Richard: Ethics committee hearing is about Rep. Schaaf
JEFFERSON CITY — House Speaker Ron Richard said today that the closed meeting of the House Ethics Committee called for Tuesday morning is to discuss a resolution complaining about the comments of Rep. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph.
Earlier this month, Schaaf compared spending state money on health care for children to slavery.
On Friday, Richard, R-Joplin, had said he had no idea what the meeting was about and that he hadn’t referred any complaints to the ethics committee. Under House rules, members can file a written complaint with the speaker, who then refers the complaint to the ethics committee. The complaints are considered confidential, and they are rare.
In this case, there is no actual complaint, but a House “remonstrance,” — a form of a resolution, seeking to censure Schaaf for his comments. The remonstrance was filed by Minority House Leader Paul LeVota on April 16. Richard referred it to the House ethics committee on the advice of House attorney Don Lograsso, he said.
“Lograsso said to treat it like an ethics complaint,” Richard said. He said the remonstrance slipped his mind when he was asked about it Friday.
House rules say that remonstrances are referred to the rules committee unless otherwise ordered by the speaker. House Ethics Committee rules say nothing about treating remonstrances like complaints.
LeVota’s remonstrance resolution asks the House to adopt a resolution that concludes that Schaaf’s comments on slavery were offensive.
LeVota said he didn’t believe the remonstrance should be heard in closed session, but treated as any other piece of legislation and heard in open hearing. He said he hadn’t been asked to appear at the ethics committee to present his resolution.
The chairman of the ethics committee, Rep. Steve Tilley, R-Perryville, said he couldn’t discuss what was on the meeting agenda because of confidentiality rules.
It would help if we knew the full context of Mr Shaaf’s comments.
But spending state money on health care for children is just like slavery. What’s the problem?
Wow, Tilley had a busy day - sweeping ethics issues under the rug and yanking funding for cancer patients.
I don’t know if this link will work but it’s to the whole exchange. One other thing needs to be said. When Dr Schaaf makes up his mind that a given position is the right thing to nothing under heaven is going to sway him. That is quite evident here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3imEWN_0AgU
And Tilley cut money for capital improvements not for treatment.
This is the least of Rep. Schaaf’s sins. He owns an insurance company that insures doctors for malpractice, and uses his office to pass bills that protect doctors from liability. If doctors are protected from liability, he makes more money. The doctor uses his office for personal financial gain. And look at his list of contributors. He is bought and paid for by the medical profession, not his constituents. When will the Post begin to do in-depth investigations about Missouri’s legislators?