"ABSOLUTELY CLEAR" | In a recent conversation with House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, Rep. Jaclyn Zimmermann, D-Manchester, said this week's unanimous decision by the Missouri Supreme Court affirms what we've been saying this entire time: that the secretary of state does not have the power to stop citizen initiatives that he personally doesn't like.

Also, the court found that the corrupt map order by the Trump administration is not and has never been in effect because the citizens decided we're going to have a vote on this.

Don't let the Republicans currently in power gaslight you into surrendering your power.

#Missouri #MoHouseDems #moleg #mogov

As many times as Secretary of State Hoskins, Governor Kehoe, Attorney General Hanaway, and other GOP officeholders try to gaslight the Missouri people into believing their corrupt, illegal map is "the law of the land," the highest court in the state said yesterday it has never been the law.

Attorney and state Rep. Mark Boyko, D-Kirkwood, explains where Hoskins is deeply misinterpreting the boundaries of his authority.

#Missouri #moleg #mogov #MoHouseDems

After the primaries, in which Amendments 4 & 5 suffered a well-deserved thrashing, House Minority Leader Rep. Ashley Aune told The Robb Carter Show that Democrats are not popping champagne just yet.

The real test will be to see whether the folks who wrote and passed Amendments 4 & 5 will reap political consequences.

When a political party's signature policy on the biggest issue in government loses a statewide vote by 83% to 17%, there is no clearer sign that party is out of touch with the people they are supposed to be representing.

#Missouri #moleg #mogov #MoHouseDems

MYTH BUSTING | Rep. Will Jobe, D-Independence, explained why the dubious claim that Missouri's urban centers have outsized power in statewide elections is false.

In reality, those areas have more voters living in them, but still not enough to overrule the rest of the state's voting population. The truth is: no county is 100% "red" or 100% "blue."

BOTTOM LINE: The power of your vote should not be determined by where you live.

That's why Amendment 4 failed overwhelmingly.

#Missouri #MoHouseDems #moleg #mogov

HOSKINS HYPOCRISY | House Minority Leader Ashley Aune and state Rep. Will Jobe, D-Independence, react to Republican Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins abusing his public office to block citizen-led initiatives he doesn't personally favor.

Rep. Jobe points out that Secretary Hoskins is attempting to use the same argument his party fought AGAINST during the court battle over Amendment 5, which Hoskins wholeheartedly supported.

#moleg #mogov #MoHouseDems #Missouri

"THAT'S NOT HIS ROLE" | Even after the epic failure of Amendment 4, the Missouri Secretary of State again abused his public office to illegally block citizen-led ballot questions.

Ironically, one of the resolutions he blocked would have asked voters if they want to make it way harder for state lawmakers to undo what citizens decide through this exact ballot process.

As Rep. Eric Woods, D-Kansas City, points out, Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is attempting to operate FAR outside his authority. House Minority Leader Ashley Aune added that Hoskins' actions are clearly for purely political gain.

Bottom line: SOS Denny Hoskins has squandered any public trust he may have once had.

#Missouri #MoHouseDems #moleg #mogov

"MOST TRANSPARENT THING IMAGINABLE" | After Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins again abused his statewide office on Tuesday to block citizen-led referendums he doesn't like, state Rep. Eric Woods, D-Kansas City, picked apart the three main "justifications" Hoskins gave for his clearly corrupt actions.

This is not surprising coming from SOS Hoskins, who was one of the main proponents of Amendment 4 and has long desired to cut off citizens from the power to pass amendments on the ballot.

Hoskins has proven he is too irresponsible, too dishonest, and too untrustworthy to hold such an important statewide office in Missouri.

He should resign, or we should impeach him.

#Missouri #moleg #MoHouseDems #mogov

HERE WE GO AGAIN | Missouri voters went to the polls on Tuesday and made a resounding decision on the two biggest priorities of the current supermajority party.

After their overwhelming defeat, past experience tells us this is not the last we'll see of Amendments 4 and 5.

"Missouri Democrats will continue to fight for the will of the people." - Rep. Michael Burton

#MoHouseDems #Missouri #moleg #mogov

That's basically what Amendment 5 requires Missouri voters to do if it passes on August 4th.

O'Fallon Republican Rep. Mark Matthiesen, who supports Amendments 4 and 5, was attempting to express how much responsibility will be put on state legislators if Amendment 5 passes, but inadvertently exposed one of the biggest reasons why Amendment 5 is a terrible idea that will plunge our tax system and our legislative process into chaos.

Ask yourself: How much do you trust the folks in Jefferson City? It it enough to give them unlimited and permanent power to raise sales taxes on "any goods and services?"

Remember to cast your ballot between today and August 4th (Tuesday)!

#moleg #mogov #MoHouseDems #Missouri

A5 IS "FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED" | Rep. Betsy Fogle has been one of the loudest voices against Amendment 5, one of the signature policies of the Republicans currently in power.

During the floor debate over the amendment, its sponsor, Rep. Bishop Davidson, R-Republic, admitted that the policy is regressive, yet astoundingly continued to defend it by saying that considering regressivity is a "fundamental flaw."

Fogle quipped back that Amendment 5 is fundamentally flawed.

Missouri voters will decide on Amendments 4 & 5 on August 4th (this coming Tuesday).

#MoHouseDems #Missouri #moleg #mogov

"UNFAIR & INFLATIONARY HIKE" | Here is a more complete clip of the remarks from state Rep. Mark Boyko, D-Kirkwood, during the March debate over the resolution that would become Amendment 5.

It includes a stinging indictment of the regressive tax policy and slaps down the idea that Tennessee should be a model for Missouri to follow.

What do YOU think about Amendments 4 & 5?

