Trying out a new column idea on the happenings in Jeff City -- let us know what you think!

Lisa of the Week:
Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal
Kudos to Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal for leading a 14.5 hour filibuster in the Senate in defense of the egregious SB592/"Workplace Discrimination".  This bill would turn back time in Missouri's workplaces, circa 1950s; eliminating whistleblower protections, repealing the Missouri Human Rights Act and making it harder for discriminated employees to seek damages.  While all Democrat Senators pitched in to block this scary bill, Sen. Chappelle-Nadal stood and spoke for 10 hours without food or breaks.

"I truly believe that individuals who have been harassed and who have been wronged in their employment should have an avenue to go through where they do have a trial by jury," Maria Chappelle-Nadal said after the Senate vote. "I do not believe that one individual should make a determination based on the facts and have the ability to throw out a case."

For those new to the issue:

Missourians for Responsible Lending is a real deal grassroots campaign to reform the Payday Loan Industry and limit the APR to 36%, down from the current 1900%.

The out-of-state bankers and lawyers that make up corporate opposition groups Missourians for Equal Credit Opportunity and Stand Up Missouri have been bringing out all the stops as they realize they're about to be reined in.

The most recent bit of trickery the loan sharks have practiced is writing up two new ballot initiatives themselves, that also "reform" Payday Loans. Here's exerpts from the St. Louis Beacon's article.

Just another totally normal email newsletter from a state Senator. 

From: Brian Nieves
Date: February 2, 2012 6:07:42 PM CST
Subject: Access to Elected Officials...

Is it Easy to visit Our State capitol?...

          One of the things I think all Reps and Senators look forward to is when actual “Real People,” folks from back home, come to visit us. My office is one where constituents are welcomed and encouraged to visit BUT unfortunately there are certain segments of our population who have difficulty doing so. Why? In addition to the challenges inherent to a 100+ year old building, we also have the challenge of limited parking. Our capitol building houses 163 Representatives and 34 Senators as well as multiple members of the executive branch. On any given day there are many, sometimes hundreds, of visitors who need to visit with their elected officials and have their voices heard. Over the last ten years I’ve become increasingly upset to see persons with disabilities, particularly those who became disabled in the service of our great nation, having to park blocks from the capitol and walk long distances to get to the building! I have, on multiple occasions, quietly filed legislation to correct this problem by changing the way parking is reserved at our capitol but have received little or no support. You may wonder why our politicians would resist fixing this obvious problem and I’ll tell you why… The only way to expand handicap parking is to reduce or eliminate the premium, reserved parking held for members of the press. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard legislators indicate they’re unwillingness to “tangle” with or get in to a battle of sorts, with the press! Legislators are, with good reason, afraid to upset the press and typically try to avoid doing so. Why? Very simple, have you ever heard the old adage, “Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel?” There is a very very good reason that adage is so well known and I can tell you from personal experience that when you tangle with the press, it gets ugly! Several members of the press have written ugly, insulting and downright attacking articles, editorials, and opinion pieces in the recent days since I filed my expansion of handicap parking bill. Our very own Bill Miller Sr. and a Saint Louis reporter named Tony Messenger have written “Hit Pieces” about me filing my parking fix that are so ugly that many people read them and immediately called me to express how sad they were to see members of the press act like such bullies! Mr. Miller’s article was entitled, in big bold print, “Nieves is an Embarrassment” and it only got worse from there. Both of these so called “News Reporters” had not written anything about me for a long time but WHAM! As soon as I file a bill to replace the press parking with handicap parking, they suddenly feel the need to attack attack attack! Do I feel like a victim? Not at all. Do I feel intimidated by the obvious attempts to bully and cajole? Not at all. Will I be forced by the press to sit silent while our disabled veterans have to walk from two blocks away so that healthy, able bodied members of the press park right up front? Never!

@tonymess: "Just asked state auditor Tom Schweich if he is still considering running for Republican nomination for governor. His answer: 'No comment.'" 

