Speaker Richard executes dramatic flip-flop, now stands with Kinder against bond issue

Today, House Speaker Ron Richard and Lt. Governor Peter Kinder announced their opposition to a potential bonding issue proposed by Gov. Jay Nixon. The idea enjoyed broad bipartisan support in the 2009 legislative session -- it passed overwhelmingly in the House, and was only stopped because of "two or three conservative believers" in the Senate.

But now Kinder is desperately seeking relevance as a voice of GOP opposition, and Richard changes his positions on budget matters about as often as he changes his pants, so here we are.

Speaker Richard's dramatic change of heart
In April, Richard voted for HJR32 when it passed his House 131-28, which "would have allowed voters to consider a $700 million bond for construction projects on college campuses." In fact, Richard supported the plan as recently as last week -- along with GOP Floor Leader Steve Tilley, who was one of the top proponents of the idea when it sailed through the House.

In fact, Richard was so bullish about the April bond package that he even added a $25 million proposal for a new science and math building at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin.

But now, Richard says new bonds would "bury our state under a mountain of debt for the next two decades" and put the state in "serious jeopardy." What has changed for Richard since last week.

Richard v. Tilley?
Steve Tilley has been one of the most vocal Republican proponents of the bond issue, and has shown no sign of changing his mind. The tension between Richard and Tilley has been playing out in venues both public and private since the session ended -- is this the next source of conflict?

Kinder's irresponsible proposition
Kinder says the proposed bond package is "another government bailout," and that "the 2010 balanced budget that was passed by the legislature took into account all the realities of the current recession."  On both points, Kinder seems to be missing the boat. A bond issue isn't a "bailout" at all -- it's about building new university and state buildings, and not about rescuing auto companies or banks. And the 2010 budget obviously didn't take into account "all the realities of the current recession," or we wouldn't be having this discussion.

As the Post-Dispatch's Tony Messenger noted this morning, Kinder's plan would require new cuts, or monster holes in the 2011 budget. 

For Nixon to do what Kinder suggests, he would either have to cut elsewhere from the budget lawmakers approved, or fill the gap with federal stimulus funds that both Nixon and key budget writers in the House and Senate hope to hold on to for the 2011 budget year.

Kinder wants to plow full steam ahead with the HB22 projects, without a good way to pay for them. He doesn't just say "let's not borrow."  He says, "let's not borrow, and spend everything we have right now!"  How is that the fiscally conservative thing to do?