Missouri

Sen. Claire McCaskill yesterday twittered this:

"If we printed the health care bill in regular size font it would be same legnth as Sarah Palin's book, but with more meat on the bone."

Snappp!

Gov. Jay Nixon is at 42 percent approve, 25 percent disapprove.

Sen. Kit Bond: 41-34 percent.

Sen. Claire McCaskill: 42-45.

From Missourinet:

Missouri’s two U.S. Senators have differing views about the Obama administration's decision to have some of the Guantanamo detainees tried for terrorism in the U.S.

Senator Kit Bond, a Republican, believes Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others detained at Gitmo are not run of the mill criminals and should not be brought to the U.S. mainland for trial.

“These are illegal combatants in a war on terror that’s been called on us,” said Bond in his weekly telephone conference call with Missouri radio reporters. “They don’t deserve the constitutional protections that we afford American citizens or people who are lawfully in this country.”

JEFFERSON CITY | Gov. Jay Nixon is announcing a deal to cut higher education funding but freeze tuition for most students in a flyaround today.

Under the arrangement reached with university leaders, higher-ed funding for the 2010-11 budget year would be cut a relatively modest 5.2 percent -- about $42 million -- and tuition would be held steady for in-state undergraduate students.

"To turn this economy around, Missourians must be trained, educated and ready to work, and that’s why it was vital that we kept tuition flat for Missouri families," Nixon, a Democrat, said in a statement.

The deal isn't exactly a sure thing, though.

The higher education budget must still go through the appropriations process in the legislature, which could completely disregard the deal and cut more (or less) than the 5.2 percent.

National Geographic asked all 100 U.S. senators to  draw a map of their home state from memory and to label at least three important places.

Of good ol' KC, McCaskill wrote, "Where I came after law school and began my career in public service."

Even looks like she drew the state fairly accurately. 

The League of Conservation Voters today launched a statewide radio ad in Missouri that takes Congressman (and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Blunt) to task for saying he didn't "know if it's true" if he had taken more than $1 million in campaign donations from oil companies and other energy interests.

The ad is running on seven stations in the KC area, a league spokeswoman said. Overall, the group is pumping more than $100,000 into its statewide buy.

From the radio spot: 

Announcer: If someone gave you a million dollars… would you ever forget it?

Congressman Roy Blunt says he did.

"Congressman Blunt cannot hide from the fact the he’s received more than $1 million in campaign cash from Big Oil and energy interests," said LCV President Gene Karpinski.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Sen. Gary Nodler is resigning as chairman of the Appropriations Committee to focus on his congressional campaign.

The Republican from Joplin has led the Senate budget-writing panel the past two legislative sessions and has served on it all seven years he has been in the Senate. He said Friday that he would step down as chairman effective Nov. 30.

 Nodler says he wants to avoid an appearance of a conflict of interest as he runs for a southwest Missouri congressional seat in 2010. Nodler will remain in the state Senate.

JEFFERSON CITY | State Rep. Denny Hoskins reports he has paid off the $20,316-tax bill owed by his property management company. Ruthane Small, the Johnson County, Mo., collector, confirms that her office received his payment this afternoon.

Hoskins, a Warrensburg Republican and professional accountant, as recently as yesterday said he had no timeframe for paying the taxes. In a press release sent this afternoon, he said his company was engaging in a "tax payment installation plan."

Reached by phone, Hoskins said the company had planned to pay the bills off in a series of payments, but decided today to do it all at once.

Small, the collector, said taxpayers are not permitted in Johnson County to pay "installments" of tax bills, although Hoskins could have paid separately the balances on each of the properties.

 The 2009 Tour of Missouri in Kansas City

It's no secret that state funding for the fourth annual Tour of Missouri bike race next year is in deep trouble.

That trouble only compounded this week when the state Tourism Commission developed three budgetary scenarios for next year -- and none of them contained the $1.5 million the state forked over for this year's race.

Marci Bennett, the commission chair, told Prime Buzz that the problem is state funding for tourism remains on the chopping block.

Last week, the panel saw its funding cut by another $1.6 million.

The commission developed three funding scenarios for next year: one if the tourism budget is $16 million, one if it sits at $13 million and a final one at $11 million. (The commission budget a few years ago was $26 million).

Updated at 5:30 p.m.: Hoskins has paid the back taxes.

JEFFERSON CITY | State Rep. Denny Hoskins, a Warrensburg Republican, owes more than $20,000 in back taxes on rental property he owns with his brother.

Hoskins, a first-term lawmaker, acknowledged the tax bills in an interview with Prime Buzz on Wednesday and promised to pay them.

"We have a plan," he said. "The taxes will be paid."

Hos Properties LLC, the property management company he owns with his brother, Brian Hoskins, has had trouble keeping tenants and collecting rent, he said. He attributed the difficulties to the economic downturn.

"Just because I'm a state legislator, I'm not immune from the economic recession," Hoskins said. "We're struggling and our rental properties are struggling to stay above water. We trying all we can to get those (tax bills) paid off."

Updated at 5:04 p.m.

 Correction: The following blog post is in error. Kinder's tweets were not removed from his Twitter account, merely overlooked for very lame technological reasons by a careless reporter. Apologies to Kinder and his staff.

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JEFFERSON CITY | Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder has caught some flak over his Twitter posts concerning the not-a-hostage-situation at an office building here yesterday.

Seems a few in the blogosphere feel he flew a little off the handle and may have spread some inaccurate information.

