Gov. Nixon Ok's Local MOHELA Projects

Gov. Jay Nixon has decided to ok money for some university construction projects that had been on hold.

It was unclear if Nixon would go through with many of the projects, because the funding source -- the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority -- has experienced financial troubles.

Included in the approved $107 million dollar project list is $2.6 million dollars for Missouri State University's Jordan Valley Incubator and $7 million dollar for MSU's Siceluff Hall.

The student loan agency is to give $350 million to the state over several years under a 2007 state law.

Round The Horn

Good Friday morning.

We hope you begin this TGIF a bit warmer than The Notebook. It's been a rough 'n tumble week covering ice and snow for the TV. So to catch up for our time on the road, and trampling through the sleet, we go 'round the horn to kick off the weekend.

Let's get to it . . . The Lite Guv leads . . .

KINDER TAKES HIS STAND -- Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder called a press gaggle in his Jefferson City office Thursday to make his case against Governor Jay Nixon's plan to halt MOHELA construction projects. Will we look back at this as the first shot across the bow for 2012? (Nah, as much time as our friends in the printing press spend on it, no average voter can spell MOHELA, let alone 'splain it.) “At this hour, MOHELA has funded $242 million of the projects. Right now, there is still $120 million in the bank for these projects. The Governor’s staff has said they don’t believe that MOHELA will make the remaining payments. At the same time, the Governor has built a budget with the promises of federal stimulus coming to Missouri," Kinder said during the presser in his office Thursday. Nixon campaigned against Gov. Matt Blunt's MOHELA plan. It shouldn't have been diverted from its purpose of student loans, Nixon argued. Now he's got a budget deficit as an excuse to follow through. “In this economy, we should keep people employed as long as possible to continue working on the projects which have such a high probability for economic success," Kinder went on. "Then, make the transition seamless into federal stimulus dollars to fund the remaining work that needs to be done.”

VIEBROCK: THE AUDACITY OF JAY NIXON . . . Rep. Jim Viebrock of the #134th House District writes in his weekly update that he "found it remarkable that for the first half of (Jay Nixon's State of the State) address he was touting positions and accomplishments that we (the Republicans) had crafted and pushed through the process over the last couple of years." Viebrock then went on to criticize Nixon's budget plan that in part, is dependant on federal stimulus funds. "To create a new budget under the assumption that money might come later, could potentially embarrass the Nixon administration in the event that withholds then become necessary down the line," Viebrock wrote.

NO PAY RAISE -- The State Senate voted against a recommendation to increase pay for state lawmakers and judges. Let's not give them too much credit. This really wasn't a tough call. A state commission recommended a raise of $1,500 for cost of living reasons for elected officials. Senate Majority Leader Charlie Shields said, "this decision was a no-brainer, absolutely no pay raises for state elected officials." Sen. Jim Lembke, who carried the measure, added, "the last thing we need is to give ourselves a raise while jobs are being lost throughout the state." The House voted on Monday 129-31 to shoot down the pay raise as well.

QUICK QUESTION -- Who's a more sympathetic figure this week -- Ted Haggard or Rod Blagojevich?

TIMETABLE -- How much pressure does President Obama face in sticking to his 16-month timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq? Missouri's senior most official on military matters says the timetable is less important than the ultimate goal. "It helps for him to aim for it,” said Representative Ike Skelton, Democrat of Missouri and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, in an article in the International Herald Tribune. "If you can draw your troops down to within the ballpark and they’re safe, that’s what counts."

BTW: Rep. Skelton voted FOR the stimulus BUT warns he really wants stimuli -- "While the economic recovery legislation is an important part of our country’s effort to stimulate the economy, it should not be perceived as a silver bullet that will cure all economic ills," he said in his speech on the House floor.

CALL HER MADAME OVERSIGHT -- Sen. Claire McCaskill has been appointed the new chair of a Senate subcommittee focused on Contracting Oversight. It will fall under Sen. Joe Lieberman's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Lieberman on Claire: "With her background as a prosecutor and state auditor, Senator McCaskill has unique investigative experience that will be crucial for this new subcommittee. I am certain that she will approach her new responsibilities with unmatched vigor to improve the value of all the taxpayer dollars devoted to federal contracting." Claire on the gig: "Last year we made major strides in contracting accountability by establishing the Wartime Contracting Commission, and while I look forward to those investigations, we all know that outrageous contracting abuses occur in every facet of government. I can't wait to get to work saving huge money for taxpayers. They deserve it."