The Washington Missourian has had enough of Brian Nieves junk.  In a new must-read editorial from Editor Bill Miller:

We don't usually refer to "reform" in the sense of an elected official. The word usually is used in regard to laws and proposed legislation. But today we are using it in regard to our State Sen. Brian Nieves, who has proven to be an embarrassment to the citizens of our senatorial district.

For a brief period, he had been quiet and we were naive enough to think maybe he had "reformed" somewhat from his usual unsenatorial-like conduct. We were wrong!

For the last several weeks, the Indiana legislature has been in a protracted battle with workers in an effort to pass their Right to Work for Less bill.  Unfortunately for millions of workers in Indiana, the legislature succeeded today with their senate passing the bill out and which their governor, Mitch Daniels, confirmed to sign.

Take a moment to think about what happened in Indiana today:

Wages will go down - studies show the average wage for union and non-union workers in RTW4L states are significantly lower than in fair bargaining states

Fewer people will have access to health care - 21% more people lack health insurance in RTW4L states than in free bargaining states

Workplace deaths and injuries will likely rise - according to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of workplace deaths is 51 percent higher in states with right to work, where unions can’t speak up on behalf of workers

We have an exclusive from senate wannabe John Brunner on why he isn't attending tonight's GOP debate in Branson:

h/t Roy Temple

Dave Spence isn't having a good week - and that's saying something given that it's only Monday.

First he was caught slamming GOP party leadership and touting his own "leadership" in creating the finest fraternity house in the nation.  I'm unsure how raising millions of bucks for a fraternity house is the kind of leadership you want to see in the Missouri governor's mansion, but maybe I'm missing something.  I can't argue about household expenses with a guy who knows more about home economics than I do.  But I digress.

Then, earlier today Public Policy Polling tweeted that Bill Randles is leading Dave Spence in the GOP primary.  We'll know a lot more tomorrow when they release the full poll, but given that little tidbit, it's hard to think that there's anything but more bad news for Spence.

Poor Dave Spence.  Another terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Ed. note -- A reference to inaccurate reports that Spence misstated the state's population has been removed.  A junior staffer has been asked to fall on his or her sword for or repeating information she or he was given, as we refuse to take any responsibility for our role in advancing obvious falsehoods.

Then talks about how great a leader he was at his FRAT house.

"We raised $8.6 million dollars ... so it's going to be the finest fraternity house in the country."

It's unclear how creating the finest fraternity house in the country will serve Spence in his campaign for governor...

A few weeks ago, we covered what the Everything Tax would do to services provided to Missourians - raise their prices with a sales tax hike - but that's not all.  In addition to taxing services like swimming lessons, car repair, and Fluffy's vet appointments, the Everything Tax would also tax advertising - an effort that Florida attempted which was then repealed mere months after its imposition, in what I'm sure was costly waste of taxpayer dollars.  The idea of taxing advertising immediately presents a First Amendment concern, given that it would essentially be a tax on the freedom of speech. This is definitely a foul idea being pushed in Missouri, and shows again just how bad the Everything Tax is for Missouri.

The Everything Tax also has some scary provisions when it comes to Missourian's health care.  From Coalition for Missouri's Future:

While Missouri cannot constitutionally tax federal Medicare or Medicaid payments, it can – and will – tax payments made by private insurers. In analyzing the petitions, both the state budget office and the Missouri Department of Revenue say that payments by private insurers to health care providers on behalf of insurers will be taxed.

All health care services, including doctor fees, dentist fees, and hospital payments, will be subject to the proposed tax.

How's this for strange bedfellows? Robbyn Wahby, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay's Deputy Chief of Staff and wife of City Democrats Chair Brian Wahby, was on a "School Choice" panel put on this week by the Koch Brothers-funded Americans For Prosperity. The event was moderated by Jim Hoft, the race baiting Gateway Pundit. Her fellow panelists included Dana "drop trou and urinate on dead Afghanis" Loesch and Dick Morris. Yes, that Dick Morris.

