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by Michael Smith
Grain Valley couldn’t have asked for a better start. The Eagles girls soccer game had their biggest game of the season in the Class 4 District 6 championship contest against Blue Springs South. Well, they came out swinging. Senior Emma Thiessen made a free kick near the sideline on a cross that snuck inside the far post to give the Eagles a 1-0 edge during the 1st minute. From there, it was all Blue Springs South as it scored three unanswered goals as Grain Valley’s stellar season came to an end in a 3-1 loss Thursday at the Blue Springs High School soccer field. For the Eagles, it was all about missed opportunities following Thiessen’s score. There were a pair of open shots from Thiessen and sophomore Radleigh Childers inside the South penalty box in the second half. Thiessen didn’t get enough power on her shot, which led to an easy save from goalkeeper Siman Loethen. Childers didn’t get enough umph behind a header attempt late in the second half, which also resulted in a routine save for Loethen. There were also a pair of times Loethen came off her line, leaving an empty net behind her, but the Eagles couldn’t get a shot on frame. “South defends really well, but we had our opportunities,” Grain Valley head coach Brett Lewis said. “When you play a team as athletic as South, you have to finish your opportunities and the ball didn’t bounce our way tonight.” South (15-4-1) controlled possession more a good chunk of the game and it didn’t take long to regain the lead. Early in the first half, junior Norah Oyler scored two goals. She had one off a rebound after her header was blocked by the Grain Valley defense. The other came on an unassisted goal in which she dribbled inside the top of the 18-yard box and fired past Eagles goalkeeper Alayna Maybell. “We gave up two really quick that was uncharacteristic of our defense,” Lewis said. South sophomore Mary Hoffman then all but dashed the hopes of a Grain Valley comeback in the 64th minute when she buried a shot inside the far past from the right sideline to give her team a two-score advantage. The loss ended the high school soccer careers of one of the best senior classes in the history of the girls soccer program. The Eagles (20-5) will lose five seniors to graduation, including Thiessen, a multi-time, all-state selection, and team captain who will play soccer at Truman State University next spring. “Our senior class is so special to me,” Lewis said. “When I first started here at Grain Valley was their freshman year. They just elevated our program so much. Emma was a leader her sophomore year, she was a captain. “Emma, (Meghan) Knust, Sophia (Giuliano) and that whole senior group was a fantastic group. They worked their tails off and I am so proud of them.”
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Congratulations to the 310 members of the 2024 Grain Valley High School senior class who will graduate Monday, May 20th at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence. Below is the list of graduates:
Aidan Maxwell Adams Cameron Christian- Henry Aguirre Walker Thomas Albertson Charles Brian Aldred Harper Grace Allie Dane Gerous Anderson Tatum FaLai'Liva Anderson Zachary Tyler Antes Luke Anthony Arndorfer Anthony Jaxon Arreguin Curtis Douglas Ault Aven Iosefa Aumua Sevreign Senia Aumua Brody Jaxon Baker Ayden Michael Baldridge Brianna Lynn-Marie Barker Kierstin DeEtta Faith Barker Jake Kenneth Barncord Savanna Rose Barndt Shane Garrett Barnett James Michael Beard Kayley Nicole Bell Roy Jeanpiere Bellido Limardo Ashley Slade Bennett Kassie Ann Berthelson Tauheed T Bhatti Delacey Ella Bierbaum Aliah Marie Bishop Justyce Faye Suzann Bixler Stylz Ki'ante Blackmon Mia Marie Blair Benjamin Donald Blanchette Emily Rebecca Bloom Maranatha Hannah Blum Adrian Chad Bobzien Bryce Andrew Boland Ava Christine Bollinger Seth Allen Bradfield Kylee Renee Bragaw Edgerrin Michael Brown Makenzie Leann Brown Brayden Michael Brunk Alexander Kenneth Bucko Julia Ngoc Ly Bui Coleman Michael Bulloc Collin Wayne Burd Keya Marie Butler Salvatore Jaden Caldarella Katie Sue Camp Vincent Allen Carbah Juan Jose Carrillo Struve Benjamin Tomas Casado Devlen James Case Lucas Samuel Castle Campbell Ray Childers Landon Salvatore Clark Nicholas Warren Clark Jordis Nicole Clay Nicholas Elliot Clements Celsi Faeon Paige Coffey Abigail Brooke Collins Kristopher Harrison Cook Paisley Ann Cornwall Mackenzie Tracey Craver Chloe Laurelyn Crawford Kale Eugene Crist Gabriella Caroline Crocker Christopher Alexander Crowder Ryan Michael Damm Megan Joy Davies Natalie Michelle Davis Brianna De La Paz Naranjo Pierce Alexander Deardorff Evan Antonio Dennard Jenna Marie DeWeese Justin Ryan DeWeese Kaelyn Paige Dickerson Olivia Faith Dickson Manning Christian Dobson Karsyn Grace Doctor Samantha Jayne Doerman Charles Joseph Garcia Doubledee Kennedi Jensen Douglas Carter Lawrence Downing Benjamin Albert Drinkwater Cheyenne Elizabeth Driscoll Jocelyn Monaye Dunn Sara Yixi Eaker Elias Christian Earley Ivy Isabella Anastasia Elliott Leland David Elliott Jaden Victor Emery Jayveon Dawnte' Ervin Hope Marie Essig Autumn Rose Ferrante Weston David Flake Christopher Philippe Fossinger Brayden James Fox Brooklynn Nicole Gaage Ethan Anthony Galvan Sergio Eudardo Galvez-Gutierrez Dayton Paul Garrison Kevin Edward Garrison Colette Aniela Gehrt Lilli Marie Gervy Landon Alan Gilbert Sophia Ann Giuliano Alexi Lauren Gonzales Michael Anthony Gonzales Anna Marie Gonzalez Kaya Elizabeth Gorrow Andrew James Gottman Raif Lee Graham Allison Maree Gray Anthony Michael Greco Ella Lane Guyear Anisa Surette Haddock Christian Alexander Hall Kaylee Elizabeth Hall Max Bradley Halteman Jacari Latrell Hamilton Rachel Ann Hanenkratt Kollin Reece Hansuld Jordyn Lee Harris Kamry Marie Harris Kefir Zedekyah Harris Kaci Marie Harter Emerson Reese Hartung Meadow Juliana Harvey Ella Margurite Hayes Pierce Matthew Heard Roman Seth Heard Cole David Helmich Jackson Robert Hermon Allen Anthony Hernandez Nolan Alexander Hessenius Makenzie Ryah Hibdon Jack Stewart Hileman Patience Lynn Hininger Ava Kathryn Hixon Logan Taylor Hodson Xander Leon Wyatt Hopkins Ty Warren Hoppe Wyatt Cole Houston Adrian James Hubbard Brayden Christopher Hull Charlee Jo Hunter Brayden Michael Hyde Shaymus Kale Ireland Jaxon David Ireland-Killday Ariana Mihaylovna Isayko Tristian Shamar Jackson Alaiya Lurae James Clara Joye Jaques Landon Sterling Bryce Jaynes Kylie Josephine Jeffries Haylie Elaine Jennings Luke Dale Jinkens Isaiah Maurice Johnson Ashlynne Marie Johnston Ethan Robert Jones Matthew Stephen Jones Bailie Charlize Julien Ian Dale Kamstra Chloe Lynn Kaps Jackson James Kartchner Jacee Marie Kaylor Emma Rose Keats Nathaniel Kenneth Keeton Michael Nathaniel Kenig Jr Jake Austin King Aden Robert Kinser Meghan Elizabeth Knust Allison Leigh Koepkey Hunter William Kohne Katie Joe Kondas Aaron Michael Koontz Addisyn Rose Krell Meadow Marie Kudart Finley Danielle Laforge Brody Troy Lafrentz Isabelle Rosalie Lamb Brandon Joseph Lee Lanear Nicholas Ryan Lawson Kentrell Duane Lee Matthew James Leonard Teagan Alivia Leonard Serenity Lynn Lewis Clayton Neal Limbach William Joseph Lindley Blaine Michael Lockard Isidro Lopez Martinez Rafael Lopez Martinez Caleb Zyaire Lunn Dominic James Lunn Paige Karlin Lyford Sophia Nicole Maduros Brock Louis Mangano Logan Robert Marcum Chancellar Zacharia-Lake Marler Riley Patrick Marshall Addison Lee Martin Ian John Matlock Aralyn Melissa Mayes Marissa Kay McAfee Shelby Raechelle McClain Maddi Lynne McClammer Joseph Dillon McCollum Jr. Braylon Alan McKinley-Harden Taylor Jordan McPheron William Nicol Menke Ezra David Michalski Elizabeth Ashlee Milam Elizabeth LaRose Molina Wesley Scott Moon Dorian Alexander Morlan Alexis Rose Munzuris Camden James Nelson Josiah Wayne Oehlke Elias Owen Oerly Emma Jane Ogle Noah James Olah Ethan James Olinger Lane Roderick Olivarez Gavin Michael Parks Jace Ervin Parks Aiden Cole Pendleton Ava Elizabeth Perry Joshua Angel Poblete Harleigh Terecia Pouncil Heath Roman Powell Blake Ashton Ranabargar Kennedy Grace Ratcliff Alexander Michael Robert Reed Peyton Scott Reid Blake Lowdon Richards Desyous Laray Riley-Dawkins Thalia Lee Roberts Blake Lewis Robinson Justin Matthew Rohr Abigail Katherine Romo Dakota Myles Ross-Glines Ashton Nicole Russell Carson Robert Sallee Emma Grace Schacher Brock Andrew Schaefer Charli Renee Scharfenkamp Jack Michael Schoen McKenah Marie Sears Nolan Ethan Seyfert William Oliver Shapiro James Ryder Shewmaker Sydnee Renee Shimel Mia Lauren Simmons Alek Arthur Simpson Reid Mitchell Simpson Kayden Michelle Sinn Blane Aden Slater Brooklynn Louise Slater Brek Gregston Sloan Carter Matthew Smith Emma Renee Smith Rylan Cole Smith Dylan Andrew Solarski Morgan Lea Solomon Isabella Marie Spooner Jackson Thomas Spooner DeMarco Antonio Stewart Rhett Samuel Stirling Nathan Michael Stokes Brittney Faith Stone Gabriel Noah Storment Tyler Benjamin Stowe Kennedy Renne Stroman Brynn Annetta Stufflebean Chase Jackson Summerlin Jonathan David Swafford Jr. Joseph Gregory Sweeney Bella Rachelle Taffner Gabriel Edward Joseph Taylor Emma Jane Thiessen Annabelle Lynn Totta Seena Lucille Tyler Katherine Elizabeth Unrein Jacob Cole Van Artsdalen Jasmine Kalani Van Dyne Curtis Allen Vander Linden Jr Cory Dean Vestal Brody Wyatt Wagner Easton Kay Walter Addison Jean Ward Elise Catherine Waters Lacey Ranae Waters Adriana Nadine Wellfort Isabella Rose Wells Izabella Rose West Jeremiah Lewis Whitley Carter Perry Williams Sean David Williams Shelby Ann Williams Ty Michael Williams Malachi James Winston Peyton Jacob Woodrome Liam Elijah Woods Wilson Jace Christopher Worthington Logan Paul Wright Aniston Paige Wulff Alison Lynn Wyatt Tyler James Wyzard Jersy Rae Ann Zogg by Joe Jerek, Missouri Department of Conservation The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering a hunter-education skills session on May 25 from 8:00am - Noon at Paradise Outfitters, 1500 S. Broadway in Oak Grove. The hunter-education skills session is the second half of the hunter-education certification process, taken after completing one of the knowledge-based options. Students must be 11 years of age or older by the day of the class. Students will need to complete the knowledge session of the course prior to attending this skills session. The knowledge portion can be completed through an online offering or by completing chapter review questions from the student manual. Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/hunter-education. Registration is required for the May 25 offering at mdc-event-web.s3licensing.com/Event/EventDetails/200565 Photo credit: MDC
Mid-Continent Public Library’s 2024 Summer at MCPL program, Telling Tales, celebrates sharing and reading stories of all kinds. Kids and adults can also earn rewards and win prizes for daily reading and attending Library programs.
Summer at MCPL begins June 1st and will run until August 24. Summer at MCPL encourages families to spend at least 20 minutes a day reading or engaging with literacy. Readers will log each day that they read to receive a daily reading badge (print a reading log). When readers aged 0-19 complete 20, 40, and 60 days of reading, they will earn a prize book from their local branch. Readers who are registered in Beanstack will also be eligible to earn prizes from community partners. Adults aged 20+ can earn prizes, too. All adult readers who log 60 or more days will earn a Summer at MCPL: Telling Tales commemorative glass. Summer at MCPL | Mid-Continent Public Library (mymcpl.org) by Michael Smith It was just moments earlier when junior Ally Gilbert barely missed a game-winning shot. Her Grain Valley girls soccer team was in a 1-1 deadlock in overtime with Blue Springs in the Class 4 District 6 semifinals Tuesday on the road and she had an opportunity to send her team to the district title game. She had a close-range header at the goal that bounced off the bottom of the crossbar and bounced away from the goal. Head coach Brett Lewis was visibly in disbelief because it appeared the Eagles had a chance to end it on that attempt. However, Gilbert later got her redemption. The junior blasted a shot from the left sideline with a little more than 5 minutes left in the first overtime period. Blue Springs goalkeeper Mary Cates ranged over to her left to try and corral the shot, but Gilbert perfect placed the ball inside the far post for the game winner as her goal gave Grain Valley a 2-1 victory. The Eagles (18-4) punched their ticket to the district championship game where they will take on Blue Springs South (14-4-1) at 6 p.m. Thursday. The Jaguars beat Columbia Hickman 2-0 in their semifinal contest. Gilbert’s goal sent everyone on her team into celebration mode as her teammates surrounded her screaming in jubilation. It was a moment Gilbert will likely never forget. “Everyone was about to cry and were in tears,” Gilbert said. “We never thought we were going to lose. We knew we were going to win. We had that game-winning mindset. “I am so proud of these girls; they worked their butts off this whole game. They scored in the last minute of the game, and we didn’t give up.” The shot was a difficult one but it’s not one Gilbert hasn’t taken before. Lewis said he felt confident that his junior could make it. “We have done so many finishing drills and Ally has probably taken that exact shot over 1,000 times this season in practice,” Lewis said. “I knew if she got a little bit of space and time to shoot it, I was going to trust that she could get the ball in frame. She hit it as well as you can.” While Gilbert knocked in the game winner, her senior teammate, Sevi Aumua, made that moment possible with her rock-solid defense. She made several critical tackles and stops on her team’s side of the field. Perhaps her most impactful play came in the 75th minute when Blue Springs senior midfielder Caitlin Lagemann had a wide-open lane to the goal from the left wing. It appeared Lagemann was going to get an open shot right at the goal, but Aumua sprinted to greet her and made a solid tackle, stole the ball and cleared it toward the right sideline. “Sevi does so much for us. Sometimes people don’t see how great she is defensively,” Lewis said. “She is always there in recovery when someone gets beat.” Aumua, who was the heart and soul of the defense, contributed in another impactful way, as well. She knocked in a header off a corner kick from senior Emma Thiessen in the 33rd minute to put her team up 1-0. The senior appeared to have a shocked look on her face after making the shot. “I am always surprised when I score or even get a touch on the ball,” Aumua said. “I am just a defender in the back. Usually coming up I think, ‘What am I doing?’ When I get up there I have the motivation to not just get it for me, but my team.” In the second, half Blue Springs dominated possession but had a hard time getting a shot on goal. The Wildcats (9-10) finally did at the most opportune time. Junior Hazel Trotman beat two Grain Valley defenders to the back line, sent a cross to Lagemann and the senior buried a point-blank shot with just 57 seconds left for the equalizer. However, Gilbert prevented what could have been a troubling scenario for Grain Valley after it seemed the Wildcats gained all the momentum. The Eagles will now turn their attention to South, who defeated Grain Valley 1-0 after winning a shootout on May 2. Lewis said he feels his team has a shot at winning districts. “I think we can beat them but we certainly have to be a lot better than we were tonight,” Lewis said. “I feel like we have the girls to do it.” Grain Valley senior Sevi Aumua, left, and Ally Gilbert each scored a goal to help Grain Valley win 2-1 in overtime against Blue Springs in the Class 4 District 6 semifinals. Photo credit: Michael Smith
by Cole Arndorfer
The Grain Valley Board of Aldermen met on Monday, May 13, for its only meeting in the month of May. This meeting consisted of a proclamation of National Public Works Week, a police officer oath of office, one item under previous and new business, a presentation from the Grain Valley Chamber of Commerce, five new resolutions, and three ordinances. To start the meeting, Mayor Mike Todd and the board recognized the public works department, issuing a proclamation designating the week of May 19 to May 25 as Public Works Week. Next, new police officer Matthew Shull took his oath of office. The board then moved into previous business, regarding on-street parking along Main Street. Todd said that the city has received numerous concerns and complaints over visibility for parked cars on Main Street. In response, the city has blocked off a few spots in that area prompting concerns from businesses whose spots have been taken away. These business owners contend that the blocking of these spots hinder the goal of revitalizing downtown. They also said this makes it more difficult for patrons to get to their storefronts. The city will explore and research options for the area and bring this item back at a later date. Next, the board moved into new business regarding the Grain Valley Fair Beer Garden on September 8-9 hosted by MO Country. The board approved MO Country’s plan and they will need to move forward with the necessary steps to obtain a catering license. Following this, the board heard the annual report from Cory Unrein with the Grain Valley Chamber of Commerce. Highlights from the past year for the Chamber include its rebranding from the Grain Valley Partnership to the Grain Valley Chamber of Commerce, a new website, new program offerings for member businesses, and the first Heart of Grain Valley awards. The board then moved into resolutions. The first resolution the board approved was to reappoint Mike Switzer, Adam Hoover, and Lisa Limberg to the Parks and Recreation board for three-year terms. The second resolution allows the city to purchase a 2024 Ford F-350 truck for the parks division. This was identified as a need during the budget cycle and will be replacing a 2012 Ford F-250 that was over the limit in years and mileage. The third resolution allows the city to execute change order number two with All Pro Asphalt & Maintenance LLC for the 2024 pavement maintenance program. This will provide an edge mill and asphalt overlay from Sni-A-Bar Boulevard to Laura Lane and Laura Lane from Graystone Drive to the North end. The next resolution allows the city to execute change order number one with Quality Custom Concepts Inc. for the 2024 concrete replacement and paving program. This will replace damaged curbs and update ADA ramps on Graystone Drive and Laura Lane. The final resolution allows the city to enter into an agreement with Vance Brothers Inc. for micro seal paving. This will micro seal the pavement on various roads throughout the city. Following resolutions, the board moved into ordinances. The first resolution was the first and second read of a bill that would reappoint Susan Watkins as Municipal Judge for the Grain Valley Municipal Court. Both of these readings were approved by the board. The next ordinance was the first reading of a bill that would amend Chapter 215 of the city code in order to be more comprehensive. City Administrator, Ken Murphy, said that this is a language clean-up in order to be more in line with the state’s laws. The first read of this bill was approved and it will be brought back at the next meeting. The final ordinance was a bill that would repeal ordinance 2447. This is an ordinance regarding discussion of after-hours work that was discussed at previous meetings. This would add the policy of requiring permits for after-hours work to the city code. The first read of this bill was approved and it will be brought back at the next meeting. Next, the board heard city staff reports starting with Community Development Director Mark Trosen. Trosen said that the annual spring clean-up event will be held at the public works facility on Saturday, June 1, at 2 pm. The senior pickup for this event is scheduled for Thursday, May 30, and Friday, May 31. In order to get on the schedule for pickup, residents must contact public works at 816-847-6274 by Friday, May 24. Parks and Recreation Director, Shannon Davies, then noted that the pool will be opening for the season on Saturday, May 25. In the mayor’s report, Todd brought up the recent tragic vehicle accident on Jefferson. He noted that the city has received concerns over adding guardrails to that road. Todd said that that roadway is controlled by MODOT, but they have been in talks with MODOT to see what they can do on that road. The board then adjourned into executive session. The next Board of Aldermen meeting will be held on Monday, June 10, at 6:30 pm at City Hall. by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society This week I am asking you, the readers of this column, to do the work! I’m asking you to “look back.” As another school year draws to a close, the Class of 2024 will take with them a ton of memories; some good, some maybe not so good, some happy, some sad and some they might wish to forget! How about you? What do you remember most about your high school years? Marching band, choir, music contest when we spent the day at CMSU (now UCM); football and basketball games; the junior and senior plays and speech contest; or perhaps the last day of school when we went to the Kansas City Zoo? I remember those zoo trips. The entire high school fit easily on three school buses! What are you remembering about those years? Whether in Grain Valley, or wherever you attended high school, the memories are there. Today, I’m remembering a great teacher. I think there were fewer than fifteen high school teachers when I graduated 60 years ago. Good or bad, there was only one shop teacher, one business teacher, one English teacher; well, you get the picture. There were four history teachers, because there were two coaches and two administrators: Coach Master, football, track and freshman Civics; Mr. Murry, superintendent and World History; Mr. Malone, principal and American History; and Mr. Wiggins, basketball and science & mathematics. Of all my high school teachers, I learned the most from Mr. Wiggins. Perhaps, that was because I needed to learn the most in math, chemistry and physics. My limited knowledge of science is how I was able to understand what people meant when they said, “It’s all Greek to me.” But Mr. Wiggins made you want to learn what a trinomial was and the importance of learning the periodic table in chemistry class. He made it both interesting and fun, especially when we had labs. And he didn’t hold it against me when I nearly burned down our lab. I struck a match, lighted my Bunsen Burner, blew out the match and threw it in the trash can. Little did I know the trash can contained sulfur powder remains from the previous day. Flames leaped at least two or three feet into the air and while they immediately went out, it scared the entire class for just a second or two. Over the years, Mr. Wiggins remined me of the event many times! Always with a laugh and a smile… Some teachers believed a textbook should be chosen by the number of chapters in the book. Thirty-four seemed to be the perfect number; one for every week of the school year, less the week before Christmas break and the last week of the year. But I remember that when Mr. Wiggins passed out our chemistry books he told us he didn’t care how many chapters we would cover, but he did care that every student understood the chapter; all nine of us. He would get us through the important chapters first, and the others after we had ALL conquered those. Back “in the day” we learned algebra using slide rules and we learned about acceleration from ticker tape experiments. And we knew about Archimedes principle. Years later I taught my own students in my FACS class (Family and Consumer Sciences) to measure shortening by water displacement! And I explained about acids and bases when we made biscuits from scratch! Ironically, when I got my first teaching job in Oak Grove, Randol Wiggins was my principal. He just kept on teaching me. I hope I followed at least some of his good examples. He was one of the great ones! GVHS Chemistry Class, 1963. Photo credit Grain Valley Historical Society
Visit the Grain Valley Historical Society, open on Wednesdays from 10 AM to 3 PM or by appointment. You can see the 1959 slide rule I inherited from my brother, along with a protractor and compass used in Mr. Wiggin’s algebra classes. After nearly four years of planning and 18 months of construction, the wait is finally over as the City of Blue Springs and Blue Springs Parks & Recreation announce the opening of the new Blue Surf Bay Waterpark at 5:00am, Friday, May 24th to the public.
