(Missourinet) – Law enforcement personnel are still trying to figure out how police were dispatched to the wrong address in what resulted in an officer’s death.
Clinton Police Officer Christopher Ryan Morton was killed when he and two other officers responded to a residence inside the city when the actual 9-1-1 call pertaining to screaming women came from 15 miles away in Windsor, Missouri.
Upon arriving at the wrong address, officers encountered occupant Tammy Widger, who advised there was not a problem and there wasn’t anybody else in the residence.
After confirming the address with emergency dispatchers, officers entered the house where they were fired upon by the suspect, James Waters.
According to State Highway Patrol Sgt. Bill Lowe, they had to enter the home because they thought they were responding to a disturbance.
Waters who was being investigated for rape injured the two other officers with gunfire. He was found dead in a bathroom at the home over two hours later by a SWAT team. It’s not known if he died from officer gunshots or from self-inflicted wounds.
KSHB reports Waters had a lengthy criminal record with numerous arrests and spent several years in jail or prison. As a convicted felon, he wasn’t supposed to be in possession of firearms.
Multiple weapons were found inside the residence. Occupant Tammy Widger was arrested on unrelated charges of methamphetamine.
The two other officers are recovering from non-life-threatening injuries. Officer Nathan Bettencourt went through surgery at a Kansas City area hospital and is in stable condition. Officer Nicholas Kasper was treated released from a hospital.
Morton, who was a reserve member of the Clinton Police force, came back in a full-time capacity to fill the spot left by Officer Gary Michael was shot and killed last August.
In scanner communications captured by Broadcastify, Morton told dispatchers he was in a back room of the residence and had been hit multiple times in the arm, legs, head, and vest. He failed to respond to further communications from dispatchers.
The 30-year-old Morton was praised by Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler for his service with the Army National Guard before returning home to be a police officer.
Missouri House. Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications | Missourinet.
(Missourinet) – The Missouri House has advanced a measure to limit worker pay on public projects in Missouri.
The proposal, which is a combination of three bills from Republican representatives would impact employees on projects for cities, school districts, and local governments. It would do away with the current “prevailing wage” policy where workers are paid based on where the project takes place.
The bill will require one more vote before it can move to the Senate.
GOP House member Jeffrey Justus of Branson, who’s sponsoring the legislation, said the existing arrangement needs to be done away with because it’s a drain on local tax dollars.
“The purpose of getting rid of prevailing wage is that our constituents tax dollars, not the state’s tax dollars, our constituents, the ones who pay it can get more out of their money than what they’re getting now,” said Justus.
The measure, which received initial approval in the Republican-dominated chamber by an 86-63 margin, repeals the prevailing wage law and requires contractors and to pay employees state or federal minimum wage, whichever is higher. Minimum wage in Missouri is currently $7.70 per hour.
Proponents of the legislation, which include many cities and counties, claim the current law leads to money being siphoned from local jurisdictions to pay for high labor costs. They say it artificially raises wages and makes public works projects cost prohibitive in rural areas, leading to the abandonment or neglect of important projects.
In Cole County, which is home to the state capitol in Jefferson City, pay ranges from $14.35 per hour for a marble finisher, to $47.07 for an elevator constructor. Many of the positions have basic hourly rates between $25.00-and-$35.00. Prevailing wage is determined by the Department of Labor and is based on the number of hours worked and the wages paid to contractors.
Democratic Representative Doug Beck of St. Louis said local communities would be better served if contractors were required to report their worker pay.
“It’s all voluntary,” said Beck. “All the reporting on prevailing wage is voluntary. And that’s the part of the problem I see.”
Opponents of the measure contend that if worker pay was reported then the prevailing wage would better reflect local economies and would be lower in rural areas. Organized contractor associations and labor unions oppose the legislation to repeal the law. Contractors like prevailing wage because it keeps skilled workers from taking jobs in other states.
