School District attorneys will be in the Cole County Courthouse Wednesday making the case that the State Board of Education acted outside of the law when it voted to strip St. Louis Public Schools of its accreditation.
Circuit Judge Richard G. Callahan will hear the case and will be asked to impose an injunction preventing the creation of the Transitional School District which is scheduled to takeover the city’s schools on Friday.
The case will be heard Wednesday on the 2nd floor of the Cole County Courthouse, 301 East High Street, in Jefferson City.
Following yesterday’s ruling by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that Missouri’s practice of execution by lethal injection is not cruel or unusual punishment, Governor Matt Blunt voiced his agreement with the Court’s decision.
“In the interest of protecting Missourians, I am pleased the court ruled in favor of the state’s limited, reasonable and effectively enforced death penalty and I am directing the Department of Corrections to prepare execution procedures in compliance with the ruling,” said Blunt.
The ruling by the three-judge panel allows for the resumption of executions in Missouri, overturning the moratorium placed by U.S. District Judge Fernando Gaitan prior to and during the Circuit Court case.
Missouri Supreme Court Judge Ronnie White announced today that he will retire effective July 6, ending a week of speculation and rumors.
“I congratulate Judge Ronnie White for many years of service,” said Gov. Matt Blunt in a statement. “I have certainly appreciated my opportunities to visit with him over the past few years. Melanie and I wish Judge White the very best in his retirement.”
“I am committed to appointing a Missouri Supreme Court judge who will faithfully interpret our constitution and will not legislate from the bench,” said Blunt.
A new blog on the scene, the Missouri Political News Service, is reporting a rumor from what it says are “credible sources” that Missouri Supreme Court Judge Ronnie White will announce his retirement in the coming weeks.
“Our tipster also tells us that Judge White will join the Halloran Law Firm in St. Louis,” says the blog. According to the MPNS source, White’s retirement will be effective July 1st.
Sitting in the corner of a busy St. Louis Bread Company, James Trout recently talked to Pub Def about his lawsuit that has resulted in Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan temporarily blocking the new ban on fundraising during the legislative session.
A hearing will be held on Friday, March 2, to determine whether to make the ban permanent and to throw out the rest of the campaign finance law, including the elimination of contribution limits.
The Missouri Supreme Court issued a ruling today allowing the proposal which seeks to raise the state’s tobacco tax more than 400% to pay for health services to stay on the November ballot.
In a unanimous decision the court ruled that the reasons given by local election authorities for not allowing more than 1,000 valid signatures onto the petition were not good enough to prevent its certification.
“Although the implementing statutes are required to be followed, failure to adhere to mere technical formalities should not deny the people the power to propose changes to our laws or amendments to our constitution,” said the ruling.
“Substantial compliance with the implementing statutes is all that is required.”
The Missouri Supreme Court will address the controversial voter photo identification requirement today. Last month, a Cole County judge struck down the new law as Unconstitutional. At a town hall meeting in south St. Louis last night, Sec. of State Robin Carnahan, the state’s chief elections officer, said she was confident that the Court will agree with the lower court’s ruling.
Carnahan spoke at a neighborhood meeting hosted by State Rep. Rachel Storch (D-64). Aldermanic Board Pres. Jim Shrewsbury also addressed the group of about 60 people, mostly elderly, informing them about the various charter amendments, referendums and initiatives that will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot, just as he did last week in Tilles Park (click here to see that video).
A judge has just struck down Missouri’s law requiring voters to present a photo ID before they can cast a ballot. A restraining order has been issued preventing the Secretary of State’s office from implementing the requirement.
Developing…
UPDATE: Circuit Court Judge Richard G. Callahan today ruled the Missouri Voter Protection Act Unconstitutional, saying it “constitutes an impermissible additional qualification to vote in violation of Article VIII, Section 2 of the Missouri Constitution.”
Callahan also said it represented an “undue burden to the fundamental right to vote,” it violated the prohibition on interference with the “free exercise of the right of suffrage” and the requirement that “all elections shall be free and open”, and by requiring payment of money to vote, it violated the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the state constitution.
A statement from the Secretary of State’s office is expected soon. And check back later for an interview we did earlier today — before the ruling — with the new chair of the St. Louis City Board of Elections, Kimberley J. Mathis. We talked briefly about the photo ID law.
A Circuit Court judge today ruled against the group seeking to recall 3rd Ward Alderman Freeman Bosley, Sr. The judge ruled that the St. Louis City Board of Elections does have the right to allow signers of the petition to have their names removed from the petition by way of a signed affidavit.
Bosley and his supporters succeeded in getting hundreds of signers to opt to have their names removed — enough, in fact, to leave the petition well short of the required number of valid signatures.
A Circuit Court judge has upheld School Board member Bill Purdy’s right to sit on the board. Purdy was being sued by two fellow board members, Flint Fowler and Ron Jackson, and 47 other citizens, including fired Vashon basketball coach Floyd Irons. The lawsuit claimed Purdy was serving on the board illegally and should be removed.
The issue was whether a person can run for the school board if he or she has relatives who work in the district. Two of Purdy’s daughters and a grandson are teachers in the district. A recent change in state law allows school board members to serve even if they have family working in the system. But the school board bylaws still say that is illegal.
Those bylaws have not been amended to reflect the state law. But today’s ruling by Judge Steven R. Ohmer affirms Purdy’s assertion that state law trumps board bylaws.
Had Purdy lost the suit and was forced to give up his seat, Mayor Francis Slay would have appointed his replacement, shifting the balance of power on the school board for the second time in six months.
