Is this the kind of debate Ben Stein was talking about?
St. Louis Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford, a Democrat, was none too pleased that the House GOP rushed through approval of HJR 41 this afternoon, ignoring Democrats who were hoping to speak to the issue. The bill, pushed by Chesterfield Rep. Jane Cunningham, a Republican, would place a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that would, if passed, ban state judges from ordering tax increases. No state judge in Missouri has ever ordered a tax increase, but Cunningham says she fears it might happen some day.
Before being part of a GOP majority that limited debate on the issue, Cunningham had stood in the House Lounge with actor/producer Ben Stein to promote the diversity of ideas and more debate in the academic world. Hmmm.
Below is the context of an angry missive sent out by Oxford after HJR 41 passed with the minimum amount of yes votes possible:
Since the GOP has once again cut off debate with Democrats standing at the mikes ready to speak on a bill (and an important one that calls for amending our constitution at that), I thought I’d share with you what I wanted to say if I’d had the opportunity to speak before the PQ:
1) What’s happened to the quality of work in this Legisalture? Last year’s crash and burn mess around the economic development bill had many editors speculating that it’s time to get rid of term limits down here because clearly unskilled novices are in charge. This is yet another example as Rep. Jane Cunningham and GOP-supporters constantly said “There are some problems with the language of this bill, but we’ll fix it on the Senate side. Trust us!” Whatever happened to getting it right the first time?
2) The real agenda behind this bill is clear if you read Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, a respected book that was honored in recent years as one of the best examples of investigative reporting. I think the author is Michelle Goldman. The chapter on the courts spells out how groups with a radical theocratic agenda are working a coordinated plan to muzzle the courts until they can take over the courts.They are currently training students with the intent of moving them into positions as the legislators, judges, and Supreme Court justices of tomorrow. (Some of the groups involved - trusting my memory here since the book is on the table by my bed in St. Louis - are Generation Joshua, Focus on the Family, Jerry Fallwell’s organization, and Patrick Henry University.)
Interestingly enough, numerous pieces of Rep. Cunningham’s legislative package (and that of other GOP sponsors) are profiled in other chapters of the book - like intelligent design (for which Cunningham honored Ben Stein and his movie that was shown in the Rotunda yesterday!) and the “intellectual diversity bill.” Many of her bills, including those that undermine public education, are based on model legislation in the christian nationalist playbook.This coalition of theocrats would re-write US history and initiate a government based on their religious and political doctrine, clearly violating the religious freedom clause of the Bill of Rights established by our nation’s founders (and clearly in contradiction to what many other christians believe as well).
Hopefully HJR 41 WILL be fixed in the Senate - fixed by killing it dead as a doornail.
Tony:
For the record, I don’t care if and/or when you were or were not fired.
You have found a home with the Post. You will do well here (as I have pointed out before).
5 paragraphs from a Democrat vilifying Cunningham and this bill and NOT ONE line presenting the other (GOP) side.
Now THAT is Post reporting!
Tony: keep it up, and you’ll go far at the Post… until they go belly up because nobody will buy it
but tsquare and the other wingnuts will still be griping even then.
The best part Tsquare is all of the people reading and bashing have already made up their minds so their impact is nonexistant.
More irony: These people aren’t open to the same debate they demand of our legislators. The second someone decends they’re a “Wingnut”
The real problem above is the lack of debate.
If a bill is important and is going to have impact on citizens of the state and make a correction to an existing problem (the main reason for a bill to exist, right?), then the citizens of the state who will be affected by the new law deserve to have their legislators engage in an investigation and lengthy debate about the effect the law will have. Trying to mute the other side is not beneficial to the people, shows a total lack of respect for others which may not limit itself to the current situation or people, and is unfortunately nothing new in Missouri.
While not a constituent of hers, Jeanette Mott-Oxford is one of the few legislators in Jeff City with common sense, ethics and integrity. This state could use more like her!!!!!!!!!1
Why is it conservatives freak out whenever they are closely examined and exposed? Jane Cunningham does not represent the values of Jesus. If Ben Stein would have had purple hair or piercings, she would have had nothing to do with him.
Tony-loved you in COMO, Loved you in Springfield..SO GLAD YOU ARE IN THE POST DISPATCH!
Since the republicans have the votes to do whatever they want, it would seem appropriate to let others speak to the issue; I hope dems take a higher ground when they/we are in charge.
Cutting off debate a sure sign of intellectual and philosophical, moral, weakness, if you ask me, and I know you wanted to.
This is just another example of how Jane Cunningham can’t work with anyone who is not part of the Queen’s court.
The whole legislation is pointed at preventing judges from raising taxes. The only judge to do so in the past, of which I’m aware, was a federal court judge in KC in response to an anti-discrimination suit where the local districts were found liable, refused to pony up money to fix the illegality and the court fashioned a remedy as best it could.
So, why are we wasting the taxpayer’s dollars for an election on a law which cannot have any effect upon any federal court?
Once again, the GOP white sheets come out in our General Assembly to decry any opportunity for minorities, the poor, disabled, children and the elderly. It’s just like the cruel cuts in Medicaid, all over again!
Tony - you are fitting right in at the liberal bastion of the Post-Dispatch. Even you didn’t have the newsworthy integrity to include the previous level of debate on the bill. You presented it as though yesterday’s was the only debate that was had. How much debate was there on perfection? How long was the debate the day before the legislative spring break? Quite a bit more than your feeble posting tries to portray.
Was Mott-Oxford one of those who left early the Thursday before spring break? That would be the only reason she could have for ignoring the hours of debate and discussion on the judge matter that occured before yesterday. That and the fact democrats usually don’t let the facts get in the way. Mott-Oxford is one of the most ineffective legislators in Jeff City. No one - even many of her own caucus - think she has any credibility.
I always enjoy reading about “waste of money on election” posts. Their very existence ignores the right of the people to have a say as well as demonstrating ignorance of the cost of the election. The state will already be paying for the November 2008 election. This measure will have a nominal affect if any on the cost. But if I were a democrat - I would be afraid of losing the issue too.
Bill Haas - you didn’t and you won’t.