Passing a prevailing wage roll-back is a priority for the Republican super-majority legislature. After years of frustration, the GOP finally advanced a business-friendly right-to-work proposal into law last year with a like-minded head of state, GOP Governor Eric Greitens.
A prevailing wage bill passed the House in 2017 but stalled in the Senate, which became dysfunctional and consumed with infighting toward the end of the session.
State Rep. Charlie Davis, R-Webb City, speaks on the Missouri House floor in March 2017. File photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications | Missourinet.
(Missourinet) – The Missouri House Higher Education Committee heard several bills involving tuition cap increases and the elimination of tenure starting in 2019, during a hearing this week in Jefferson City.
State Rep. Charlie Davis, R-Webb City, has a bill that would eliminate the limit on tuition for public colleges and universities that have not received an increase in state funding the previous fiscal year. Normally, institutions cannot raise tuition more than the Consumer Price Index (CPI) percentage. His bill also allows public institutions to raise tuition to the CPI plus 10 percent, even if they have received additional state funding.
“I believe the state’s got vested interest in making sure tuition is affordable but I think we’re at the point where we need to let the colleges and universities make the decision what is affordable in that district,” Davis says.
This proposal comes in the wake of Governor Eric Greitens’ (R) proposed $98 million in budget cuts to higher education this fiscal year. Davis says this would allow these public institutions to accommodate for the lost revenue from state funding.
“This becomes a free-market type of a bill that allows colleges, universities, the board of governors and the presidents to decide what the tuition is going to be,” Davis says. “I hate tying the hands of our board of governors and our presidents of our universities by telling them that they cannot do tuition above CPI especially in years that we withhold tons of money from them.”
Paul Wagner, the executive director of the Council on Public Higher Education in Missouri, testified for the bill during the Higher Education Committee because of the increased flexibility for institutions.
Steven Chaffin, the executive director of the Associated Students of the University of Missouri, spoke for informational purposes, saying although he understands the good intentions of the bill, he’s also worried about the effects of eliminating the cap altogether.
Under a proposal from State Rep. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, public institutions would stop offering tenure to staff hired beginning in 2019. This would save taxpayers money by making it easier to fire professors who are not performing, increase accountability and evaluate educators more efficiently, Brattin says.
“If we’re going to make the real changes to streamline higher education and ensure that they’re receiving the best education possible, we have to be able to look into the staff and people who are working in that system to ensure they’re doing the best job they can,” Brattin says. “But with the system that we currently have, that’s not able to be done with a tenured staff.”
However, this spurred lots of opposition from several committee members and representatives from all over the state from various higher education groups and institutions. Rep. Joe Adams, who was a history professor at St. Louis Community College for over 30 years, says a potential to get tenured is essential when hiring.
“I view this as an attack on the MU system for whatever reason and I am unalterably opposed and if this bill makes it to the floor I will be going ballistic and if I’m lucky enough next year to be on that other side, it definitely is going to be dead on arrival,” Adams tells the committee.
Several committee members also say that although saving money is a good intention, eliminating tenure is not the best way to do so. Tenure is essential for attracting and maintaining high-quality educators and for the UM System to remain in the Association of American Universities.
Representatives from Missouri Western State University, Missouri State University, the Missouri National Education Association and the Missouri American Federation of Labor were opposed but did not have time to testify.
(Missourinet) – A new ranking of “Best States” places Missouri just below the middle of the pack.
The survey by U.S. News & World Report, which is best known for ranking colleges and universities, places Missouri at number 30, just below neighboring Kansas. The analysis examined each state in eight different categories to come up with its final result.
The Show-Me State ranked highest, 10th, in Fiscal Stability, which tracks states’ government credit ratings, liquidity, pension fund liability and budget balancing. The survey gave Missouri a solid rating in the category, even though some services such as higher education have suffered cuts in recent years due to a shortage of state money.
The state also ranked relatively high, 15th, in Quality of Life which emphasizes air quality, pollution and voter participation among other factors.
