Capitol Calling

KBIA Commentary: Plush

My KBIA commentary this week is on Sarah Palin's popular book tour. Even though the former Alaska governor is attracting attention, she may not have the juice to make it to the presidency.

Here it is:

Doe!

David Letterman!

Deer of Missouri - Gov. Jay Nixon has put you on notice.

Well, not really. But the Democratic chief executive did successfully shoot a doe yesterday while hunting in Pulaski County. He donated the meat from the animal to Share the Harvest, a public-private partnership that donates food to the needy.

"Share the Harvest is a wonderful way for Missourians to continue that tradition, by providing fresh, nutritious meat for their neighbors in need," Nixon said in a statement.

According to a press release, Nixon took the meat to Steve-n-Sons Custom Meat Processing in Newberg, which is one of 125 approved processors for the program.

Can't we all just get along?

This week's Monday focus for the Associated Press takes a look at the strained relationship between Gov. Jay Nixon and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder.

AP scribe David Lieb writes that Kinder didn't even know that the governor was in Texas during this month's fake hostage crisis at the Governor Office Building. He also wrote that Kinder has been relieved of many duties that he performed during Gov. Matt Blunt's term in office.

In a sense, the friction between the two statewide officials is part of a historical trend. I wrote an article for Missouri Lawyers Weekly earlier this year about the past squabbles between governors and lieutenant governors of different political parties.

One notable moment recounted by Western Illinois University political science professor Rick Hardy involved then-Gov. Joe Teasdale and then-Lt. Gov. Bill Phelps. The two men had an acrimonious relationship, even fighting over office supplies and furniture. By contrast, then-Gov. Kit Bond and then-Lt. Gov. Kenneth Rothman had a more cordial relationship, with the Republican chief executive turning over power to the Democratic statewide official multiple times.

Of course, pairing the offices doesn't always equate to a lack of turbulence. Then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich and then-Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn - who were twice elected in Illinois in a ticket - despised each other. Quinn remarked before he assumed the governorship that the two officials rarely talked.

NEWS FLASH! Jay Nixon doesn't like Kansas very much

Ever since I came to the Show Me State many eons ago, I learned that Missourians relish the opportunity to rip Kansas at every turn.

Gov. Jay Nixon is no exception. The first-term chief executive often sprinkles his speeches with jibes to our neighbors to the West. Here's an example:

Will Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson will retaliate? Probably not.

Nixon answers questions on tuition agreement

Gov. Jay Nixon announced a new agreement between the state and higher education institutions that would keep tuition static for the second consecutive year.

The governor was at the University of Missouri-Columbia this morning to reiterate the terms of the deal, which needs General Assembly approval to take effect. Under the agreement, appropriations for public higher education institutions would be cut by roughly 5.2 percent in exchange for a tuition freeze. The agreement would affect undergraduates who are Missouri residents.

Here's the governor and UM system President Gary Forsee answering some questions from the media:

KBIA Commentary: Stupak Impact

The Stupak Amendment may do more than stall President Barack Obama's primary domestic agenda item. It may also splinter a vital part of the Democratic coalition in Congress.

That's the theme of this week's KBIA commentary.

Take a listen:

KTKA: Baker appointed HHS regional director

KTKA, a news channel in Topeka, is reporting that former state Rep. Judy Baker was appointed as a regional director for the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

From the news channel's Web site:

Judy Baker, a former member of the Missouri House of Representatives, will serve as the regional director for Region VII, a region that includes Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska. Her work in the Missouri House was rooted in health care.

“Judy Baker brings an extensive, working-level knowledge of our department’s most important issues, as well as a knowledge of the people and institutions in Region VII,” Secretary Sebelius said. “Her experience and talents make her an especially valuable member of the HHS team."

The appointment most likely means that Baker is opting against challenging U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth, next year. Baker lost to Luetkemeyer in the high-profile race for the U.S. Ninth District by several percentage points.

Luetkemeyer does not have an announced opponent for next year's election cycle yet.

Richard issues statement on Nixon tuition proposal

House Speaker Ron Richard, R-Joplin, issued the following statement concerning Gov. Jay Nixon's announcement regarding higher education funding:

“In the House of Representatives, we work each year to provide Missouri students with the tools necessary to compete in our highly competitive global economy.  There is no question that House Republicans want to keep higher education tuition as low as possible, even in a time of economic devastation. 

We appreciate the Governor’s tuition proposal and will put it through the normal process, along with any other budget recommendations from the Governor. 

In these difficult times, we realize the importance of easing the financial burden on Missouri students and their families in every way possible and will consider this when crafting next year’s budget.”

Nixon announced today that he would cut funding for higher education institutions by roughly 5.2 percent in exchange for a tuition freeze.

Nixon announces new tuition agreement

Gov. Jay Nixon announced today that he planned to reduce funding to higher education institutions by roughly 5 percent in the 2011 fiscal year.

 

At stops today at universities in St. Louis and Springfield, Nixon announced that he would propose for the next fiscal year funding higher education institutions at 95 percent of the current 2010 fiscal year's level. In exchange for such a move, institutions would agree to a tuition freeze for the 2010-2011 school year.

 

For the current fiscal year, Nixon offered to keep funding at the same level as fiscal year 2009 in exchange for keeping tuition static. A press release from Nixon's office said that the 5.2 percent reduction works out to a decline of $42 million.

 

"By helping keep higher education affordable, we are taking bold steps to prepare the workforce that will move Missouri forward,” Nixon said in a press release.

 

The release also featured positive comments from University of Missouri system President Gary Forsee, who said that the move "strikes the best balance in a difficult and fiscally challenging time for our state."

 

The plan needs the approval of the Missouri General Assembly and the governing boards of various public higher education institutions. 

 

Nixon has announced numerous cutbacks in recent weeks in response to declining state revenues. He announced, for instance, that he would cut funding to the University of Missouri Hospital system by roughly $3 million.

Important Point of Clarification

The Missouri Record made an important point tonight that I would like to reiterate.

On the surface, the name 'Jason Rosenbaum' would be an uncommon enough name to avoid confusion. But not only are there multiple Jason Rosenbaums floating around the Internet, there are actually two who are involved in politics.

The first Jason Rosenbaum, who can be found here, is a staffer for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. That's the organization that will almost certainly pump hundreds of thousands of dollars into Missouri to assist Secretary of State Robin Carnahan's goal of getting elected to the U.S. Senate.

The other notable Jason Rosenbaum not only shares the same name as me, but he's also a political blogger. This Jason Rosenbaum blogs for numerous left-leaning sites, most notably FireDogLake. He also lives in Washington, D.C. and sports a nifty beard.

This, by the way, is the only photographed evidence of me with any significant amount of facial hair.

So to summarize, if the Jason Rosenbaum you find on the Internet isn't wearing glasses and isn't writing about Missouri politics, chances are he's not me.

Still, I will commend the two Jason Rosenbaums for possessing an excellent name.