Missouri Politics

Missouri's Approved Gun Bills: Concealed-Carry Permits Easier to Get, Record-Keeping Banned

The legislative session in Missouri is finally over. And after months of heated debates on guns, lawmakers have sent controversial bills to the governor that would dramatically change the concealed-carry permit application process -- and increase protections for gun owners. That is, these bills ma ... More >>

Planned Parenthood To Missouri Lawmakers: End The "Campaign Against Women's Health"

The Missouri legislative session ended last week and one of the many successes the state GOP is celebrating is the passage of a bill to add restrictions to the "abortion pill." It's one of several Republican initiatives that Planned Parenthood is now slamming in the aftermath of the session. It's no ... More >>

Will Missouri GOP's Gun Owner Privacy Efforts Make State Vulnerable to Terrorism, Fraud?

The debate around the privacy of gun owners has dominated the legislature this session, with Republican lawmakers' persistent outcry regarding record-keeping in the state. The worry is that the Missouri license bureau, under the direction of Democratic Governor Jay Nixon, could be collecting and st ... More >>

Guns: GOP Pushes To Make Concealed-Carry Permit Process Easier, Protect Privacy

Missouri Republicans are pushing forward with a privacy bill to block the state from maintaining personal records -- and in the process have introduced an amendment that supporters say will make it easier to get concealed-carry permits. That proposal from State Senator Ed Emery would eliminate the ... More >>

$400,000 Ad Blitz Asks Missouri, Jay Nixon to Stop Sending Gun Owner Data to Obama

The allegations that Missouri officials are sending private gun owner information off to the federal government has hit the airwaves this week -- with a $400,000 ad blitz directly targeting Governor Jay Nixon, a Democrat. This radio and television ad campaign, which launched yesterday, comes less ... More >>

Gay Marriage: Governor Jay Nixon Doesn't Want to Talk About it Right Now

With the United States Supreme Court considering gay marriage this week, people across the country are talking about the issue of marriage equality. But not Governor Jay Nixon. Questioned about it at a press conference yesterday -- just two days after Senator Claire McCaskill publicly stated her su ... More >>

With Akin Out, Here Are 5 Wackos to Watch in Missouri Politics

What's Daily RFT gonna do without Todd Akin in the Senate? After breathing a sigh of relief for our state's integrity, we've gotta admit we'll miss the man who has given us so much in mortifying entertainment, from "legitimate rape" to "at the heart of liberalism really is a hatred for God" to the p ... More >>

Don't Worry, Peter Kinder: The UN Won't Suppress GOP Votes in Missouri

Last Thursday, incumbent Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder sounded a wee bit paranoid while talking to conservative radio host Dana Loesch. The reason: A United Nations-affiliated group will be observing the November 6 general elections here in Missouri and several other states. Such monitors, Kinder ... More >>

Primary Results: Akin to Face McCaskill, Clay Trounces Carnahan, Jones Wins City Treasurer

Yesterday's Missouri primary resulted in a few surprises. The biggest, perhaps, was Congressman Lacy Clay's stunning victory over Congressman Russ Carnahan for Missouri's First Congressional District that includes all of St. Louis and much of the county. Clay garnered 63.2 percent of the vote to Car ... More >>

Odds Stacked Against Black Candidates, According to Some Operatives

If black candidates do not win these elections, where the odds are stacked against them, St. Louis, a city that is roughly 50 percent African American, will have no black representatives in Congress, the Missouri Senate or in the state House.

Peter Kinder Second to Anthony Weiner in Embarrassing Tweets of 2011

​Peter Kinder didn't need the Riverfront Times to embarrass him last year by exposing his bizarre relationship with a former stripper and Penthouse centerfold. It turns out Missouri's lieutenant governor is plenty skilled at embarrassing himself -- via Twitter. Last week the NationalJournal named ... More >>

Dave Spence Pumps $2 Million Into His Campaign

Republican gubernatorial candidate Dave Spence pumped a cool $2 million into his campaign yesterday. That is half a million more than Governor Jay Nixon, a Democrat, raised in the third quarter alone and nearly half as much as Nixon has in his entire war chest ($4.2 million at the end of the third ... More >>

The Unconventional Campaign of Mike Carter, Lieutenant Governor Candidate

​In 2008, Mike Carter ran in the Democratic primary for Missouri lieutenant governor and voted in the Republican primary for president. He likes the idea of government being run as a business but doesn't like the idea of privatizing certain government duties. He thinks there are "serious problems" ... More >>

Peter Kinder Will Not Be Running for Governor

Peter Kinder's had a rough year.​Today Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder announced that he will not run for governor. Instead he will seek a third term at his current seat. On one hand this is mildly surprising considering that he's been considered the GOP front-runner to challenge Governor Jay Ni ... More >>

What's Worse than a Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Who Frequented Strip Clubs? How About One Who Supports TARP?

Image viaRepublican leaders hope personal care packaging mogul Dave Spence can be a more attractive gubernatorial candidate than Lt. Governor Peter Kinder.​Big news yesterday on the Missouri gubernatorial election front. Dave Spence, a businessman from St. Louis, has jumped into the race. Spence ... More >>

What Are Missourians Required to Do When Faced With Jerry Sandusky-Style "Horseplay"?

image via​Say Mike McQueary had stumbled on Jerry Sandusky engaging in "horseplay" (as Sandusky described it to Bob Costas on Monday night) with a ten-year-old boy in a shower in Columbia instead of State College. Forget questions of moral obligation versus moral cowardice. Would our hypotheti ... More >>

Does Missouri Allow Convicted Felons to Possess Guns?

​In a 4,650-word, front-page treatise in yesterday's New York Times, author Michael Luo lays bare a significant trend: each year, thousands of felons across the country have their gun rights reinstated following prison sentences, despite a federal law that strips away the right to bear arms fo ... More >>

Steve Tilley Drops Out of Race for Lieutenant Governor

Tilley, the 2012 lieutenant governor frontrunner dropped out of the race yesterday.​It's been a rough few weeks for Missouri Speaker of the House Steve Tilley. In mid-October he disclosed that he and his wife of eighteen years, Kellie, were divorcing. Then in early November, with the proceedings ... More >>

Hundreds Flock to Jay Nixon's Downtown Fundraiser

​Daily RFT didn't get an invite* to Governor Jay Nixon's fundraiser yesterday, but apparently hundreds of other people did.A source in attendance tells Daily RFT that an estimated 600 people arrived last night at the Renaissance Grand downtown to support Nixon in his bid for re-election. David Pea ... More >>

Audit Blasts Tour of Missouri, Peter Kinder

Peter Kinder​Lt. Governor Peter Kinder voted to give $2.5 million in taxpayer money to the non-profit company running the Tour of Missouri bicycle race -- even while he served as the company's chairman.And that's a conflict of interest, says the state auditor. In a newly released audit of the Miss ... More >>

Bill Randles: Unknown Polls Almost as Well as Peter Kinder Against Governor Nixon

The whole "pantless party" thing is not helping Peter Kinder with McCain voters, Public Policy Polling finds.​Governor Jay Nixon would basically stomp the crap out of his likely Republican challenger, Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, if the 2012 gubernatorial election had been held this week.In fact, ac ... More >>

Report: Karl Rove Raises $160,000 for Peter Kinder

In Peter Kinder terminology, Karl Rove "made it rain" Wednesday night. ​Republican strategist Karl Rove touched down in Cape Girardeau Wednesday night for a fundraiser for Lt. Governor Peter Kinder. Tickets to the dinner and discussion went for $250 to $2,500 a pop and helped raise $160,000 for th ... More >>

Jack Danforth for Governor Facebook Page Illustrates Waning Support for Peter Kinder

243 Facebook users have found their Kinder alternative: former U.S. Sentor John "Jack" Danforth​The search for the Peter Kinder Alternative has unofficially begun. Last Thursday, a "Draft Jack- Danforth for Governor 2012" Facebook page popped up. John "Jack" Danforth, of course, is the moderate ... More >>

GOP consultant David Barklage owes the Feds big bucks

Major Political Donor to Peter Kinder Says He'll No Longer Support Candidate

tamko.comDavid Humphreys gave $1.31 million to Missouri Republican candidates and causes in 2010.​A major Republican donor who this year alone contributed $125,000 to Peter Kinder's political campaign says he's pulling his support from the candidate. David Humphreys, owner of the Joplin-based Tamk ... More >>