Weighing the state down in the survey was Crime and Corrections, where Missouri ranks 45. Violent crime has been well documented in the state’s urban areas, especially St. Louis and Kansas City. St. Louis recorded its highest murder rate in more than two decades last year.
Missouri also ranked low, 39th, in Health Care, which looked at adults and children who go without medical and dental care and considered the cost of services.
The U.S. News & World Report analysis weighted education and health care as the most important categories, giving each one 16% of the overall score.
The category of Opportunity was allocated 13% followed by Infrastructure 12%, Crime and Corrections 11%, Fiscal Stability 10% and Quality of Life 8%.
The political leaning of individual states didn’t appear to have a significant influence on the rankings. Minnesota, which votes Democratic in Presidential elections was number 2 on the list, followed by solidly Republican Utah at number 3.
Neighboring Iowa topped the U.S. News & World Report “Best States” rankings, while another bordering state to Missouri, Nebraska, was also in the top 10 at number 2.
Representative Jered Taylor. Photo courtesy Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications | Missourinet.
(Missourinet) – State Rep. Jered Taylor, R-Nixa, wants to bar the state, local governments and Missouri’s public colleges and universities from limiting the concealed carry of guns.
A state House committee will consider his proposed changes Monday.
“Of all of the ones that have allowed concealed carry on college campus, not a single act of violence, or a threat of violence, or a suicide attempt by a single concealed carry weapon permit holder on one of those campuses has ever happened,” Taylor tells Missourinet. “We’ve seen 98% of mass shootings happen in gun-free zones. So, it just proves that just because you post a sign, just because we have it in statute, isn’t stopping anyone from coming into those locations with a gun. It’s actually doing the opposite effect. It’s not allowing an individual who is a law-abiding citizen to protect themselves and potentially protect other people if this happens in one of those locations.”
One argument being raised is the bill would make college campuses less safe.
Taylor points to sexual assaults on college campuses as another reason for the need for change.
“I saw one study that says one out of every six college students have either been raped or attempted to be raped sometime during their college experience,” says Taylor. “We should give these students the ability to protect themselves.”
Under his proposal, Taylor says citizens carrying concealed weapons would still have to have a permit to carry in the Missouri Capitol and on the state’s college campuses.
Taylor is also proposing to expand the number of locations, particularly private businesses like day care centers, casinos, churches, and bars, where guns can be carried without a permit.
“In my opinion, it should be up to the private business owner whether or not they allow guns into their facilities or businesses,” says Taylor. “It shouldn’t be up to the government to make that decision for them.”
A non-partisan grassroots group of mothers demanding solutions to address the country’s culture of gun violence sees Taylor’s legislation much differently. Missouri Moms Demand Action organizer Kim Westerman of the St. Louis chapter says the proposal would force businesses that don’t want concealed guns on their property to take extra measures.
“This law would make it so everyone has to opt out,” says Westerman. “So, if you’re a bar that doesn’t want guns in your bar, you’d have to post a sign saying, ‘no weapons are allowed.’”
The Missouri House General Laws committee will hear the bill at 12 p.m. Monday at the state Capitol in Jefferson City. A large turnout is expected for the hearing – limiting testimony to three minutes per witness.
Missouri high school class of 2017 increases score on college-level exams. Photo courtesy Missourinet
(Missourinet) – About 12% of Missouri’s 2017 high school graduates scored a 3 or better on Advanced Placement or AP tests they sometimes receive college credit for.
The figure is an increase of nearly 1% from the previous year. Scores range from 1 to 5, with colleges mostly requiring a 3 or higher for students to be eligible for credit.
According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, AP classes offer several advantages for students, including portability of scores to a variety of colleges and universities in Missouri and across the country. Students who score 3 or higher have been shown to earn higher grade point averages in college, and they are more likely to graduate from college in four years.
The achievement gap based on race continues to linger. According to data from the College Board, the organization that operates AP programs, Asian students had the highest AP exam average – 3.46, white students followed with 3.13, Hispanics averaged 2.66, and African-Americans had the lowest – 1.92. The 2017 average scores based upon are virtually the same as the previous year.
