Senator angling to get rid of St. Onge before he gets going
Neal St. Onge
In December, as first reported by the Columbia Daily Tribune’s Terry Ganey, former state Rep. Neal St. Onge, R-Ballwin, found a way to secure a new job. The term-limited lawmaker who lost a Senate primary to Jane Cunningham got the signatures of House and Senate leadership to be appointed Inspector General of the Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight.
Now, the chairman of the committee, Sen. Bill Stouffer, R-Napton, seems to be preparing to fire St. Onge two weeks into his new job. He started Jan. 1. Stouffer, who filed a bill already to eliminate the position, isn’t waiting on the slow legislative process to get his way.
He’s scheduled a closed meeting of his committee for next Tuesday morning to discuss personnel matters. St. Onge is the only employee of the committee.
St. Onge said today that he believes it’s a “reasonable assumption” that Stouffer will try to fire him. “The only problem is, he can’t,” St. Onge said.
Asked today if he was planning on trying to fire St. Onge, Stouffer hedged his bets.
“Everybody in this building is employed at will,” he said. “We’ll see. We think we’re well in line with the law. We will deal with it and we’ll see what happens on Tuesday.”
The job St. Onge now occupies has been unfilled for three years. He obtained the signatures of Sen. Michael Gibbons, Rep. Rod Jetton, Sen. Maida Coleman and Rep. Paul LeVota to receive his appointment. All but LeVota will be out of office tomorrow.
Stouffer said he doesn’t believe the job is necessary. But firing St. Onge could be difficult. The former state representative, who must have known the battle he was going to face, sought a legal opinion about the position and its authority before the brouhaha became public.
The opinion, provided by Jefferson City attorney James Deutsch on Dec. 12, gives the job independence from the Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight because of its “inspector general” responsibilities.
“Because the term of years is set forth in statute, it may be modified only by amending the statute pursuant to the requirements of the Constitution. Removal from the Office of Inspector General is to be accomplished under the general laws governing removal of appointed officials for misconduct in office,” says the letter from Deutsch. “Based upon the plain language of the statute itself, the IG office holder serving as the duly appointed Transportation Inspector General serves for a term of years, does not serve at the pleasure of any official, and serves until a successor is duly appointed as required by statute.”
St. Onge said the committee has refused to provide him an office or add him to the payroll. He defends the new job and said some members of the committee knew what he was up to when he sought the appointment.
“It’s puzzling to me that some people are so opposed to oversight,” he said.
Jerks. Perhaps the Post could sunshine THEIR emails …
> Sen. Michael Gibbons, Rep. Rod Jetton, Sen. Maida Coleman and Rep. Paul LeVota
A legislator is not a governmental body - their e-mails are not subject to sunshine law requests. Oh you can make them - the Post has in the past - and they are routinely denied.
Not so. The legislature and any committee or subcommittee thereof is a public governmental body, and if email is being used to conduct the business of that body, it is subject to the Sunshine Law. That is why the committee has called a closed session to discuss personnel matters - which constitute an exception to the open records/open meetings requirements under the law.
End the professional political class. These guys should end their terms and go home and get a real job.
Penelope - Penelope - Penelope - If only you knew half of what you think you do. You are wrong.
For example - the courts have found that the House and Senate Majority and Minority caucuses are not subject to the sunshine law - you nor any uninvited member of hte public or press may attend such caucuses.
When the whole ridiculous e-mail “scandal” started - even Harris and Levota said they would be glad to turn over e-mails but it is House policy not to.
Fact is individual members do not constitute the governing body.
We Republicans talk about ethics and ‘doing the right thing’ all the time, Neal St. Onge is a total embarassment to the party and to St. louis County. To use an antiquated law and an unfilled position to ‘hire yourself’ and jack up your state pension only for personal financial advantage, St. Onge ought to be drummed out of the party and out of his ‘make work’ job he created for himself….and then run Jetton and Gibbons out the door right behind him.
ER, cant say i dont disagree with your disgust but i think yhe lw is only 3 - 5 years old isnt it? i wouldnt pay a lot for a 3 - 5 year old antique.
Jasonb, as a student of the courts, you should be able to provide a cite or two that would back up your assertion about what they have held regarding the Sunshine Law and legislative caucuses. This situation, however, is not the same. The Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight does government business, including the hiring and firing of at least one state employee (St. Onge). The caucuses do party or other special interest business, so records and meetings pertaining to caucus business - if what you are saying is true - may not be subject to the Sunshine Law. Emails of individuals that make up a public governmental body are absolutely subject to the Sunshine Law, otherwise why wouldn’t every public governmental body conduct all of its business by email to and from individual members in order to keep it private? What a boob.