In case you were wondering and haven’t been appalled enough lately, the MO Legislature really did override Governor Nixon’s veto of SB 509. The Missouri Budget Project is calling this a massive tax scheme that will starve education, health, infrastructure, and other critical services of nearly $800 million a year when it is fully implemented.  You can read more here: http://mobudget.org/files/SB509_override_statement.pdf

A somewhat less scathing review was issued by the Coalition for Missouri’s Future. “The bill is overly complex and riddled with special-interest loopholes. It disproportionately benefits the wealthy at the expense of lower-income and middle-class taxpayers. And, it jeopardizes state funding for critical public services and infrastructure including schools, health and social services, and investments in technology”.

It seems that if there’s a silver lining, it might be that Missourians are coming together to rally for Medicaid Expansion before the session ends. The disruptive antics of some clerrgy who were calling for a renewed emphasis on human dignity were removed from the Senate chamber and arrested. (Don’t worry – they were released on site.)

And finally. In case anyone wants to get really fired up, an actual comment to the article above: “…these ministers have apparently forgotten about teaching people to catch fish rather than giving them fish. They need to be pushing education and training as a way out of the darkness. Giving more fish away simply won’t cut it!”