Capitol Calling

AP: Yates steps aside

Rep. Brian Yates, R-Lee's Summit, is resigning from the Missouri House on Tuesday, according to an article from the Associated Press.

Yates announced that he would leaving the Missouri House earlier in an interview published last week with the Independence Examiner. In that article, the term-limited lawmaker said that he wanted to spend more time with his 18-month-old son.

Yates, who is an attorney by trade, served as the chairman of the Insurance Policy Committee. He also served on the House Judiciary Committee.

Yates decision to leave politics throws of a monkey wrench of sorts at conventional wisdom. Yates was perceived to be the prime challenger to House Speaker Pro Tem Bryan Pratt's run for a Missouri Senate currently held by state Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee's Summit.

State Rep. Gary Dusenberg, R-Blue Springs, could also run in the race to succeed Bartle. And Yates noted in the Examiner article that he would endorse "a conservative candidate" for the position this week.

Bartle's seat is overwhelmingly Republican and it widely assumed that the winner of the GOP primary will become the next state senator from the district.

Other state House members who have bailed out early include Steve Brown, Ed Wildberger, T.D. El-Amin and Dennis Wood. Wildberger and Wood took appointments from Gov. Jay Nixon to county positions, while Brown and El-Amin stepped down after pleading guilty to felonies.

NYT: Another Paul shakes up Kentucky U.S. Senate race

Taking a short diversion from Missouri politics for a moment, I read with interest this article from the New York Times about Rand Paul's run for the U.S. Senate in Kentucky.

Rand Paul happens to be Rep. Ron Paul's son. The elder Paul, R-Texas, shook up the 2008 presidential race by raising tens of millions of dollars and enlisting a vocal coalition of supporters.

From the article:

Capitalizing on a hearty distrust of government and an anti-Republican-establishment fervor among conservatives, he has used the Internet to raise more than $1.3 million since he began his campaign in August.

“This primary is really about the future of our party,” said Dr. Paul, 46, who has lived in Kentucky since 1993 and has never run for public office before.

“The Republican platform specifically says we don’t believe in bailing out private business, and yet we did,” Dr. Paul said in a break between cataract operations. “The Republican platform also specifically says we don’t believe in government ownership of private businesses, and yet a lot of Republicans voted for that.”

Dr. Paul has seen a surge in popularity and fund-raising in the last several months, setting the stage for what pundits here say could be one of the most expensive and competitive primary contests in state history.

Ron Paul actually ran unsuccessfully for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas, losing to eventual winner Phil Gramm.

I had the chance to interview Ron Paul several times last year. He talked about his Internet popularity, his positions on foreign affairs and his take on whether the U.S. should go back to the gold standard. You can read one of the interviews here.

CBT: Forsee letter sparks debate

University of Missouri System President Gary Forsee's letter opposing "Cap and Trade" legislation is attracting a lot of attention from both sides of the political spectrum.

Republicans such as U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Springfield, and popular radio host Rush Limbaugh are praising Forsee's opposition to the bill. But supporters of the legislation aimed at cutting carbon emissions aren't so enthusiastic.

You can read more about Forsee's letter and the reaction at the Columbia Business Times Blog.

This is what it sounds like when turkeys sob

Steve Walsh over at Missourinet noted that there will not be a ceremonial turkey pardoning this year.

This may showcase why that may be a good thing:

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: