UPDATE 1 P.M.

WILL YOU BE MY LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR?

The race for Lt. Governor is as crowded as Hwy 70 at 6 p.m., who didn’t scratch their name on the list as closing bell yesterday? After some hopes at keeping the Democratic candidate list short and sweet, six contenders are crammed up the tailpipe.

Back in November Missouri Democratic Party Chairman John Temporiti made the lieutenant governor primary a priority to keep uncontested, planning to get then only candidates State Rep. Sam Page of Creve Coeur and businessman Mike Evans of Arnold to come to some sort of agreement.

Apparently it was an agreement that left the window for a two-man field to become every man for himself. Six candidates are on slate now, including Page, Michael Carter, Richard Charles Tolbert, Becky L. Plattner, Mary Williams and C. Lillian Metzger.

The Republicans are working with less contentious fare - incumbent Peter Kinder and two lesser knowns, Paul Douglas Sims and Arthur Hodge Sr.

IN THE STATEWIDE RACES…

First off. Who isn’t running in this mother? Roberts and Hubbard and Waheed, oh my!

But let’s jump this off with the governor’s race and see where we can go from there.

GOV LOVE

After Gov. Matt Blunt abruptly announced he would not be seeking re-election the potential Republican candidates have been popping off the walls. Five people have signed up for the showdown, but the biggest players are current State Treasurer Sarah Steelman and Rep. Kenny Hulshof.

Steelman wasted no time after Blunt announced there would be no second term. Even though she’d already sent out a press release earlier on Jan. 22 tooting her run for re-election, the minute Blunt dropped his bombshell all plans for state treasure went out the window. Steelman has her eyes keenly on the governor prize.

Hulshof wanted to run for governor in 2004, but side-stepped in favor of Blunt. He had to settle for being a boring ol’ congressman despite his heart yearning for Columbia. He almost ditched Washington altogether in a bid for president of the University of Missouri. Home is where the heart is, after all. But with Blunt’s bow out, he can bring back that loving feeling. Now if only he can finagle Steelman out of the way.

Other candidates are Richard Allen Kline, Scott Long and Jennie Lee Sievers. All hope to face Democratic nominee, Attorney General Jay Nixon in statewide elections this fall.

From the Post-Dispatch:

Scott Eckersley, a lawyer fired from Gov. Matt Blunt’s office, filed a suit today that accuses several top Blunt aides of ordering the illegal destruction of state e-mails to prevent potentially damaging messages from being turned over to reporters.

The suit contends that Eckersley was fired for repeatedly pressing Blunt aides with warnings that such orders violated state record-retention and open-records laws. Eckersley’s firing violated state law protecting whistle-blowers, according to the lawsuit.

Filed in Jackson County Circuit Court, the suit names Blunt, three former or current top aides and the deputy Office of Administration commissioner, Richard AuBuchon.

All the defendants named in the suit:

• Governor Matt Blunt
• Ed Martin, Blunt’s former chief of staff
• Henry Herschel, Blunt’s former general counsel
• Rich Chrismer, Blunt’s communications director
• Richard AuBuchon, deputy Office of Administration commissioner

Gov. Matt Blunt gave the kind of Christmas gift Sunday that only a governor can give.

Blunt announced his decision to pardon Alicia Allison-Brown, Jesse Barnes, James Birdwell, Sr., Craig Johnson, Robert Jordan and Carl Smart, who all were convicted of non-violent offenses years ago and have since, according to Blunt, become and remained law-abiding citizens.

None of the people pardoned were currently in prison and several of them committed their crimes decades ago and were only sentenced to probation, which they have long ago completed.

More from the governor’s office on the people who were pardoned:

In 1990, at the age of 23, Alicia Allison-Brown was convicted of stealing. She was sentenced to four years probation and 120-day shock incarceration. Ms. Brown applied for pardon in 2005. Ms. Allison-Brown is married with one child. She is a member of FEMA Missouri Task Force I, serving as a Canine Search Specialist and trained in Tech Rescue

In 1961, at the age of 24, Jesse Barnes was convicted of 2nd degree arson. He was sentenced to three years in prison and paroled after serving five months. He successfully completed his parole. Mr. Barnes applied for pardon in 2006. Mr. Barnes is a self-employed and professional painter. He has been married for 40 years and has three children as well as grandchildren.

In 1963, at the age of 20, James Birdwell, Sr., was convicted of malicious destruction of property. He received a one year suspended sentence and two years of probation. Mr. Birdwell applied for pardon in 2003. Mr. Birdwell has owned a small construction business for nine years and previously worked for the Kansas City Star for more than 10 years. He has been married for 45 years and has five children and 17 grandchildren

In 1985, at the age of 19, Craig Johnson was convicted of the crime of stealing. He was sentenced to three years probation. Mr. Johnson applied for pardon in 2004. Mr. Johnson is a minister and chaplain in the U.S. Army where he has achieved the rank of Captain. He served in the first Gulf War where he received numerous decorations and awards.

In 1990, at the age of 21, Robert Jordan was convicted of the crime of stealing. He was sentenced to two years probation. Mr. Jordan applied for pardon in 2003. Mr. Jordan and his wife have three children and serve their community as Emergency Medical Technicians.

In 1980, at the age of 28, Carl Smart was convicted of 2nd degree arson and deceitful stealing. He was sentenced to five years probation, which he completed successfully. Mr. Smart applied for a pardon in 2004. Mr. Smart is a Navy veteran and has worked for the United States Postal Service for 30 years. He is married with three children and one grandchild.

“Ms. Allison-Brown, Mr. Barnes, Mr. Birdwell, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Jordan and Mr. Smart have paid for their mistakes,” said Gov. Blunt. “It is my hope and belief that they will continue to be productive citizens.”

Missouri’s Probation and Parole Board unanimously recommended that a pardon be issued in all cases. Local law enforcement were not opposed to the four receiving a pardon. In addition each person receiving a pardon has support from their local community, including elected officials, religious leaders, community leaders or neighbors.

Click to Play the Game

UPDATE: The Missouri Republican Party’s response to the Dems new video game:

“While Democrats prefer to spend their time and donor resources on frivolous pursuits in a make-believe world, Governor Blunt and Republicans are focused on real world concerns like improving the quality of life for all Missourians, which is certainly no game.

“Missourians want grownups running the state, not children, which is why Republicans continue to be so successful and Democrats continue to play political games instead of offering solutions.”

After the resignation of Ed Martin, Governor Matt Blunt today announced that he has selected Patricia “Trish” Vincent to serve as his new Chief of Staff.

The press release:

“Trish is a competent administrator and a dedicated public servant,” Blunt said. “She has tremendous experience and she knows how to lead and manage people. In her new role as Chief of Staff, Trish will be charged with managing my office, staff and cabinet and helping me move Missouri forward. Specifically, I am directing Trish to continue moving us forward on my priorities for education, job creation, implementing my plan to cover Missouri’s uninsured, fighting illegal immigration to make up for Washington’s failure to act and making state government even more efficient and accountable to taxpayers.”

Vincent, 53 of Jefferson City, currently serves in Gov. Blunt’s Cabinet as the Director of the Department of Revenue where she has served since the beginning of the governor’s administration. As director, Vincent answered the governor’s call to make state government do more with less, to produce savings for taxpayers, all while improving customer service for Missourians.

As director, Vincent managed and oversaw the department’s budget and employees. Vincent also worked closely with the General Assembly in representation of the department’s budget and to advocate for legislative changes.

Under her leadership the Department of Revenue collected over $30 million in unpaid taxes to the state with the department’s new tax compliance data warehouse. Vincent helped improve customer service by extending regular business hours at the agency for Missouri customers. The new Internet site she worked to implement, www.whoisnotpaying.mo.gov, is holding accountable businesses that are behind in sales and withholding taxes. And Missourians are saving over $1 million annually in postage and printing for driver’s license renewals and motor vehicle registrations.

Prior to her service in the governor’s Cabinet, Vincent served as Deputy Secretary of State for business services when the governor served as Secretary of State. As deputy secretary of state Vincent managed the Business Services Department, which includes three Divisions: Corporations, Uniform Commercial Code and Commissions, and
Branch Offices for Corporations located in St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield.

In the Secretary of State’s office, she implemented several new technological improvements, including allowing Missouri’s entrepreneurs and employers to conduct business with the office online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Vincent also served as the In-State Director and District Office Director for former United States Senator John Ashcroft.

“It has been an honor serving in Governor Blunt’s Cabinet and I am excited about taking on this new challenge as his Chief of Staff,” Vincent said. “Governor Blunt has turned the state’s economy around with pro-growth, pro-jobs initiatives that have helped turn the $1.1 billion deficit he inherited into two surpluses in a row. He has kept his promise to increase funding for education every year he has served as governor. He rescued the state’s health care system for the poor. And he cut taxes for Missourians. Governor Blunt has the right vision for our state and I am looking forward to this opportunity to serve and help him make Missouri an even better place to live, work and
raise a family.”

Vincent commended the work of outgoing Chief of Staff Ed Martin who helped the governor achieve his priorities for education, health care and tax cuts during the last legislative session, helped enact an important job-creation bill and transportation infrastructure legislation during the special session and helped implement the governor’s directives to fight illegal immigration in Missouri. Martin will assist Vincent during the transition.

Vincent will begin her new duties immediately. Trish and her husband Larry live in Jefferson City and have two daughters.

From Jason Rosenbaum at the Columbia Tribune:

Ed Martin, who served as Gov. Matt Blunt’s chief of staff, has resigned.

The governor announced this afternoon that Martin, a St. Louis resident, had stepped down from the position to “spend more time with his family.” He was a key player in the controversy over the administration’s retention of e-mails.

BREAKING NEWS — READ IT HERE FIRST

Caving to mounting public criticism and still-possible legal ramifications, Gov. Matt Blunt today directed his administration to create a permanent e-mail retention system. Blunt says by doing so he is “setting a higher standard in state government and going well beyond present legal requirements.”

The governor said he will act to ensure that anyone using a .gov (”dot gov”) e-mail address complies with the higher standard, including all statewide officials.

“I take great pride in my administration’s commitment to being good stewards of taxpayer dollars and commitment to accountable and transparent government. Our state has an open records law and we have followed it. But there is confusion in state government about e-mail retention. For example, some state officials who claim to retain all emails in fact do not. That confusion is not acceptable to me. I am directing the Office of Administration to develop a system allowing for the permanent retention of every e-mail throughout all of state government. I expect all elected officials to cooperate with the Office of Administration in establishing this new and higher standard of openness.

“Because retention will be automatic and permanent, state employees will be released from making case-by-case decisions on what to save. All state e-mails will be retained and be open to the public for its inspection, subject only to the limited and well-defined exceptions where legal and privacy concerns apply.

“This standard will prevent what has happened in Attorney General Nixon’s office, where the spokesperson said that e-mails are routinely deleted, and e-mail record requests to the Attorney General’s Chief of Staff are returned with very significant gaps in time.

“I expect every statewide official, members of the legislature, independent agencies, the judicial branch and anyone using a state government e-mail account to retain every e-mail they send and receive. Transparency and accountability should be bipartisan values.”

Governor Blunt has directed the Office of Administration to develop the computer and technical systems required for permanent maintenance of every state government e-mail. He says he expects their plan as soon as possible, but no later than the end of the year.

UPDATE @ 10:36 AM: As expected, Missouri Democrats are unimpressed by Blunt’s new appreciation for the importance of government e-mails.

“Missouri law already states clearly that e-mails are public records and must be retained. Matt Blunt is in this mess not because the law isn’t clear, but because he clearly isn’t following the law,” said Jack Cardetti, Missouri Democratic Party spokesman. “It’s a sad day when the only person in state government that refuses to acknowledge this law exists is Gov. Blunt.”

“The other troubling part of the governor’s announcement is that it only regulates government email addresses,” said Cardetti. “The governor’s office has admitted that Gov. Blunt and his senior staff use political email addresses to discuss state business, thereby, evading the sunshine and record retention law. It would appear that the governor’s new retention system applies to everyone in state government except for his office.”

Gov. Matt Blunt was questioned today in St. Louis about his administration’s regular destruction of government e-mails, which appear to in fact be public records, and the firing of one of his attorneys who apparently questioned the legality of the policy.

Video provided by the Missouri Democratic Party.

Related Video:

VIDEO: Nixon: Blunt is Breaking the Law

Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon, the likely Democratic nominee for governor in 2008, today said that Governor Matt Blunt’s office appears to be breaking the law by destroying their email records.

Click To Play