The event was a teachers union-bashing propaganda festival, with words of wisdom like this:

I hadn't heard about Rex giving money to such blatant anti-union efforts - I thought he just focused on Tax Stuff.

However, buried deep in a recent online edition of the Milwaukee - Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, is word that soon-to-be-recalled Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is getting some out-of-state financial help from a (un)usual suspect - Rex Sinquefield.

Three others gave him $50,000 each: Jere Fabick, president of Fabco Equipment of Milwaukee; Rex Sinquefield, co-founder of Dimensional Fund Advisors; and Robert Kerbell, president of Lorman Education Services in Eau Claire.

Huh. Weird.

Rex reminded us today that he really, really wants to kill the state income tax and replace with a higher sales tax that would apply to pretty much, well - everything. He wrote a check to Let Voters Decide for $1.224 million yesterday.

We all know there's plenty more where that came from.

Read cover at StL Today.

The audience is back, but Cranky Ron Paul got the laughs and most of the cheers were not for Newt.

There was the usual sparring about who is the most anti-immigrant (Jeb Bush says, in Spanish, that neither Newt or Mitt can win over Hispanics), why does Mitt have so much money, why does Ron Paul want to be friends with the Castro brothers, why they all hate Romneycare and Obamacare, and why is Suits Santorum still on the stage.

Newtie reiterated his theory of the war on religion to loud audience cheers, and talked about the importance of the president having core faith and living that faith everyday. Earlier, speaking on a radio show he said that same sex marriage is a pagan behavior. Guess he doesn't think one man, two women is "pagan behavior."

13.9%er Romney said he'd fire anyone with an idea of spending hundreds of million of dollars to colonize the moon. Miss Liberty would absolutely vote for Newt if he would promise to live there.

Fuzzy math has always been a republican affectation, but when Cranky Ron Paul called Newt out over his claims of balancing the budget, and Newt began to bloviate, the audience booed him.

The most demeaning question of all the debates was put to all four candidates. Why would his wife make a great first lady? Wolf Blitzer didn't specify which of Newtie's wives they were asking about, but his answer that Callista plays the french horn might be a reason to look at the other two.

If the average Missourian takes home approximately $45,000 a year, let's see what Mittens would make for every dollar a Missourian would.

From MittBucks.com:

Mitt Romney made over $21.7 million in 2010. For most people, that number is so huge it's hard to comprehend. Mittbucks puts Romney's income into perspective for you, showing you what ordinary stuff would have to cost him before he could relate to your daily experience with money.

For every $1 you make, Mitt Romney makes $416.01

For Mitt to have an understanding of your day-to-day expenses, a gallon of gas would have to cost him $1,393.65, a 20 oz. soda would have to cost him $661.46, and a pizza would have to cost about $4,318.23.

When Mitt casually bet Rick Perry $10,000 at a recent debate, that would be like you betting a friend $24.04. Consider that - Mitt thinks about $10,000 the same way you think about $24.04.

I would hope that Peter Kinder, Shane Schoeller and their anti-worker ilk in the Missouri legislature would pause for a minute after reading the following article out of Wisconsin.  Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin has said that he SUPPORTS the prevailing wage and has NO INTENTION of pushing Right to Work for Less.

Got that?  It bears repeating: one of the nation's most extreme anti-worker politicians is opposed to Right to Work for Less and supports the prevailing wage.

Walker won't push Right-to-Work legislation

Right-to-work legislation continues to be a contentious issue around the country, particularly in Indiana.

But don't look for Gov. Scott Walker to raise the issue in Wisconsin, particularly after the bruising battle over collective bargaining and public-sector unions.

Cullen Werwie, Walker's spokesman, said the governor would not be introducing any right-to-work legislation in Wisconsin.

That's what Terrance E. McGowan, business manager of Operating Engineers Local 139, believes, too.[...]

McGowan said he spoke with Walker's campaign at the time to underscore that the union was in favor of prevailing wage laws and was opposed to right-to-work laws.

Ed Martin is running for US Senate, Congress, Governor Attorney General. Where does one even begin?