Sunday Poll: Will You Vote In Tuesday’s Primary?

Today’s non-scientific poll has nothing to do directly with political parties, candidates, ballot questions, etc. Instead, today’s poll is simply about voting itself.

Americans appear to be more engaged with this year’s midterm elections than they typically are. Not only do about half of registered voters report being more enthusiastic than usual about voting, up from 40% in 2014, but turnout has surged in the 31 states that already have held their congressional primaries – particularly among Democrats.

In those states, nearly 13.6 million people – or 10.1% of registered voters – have voted in Democratic primaries for the U.S. House of Representatives, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of state election returns. By this point in the 2014 midterm election cycle, fewer than 7.4 million people – or 6% of registered voters – had cast ballots in Democratic House primaries. (The same 31 states have held primaries as by this date in 2014.) (Pew Research)

Are you more engaged this year, will you be voting on Tuesday?  Here’s the official poll question:

As always, this poll will close at 8pm.

— Steve Patterson

Missouri’s Primary is Tuesday August 7th

Missouri’s primary election is next week, Tuesday. I’ve already voted absentee, hopefully you plan to vote. I covered the St. Louis ballot here, and St. Louis County here. However, last week I neglected to mention three charter amendments on every St. Louis County ballot, all are yes/no questions:

CHARTER AMENDMENT – ST. LOUIS CO. – PROPOSITION 2 
Shall the St. Louis County Charter be amended as proposed by Ordinance No. 27,057 enacted on the 29th day of May, 2018? Said charter as so amended would provide that the council may appoint an attorney, licensed to practice law in Missouri, to its executive staff, and enter into a contract with outside private counsel, who shall be an attorney licensed to practice law in Missouri.   

CHARTER AMENDMENT – ST. LOUIS CO. – PROPOSITION 3 
Shall the St. Louis County Charter be amended as proposed by Ordinance No. 27,058, enacted on the 29th day of May, 2018? Said charter as so amended would provide that the term employment as used in the County Charter, Section 2.170, shall be strictly interpreted as prescribed in state law, specifically 8 CSR 10-4.150, as that regulation existed on April 12, 2018.

CHARTER AMENDMENT – ST. LOUIS CO. – PROPOSITION 4 
Shall the Charter of St. Louis County be amended to provide for the regulation of campaign contributions, the regulation of interdepartmental fund transfers, and a website to publish certain county financial documents, as set forth in Exhibit A of Ordinance No. 27,059 on file with the St. Louis County Administrative Director and St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners?

I’m not familiar with the issues so I’m not going to weigh in on them, just want every voter to know what to expect so they can decide how they plan to vote before Tuesday. You can begin research into these amendments at St. Louis Public Radio.

Along the line of being an informed voter, I highly recommend every Missouri voter use Missouri’s Voter Outreach Center to find the candidates & issues based on your address & party preference.

— Steve Paterson

St. Louis County Voters Can Get Sample Ballots For August 7th Primary Based On Their Address

A week ago I took a look at issues & candidates facing voters in St. Louis City on August 7th, today is a brief look at St. Louis County. Brief because St. Louis County is highly fragmented with many municipalities, school districts fire protection districts, etc. The County’s ballot content report is 36 pages! County voters can click here for a page that’ll show a sample ballot based on their address. Ballots for each voter isn’t that long, so be sure to review your ballot ahead of time & vote on August 7th.

As last week, I suggested voting no Proposition A.

U.S. Senate & state-level candidates are the same as lsat week. U.S. House District 1 & State Sen District 4 are also in part of St. Louis County. Speaking of U.S. House 1, last Saturday night we attended the birthday party & rally for candidate Cori Bush. The main guest was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortex – the 28 year-old who defeated a 10-term incumbent in NY’s 14th U.S, House District. Both women are considered new faces of the Democratic Party.

The following morning Ocasio-Cortez was on Face the Nation with SEn. Bernie Sanders, both in Kansas campaigning for progressive Democrats.

The main race is for the Democratic nomination for County Executive. The television ads for Steve Stenger and Mark Mantovani have been relentless and brutal. I think they’re both right about the other. Will the 3rd candidate on the Democratic ballot pick up votes out of distaste for the two big rivals?

