Rep. Mark Wright took on Governor Blunt this week, and it appears they are both "irritated" about it. Will his blunt comments end up sparking a special session? Or will they hardly be remembered?
The Democratic leaders of the Missouri House and Senate have called for a special session this fall to restore the now infamous MAWD (Medical Assistance for Working Disabled) program.
Governor Blunt has rejected the idea, saying, "I think special sessions should be called in extraordinary circumstances. At this time, I have no plans to call a special session."
Democratic lawmakers have already begun circling petitions to call the session without Blunt. According to the Missouri Constitution, lawmakers can call a special session if they file a petition signed by 75 percent of members from each chamber.
"We had a majority of both parties interested in restoring this program this year - Governor Blunt even called it a legislative priority - but somehow nothing got done," said Sen. Maida Coleman of St. Louis.
The Governor responded by saying he didn't believe the legislature came to a clear consensus on the issue. "This is an issue the legislature grappled with for four and a half months, I don't know there's any reason to believe there's a clear consensus on the issue."
Enter conservative Springfield Republican House member Mark Wright. His comments this week may be the most surprising and important. Wright didn't hold back in an interview with KY3. In fact, he called for a special session before the Dems did.
And he had some biting comments for his own hometown Governor.
"The Governor doesn't seem to be susceptible to helping members of the disabled community," Wright said. "I'm a little irritated, I hope the Governor will relent and reconsider."
"Well, I'm irritated they didn't pass a lot of things," Blunt responded after I told him about Wright's comments.
Blunt seems unlikely to change his mind now, but pressure from his own party in an election year could change the dynamic.
I spoke with House Minority Leader Jeff Harris on Friday and he said that Dems are still in the preliminary stages of collecting signatures. He said he had no indication of whether Republican leaders in the House or Senate would support it.
Harris acknowledged he couldn't recall a time this procedure had been used. But it is clear that Republican leaders will be key to whether this petition drive gets any traction.
Rep. Mark Wright is not running for re-election to his House seat, but he is running a statewide campaign for Auditor. If lawmakers do get the signatures for a special session this fall -- and defy the Governor -- he may be remembered as the one who sparked it.
On which side will other Springfield lawmakers fall?
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