More than 26,000 Missouri seniors took the college-level tests in 2017 – an increase of over 1,000 from the previous year.
AP participation is one of several measures Missouri uses to determine college and career readiness. About 43% of 2017 graduates were enrolled in dual enrollment or dual credit classes. An additional two percent were enrolled in International Baccalaureate courses.
(Missourinet) – A measure that would suspend the license of any driver who struck a worker in a construction zone is being considered by Missouri lawmakers.
The bill allows the Director of the Department of Revenue to take the action if an individual is involved in an accident with a highway worker in a construction or work zone.
Republican State Representative Justin Alferman of Herman, who is sponsoring the proposal, recently presented it in front of the House Transportation Committee. He says it’s meant to have an immediate impact on drivers.
“You hit a highway worker, (and) you will automatically lose your license until you go back to the DMV, pass your eye exam, pass a written exam and then pass a driver’s test as well,” said Alferman.
The bill as written states that a suspended license can be reinstated if the impacted individual passes both the written and driving parts of the driver’s license examination, or upon a final determination of the matter in court or by an administrative hearing that awards no points for causing or contributing to an accident.
The measure also includes language meant to protect innocent drivers by barring records related to reinstatement from being used as evidence in other matters. It further calls for the records to be closed to the public.
The proposal would apply to both state and privately contracted workers in construction zones. It’s a response to the death of a retired Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) employee who returned to the agency for seasonal work.
Daughter of Lyndon Ebker, Nicole Herbel, speaks about the importance of paying attention in work zones Photo courtesy MoDOT | Missourinet.
Fifty-five-year-old Lyndon Ebker was working traffic control in Franklin County in April 2016 when state troopers say he was struck by an 80-year-old man. Last year Representative Alferman, whose district includes Franklin County, successfully sponsored a bill to rename a bridge on Highway 100 in the area after Ebker.
At the hearing on the current proposal, Ebker’s daughter, Nicole Herbel, read an account by an eyewitness who was recalling thoughts over a five-second period.
Herbal also recalled that her father’s body flew 41-feet during the incident and noted that the person behind the wheel who struck him never lost driving privileges and still has a valid license.
The driver was charged with second-degree assault and driving without insurance. Herbal said she’s attended every court hearing since the charges were filed.
A number of committee members brought up concerns during the bill’s hearing that it could have unintended consequences. Republican Representative Becky Ruth of Festus suggested a driver hit by another vehicle and pushed into a worker could be improperly penalized.
“I wouldn’t want to see that person who’s already a victim of an accident, who may be injured or hurt as a result of that accident have further penalties assessed on them or have any further hardship,” said Ruth.
When pressed by Republican Representative Nate Tate of St. Clair on the enforceability of the bill on out-of-state drivers, Alferman admitted Missouri had no jurisdiction to do so.
Republican Representative Kevin Corlew of Kansas City, a practicing attorney, suggested the bill include a provision allowing for a hearing to satisfy due process requirements.
“I would recommend looking at the process that we already have for the administrative suspension of license, and maybe taking a look to see if there’s something that we could do for drivers who injure construction workers.” People facing DUI accusations who have their licenses suspended have 15 days to request a hearing to contest the charges.
MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna spoke in favor of the bill during its hearing, where he informed committee members that the Department has a solution at its disposal if it determines drivers are a threat to its workers.
“We can close the road and do the work behind barriers,” said McKenna. “Now that’s a great inconvenience to the public, but if the workers are so subjected to unsafe conditions, that would be the responsibility of the Department to do so.” McKenna said MoDOT could use the option if it found drivers to be overly distracted or if courts failed to properly enforce traffic fines.
Representative Alferman said a strongly worded sign often displayed near construction zones carries little legal weight.
“Driving through the state I think each and every one of us have seen those signs on our highways that say ‘Hit a worker, $10,000 fine, lose your license’,” Alferman said. “It was a shock to me to realize that is merely a scare tactic and is not actually the case. Many of you on this committee will probably be surprised to know that we put up those signs and they don’t really have a whole lot of merit.”