The race that might have a bigger impact is for prosecuting attorney. Ferguson councilman Wesley Bell is challenging Robert McCulloch.

Four years after Ferguson erupted, Bell says bringing reforms to the St. Louis County prosecutor’s office is long overdue. He wants to reform the county’s bail system, moving it to what he calls a “risk-based” process rather than a “cash-based” one. He also wants to expand the county’s drug courts and diversion programs — programs that he claims McCulloch “has never been committed to.”  (RFT)

Wesley Bell is worth considering, his website is votewesleybell.com

Illinois’ primary was back in March, so television ads for governor will just increase between now and November 6th.

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Missouri’s August Primary Is August 7, 2018

On Friday I usually post new Board Bills being introduced at the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, but they’re on Summer break until the Friday after Labor Day. So I’ll stick with politics and talk about Missouri’s primary on August 7th.  As always, I start at the bottom of the ballot and work up to the top.

PROPOSITION NO. 1
Shall the following be adopted:

Proposition to issue bonds of the City of St. Louis, Missouri in an amount not to exceed Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000) for the purpose of planning, purchasing, replacing, improving and maintaining the buildings, bridges, computer software/ hardware, and equipment of the City of St. Louis, including (1) acquiring fire trucks, ambulances, and other fire-fighting apparatus for the St. Louis Fire Department, (2) acquiring radio equipment for the Police Department, (3) providing match share funds to repair, renovate, and replace bridges, (4) renovating buildings and facilities owned by the City of St. Louis including courthouses, correctional facilities, City Hall and other City buildings; and (5) for expenses associated with the issuance of the bonds. If this proposition is approved, the property tax levy is estimated to remain unchanged.

YES – FOR THE PROPOSITION
NO – AGAINST THE PROPOSITION

I haven’t yet decided how I’ll vote on Prop 1.

PROPOSITION A

Referendum ordered by Petition

Do the people of the state of Missouri want to adopt Senate Bill 19 (“Right-to-Work”) as passed by the general assembly in 2017, which prohibits as a condition of employment the forced membership in a labor organization (union) or forced payments of dues in full or pro-rata (fair-share); make any activity which violates employees’ rights illegal and ineffective; allow legal remedies for anyone injured as a result of another person violating or threatening to violate employees’ rights; and which shall not apply to union agreements entered into before the effective date of Senate Bill 19?

State and local government entities expect no costs or savings.

YES – FOR THE PROPOSITION
NO – AGAINST THE PROPOSITION

I’ll be voting a resounding NO on Prop A.

Voters can pick a non-partisan ballot or from one the following partisan ballets:

• Republican
• Democratic
• Libertarian
• Constitution
• Green

The above order is how they appear on the Sample Ballot.   Like most of you, I’ll be voting in the Democratic primary. Below are the contested races.

FOR RECORDER OF DEEDS (VOTE FOR ONE)

• MICHAEL BUTLER
• SHARON QUIGLEY CARPENTER
• JIMMIE MATTHEWS

I’ll vote for Michael Butler, my current State Rep., Carpenter never should’ve been reelected.

FOR LICENSE COLLECTOR (VOTE FOR ONE)

• MAVIS “TESSA” THOMPSON
• DANA KELLY-FRANKS

I’ll likely vote for Dana Kelly-Franks. One Republican is running for this office — will win on August 7th but lose in November General.

FOR STATE REP. DISTRICT 84 (VOTE FOR ONE)

• WILEY PRICE IV
• BRAD BAKKER

Not my district.

FOR STATE REP. DISTRICT 82 (VOTE FOR ONE)

• DONNA M.C. BARINGER
• FRED KRATKY

Also not my district. but it’ll be interesting to see who wins this race.

FOR STATE REP. DISTRICT 81 (VOTE FOR ONE)

• STEVE BUTZ
• TRAVIS ESTES

Not my district.

FOR STATE REP. DISTRICT 80 (VOTE FOR ONE)

• PETER MERIDETH
• MARIAH VANDIVER

Not my district, though I have heard of one of the two candidates.

