Anti stem-cell research group coming to Springfield

A coalition from Missourians Against Human Cloning and Missouri Roundtable for Life will hold a rally in Springfield sometime before the stem cell research issue is voted on in November.
The groups held its first in a series of rallies Monday night in a Jefferson City church. Rallies are also planned for Cape Girardeau, St. Louis, and Kansas City.

Helms addresses bankruptcy issue in News-Leader article

Springfield businessman Steve Helms, a candidate for 138th District state representative, addressed the issue of his 2003 bankruptcy in an article in today's Springfield News-Leader.
The bankruptcy was first revealed in the July 22 Turner Report The article says:

The difficulty came when he was involved in buying, rehabbing, renting and reselling distressed property. Many of his properties were in surrounding communities. As interest rates dropped, and more people bought homes, it became more difficult to fill the homes he had with qualified renters. "Unfortunately, we may have spread ourselves too thin," he said.

Helms says the experience may help him to become a better representative. He is opposed by Michael Goodart, 26, a former intern for Majority Whip Chuck Purgason.

Wright among bipartisan group pushing for special session

Rep. Mark Wright, R-Springfield, was one of seven legislators, four Republicans and three Democrats, who have gone on record calling for a special session to revive the Ticket to Work program.
The effort came today during a meeting with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board.
The Ticket to Work program, which was eliminated during the 2005 Medicaid cuts, provides assistants to help the disabled to help them hold regular jobs.

Governor's brother files no-expenditure report

The most cost-efficient lobbyist in the state of Missouri has continued adding to his record.
The June disclosure form, posted Monday on the Missouri Ethics Commission website, shows Andrew Blunt, younger brother of Governor Matt Blunt, did not buy any legislators meals, gifts, or even a cup of coffee. While normally I would find that commendable, it appears his effectiveness may have more to do with who he is rather than how he goes about his business.

Boston Globe: GateHouse Media looking to buy more newspapers

GateHouse Media is looking to add even more newspapers, according to an article in this morning;'s Boston Globe.
That strategy has risks, Lou Ureneck, director of Boston University's business and economic journalism program, told the Globe:

"The danger from a public point of view is that the debt burden gets so high that the company begins to drastically reduce its expenditures on the coverage of news."

Cuts have already begun at the New England newspapers purchased by GateHouse, the article said. It also indicates investors are skeptical about the company's recently announced public offering.
GateHouse Media owns The Joplin Daily, Carthage Press, Neosho Daily News, Neosho Post, and the Big Nickel in this area.

News-Leader editorial: Drug testing violates personal freedom

The Springfield News-Leader Editorial Board came out in opposition to the Branson School District's recent decision to conduct drug tests on students who participate in extracurricular activities, or who apply to park in the school's parking lot.
For The Turner Report take on this issue, check out this July 30 post.

Casino trip helps Hunter near $3,000 mark

He's back to his old tricks.
Rep. Steve Hunter, R-Joplin, apparently went on a legislative fact-finding mission June 9, courtesy of Betsy Morgan, lobbyist for Ameristar Casino. Lobbyist disclosure forms posted today on the Missouri Ethics Commission website indicate Ms. Morgan spent $151.03 on travel for Hunter.
Of that total, $75.52 was credited to the Missouri Beverage Association, with the other $75.51 credited to Ameristar Casino. That gift brought Hunter's total to $2,934.29 for the first six months of 2006, more than the other five Joplin-area legislators combined.
The only other Joplin-area representative to even accepted a lobbyist gift during June, according to the reports, was Kevin Wilson, R-Neosho, who accepted a $5.16 meal from Kevin Vossen, representing AT&T. So far, Wilson has accepted $384.19 from lobbyists this year.
The other Joplin-area representatives and their amounts for the first six months are:
Ed Emery, R-Lamar, $102.51; Ron Richard, R-Joplin, $720.20; Marilyn Ruestman, R-Joplin, $101.22; and Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City, $837.
Allowing Ameristar Casino to foot the bill for his travel is nothing new for Hunter, as has been pointed out numerous times in Turner Report posts going back to 2004, including this blast from the past from the Sept. 25, 2004, Turner Report:

"Though the nature of his fact-finding missions was not spelled out in documents filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission, Hunter accepted travel expenses from lobbyist Sarah Topp on three occasions this year. He accepted travel expenses from lobbyist William Gamble one other time.
"Though Ms. Topp and Gamble represent a number of clients, including the Missouri Sheriffs Association, the Ethics Commission records indicate the travel money to Hunter came courtesy of the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City. Ms. Topp and Gamble also represent all of the interests of Ameristar Casinos, a Las Vegas-based company which only recently moved its operations into this state.
"On Jan. 22, Hunter accepted $91.32 in travel expenses, according to Ethics Commission records. He also accepted $91.32 in travel expenses, indicating he most likely went to the same place, as well as $125 for meals, food, and beverage from Ms. Topp on Feb. 20, $138 in travel expenses from her on March 8, and $455 for meals, food and beverage on March 20.
"Hunter accepted an additional $250 in travel expenses from Gamble on Aug. 28, according to the Ethics Commission records. Hunter was the only legislator to receive gifts from Ms. Topp in February and the only representative (there were three senators) who received gifts in March, records indicate.
"The $1,150.64 Hunter received from the gambling interest is more money than any other area legislator has received from all lobbyists' gifts combined. And the gifts just keep coming."

Apparently, everything old is new again.

One million dollar wrongful death lawsuit filed against Nevada police officer

The father of a Nevada resident who was shot to death in the Super 8 Motel parking lot has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a Nevada police officer.
In the lawsuit, which was filed July 19 in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Rollin Wallace says Officer Lukas Gibson shot Wallace's son, Darren Eugene Wallace "maliciously, intentionally, willfully, without just cause or excuse" on July 21, 2005.
A press release issued by the Nevada Police Department and printed in the Nevada Daily Mail July 26, 2005, said the incident started with "an officer (Mark Burger) attempting to stop a vehicle, driven by Darren Wallace, on East Austin Boulevard at Barrett Street. Police said the vehicle left the city headed south on Barrett Street and a short time later was spotted in the north parking lot of the Super 8 Motel."
Gibson and Burger "stopped the vehicle in the lot and both got out to confront Wallace and the vehicle started at the officers at a high rate of speed, going in between the two police vehicles in what officers said was an apparent attempt to strike one of the officers. (Gibson) fired several shots at the vehicle. One shot struck and fatally wounded Wallace."
In the lawsuit, Wallace's father says the shots were fired "without provocation."
"Shooting and killing Darren Eugene Wallace was not reasonably necessary force to preserve the peace and maintain order or to overcome any resistance to authority, because (he) was unarmed. Gibson did not know the identity of the driver and had no reason to believe he was violent, and Gibson was in no imminent danger."
Wallace is seeking $1 million.

Wright running behind in campaign contributions

Springfield Republican Mark Wright is running an uphill battle for in his campaign for state auditor.
His eight days before election disclosure report filed Monday with the Missouri Ethics Commission shows he has $39,901.46 in his account. Wright spent $3,354.65. Wright's campaign is in debt $50,000.
Wright had only two major contributions during the past month, $1,275 from the Missouri Hospital Association PAC, Jefferson City; and $1,250 from PJM Consulting, Inc.,O'Fallon.
Wright spent $1,145.72 on a reception at Flame Steak House, Springfield, $1,000 to a campaign employee and $1,000 to Alien Media, Nixa, for website design.

Thomas spends $35,000 with firm linked to license fee office scandal

Platte County Auditor Sandra Thomas, has paid more than $35,000 to a firm created by the same attorney responsible for creating the license fee management companies under investigation by the FBI.
Her eight days before election filing with the Missouri Ethics Commission, showed Ms. Thomas has paid $35,924.43 to Axiom Strategies, LLC, Liberty, a firm created by Lathrop & Gage attorney Jamison Shipman, the same man responsible for the creation of numerous management firms being used to operate some of the privatized license fee offices.
The management firm arrangements are being investigated by the FBI. More information can be found in the July 29 Turner Report.
The latest filing indicates Ms. Thomas paid Axiom, which is run by former Sam Graves chief of staff Jeff Roe, for management, staffing, reimbursement for signs and miscellaneous expenses.
Ms. Thomas reported receiving $20,905. during the past month and spending $23,741.82, leaving her with $188,285.40. Her campaign is in debt $150,000, according to the report.
Her biggest contributors were: Republican Sixth District Congressional Committee $12,750, former U. S. Attorney Todd Graves $1,000, and CNS Corporation, Kansas City, $1,275.