The House Transportation has not scheduled a date to vote on the proposal that would suspend licenses when drivers hit construction workers.
State Rep. J. Eggleston, R-Maysville, speaks on the Missouri House floor. File photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications | Missourinet.
(Missourinet) – The Missouri House has presented a resolution this week recognizing a state lawmaker who donated a kidney in January, as part of a three-way kidney trade.
State Rep. Allen Andrews, R-Grant City, presented the resolution on the House floor on Wednesday, honoring State Rep. J. Eggleston, R-Maysville.
“Representative Eggleston donated his kidney to a Michigan patient,” Andrews says. “The Michigan recipient’s friend then donated a kidney to another recipient, and that recipient’s friend donated their kidney to Representative Eggleston’s wife.”
Eggleston’s wife, Cathie, had suffered from kidney disease. She was in the House chamber in Jefferson City on Wednesday.
Eggleston encourages others to consider organ donation, saying that about 100,000 people are on the waiting list for a new kidney.
“I’m told a little under half of our citizens do that, but you get a nice little heart on your driver’s license to let the world know that the last act that you may have would be to save the life of someone else,” says Eggleston.
Eggleston, who received a standing ovation from both sides of the aisle, says about 18,000 people receive a kidney transplant annually in the United States.
During his passionate floor speech, Eggleston notes that Hall of Fame baseball player Rod Carew suffered a massive heart attack in 2015.
“There was another young man, by coincidence also in athletics, in his 20s, had a brain aneurysm and died unexpectedly. Konrad Reuland was his name,” Eggleston says.
Eggleston notes Rod Carew received his new heart and kidney from Reuland, a former NFL player.
CBS Sports reported in April 2017 that this was believed to be the first organ transplant between two professional athletes.
Eggleston represents northwest Missouri’s Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry and Harrison counties in the House.
A mural in downtown Chillicothe notes the city is the home of sliced bread. Photo courtesy of the Greater Chillicothe Visitors Region | Missourinet.
(Missourinet) – The Missouri House voted Wednesday afternoon in Jefferson City to give final approval to legislation designating July 7th of each year as “Missouri Sliced Bread Day.”
The bipartisan House vote was 128-16, with 13 members absent and one voting present.
The bill also encourages Missourians to commemorate the first sale of sliced bread, which happened in 1928 in Chillicothe.
State Rep. Richard Brown, D-Kansas City, the ranking Democrat on the House Special Committee on Tourism, describes the bill as good for Chillicothe and Missouri.
“This bill is the greatest thing since sliced bread and if we (the House) don’t pass this bill, we’ll all be toast. And with that Mr. Speaker, I urge the body to pass this bill,” Brown says on the House floor.
State Rep. Rusty Black speaks on the Missouri House floor on February 21, 2018. Photo courtesy Tim Bommel at House Communications | Missourinet.
The bill sponsor, State Rep. Rusty Black, R-Chillicothe, tells House colleagues the first sale of sliced bread happened almost 90 years ago, in 1928 in his community.
“The first automatic bread-slicing machine and bread-wrapping machine was first used in the great town of Chillicothe in the greater state of Missouri,” Black says.
Black also says sliced bread is value-added agriculture.
Of the 16 “no” votes, nine came from Democrats and seven came from Republican House members.
State Rep. Brandon Ellington, D-Kansas City, voted against the sliced bread legislation, telling Missourinet it is a waste of taxpayer dollars and a waste of House time.
“We should actually be in this body (the House) vetting bills that have real impacts on Missourians, not creating a sliced bread day,” Ellington says.
Representative Black’s bill now heads to the Missouri Senate.
Grand River Historical Society Museum curator Pamela Clingerman traveled from Chillicothe to Jefferson City to watch Wednesday’s House vote.
She notes Chillicothe is located on “The Way of Genius,” which is Highway 36.