FOR STATE REP. DISTRICT 79 (VOTE FOR ONE)

• LAKEYSHA BOSLEY
• J.P. JOHNSON
• REIGN HARRIS
• MAXINE JOHNSON

Finally, my district! I’ve heard of J.P> Johnson, but that doesn’t mean he’ll get my vote. I need to research all four.

Though I’m skipping uncontested races, it’s worth noting Bruce Franks Jr, who won 2 years ago, is unchallenged in the 78th.

FOR STATE REP. DISTRICT 77 (VOTE FOR ONE)

• STEVE ROBERTS
• KIMBERLY-ANN COLLINS

Not my district.

FOR STATE REP. DISTRICT 77 (VOTE FOR ONE)

• CYNDNEY E. JOHNSON
• DAMON HAYMER
• MARISSA BROWN
• CHRIS CARTER

Not my district.

FOR STATE REP. DISTRICT 66 (VOTE FOR ONE)

• KHALIL ABDUL MUMIN
• TOMMIE PIERSON, JR.

Not my district.

FOR STATE SEN. DISTRICT 4 (VOTE FOR ONE)

• KARLA MAY
• JACOB W. HUMMEL

I need to research the position of both candidates.

Four GOP candidates for STATE AUDIROR, the winner will face Democrat Nicole Galloway, Libertarian Sean O’Toole,  Constitution Party nomineeJacob Luetkmeyer, and Green Don Fitz in November.

FOR U.S. REP DISTRICT 1 (VOTE FOR ONE)

• CORI BUSH
• DeMARCO K. DAVIDSON
• JOSHUA SHIPP
• LACY CLAY

No brainier — I’m voting FOR Cori Bush to unseat Lacy Clay!   Three Republicans are running in the primary.

FOR U.S. SENATOR (VOTE FOR ONE)

• CARLA [COFFEE] WRIGHT
• ANGELICA EARL
• LEONARD JOSEPH STEINMAN II
• JOHN HOGAN
• TRAVIS GONZALEZ
• DAVID FAUST
• CLAIRE McCASKILL

The most crowded race on the ballot. I need to research the first six because I will NOT be voting for McCaskill in the primary. Ten GOP candidates running against presumed GOP nominee Josh Hawley. One, Ken Patterson, is no relation to me.

See the August 7, 2018 St. Louis sample ballot here. The general election ids 3 months later, on November 6, 2018.

— Steve Patterson

St. Louis Board of Aldermen: New Board Bills Week 13 of 2018-2019 Session, Last Meeting Before Summer Break

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen will meet at 10am today, their 13th meeting of the 2018-2019 session. Today is their last meeting prior to Summer break.

Today’s agenda includes two new bills:

• B.B.#98 – Davis – An Ordinance recommended and approved by the Airport Commission, the Board of Public Service, and the Board of Estimate and Apportionment authorizing a Third Amendment to Section One of the Airport Schedule F CIP Project Ordinance 67357 approved December 19, 2006, as amended by Ordinance 68650 approved June 2, 2010 and Ordinance 68852 approved February 14, 2011, which authorized a multi-year public work and improvement program at St. Louis Lambert International Airport,amending EXHIBIT A entitled “Schedule F CIP Project (MII Approved)” by adding a new project to the project list entitled “Replacing Accounting Systems”; and containingseverability clause and an emergency clause
• B.B.#99 – Ogilvie – An Ordinance recommended by the Board of Public Service authorizing the Mayor and Comptroller of the City of St. Louis to execute an Easement Agreement, which shall give, grant, extend and confer in perpetuity on the City, its Agents, Successors and Assigns, the right to install, construct, maintain, repair, and upgrade a water Main for the purpose of delivering water; approving an Easement Agreement for a perpetual easement; authorizing certain actions by City officials, and containing a severability clause.

The meeting begins at 10am, past meetings and a live broadcast can be watched online here. See list of all board bills for the 2017-2018 session — the new bills listed above may not be online right away. The next full board meeting after today will be September 7, 2018.

— Steve Patterson