Political observers in Missouri were no doubt paying attention to a statewide ballot question in Ohio that sent reverberations around the country Tuesday.
Ohio voters said no to Issue 1, which among other things would have raised the threshold for passing future changes to the Ohio Constitution from a simple majority to 60% as Republicans sought to prepare for a November statewide ballot question that will ask voters to codify abortion rights.
Initiative petition reform was a major 2023 priority for Missouri Republicans that fell by the wayside in this year’s legislative session despite supermajorities in both chambers. The House passed a bill that would ask voters to approve a change from a simple majority to 55% in order to amend the state’s constitution, but the bill stalled in the Senate amid in-fighting on other issues.
Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, confirmed earlier this spring that the push to change the threshold was coming amid GOP fears that a ballot measure to roll back the state’s current abortion law, which has no exceptions for rape or incest, would pass under the current simple majority requirement.
One day after the result in Ohio, Missouri House Speaker Pro Tem Mike Henderson, R-Bonne Terre, said in an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and confirmed with Spectrum News that polling they had told them that 60% threshold was too high but of 55%? “I still think that’s probably a number that the people would probably find palatable,” he said, adding that the push to make changes here still had "momentum" despite the setback in Ohio.
If that's true in the 2024 session, Missouri could find itself on a similar glide path to Ohio, asking voters to decide a threshold change before putting it to the test in November.
School salary measure fails
Voters in a handful of St. Louis-area municipalities went to the polls Tuesday, with the two biggest issues deciding the fates of school tax levy questions looking to offer more competitive salaries for district employees.
The FOX C-6 school district in Jefferson County near Arnold asked voters for an operating tax rate increase to help fund more competitive employee salaries and program offerings. The measure was rejected by almost 66% of the voters. The district, which said it had already trimmed nearly $5 million from its budget for the 2023-2024 academic year, warned voters that a no vote could lead to increased class sizes, fewer elective courses at the middle and high school level and cuts to extracurricular and sports programs.
"We understand and respect our community’s voice and will continue to present opportunities to our stakeholders that are in the best interests of our students," Superintendent Dr. Paul Fregeau said in a message shared with district staff and families that did not lay out a timeline for when the district would address those potential impacts. "District Administration will bring recommendations to the Board of Education to consider, but please know that we will continue to listen to our community’s feedback throughout the process."
A similar measure in the Meramec Valley R-III School District, which includes portions of St. Louis County, Franklin County and Jefferson County did pass, by a narrow margin of 44 votes.
Softball showdown
Athletics brought bipartisan teams of state lawmakers from Illinois and Missouri together Monday at Busch Stadium, as Greater St. Louis, Inc. sponsored the annual Bi-State Softball Showdown.
At a time when the two states in many ways can’t be more different when it comes to legislation on the day’s hot-button issues like abortion or guns, there was a chance for fellowship across state and party lines.
Missouri House Majority Floor Leader State Rep. Jonathan Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, and Illinois Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Belleville, captained each club, with Missouri winning the day by a score of 10-2.
“We are mostly Republican and they’re mostly Democrat so it does have a bipartisan feel to it I think any time you can get us together out of the chambers and just getting along that’s a good thing for both parties,” Patterson said.
If there are stark differences between the states on issues like crime, abortion or tax policy, there are issues like infrastructure and economic development that can bring the two together.
“We’re building the 270 bridge across the Mississippi River. It’s going on right now. It’s a joint project between Illinois, Missouri. We worked very hard when we did the Stan Musial Bridge together, and we’ve done that over and over and over as a region, which I think is a result of some of the relationships not only here but we developed at other events throughout the year,” Hoffman said.
Seen and Heard: State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, played in the game for the first time, and potentially not the last, even if he’s selected as the state’s next Supreme Court judge later this year. The Farmington native is one of more than 20 candidates set to interview for the post later this month. A panel will give Gov. Parson three candidates to select from, with a decision expected by late October. Luetkemeyer said he’s open to the idea of asking for a special dispensation to participate next year even if he trades in his State Senate seat for a robe on the bench.
Seen but not heard: As the lawmakers and their families gathered for a pregame meal at Busch, it was hard not to notice Cardinals Team President Bill DeWitt III, casually looking on. The Cardinals and other pro sports teams have been frustrated over failed attempts in recent legislative sessions to get traction on legalized gambling. On a night that was light on shop talk, it’s worth remembering when the 2024 legislative session starts again in January.
Veto session
In a little more than a month, Missouri lawmakers will return to the capitol Sept. 13 for the annual veto session. It’s unclear what, if anything, in any official capacity will take place. Barring some late developments, there will not be any special session, despite varying calls from lawmakers since May over issues ranging from foreign ownership of farmland to funding for hazardous waste investigations.
Lawmakers from St. Charles County in particular have grumbled since Gov. Parson vetoed millions in funding for projects there, suggesting that the veto session could be “entertaining.”
Patterson poured cold water on the idea Monday.
“I think a Republican General Assembly overriding a Republican governor would be rather extraordinary and improbable. There’s a process in place and we’ll let that play out, but I think it would be an improbable thing to happen,” he said.
One thing that definitely will happen that week? Fundraising. At least 10 separate events are reportedly slated at various venues across Jefferson City that week.
State Fair Politics
The state fairs for both Missouri and Illinois kick off Thursday, and you’ll be able to find plenty of politicians amid the pageantry of livestock in Sedalia and Springfield until Aug. 20.
In Missouri, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, seeking the GOP nomination for Governor in 2024, plans a Thursday afternoon announcement of an endorsement from an agricultural organization in Sedalia.
On Monday, Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Alford,R-Mo. will host a listening session Aug. 14 to get feedback on the Farm Bill, which will need to be re-authorized this fall. The omnibus agriculture bill addresses issues like crop insurance, nutrition programs and agriculture education.
He’s expected to be joined by House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn GT Thompson, R-Pa., Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Missouri Agriculture Director Chris Chinn.
The annual Governor’s Ham Breakfast on Thursday Aug. 17 will no doubt attract statewide elected officials and those running to become one in 2024.
In Illinois, U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski said she’ll be at the State Fair in Illinois Friday. Budzinski and her two fellow Metro East members of Congress—U.S. Rep. Mary Miller and U.S. Rep. Mike Bost–are all on the House committee on Agriculture.
Next week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has already unveiled the 2023 “Butter Cow”, will be back next Wednesday for Governor’s Day at the fair in Springfield. Illinois Republicans will host special guests at the fair the following day.