Rick Stream

Earlier this week, families and advocates came together in Jefferson City to oppose legislation proposed by Sen. Scott Rupp (R-Wentzille) and Rep. Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood) that would close habilitation centers in the state, even though such facilities are sometimes the best options for individuals and their families.  Their bills -- SB56 and HB421, respectively -- would leave clients and their loved ones without a choice in their care, reduce the quality of care and put vulnerable lives in jeopardy. 

The crazy for-profit birthermercial we mentioned last week did indeed air on KSPR last week. The general manager for KY3, Inc. (which runs KSPR) said "the opinions of this particular program may be a minority of our viewers, but certainly I think this group has the right to express themselves. I don't think it's libelous in any fashion."

In his story, Catanese said the conspiracy theorists "may be a fringe movement," and the post on the story at The Turner Report described the birthers as the "lunatic fringe." While I certainly agree that the birthers' accusations are pure lunacy, it's important to remember that the alleged "fringe" includes a disturbing number of high-ranking leaders in the Missouri Republican Party.  

Contrary to earlier reports, GOP Representatives Allen Icet, Rick Stream and David Sater refused to since the conference committee report for House Bill 11, the budget bill for the Department of Social Services. The report was approved by a 7-3 vote.

Senators of both parties signed on the report -- Sens. Gary Nodler, Robert Mayer, Joan Bray, Timothy Green and Scott Rupp all support the compromise HB11. Democratic Representatives Chris Kelly and Kiki Curls also signed the report.

Rep. Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood) is being criticized by both sides back home for his contradictory votes on allowing concealed weapons on college campuses.

As reported here at Fired Up! and at Show Me Progress two weeks ago, Stream voted against the final version of the HB668 to allow concealed weapons on campuses. However, his vote against the full bill came after he voted for the controversial amendment to allow weapons on campus with a permit, and after he suggested that concealed weapons would have limited the deaths at the tragic Kirkwood City Council meeting last year.

Late last week, Webster-Kirkwood Times columnist Don Corrigan wrote that our audio of Stream's statements on the Kirkwood shooting "prompted a number of letters" of concern. Stream refused to respond to the Times' inquiries, but did win praise for reversing his position from Stacey Newman:

I am pleased that Rep. Stream was one of three Republicans who voted against a bill that's just wrong...Since voters in his district were 80 percent against concealed weapons, it's good that he has chosen to listen to them.

In contrast, the conservative Kurt Hofman, writing for Examiner.com, is angry with Stream's change of heart.

Yesterday, the House gave final approval to HB 668 to make several changes to state law regarding the use and possession of firearms.  The most controversial portion of the legislation would allow concealed weapons on college campuses. The attempts to remove the campus ban have been widely condemned by college officials, but the amendment to end the ban enjoyed strong support with legislators and passed 106-41.

One of the most vocal supporters of the amendment to end the campus concealed weapons bans last week was Rep. Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood). Indeed, Stream was such a strong believer in ending concealed weapons bans that he audaciously discussed last year's Kirkwood City Council shooting as an example of how concealed weapons could save lives. Talking about the shooting with Rep. Tim Jones (R-Eureka), Stream speculated that if the mayor or other citizens at the meeting had guns, "it's possible that they could have stopped a number of the killings before the assailant was able to run through that chamber like he did."

Charlie O'Reilly is "ashamed" of the way his former party has been treating struggling families:

The money is there, why can't Missouri right the wrong of 2005 and raise these Medicaid eligibility levels?

There are other examples in the budget cuts being considered that will cause more and more Missourians to say, "Wait a minute, that is not how we should care for our poor and our disabled". This really shouldn't be a Republican vs. Democrat issue, but what is right for Missouri and what is the level of social service that we can take pride in providing.

Charlie, I used to think just like you. But then then I learned from Allen Icet's right-hand man, Rep. Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood), that the House hasn't cut programs serving the poor from its budget at all. Apparently, Stream and his GOP colleagues are actually a bunch of humanitarians. 

Who knew?

Rep. Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood) got an earful from faith leaders and advocates last week about the budget put forward by the House GOP.  Stream is the vice chairman of the House Budget Committee, and worked directly with Chairman Allen Icet to craft the GOP budget bills.

Surprising no one, constituents and community leaders were not happy  with the ideology guiding the House GOP budget process.

Rev. Dr. Scott Stearman, Kirkwood Baptist Church: "If any good can come out of this recession, it is undermining the myth that business is always right and government can only destruct people."

Rev. Dr. David Greenhaw, president of Eden Theological Seminary: "These are really remarkable times and things are squishy...Shame on us if we do not do everything we possibly can. We have to do all that is in our power and then do more."

Rev. Steve Albers, Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church: "You are not governed by faith issues, you are governed by politics and policies. It's about priorities and people. Think about those in our society who have needs beyond our resources."

Rep. Robert Cooper has withdrawn his constitutional amendment calling for the state to inspect Barack Obama's birth certificate.  As far as I know, he hasn't actually acknowledged that Obama is a legitimate President yet, but at least he's give up on writing the conspiracy theory into our constitution.

For now, anyway.

Hat tip to ShowMeProgress.com for noticing the change.

It appears that Rep. Cynthia Davis wants to join Rep. Timothy Jones as a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging Barack Obama's citizenship.

Davis and Jones subscribe to a right-wing conspiracy theory alleging that Obama is actually an Indonesian man named Barry Soetoro (no joke). Right-wing Republicans have been obsessed with Obama's birth certificate and citizenship for a long time, but their half-baked ideas have been shot down again and again. (A great summary of the Birther movement and the embarrassment they're causing the Republican Party can be found here on Politico.com.)

A new constitutional amendment from House Republicans, ostensibly written to protect voters from fraud, is actually a vehicle for the Capitol Crazies to peddle fraudulent conspiracy theories about President Obama.

Rep. Robert Cooper's Voter ID proposal includes language that would require the Missouri Secretary of State to request the official birth certificate of presidential candidates to independently verify their authenticity.  And not just future candidates -- Cooper wants the Secretary of State to independently verify the citizenship status of every previous presidential candidate.

Of course, Cooper and his 15 co-sponsors only really care about the birth certificate of one presidential candidate: Barack Obama.  Right-wing Republicans have been obsessed with Obama's birth certificate and citizenship for months, but their half-baked ideas keep geting shot down again and again and again. The facts haven't slowed them down yet, though, and Cooper is hoping to make Missouri the first state to actually write the insanity into our constitution.

Here are the key parts of Cooper's proposed bill:

The secretary of state shall determine that each person is qualified for the office he or she seeks, according to the law, before placing his or her name on the ballot.

For candidates who are required by the Constitution of the United States to be natural born citizens, the secretary of state shall request an official copy of the candidate’s birth certificate.

Other certifications, such as a certificate of live birth, shall not be accepted.

Should any candidate fail to provide an official birth certificate within thirty days of the request by the secretary of state, his or her name shall not be placed on the ballot.

The secretary of state shall verify the qualifications of any elected officeholder who was previously placed on a Missouri ballot. Should any elected officeholder fail to provide the required documentation or birth certificate within thirty days of the request by the secretary of state, the secretary of state shall turn the matter over to the attorney general who shall within twenty days file suit to obtain the required documentation.

This is obviously targeted at the Presidency -- it's the only office to require natural born citizenship. And while Barack Obama has provided an official, certified copy of his birth certificate, it's been tough to satisfy these fringe groups with the facts.