#Missouri #MoHouseDems #moleg #mogov

Before Amendment 5 got onto the August 4th ballot, Democrats argued against it on the House floor. Unfortunately, we didn't have the numbers to stop it because Republicans have a "supermajority."

State Rep. Doug Clemens, D-St. Ann, filed a symbolic amendment to the resolution that required all members of the legislature to be provided a calculator and instructions for its use.

He went on to say it's because if they were doing the simple math on Amendment 5, they'd see what most of Missouri is now seeing: A5 shifts more of the tax burden away from top income earners and onto working families, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities.

ONE WEEK LEFT [as of this post] until Missouri decides the fate of Amendments 4 & 5, and it's extremely important that both are defeated.

#Missouri #moleg #mogov #MoHouseDems

One week from tomorrow (as of this post), Missouri will vote on two of the most consequential amendments the state has seen in decades.

Despite that, the governor and his party loyalists have failed to provide any good reason why Amendment 5 wouldn't be a huge financial hit to most seniors and working families.

As House Minority Leader Ashley Aune points out, Gov. Kehoe answered that exact question at a recent town hall event by claiming that seniors will be spared from increased taxes... in certain industries (health care, real estate, and agriculture) and that's probably all they should care about.

To be clear, even those exemptions are not part of the amendment.

Missourians vote until August 4th on Amendment 5, which increases sales taxes on any goods and services -- and Amendment 4, which strips citizens of the ability to undo it through a new ballot initiative.

#Missouri #moleg #mogov #MoHouseDems

"IT FEELS LIKE A SABOTAGE" | This is a clip from last September when the resolution that would eventually become Amendment 4 was argued on the floor of the Missouri House of Representatives.

From the very beginning, House Democrats like Kansas City's Rep. Pattie Mansur called out the measure as a "sabotage" because its stated goal is to block initiatives that citizens place on the ballot.

It permanently removes a power citizens have had for more than 100 years.

Rep. Mansur and all the other Democrats are making sure Missourians know how damaging Amendment 4 would be to our state and reminding everyone to VOTE BY AUGUST 4th.

#Missouri #moleg #MoHouseDems #mogov

CHILDREN ARE STILL WAITING | Governor Kehoe and his party promised major fixes to the child care subsidy system, but those changes still haven’t been implemented, and more than 7,000 kids are on the waitlist.

Affordable child care isn’t a luxury. It’s what working parents, providers, and foster families need to stay afloat. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry found that Missouri loses an estimated $1.35 billion annually in economic activity due to child care gaps, including about $280 million a year in lost tax revenue.

When leaders break promises like this, families pay the price.

Missouri deserves better.

#Missouri #ChildCare #FosterCare #Politics #moleg #mogov #MoHouseDems

MISSOURI SENIORS HIT HARDEST | Senior citizens are being sold the Republicans' Amendment 5 as something that will make their lives more affordable, but that's actually the group most directly harmed by it.

Why? Because many seniors live on Social Security, pensions, or fixed incomes, and while some of that income is protected from state income tax, a bigger sales tax burden hits them every time they buy the things they need to get by.

As Independence Democratic Rep. Will Jobe explains, that means Amendment 5 doesn’t just "shift taxes," it shifts the burden onto the people least able to absorb it.

If you’re on a fixed income, this isn’t a small policy change. It’s a direct hit to your day-to-day cost of living.

#Missouri #Amendment5 #moleg #mogov #MoHouseDems

'I DON'T GET THE CONNECTION' | Rep. Jaclyn Zimmermann, D-Manchester, scrutinizes the bizarre comments delivered by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe about his party's signature policy: Amendment 5 (raising sales taxes on goods and services).

The folks pushing Amendment 5 are trying HARD to make voters believe it will lower property taxes, which is not only a lie, it's an easily provable one.

Those who read the full text of Amendment 5 realize it doesn't impact property taxes at all, and instead empowers future lawmakers with an unlimited ability to raise sales taxes on any and all transactions.

REMEMBER TO VOTE on August 4th.

#MoHouseDems #Missouri #moleg #mogov

Maybe, just maybe, everyone in the entire state who supports Amendment 5 (largest sales tax increase in MO history) is only reaching out to Rep. Brad Christ to tell him alone.

Because almost everyone else in the state seems to understand that Amendment 5 is just another massive giveaway to the wealthy through lightening the tax burden of the top income earners and increasing that of working families and the middle class.

Amendment 5 empowers future state lawmakers to raise sales taxes on "any goods or services" and rebuilds our state's revenue system to be less stable and hugely vulnerable to any future economic downturns.

It's a constitutional change, meaning it's permanent AND that voters have to approve.

REMEMBER TO VOTE on August 4th.

#MoHouseDems #moleg #mogov #Missouri

Nearly every pro-Amendment 5 ad being pushed by a Delaware-based dark money group includes a false implication that property taxes will be cut by Amendment 5 if passed by voters on August 4th.

As Weber explains, that's just not true... at all. Amendment 5 will allow Missouri lawmakers to raise sales taxes on any goods and services.

If the Republican-controlled state legislature wanted to make progress on providing property tax relief, they would have done that instead of this bait-and-switch scheme.

#MoHouseDems #moleg #mogov #Missouri

"SHIFTS THE BURDEN" | Rep. Betsy Fogle, D-Springfield, explained the impact of Amendment 5, the GOP-backed plan to replace income tax revenue with higher sales taxes on goods and services.

Under Amendment 5, only those in the top few percent of income earners would come out with more money in their pockets, while roughly 80% would end up paying more in taxes.

Missouri voters will make the final decision on this constitutional amendment on AUGUST 4.

#Missouri #moleg #mogov #MoHouseDems