Image 01 Image 03

Missouri Tag

Only hours before the execution, Missouri Governor Eric Greitans granted a stay of execution for Marcellus Williams due to new DNA evidence that may exonerate him. From CNN:
"A sentence of death is the ultimate, permanent punishment," Greitens said in a statement. "To carry out the death penalty, the people of Missouri must have confidence in the judgment of guilt. In light of new information, I am appointing a Board of Inquiry in this case."

A Missouri state senator posted on Facebook that she hopes President Trump is assassinated.  Her comment, since deleted, acknowledged that such a statement is likely to earn her scrutiny from the Secret Service.  And it has. Not only is state senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D-MO) facing a Secret Service probe, but she is also being called upon to resign.  Further, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens (R) is urging the state legislature to remove Chappelle-Nadal should she refuse to honor the bipartisan calls for her resignation. Fox News reported on Chappelle-Nadal's Facebook post:
Democratic state senator in Missouri is facing resignation calls for posting on Facebook Thursday that she hopes President Trump is assassinated. “I hope Trump is assassinated!” state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal wrote.

Monday, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Missouri Lutheran School who'd sued the state over the state's decision to withhold grant money. PBS summarized:
The case grows out of a lawsuit filed by Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Missouri, after it lost out on a grant for its playground in 2012 despite being ranked fifth out of 44 applicants.

Authorities have arrested Juan Thompson, 31, in St. Louis, MO, for threatening Jewish community centers as revenge against a former lover. From ABC:
The suspect, 31-year-old Juan Thompson, is accused of what federal prosecutors called a “campaign to harass and intimidate.” He’s charged in New York with cyberstalking a woman by communicating threats to JCCs in the woman’s name. Prosecutors said Thompson “appears to have made at least eight of the JCC threats as part of a sustained campaign to harass and intimidate” the woman after their romantic relationship ended.

While the polls mostly look grim for Trump as of today, two weeks can be a lifetime in politics. At some point do down-ballot Republicans all but concede that Hillary will win, and argue that a vote for the Republican House or Senate candidate is needed as a check and balance on future President Hillary? That's what Republican are accused of already doing in the Missouri Senate race, which by many accounts may determine who controls the Senate. The current polling shows Republican Roy Blunt very slightly ahead, but it's now considered a toss-up. The AP reports, GOP Senate Ad Acknowledges Clinton Likely to Win:

I discussed yesterday how GOP Super PACs have poured more money into saving its senate seats even though it appears the party will maintain its majority. Yet the GOP may lose a seat in Missouri as Democrat Jason Kander moves up in the polls and displays fresh confidence against incumbent Roy Blunt:
“The momentum is really clearly with us,” Mr. Kander, a Georgetown Law School graduate who served a term as a state legislator before being elected secretary of state, said at a small but lively campaign event in St. Louis on Saturday. ”It’s a very clear choice between somebody like myself, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who is focused on a new generation of leadership, and someone like Sen. Blunt, who has been in Washington for 20 years doing what special interests want to him to do.”

Missouri lawmakers have overridden a veto to allow concealed carry (Missouri already had open carry) and to grant more legal rights for self-defense. KSDK reports:
Missouri lawmakers have overridden a veto of a wide-ranging guns bill that will let more people carry concealed weapons and give them greater legal rights to defend themselves. The Republican-led Legislature enacted the law Wednesday by a 24-6 Senate vote and a 112-41 vote in the House. Both exceeded the two-thirds majority needed to override the veto of Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon. The legislation will allow most people to carry concealed guns without needing a permit. That means they won't have to go through the training currently required for permit holders. Missouri will join 10 other states with what supporters describe as a "constitutional carry" right. The measure also expands legal protections for those who use deadly force to defend themselves in both public and private places.