Top Missouri GOP Consultant Hasn't Paid His Taxes

courtesy of Fired Up! MissouriDavid Barklage (right) with Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder​As the main political consultant to Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder -- and a key strategist for the Missouri Republican Party -- David Barklage preaches the gospel of financial responsibility and ac ... More >>

Peter Kinder Responds to Allegations: "This Woman's Bizarre Story Is Not True"

Kinder and Chapman: The photo that started it all.​This morning we wrote how Peter Kinder has remained mum since Tuesday when Riverfront Times first revealed a former stripper's startling allegations against Missouri's lieutenant governor. Tammy Chapman accuses Kinder of being one of her best cust ... More >>

Governor Nixon Toys With City's Hopes for Local Control in Special Session

Will Governor Nixon throw St. Louis a bone this September?​On Wednesday, Mayor Francis Slay wrote on his blog and the Post-Dispatch reported that a bill to bring local control to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department would be included in the special session now being planned for Septemb ... More >>

Dems to Ask Justice Department For Photo ID Investigation

Marcia Fudge: The Cleveland congresswoman wants the Justice Department to investigate photo ID laws like the one planned for Missouri ballots in 2012​Next year, Missouri voters will be asked to consider an amendment to the state's constitution, requiring voters to bring an unexpired Missouri or fe ... More >>

Rex Sinquefield Donates $82,000 to Peter Kinder's Campaign

Peter Kinder has 82,000-plus reasons to smile today.​Missouri's political puppet master Rex Sinquefield yesterday made two contributions to Lt. Governor Peter Kinder's campaign coffers, totaling $82,191. Kinder is expected to soon announce that he'll run for governor against incumbent Jay Nixon in ... More >>

It's Already 2012 for Claire McCaskill: Attack ads circulating online and on the radio

Group Cleared for Petition Drive to Strengthen Will of Missouri Voters

protectvoters.com​At first they considered calling it the "Voter Protection Act." Then it was to be called "Will of the People Act." And now, finally, the "Your Vote Counts Act." But in every one of the eight filings Your Vote Counts has made in recent weeks with the Missouri Secretary of State's ... More >>

How Much Does American Crossroads Hate Claire McCaskill?

Watch your back, Claire. They're already out to get you.​You may have heard that Claire McCaskill, Missouri's senior senator, is running for re-election in 2012. She doesn't know who her Republican opponent is yet. (Congressman Todd Akin and former state treasurer and gubernatorial candidate S ... More >>

28 Percent of Missouri Legislators Don't Have College Degrees

Meanwhile, in Jefferson City...​Aha! Finally, everything coming out of Jefferson City makes sense!Missouri legislators are less educated than their counterparts in other states, according to an analysis out today in the Chronicle of Higher Education. Just 69 percent of Missouri representatives and ... More >>

Politico: Peter Kinder Has Little Chance of Defeating Jay Nixon for Governor

Kinder: The interesting choice for governor. ​Republican officials and strategists in Missouri have little faith in Lt. Governor Peter Kinder's ability to unseat Governor Jay Nixon in 2012, according to an article published yesterday on Politico.com.The story, titled "In Missouri, Random Acts of P ... More >>

Governor Jay Nixon Gets Subtly Mocked on This American Life

Image viaMissouri Governor Jay Nixon, kinda laughed at by Ira Glass​Politicians love love love talking about job creation, reported Ira Glass over the weekend on NPR's This American Life. In fact, some pols are so crazy about new jobs, they'll hold a press conference when a government program crea ... More >>

On the Tenth Day the Missouri Legislature Created Prayer

We're guessing that this isn't the kind of prayer Missouri legislators want to guarantee.​Tenth day of May, that is. Yes, yesterday the Missouri Legislature passed another proposed amendment to the Missouri Constitution. If passed by Missouri voters in 2012, the amendment would guarantee the right ... More >>

Missouri Democratic Party Calls on Peter Kinder to Reimburse Tax Payers for Lavish Hotel Stays

Peter Kinder appearing in a 2010 interview about his lawsuit to stop "Obamacare."​If you didn't see yesterday's article on Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder, stop what your doing and give it a read. Post-Dispatch reporter Jake Wagman provides a text-book example on how to nail a double-tal ... More >>