Well, you'd never know it now. If you check out Kinder's Twitter account today, you'll find an 11-hour gap between tweets yesterday, which includes when all the excitement was taking place at the Governor Office Building. 

From the AP:

Democratic Senate candidate Robin Carnahan says she is both excited and concerned about House-passed legislation that would overhaul the nation's health care system.

But Carnahan, who is Missouri's secretary of state, declined to specifically say Tuesday whether she supports the bill.

Rep. Roy Blunt voted against the bill that Democrats narrowly passed last Saturday. Blunt is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2010 Senate race.

Blunt says the bill could lead to a government takeover of health insurance and higher premiums for consumers.

Carnahan says she has concerns about whether the bill does enough to make health care affordable. But she says she is excited about the debate and calls the House vote an important first step.

Lt. Gov. Peter KinderMissouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, a Republican, tweeted today that President Obama told ABC that jail time is appropriate punishment for not buying health insurance.

Except that Obama didn't say that.

Updated: 2:10 p.m. 

JEFFERSON CITY | Police lowered barricades and reopened streets around 2 p.m., nearly four hours after an apparent hostage situation was reported in a downtown office building here.

Officials offered no statements, but it was clear there were no hostages or threat of danger.

Police will hold a press conference at 4 p.m.

Downtown Jefferson City was essentially shut down beginning shortly after 10 a.m., following a call to police from a private alarm company reporting a possible hostage situation in the Governor Office Building, a privately owned building across the street from the governor's mansion.

According to officials, an employee in the building heard something on a building intercom system that led her to believe a hostage situation was in progress. The employee reported that information to her boss, who then contacted Sonitrol, the building's security services provider. Sonitrol, in turn, contacted Jefferson City police, which initiated the response.

JEFFERSON CITY | Eastern Jackson County voters looking for early insight into what could be one of the closest primaries of the 2010 election season should head to Moreland Ridge Middle School in Blue Springs on Tuesday night.

State Rep. Bryan Pratt, of Blue Springs, is holding a town hall meeting from 6 to 8 p.m.

Pratt, the House speaker pro tem, is one of two incumbent Republican state representative lawyers with a variation of the first name "Brian" vying for the 8th District Senate Seat, which includes Lee's Summit, Blue Springs and rural Jackson County.

His opponent is Brian Yates, of Lee's Summit.

The race is sure to be one of the most closely watched in next August's primary, since it also represents a battle between Republican political consultants in the state. Yates is aligned with KC consultant Jeff Roe, while Pratt has connections to former House Speaker Rod Jetton.

JEFFERSON CITY | There's a rumor going around the Capitol that Joe Bindbeutel, the former DNR deputy who was washed out of state government last month in connection with Dirty Watergate, may find a new-old job in the office of Attorney General Chris Koster.

We don't usually report on mere rumors, but this one is interesting because the AG's office isn't trying very hard to quash it.

Prime Buzz (and other reporters) caught up with spokeswoman Nanci Gonder. Her response: "He has not joined the attorney general’s office and no decision has been made."

When pressed on whether Bindbeutel is being considered for a position, Gonder said she couldn't comment further, not even to clarify her statement that sure makes it seem like he is being considered.

JEFFERSON CITY | Less than a week before the 2009-2010 Missouri Manual will be unveiled, the Secretary of State's office is making previous "Blue Books" available online.

A collection of Blue Books -- which contain data on elected officials, state departments, election results and employee salaries -- from 1889 to 1972 can now be accessed through the Missouri Digital Heritage Initiative .

Check them out here. Newer, digital-era, editions are available here .

The first Blue Book was published in 1878. They are compiled every two years and, taken together, provide detailed statistical, historical, and political data covering most of the state's history.

JEFFERSON CITY | As expected, October was another ugly month for state revenue collections in Missouri.

High unemployment has sapped income-tax collections, and the still-weak economy has seriously dented sales-tax revenues.

Since the start of the fiscal year in July, the state has collected $2.15 billion in general revenues -- 10.8 percent less than the same months in 2008. For October, revenues were $442.7 million -- fully 14 percent off the $514.8 million collected a year ago.

Here's the breakdown for each tax type, as reported by the state Office of Administration:

Individual income tax collections

*Decreased 8.3 percent for the year, from $1.68 billion last year to $1.54 billion this year.

*Decreased 8.6 percent for the month.

JEFFERSON CITY | St. Joseph Democrat Ed Wildberger resigned from his House seat on Monday to take a gubernatorial appointment as Buchanan County recorder of deeds.

Wildberger had served as minority caucus chairman and last year ran unsuccessfully to replace Rep. Paul LeVota as minority leader. He was in his fourth -- and final -- term.

The new gig pays $55,000 a year. Wildberger's salary as a part-time lawmaker: about $36,000.

Gov. Jay Nixon called a special election for Feb. 2 to fill the Wildberger's seat.

JEFFERSON CITY | Gov. Jay Nixon on Monday appointed Gerald E. Winship to the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority.

Winship, 75, of Lee's Summit, works in public relations for Bank Liberty. He previously served on the authority for less than a full term earlier this decade. He is identified by Nixon's office as an independent, although he ran for state treasurer in 1980 and last served on the authority as a Republican. Nixon is a Democrat.

The authority oversees maintenance and operation of the Harry S. Truman Sports Complex. Winship will join the authority immediately, but must be confirmed by the Senate after the legislature reconvenes in January. If confirmed, his term ends in 2014.