Most likely you’ve been called to the courthouse to participate in a jury pool.
The poll question this week is how do you feel about this? Do you look forward to participating in our justice system or do you try to get out of it? The poll is located in the right sidebar.
— Steve Patterson
Views on marijuana use are changing rapidly, all age groups have shown dramatic increases in support for legalizing it:
Fully 65% of Millennials –born since 1980 and now between 18 and 32 – favor legalizing the use of marijuana, up from just 36% in 2008. Yet there also has been a striking change in long-term attitudes among older generations, particularly Baby Boomers.
Half (50%) of Boomers now favor legalizing marijuana, among the highest percentages ever. In 1978, 47% of Boomers favored legalizing marijuana, but support plummeted during the 1980s, reaching a low of 17% in 1990. Since 1994, however, the percentage of Boomers favoring marijuana legalization has doubled, from 24% to 50%.
Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980, came of age in the 1990s when there was widespread opposition to legalizing marijuana. Support for marijuana legalization among Gen X also has risen dramatically – from just 28% in 1994 to 42% a decade later and 54% currently.
The Silent Generation continues to be less supportive of marijuana legalization than younger age cohorts. But the percentage of Silents who favor legalization has nearly doubled –from 17% to 32% – since 2002. (Pew Research for People & Press)
Below is the visual view of the above information.
Right now no state bordering Missouri allows for medical or recreational use, but Illinois may soon have medical marijuana:
The sponsor of a measure that would legalize marijuana for people like Bauer says he plans to call the plan for a vote no later than next week.
Representative Lou Lang, a Democrat from Skokie, says his plan has the strictest regulations in the country.
Patients would only be allowed to purchase the marijuana from qualified vendors, who could only purchase from certified growers. (WUIS)
Would a neighboring state prompt a change in Jefferson City? Probably not.
The poll question this week asks how Missouri should treat marijuana, the existing illegal is one of the choices in the poll. My thoughts on Wednesday April 24th.
— Steve Patterson
Eight years ago today beer drinkers rejoiced:
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s signature repealed the Volstead Act, legalizing 3.2 percent beer. It also paved the way for the December ratification of the 21st Amendment, which repealed the 18th Amendment and deep-sixed Prohibition altogether.
The Volstead Act, which is how the National Prohibition Act was widely known, was pushed hard by religious and temperance groups and passed Congress in 1919 over the veto of President Woodrow Wilson.
The prohibition movement had been active in the United States for 80 years before its adherents finally succeeded in ramming through an outright national ban on alcohol. The original movement lost some steam during the Civil War (soldiers drink; deal with it) but was revived with a vengeance by the Prohibition Party and Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. (Wired)
Remaining breweries in St. Louis were also relieved to be able to legally produce beer once again after 13+ long years.
Fast forward to today and beer is a popular beverage in St. Louis with breweries & brewpubs in many parts of the region. Which brings us to the poll question for this week: What is your favorite St. Louis Brewery?
The list of breweries was taken from STL Hops:
The poll is in the right sidebar. Check out the St. Louis Beer Map for breweries, brewpubs, beer bars, etc. Of course, if you are 21 and choose to drink, please do so responsibly.
— Steve Patterson
Last week readers selected their favorite two institutions in the Zoo-Museum District (original post) .
Here are the results:
Q: Which TWO (2) institutions in the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District are your favorites?
The botanical gardens are my favorite, but I’ve spent a lot of time at events at the history museum. I haven’t been to the zoo in 20 years, but I’ll go again this year.
– Steve Patterson
Most likely you’ve seen recent TV commercials talking about utility surcharges and regulations. These are sponsored by groups on opposite sides of Missouri Senate Bill 207 (link):
SCS/SB 207 – Currently, gas corporations may file a petition with the Public Service Commission for rate adjustments to recover costs incurred for infrastructure replacement projects. This act allows electrical corporations to follow a similar process to recover costs for infrastructure replacement projects. The types of costs that can be recovered include certain work on electric plants, certain capital projects undertaken to comply with environmental or safety regulations, and costs of facilities relocation due to public works projects.
This act details the process that an electric corporation and the Public Service Commission must follow in reviewing applications for infrastructure system replacement surcharges. If surcharges are approved by the Public Service Commission, this act requires electric corporations to submit to the Commission a reconciliation noting the differences between infrastructure system replacement revenues and appropriate pretax revenues. Additionally, this act modifies the amount of revenues that may be produced from an infrastructure system replacement from no less than one million dollars or half of 1% of the corporation’s base revenue and no more than 10% of the corporation’s base revenue. While the electric corporation is collecting an infrastructure system replacement surcharge, they may only adjust the rate two times every twelve months. If an electric corporation files a petition or change to an infrastructure system replacement surcharge, it shall not be considered an increase in the electric corporation’s base rate.
In other words:
The measure would let Missouri’s three investor-owned electric companies — Ameren Missouri, KCP&L and Empire District Electric — put the cost of replacing infrastructure on customer’s bills without first needing to get approval from the Public Service Commission. (St. Louis Business Journal)
Supportive viewpoint:
Under current law utility companies have to go through the Public Service Commission to increase rates to pay for infrastructure and other additional expenses. This process can take months. They said this bill fixes that regulatory lag and allows utility companies to invest faster while interest rates are low. Supporters said this will give the companies better credit ratings, which could make utilities cheaper in the long run and make infrastructure projects more attractive to investors. (KMOX)
Opposition viewpoint:
The Fair Energy Rate Action Fund, an opponent of the legislation, said the changes are not near enough to protect consumers. Executive Director Chris Roepe said the proposed expiration date is lengthy, the cap still would allow for significant costs and proving a case to get the refund would be difficult.
“It’s still a really terrible bill for Missouri businesses and families,” Roepe said. (Southeast Missourian)
Who is the Fair Energy Rate Action Fund?
FERAF is a diverse coalition comprised by consumer protection groups. Members of FERAF include:
- AARP
- Missouri Association for Social Welfare
- Consumers Council of Missouri
- Missouri Association of Retailers
- Ford Motor Company
- Noranda Aluminum
The utilities have Missourians for a Balanced Energy Future with 19 co-chairs!
The poll this week seeks to find out how readers feel about this issue. The poll is on the right sidebar, mobile users need to switch to the desktop layout to vote in the poll.
— Steve Patterson