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Press
Release-September 11, 2008
COURT
CLEARS RENEWABLE ENERGY MEASURE FOR BALLOT
Cole
County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan on Sept. 8 ruled that proponents of a
proposal requiring Missouri utilities to use more renewable energy sources
gathered sufficient signatures to place the measure on the Nov. 4 statewide
ballot.
Secretary of State
Robin
Carnahan
rejected the proposal last month after determining that the initiative
petition effort fell 526 signatures short of the minimum number needed in one
congressional district.
Callahan
agreed with supporters of the measure, dubbed the Missouri Clean Energy
Initiative, that local election officials erroneously rejected some valid
signatures of registered voters. If approved by voters, the proposal would
require
Missouri
utilities to use renewable sources such as solar, wind, biomass or hydropower
to produce at least 2 percent of the energy they create by 2011. That minimum
threshold would gradually rise and ultimately top out at 15 percent by 2021.
MUSCHANY
RESIGNS AMID SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGES
Two-term
state
Rep.
Scott
Muschany
, R-Frontenac, resigned from the Missouri House of Representatives on Sept. 9
hours after pleading innocent to a felony charge of deviate sexual assault that
allegedly involved a 14-year-old girl. Muschany, who abruptly dropped his
re-election bid on May 20, was indicted by a
Cole
County
grand jury on Aug. 6.
The
indictment alleges that in the early morning hours of May 17 – just hours
after the 2008 legislative session ended – Muschany had “deviate sexual
intercourse” with the teenage daughter of his girlfriend. The incident
allegedly took place at the girlfriend’s
Jefferson City
home. Muschany, who also has a wife and two children, faces up to seven years
in prison if convicted.
VETO
SESSION ENDS WITH NO OVERRIDES
The
Missouri General Assembly convened for its annual veto session on Sept. 10 but
adjourned without overriding
Gov.
Matt
Blunt
on any of the four bills and five budget items he rejected this year. The
purpose of veto session is to allow the general assembly to override the
decisions of the Governor on not approving bills or budget items. A 2/3 majority
vote is required to override the Governor’s veto decision. The motion was
passed by voice vote to not take any action on overriding any of the Governors
vetos. Retiring members then commented on both sides of the aisle highlighting
the positive aspects of their career.
The only override
attempted was on a bill to put a voting student member on the
University
of
Missouri Board Of Curators
. The student curator currently can’t vote on issues before the board. SB 873
sponsored by state
Sen.
Chuck
Graham, D-Columbia, passed 31-2 in the Senate and 100-47 in the House last spring.
The Senate, however, sustained Blunt’s veto on a 16-17 vote. The House of
Representatives attempted no overrides.
I
urge constituents to express their concerns and become informed of the upcoming
legislation. I may be contacted at
573-751-4065
and by email.
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