Effort Underway to Shrink Missouri House From 163 Reps to 103

Missouri voters would be asked to trim the fat. ​If you work in the private sector in Missouri, chances are pretty good that your business experienced some downsizing (a.k.a. layoffs) over the last few years. That's not the case, though, for those public sector employees who happen to work on the ... More >>

Guesstimate: One in Four Missouri Legislators Armed and Ludicrous

How Missouri legislators envision themselves when they close their eyes.​Missouri legislators are once again tackling the big issues this week -- debating a bill that would allow more people to pack heat inside the state capitol. Currently, only state senators and representatives are allowed to ca ... More >>

MO Auditor Dings Cops for Missing Asset Forfeiture Reports

​Last month, in a story about the Camp Zoe case called "Shakedown," the RFT's Keegan Hamilton detailed the shocking process by which federal and state law enforcement authorities may legally seize cash, land or other valuables from a citizen -- even in cases in which the citizen has never been cha ... More >>

Wisconsin Walkout: Could It Happen in Missouri?

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon: He's no Scott Walker.​Catching up on the news from Wisconsin -- where Democratic state senators have gone on the lam rather than give Governor Scott Walker the quorum he needs to gut state workers' collective-bargaining rights -- we found ourselves wondering: Could suc ... More >>

Missouri Legislators Are Storm Tough -- Unlike Illinois Pansies

State Rep. Cynthia Davis (R-O'Fallon) photographed on her way to work this morning.​Say what you will about Missouri legislators, there's one insult you cannot hurl at our state's elected officials. They're not wussies when it comes to the weather. Yes, while their counterparts in Illinois turn an ... More >>

Nixon Promotes New Programs, Quotes Goldilocks

Nixon compared his budget to a bowl of porridge.​Less than a week after announcing hefty cuts to Missouri higher education, Gov. Jay Nixon traveled to St. Louis to promote college scholarships for urban kids in low-income families. Speaking to a gathering of school officials at St. Louis Com ... More >>

Missouri Democratic Party Flat Broke, Says New Chairwoman and Former Missouri Auditor

Susan Montee: "There is no money."​In one of her first tasks as the new chair of the Missouri Democratic Party, Susan Montee returned to her roots as state auditor to review the agency's finances, including its checkbooks, planning documents, payrolls. Conclusion: The cupboards are bare. "The insp ... More >>

Is This 1972? Nixon Cancels Trip to Taiwan; Doesn't Want to Offend Chinese

Nixon glad-handing in China, 1972.​Quick! Is this 2010 or 1972? If you guessed the latter, you'd be forgiven today -- especially after reading about how "Nixon" recently canceled a visit to Taiwan after hearing that the trip could offend the Chinese. But wait! It's not Richard Nixon we're talking ... More >>

New Dem Party Chair Susan Montee: "We're Down About as Far as We Can Go"

Can she bring her party out of the doldrums?​One month after Missouri's Democratic candidates suffered a series of bruising defeats in the midterm elections, the party swiftly moved to make a change at the helm. Out as party chairman is Craig Hosmer, who held the post for two years. In his p ... More >>

In Asset Forfeiture Cases Like Camp Zoe, Feds Help Local Police Keep Money From Missouri Schools

Image ViaThe motto and emblem of the DEA's asset forfeiture program.​In their complaint filed earlier this month, federal prosecutors estimate that the 350-acre music venue and campground Camp Zoe is worth $600,000. The authorities say the land should be confiscated using a procedure called civil ... More >>

In Asset Forfeiture Cases Like the One at Camp Zoe, Feds Help Local Police Keep Money From Missouri Schools

Image ViaThe motto and emblem of the DEA's asset forfeiture program.​In their complaint filed earlier this month, federal prosecutors estimate that the 350-acre music venue and campground Camp Zoe is worth $600,000. The authorities say the land should be confiscated using a procedure called civil ... More >>

Kinder Finally Files that Lawsuit vs. Health Care Reform

Peter Kinder​He's been huffing and puffing about it since April. But will the lawsuit Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder filed yesterday be enough to blow health care reform down? Probably not. But, hey, it makes for good political theater. In his federal lawsuit filed yesterday in Cape Girardeau, Kinder argue ... More >>