Prior to the grand opening, the city will host a dedication ceremony at 4:30pm, Thursday, May 23rd. The public is welcome to attend the ceremony as well as tour the facility from 5 to 7 p.m. that day. Nestled between 7 Highway and Adams Dairy Parkway on Mock Avenue, Blue Surf Bay offers family-friendly entertainment along with aquatic thrills. Boasting both an indoor and outdoor play area, the waterpark features an array of attractions and amenities for all ages. Features of Blue Surf Bay Waterpark include:
Blue Surf Bay Waterpark will include both swim lessons and aqua fitness classes. Hours for the waterpark are as follows: Indoor Aquatics Center Mon-Thurs: 5:15 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri: 5:15 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Outdoor Waterpark Hours Mon-Fri: Noon-7 p.m. Sat-Sun: Noon-6 p.m. Visit www.bluespringsgov.com/waterpark to view videos and learn more about the new waterpark and its amenities. House sends bill to governor renewing taxes critical to funding Missouri Medicaidby Rudi Keller, Missouri Independent A set of medical provider taxes that fund a large portion of Missouri’s Medicaid program won quick approval Wednesday in the House, two weeks after it took 41 hours for the bill to pass in the state Senate. The controversies that stalled the bill in the Senate received scant attention during Wednesday’s debate, except for being cited as an example of what to avoid in the future. The bill taxes hospitals, pharmacies, nursing homes and ambulance services to raise about $1.3 billion for Medicaid services and leverage nearly $3 billion in federal matching funds for the $17 billion program. “This shouldn’t be used as a hostage in a terrorist negotiation,” said House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, a Springfield Democrat. The renewal bill extends the taxes for five years, one of the longest sunsets since the tax was first enacted in 1991. Since then, the levies have been renewed 17 times, most recently for three years in 2021 during a special session. For the second time, renewal of the taxes became enmeshed in the debates over abortion and whether Planned Parenthood can receive reimbursements for services covered by Medicaid. Members of the Missouri Freedom Caucus tried, and failed, to delay action on the provider taxes until a bill targeting Planned Parenthood was signed by Gov. Mike Parson and a proposal making it harder to pass a constitutional amendment is finished and set for a vote later this year. Parson did sign the Planned Parenthood bill, but almost a week after the filibuster ended. And the record set by the Freedom Caucus, by holding the Senate floor for 41 hours, has been surpassed by Democrats this week as they block a vote on the constitutional majority changes. As he asked for support, House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, a Carthage Republican, said the bill’s importance to financing Medicaid was the only issue to concern members. The taxes, he said, “have become an integral part” of the Medicaid program and renewal “is very critical” to balancing the $51.7 billion budget passed last week The debate and 136-16 vote took about five minutes. Quade said there was no controversy in the House on the bill. “Most of us… absolutely, desperately want this passed today,” she said. Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and Twitter. 50-hour filibuster forces more negotiations on GOP-backed initiative petition changesby Anna Spoerre, Missouri Independent A 50-hour Democratic filibuster forced the Senate’s divided GOP majority to finally yield Wednesday evening, stalling a vote ona bill seeking to make it more difficult to amend Missouri’s constitution. Democrats have blocked all action in the Senate since Monday afternoon, demanding that the legislation be stripped of “ballot candy” that would bar non-citizens from voting and ban foreign entities from contributing to or sponsoring constitutional amendments, both of which are already illegal. The Senate passed the bill without ballot candy in February. The House added it back last month. Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, an Independence Democrat, on Tuesday said the situation presented an existential crisis for the Senate, as Republicans openly considered a rarely-used maneuver to kill the filibuster and force a vote on the bill. “Are the bullies going to win?” Rizzo asked. “Or is the rest of the Senate finally going to stand up for itself and say ‘no more.’” He got an answer just before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, when state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, an Arnold Republican and the bill’s sponsor, surprised many of her colleagues by asking that the Senate send the bill back to the House for more negotiations on whether to include “ballot candy.” Republicans simply didn’t have the votes to kill the filibuster, she said, and Democrats showed no signs of relenting before session ends at 6 p.m. Friday. “These policies are too important to play political games with,” Coleman said, adding that going to conference to work out a deal with the House was the only way to keep it alive in the face of unrelenting Democratic opposition. “In a perfect world, we would not be between a rock and a hard place.” The sudden change in tactics was not well-taken by members of the Freedom Caucus, who argued sending the bill back to the House with only two days left before adjournment puts its chances at risk. Tim Jones, a former Missouri House speaker and current director of the state’s Freedom Caucus, wrote on social media Thursday evening that Coleman “effectively killed her own bill today.” Ultimately, the Senate voted 18-13 to send the bill to conference, with nine Republicans joining nine Democrats in support of the move. If the bill passes, Missourians would have the opportunity to vote later this year on whether or not to require constitutional amendments be approved by both a majority of votes statewide and a majority of votes in five of the state’s eight congressional districts. Right now, amendments pass with a simple majority. A possible vote on abortion in November is a catalyst behind the battle over the bill, as a campaign to legalize abortion up to the point of fetal viability is on the path to the statewide ballot. Republicans have said that without raising the threshold for changing the state’s constitution, a constitutional right to abortion will likely become the law of the land in Missouri. Need to get in touch?Have a news tip?State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican and a member of the Freedom Caucus, tipped his hat to the Democrats’ “wherewithal” before scorning some of his Republican colleagues. “Unfortunately, this Republican Party has no backbone to fight for what is right for life,” he shouted from the Senate floor. “ … They will have the blood of the innocent on their heads. Shame on this party.” Coleman’s move also came as a surprise to state Rep. Alex Riley, a Republican from Springfield who sponsored the initiative petition bill in the House. “We’re going to have to have some conversations tonight to figure out what exactly it is they have in mind,” he said. “We will be having many conversations over the next few hours.” House Speaker Dean Plocher said he was pleased to see the impasse broken, adding that the House is ready to work on a final version that can be passed. He didn’t promise to remove the “ballot candy” added by the House.
Asked if Coleman made a tactical mistake in telling the House to restore the items removed during the first Democratic filibuster, Plocher said he hadn’t spoken to Coleman and declined to speculate on whether the outcome would have been different had she not. Democrats left the Senate Wednesday evening declaring victory. “This body by and large is a staunch supporter of democracy. That doesn’t just go for one side of the aisle. That goes for both sides,” Rizzo said. “This is not protecting the ballot for Democrats or Republicans or one issue or the other issue that you might like or dislike. This protects the ballot box for Republicans and Democrats alike for the future.” Rizzo maintained that removing the ballot candy is still the only way Democrats will allow the bill to get through the Senate if it returns from the House. “If you haven’t figured that out in the last three or four days, I don’t know where you’ve been,” Rizzo said, adding: “Hopefully sleeping.” As the Senate prepared to vote, state Sen. Bill Eigel, a Weldon Spring Republican and Freedom Caucus member, warned his colleagues not to be optimistic that the Senate will come back Thursday and pass other bills waiting in the pipeline. “If the hope is that this process is going to somehow lead us back to a place of engaging more legislation besides this, I’m gonna say this very clearly,” he said. “Don’t get your hopes up.” Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and Twitter. |
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