s hearing of a commission tasked with redrawing state Senate districts.
The first features Sen. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, answering some questions from the panel, which is made up of five Democrats and five Republicans:
And here is more footage from Sen. Brian Nieves’ testimony. Nieves, R-Washington, presented three...
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“You get a sense of devastation through pictures, but in person the scope is...”
– Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., in a statement regarding the Joplin tornadobdamage. McCaskill viewed the damage via helicopter with Gov. Jay Nixon and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate.
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Koster: Be careful of Joplin charity scams
In the wake of the catastrophic tornado in Joplin, Attorney General Chris Koster is warning Missourians to be vigilant about inauthentic charities.
In a press release, Koster’s office told Missourians to be “aware of disaster-relief scams in the aftermath of the tornado that devastated Joplin on Sunday.
“Unfortunately, there are people who see opportunity in disaster,” Koster said...
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The Latest on Joplin
[Photo on the right is a sculpture in Webb City, Missouri, which is close to Joplin.]
Here is the latest information on the devastating tornado that hit Joplin. As of this morning, at least 89 people died in the natural disaster.
From the AP:
City manager Mark Rohr announced the number of known dead at a pre-dawn news conference outside the wreckage of a hospital that took a direct hit from...
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families impacted by this devastating...”
– U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt on the southwest Missouri tornado that swept through Joplin.
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“My heart goes out to the families, friends, and neighbors who lost loved ones in...”
– Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. on the southwest Missouri tornado.
Nixon sends National Guard to southwest Missouri
At least two dozen people are dead after a tornado struck southwest Missouri.
From CNN:
The twister was part of a line of severe weather that swept across the Midwest on Sunday, prompting tornado watches and warnings that stretched from Wisconsin to Texas. High winds and possible tornadoes struck Minneapolis and other parts of Minnesota, leaving at least one person dead and injuring nearly two...
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PSC commissioner nominated for judgeship
A member of the Missouri Public Service Commission was nominated for a slot on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District.
Robert Clayton III was one of three finalists for the spot being vacated by Judge Nannette A. Baker. Baker was appointed as a federal magistrate judge.
In addition to Clayton, the Appellate Judicial Commission also chose St. Louis County Circuit Judge Michael Burton and...
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Carnahan reacts to Obama Mideast strategy
U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis City, also issued a statement Thursday on President Barack Obama’s Mideast speech:
“Today, the President laid out his vision for building a constructive relationship with the people of the Middle East and North Africa, and why that relationship is important to the economic and security interests of the American people.
With families and...
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Blunt issues statement on Mideast aid plan
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt said in a statement today that President Barack Obama’s plan to assist fledgling governments in the Middle East “certainly has merit.” But the first-term senator said such a plan would need conditions.
In addition to calling for a return to 1967-era Israeli-Palestinian borders, Obama proposed an aid package to assist countries such as Tunisia and Egypt. Those...
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Steelman takes first swipe at Akin
That didn’t take long.
Barely 24 hours after he entered the 2012 U.S. Senate race, former Treasurer Sarah Steelman lobbed what could be described as the first criticism at U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, R-Town and Country.
Specifically, Steelman chastised Akin for voting for a budget deal that likely forestalled a government shutdown in April. From an e-mail just sent a few minutes ago:
This...
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Anonymous asked: I know that state Rep. Rick Stream has been getting encouragement to run for #mo2 as well. How do you think the field will ultimately shape up?
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“I’m running to change the status quo in Washington. The Washington...”
– Former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman on U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, R-Town and Country, getting into the U.S. Senate race.
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“I had all the information I needed, but had the opportunity to view the pictures...”
– - U.S. Sen Roy Blunt
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The Wire
Will local control and Aerotropolis make it?
With only a few short hour left in the 2011 legislative session, those two notable issues still hang in the balance. Jo Mannies and I have more in our article for the St. Louis Beacon:
State Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale, said late Thursday that progress has been made — but work still remains — to forge a House-Senate agreement on state...
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Beacon: State legislative redistrict causes waves
It’ll be touch and go at this site as the legislative session comes to a close. But here’s a bit from an article Jo Mannies and I composed for the St. Louis Beacon. It’s on state legislative redistricting, which is performed by a bipartisan panel appointed by the governor:
The 24th District state senate seat of Republican incumbent John Lamping of Ladue gets moved from mid-St....
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Beacon: Cunningham will "definitely" run in MO-2
Jo Mannies of the St. Louis Beacon is reporting that Sen. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, will “definitely” run for Congress.
The first-term state senator had expressed interest in running for the seat earlier this year. But in an interview, Cunningham said she will make it official if U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, R-Town and Country, runs for Congress:
“I’m in,” said...
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When wrestling and Missouri politics collide
St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Jake Wagman made my day with a post that intersects Missouri politics and professional wrestling.
The Political Fix post focuses on how some lawmakers received free tickets to an edition of Monday Night Raw at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis:
Two Missouri state representatives, Steve Webb and Scott Dieckhaus, and a St. Louis alderman, April Ford-Griffin,...
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WatchThe controversy over whether to flood Missouri farmland to save Cairo, Illinois was showcased Monday on CNN.
Ted Rowlands’ report features my video of House Speaker Steve Tilley’s controversial statements about the southern Illinois town. Tilley, R-Perryville, later apologized for the remarks.
Click on the video to see Rowlands’ report.