The “Washington Post” profiled the sliced bread legislation in an article this week.
The story also highlights the “Way of American Genius,” noting the Highway 36 corridor across north Missouri. Mark Twain lived in Hannibal, Walt Disney lived in Marceline and J.C. Penney was born in Hamilton, all towns along the highway.
“We have somebody who had an idea and ran with it, and everybody told him no you can’t do it and yes he did,” says Clingerman.
Clingerman tells Missourinet that the Chillicothe Baking Company owner in 1928 was Frank Bench, and that the machine inventor was Otto Rohwedder.
Her Grand River Historical Society Museum has about 9,600 square feet of exhibit space, and is open year-round.
Clingerman says Chillicothe plans citywide celebrations on July 7, which is a Saturday.
Longtime “Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune” editor Cathy Ripley also traveled from Livingston County to the Statehouse to cover Wednesday’s House vote.
Ripley is mentioned in the “Washington Post” story. She’s the reporter who, while searching through microfilm of old newspapers, found a headline about sliced bread.
The “Washington Post” story notes Ripley “stumbled upon a slice of American innovation long overlooked by local residents and state historians.”
Missouri Moms Demand Action gather at Jefferson City’s Capitol Plaza Hotel for event at Missouri Capitol. Photo courtesy Missourinet.
(Missourinet) – The group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America had an especially large turnout for its annual rally at the state capitol in Jefferson City Tuesday.
Organizer Kim Westerman of the Missouri Mom’s St. Louis chapter says about 100 more people signed on for this year’s gathering since the Florida tragedy. She says she thinks there’s something special motivating personal participation.
“It’s really inspiring just how many people are standing up right now,” Westerman said. “I’m not sure what’s different about this mass shooting, but it just seems to be a tipping point for people. I’ve seen it on my social media feed. People are saying, ‘I’ve supported you for a while, but I want to attend a meeting. I want to take action.”
The congregation of 300 people assembled for a group photo before breaking into smaller divisions to visit every state legislator’s office. This year they’re targeting a bill in the state House from Republican Representative Jared Taylor of Nixa which would vastly expand the number of locations, particularly private businesses, where concealed carry of guns would become legal.
Westerman says it would force businesses that don’t want concealed guns on their premise to take extra measures.
“This law would make it so everyone has to opt out,” said Westerman. “So, if you’re a bar that doesn’t want guns in your bar, you’d have to post a sign saying, ‘no weapons are allowed’.”
Businesses such as day care centers, churches and bars could allow concealed carry of weapons under the legislation. For his part, bill sponsor Taylor says it’s only fair that businesses make their own decisions.
“In my opinion, it should be up to the private business owner whether or not they allow guns into their facilities or businesses,” said Taylor. “It shouldn’t be up to the government to make that decision for them.”
This bill would also prohibit the state, cities, counties and public colleges and universities from imposing restrictions on concealed carry of guns. Westerman credits lobbying efforts by her group as being partly responsible for blocking a similar proposal from Taylor last year from passing.
She’s also quick to point out that her group is not focused on banning any type of gun, but instead wants to prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands.
“We want states to pass laws that empower families and law enforcement officials to be able to get a judge to block dangerous people from getting guns in the first place,” Westerman said. “The common link through all these mass shootings is dangerous people having guns.”
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense is a division of the umbrella group Everytown for Gun Safety, which was founded in 2014 by financial services billionaire Michael Bloomberg.
Governor Eric Greitens offered thoughts on how to fight against gun violence like the recent mass shooting in Florida Tuesday morning. He says he thinks, among other things, police agencies need to do a better job of communicating.
“Share intelligence among the federal government like to FBI, our state Department of Public Safety, local sheriffs and chiefs of police,” Greitens said. “They all need to be sharing intelligence, so if there is a threat, we can address it quickly.”
Greitens made his comments to Missourinet affiliate KXEO following a visit to the Veteran’s Home in mid-Missouri’s Mexico Tuesday morning.
