Missouri
Two major money issues are well on their way to being on the November ballot. Tuesday night, the Springfield School Board unanimously voted to put a $50-million bond issue on the ballot. Several people spoke out against it because of some of the projects currently proposed under the bond— like turning Study Middle School into a K-12 alternative school and expanding Westport Elementary. Some also said it would be bad timing for voters if the city decides to put another sales tax initiative on the ballot to help the ailing police and fire pension.
Springfield city council will begin the process Thursday of deciding if they will ask voters to approve a sales tax increase to fund the police and firefighters pension fund. Members of the citizen task force presented their recommendations to council members at Monday’s city council meeting. Their recommendation is that city council should ask voters to increase the sales tax by 5/8 or 3/4 percent and police and firefighters should increase their contributions by up to 2%.
Patients who want to choose their physician without restrictions by an insurance company are a step closer to their goal. Missourians United for Choice in Healthcare , a Springfield-based group, has the go-ahead to begin collecting signatures to put the measure on the November 2010 ballot. Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan approved the group’s ballot language for the issue, Carnahan’s Web site confirms.
A few groups are a step closer to asking voters to amend the state’s constitution on the 2010 ballot. KBIA’s Maureen McCollum explains. Four groups bringing seven ballot initiative have made it to petition-approval stage. Now, initiative organizers need to collect enough signatures to actually get their issue on the 2010 ballot. The Secretary of State’s office has okayed seven initiative petitions. A couple of the initiatives could repeal the 2006 voter approved access to stem-cell therapies and research.
The streak has ended. The approval of eleven consecutive ballot issues in Independence fell Tuesday as 60.45 percent of voters said “no” to a sales tax increase that would have funded additional police officers, equipment, facilities and technology. “The people have spoken,” Independence Mayor Don Reimal said Tuesday night shortly after the final precinct reported. Reimal and other supporters informally gathered at The Courthouse Exchange. “We need to take a look at what they’ve said, look at their concerns and see what we can do to alleviate their concerns.
It appears likely that a proposal to ban smoking in most indoor, public places in Kirkwood will be decided by voters come November. The results of the November vote, however, may not represent the final word on the status of lighting up in the Greentree City. That’s because there are currently two other smoke-related initiatives making their way through the political process pipeline.
A small Jackson County fire district would impose a new half-cent sales tax in the Blue Summit area if a ballot measure is approved on Tuesday. The Inter City Fire Protection District serves about 700 residents in unincorporated Jackson County between Independence and Kansas City. If voters approve the measure, the district would impose the tax to generate revenue for its operation while reducing property taxes.
The St. Louis County Council tonight may take a critical vote on placing a ban on smoking in indoor public places before voters on Nov. 3. Council members would consider tentatively approving the measure through a second reading of the smoking bill.
At their regular meeting this week, the city council for Arnold, MO took up and passed a resolution rebuking the Missouri Municipal League for their obstruction of an eminent domain ballot initiative.
A suburban St. Louis man wants to ask Missouri voters to repeal the state’s tax on personal property such as cars and boats. Richard La Violette has formed a campaign committee called “Team 2012” to get the repeal on the November 2012 ballot.