Headlines: Friday, September 3

Happy Friday!

• Tax collections indicate slow economic improvement
• Missouri Democratic Party continues “ongoing effort” to reframe Blunt’s record  
• Montee holds early money lead in Mo. auditor race 
• KC Chamber, unions, Civic Council hit Nixon on Prop A stance
• Governor taking float trip to promote tourism
• Cynthia Davis: Students don't need to study evil to know it exists
• Autism treatment now covered by many insurance companies
• Obama scare: Health Insurance rates rise at their lowest pace in 15 years
• Process of getting an abortion in Missouri changes with new law

State Budget

• Tax collections indicate slow economic improvement [Missourinet]
  The state budget office sees more signs that Missouri is creeping back into positive economic territory. Budget Director Linda Luebbering says general revenue tax collections have come in eight-tenths of a percent higher than last August’s totals..Income tax collections were about four percent higher in August than in August, 2009 and sales tax collections were up three-tenths of a percent. Not much, but Luebbering says the increasing collections in the first two months of the fiscal year are encouraging, especially in the two categories of taxes that provide about 90% of the state’s general revenue.
• Mo. Revenue Up in August, No Budget Cuts Loom [KOMU]

US Senate Race

• Missouri Democratic Party continues “ongoing effort” to reframe Blunt’s record [PoliticMo]
  The Missouri Democratic Party Thursday held a conference call for journalists calling on U.S. Senate candidate Congressman Roy Blunt to explain roughly $500,000 in legal fees covered out of pocket by Blunt and his campaign committee.
• NRA to back up Blunt, under fire from Democrats who call him 'corrupt' [Beacon]
  In Missouri's increasingly bitter contest for the U.S. Senate, Republican Roy Blunt is bringing in some big guns while Democrat Robin Carnahan is countering with a big shot. Blunt is slated to travel in outstate Missouri on Friday with top officials with the National Rifle Association, while Vice President Joe Biden is to headline a fund-raiser soon for Carnahan. Both candidates lobbed more verbal shots on Thursday.
• Missouri Dems Want to see Details of Blunt’s Legal Bills [KMBC]
• Carnahan camp pushes for look at Blunt's record [News-Leader]
• Biden to raise money for Carnahan [Star]
• Vice President Biden to appear at fundraiser for Carnahan [PoliticMo]
• Carnahan ad: What is Congressman Blunt hiding? [Turner Report]
• Blunt Fibs About His Many Votes Against Increasing The Minimum Wage [Fired Up]
• Crossroads group up with new anti-Carnahan spot [Star]
• 3rd Party Commercial Rips Carnahan on Health Care [KMBC]
• NRA leaders to make six-city swing with Roy Blunt [Post-Dispatch]
• AFL-CIO head has Carnahans, Skelton on his election list this fall [Post-Dispatch]
• More Democrats buck plan to let taxes increase for rich [AP]

CD3 Race

• Justice Department Sues Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Early Endorser of Ed Martin [RFT]
• Boehner backing Martin; Carnahan campaign calls him a “Rubberstamp” republican [PoliticMo]
• The sound of one hand clapping [Show Me Progress]
• Dana Loesch Says You Can't Buy Her Soul for $2,500...It Takes At Least $5,000 [St. Louis Activist Hub]

CD4 Race

• Turnout Low for Political Rally [KOMU]
  Americans for Prosperity met in Jefferson City this morning and held a rally outside the capitol. The supporters spoke about the problems with big government, but the turnout was minimal.
• Missouri Dems after Boehner, Hartzler link [Star]
• Hartzler notes that while Skelton is praising soldiers, he opposed surge [Turner Report]
• Hartzler Presses Ike for Debates [KMBC]

CD8 Race

• Farm Bureau endorses Emerson in Eighth District [Turner Report]

State Auditor's Race

• Montee holds early money lead in Mo. auditor race [AP]
  Missouri Auditor Susan Montee is beginning the general election campaign with a sizable cash advantage over her Republican challenger.
• Montee, Dooley, Lamping report far more in the bank than rivals for final stretch [Beacon]

Proposition A

• Unions, KC civic groups pressure Gov. Nixon on earnings tax [Post-Dispatch]
  A coalition of Kansas City civic groups and statewide unions have a message for Gov. Jay Nixon. Take a stand. The groups have sent a letter to Nixon asking him to oppose Proposition A. Nixon, as he has on a variety of controversial issues lately, has refused to take a position.
• KC Chamber, unions, Civic Council hit Nixon on Prop A stance [Star]

Proposition C

• Mo. health measure backers spent $100,000-plus [AP]
  Supporters spent slightly more than $100,000 to promote a successful Missouri ballot measure that attempts to defy a key part of the new federal health care law.

SD24 Race

• Lack of primary opposition gives Lamping big financial edge in 24th District state senator race [Post-Dispatch]

Brian Nieves

• Hearing delayed for accused Mo. lawmaker [AP]
  A Missouri judge has delayed a hearing on whether to order Republican House member Brian Nieves to stay away from a rival candidate's staff member.
• Hearing for order of protection against Nieves postponed a second time [Beacon]

Show-Me Institute

• Brenda Talent to oversee Show-Me Institute [Beacon]
  Brenda Talent, a prominent tax lawyer and the wife of former Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., is taking on a new job next week as the new executive director of the St. Louis-based Show-Me Institute
• Brenda Talent tapped to lead Show-Me Institute [Post-Dispatch]

Autism Insurance

• Autism treatment now covered by many insurance companies [Missourinet]
  Autism treatments will be covered by many insurance companies now that a new law has taken effect. Not quite a third of the children with autism disorders will be covered by the law approved this past regular session.

Tourism

• Gov. Nixon, first lady taking float trip to promote start of fall tourism [AP]
  Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is kicking off the fall tourism season with a float trip down the Current River.
  The governor planned to give a brief speech about the state's outdoor beauty before putting in Friday afternoon at The Landing in the southeast Missouri town of Van Buren.

New Abortion Law

• Process of getting an abortion in Missouri changes with new law [Missourian]
  The biggest impact arguably will come from the provision requiring women to meet in person with a qualified professional at least a day before the abortion. With only one fully functioning clinic in the state right now – in St. Louis – it will mean two long trips instead of one for many women seeking an abortion in Missouri.