PONDER THIS -- If you're Jim Talent, is someone really trying to convince you that waiting '10 out and running against McCaskill in 2012 is the better shot? I'd bet against that right now. It's waay early. But two years in, McCaskill looks like she's making all the right moves . . . grilling Democratic Obama appointees, fighting earmarks, raking up waste and abuse, focusing on veteran's care and problems at Ft. Wood. Talk to some rational Republicans privately, and off-the-record, and they think Claire's doing a good job. Sure, McCaskill could pop off and say something offensive that the G.O.P. HQ will jump on. But that's when that Obama warchest will come in handy . . .

SARAH STEELMAN, by the way, landed safely in Washington late Thursday night for her Friday meetings with the NRSC.

THEN, (FOR JT,) THERE'S THIS . . . WILL THE NAME TREVOR BLACKANN APPEAR IN A 2010 PRIMARY AD . . .? Another former aide to Jack Abramoff has been charged. This time it's wire fraud. The name is Todd Boulanger. Why do we care? Boulanger was a close friend of Trevor Blackann, who pleaded guilty in November to filing a bad tax return that was missing $4,100 in illegal gifts from lobbyists, including Abramoff. Blackann was also an aide to Sen. Kit Bond and Rep. Roy Blunt.

GRADING PAPERS . . . Send your suggestions about how to grade Gov. Nixon's big budget week (week #3) to dcatanese@ky3.com.

DEBATE VIDEO: Hulshof vs. Nixon on Education

Jay Nixon and Kenny Hulshof also debated their higher education plans during the 75-minute debate at the University of Missouri. Hulshof criticized Nixon's plan for "pushing kids" towards community colleges. Watch the exchange above, and then Nixon's response to Hulshof's critique after the debate. Nixon said that Hulshof apparently doesn't understand his plan, because it is meant to give a pathway for a student to move from a 2-year school to a 4-year institution.

***PLUS: Gov. Blunt's office responds to the Nixon campaigns criticism of the MOHELA sale . . . "Had Jay Nixon's opposition to a comprehensive higher education package succeeded, it would have killed two reforms," said Rich Chrismer, referring to the Access Missouri scholarship program and tuition controls.

***

"Gov. Blunt's Lewis & Clark Initiative was an innovative solution to increasing funding for higher education without new spending or a tax increase," Chrismer said. "Jay Nixon has proposed hundreds of millions of dollars in new big government spending for welfare and other government programs, yet when asked earlier this week by KY3 where he would cut spending, Nixon could not answer the question," he added.

In their sparring over K-12 education, Hulshof noted that Missouri only graduated 1 high school physics teacher last year. He wants to focus on recruiting more teachers in math and sciences. Nixon called for "reinventing the senior year of high school," but he was most passionate when expressing his fierce opposition to private vouchers.

Blunt Administration Brushes Back Nixon on MOHELA

STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO NIXON'S CRITIQUE

The Blunt administration's Jessica Robinson sent this statement to the KY3 Political Notebook Wednesday in response to Attorney General Jay Nixon's recent comments regarding MOHELA:

"Jay Nixon has always been opposed to every project funded by the Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative, and Jay Nixon has never understood how MOHELA operates. Now he is seems to be entirely unaware of a global problem that affects every entity that used auction rate securities.
MOHELA has correctly pointed out that there decision was driven by global problems and not the Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative. Jay Nixon is so out of touch with reality that he asked the governor to veto a bill that capped tuition and led to the quadrupling of student scholarships," said Robinson.

Nixon Blasts MOHELA Cuts

Leader LeVota Also Takes Aim

DEMS Point to Blunt's promises

Attorney General Jay Nixon said Tuesday that a "quietly reached decision" last week by the MOHELA board "to eliminate several critical student benefit programs" will force more Missouri students to pay higher rates on their student loans.

Nixon released a statement blasting the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority's decision to get rid of the Public Service Reward Program and Rate Relief Program.

"With tuition skyrocketing at our colleges and universities, this was a major step in the wrong direction," Nixon said in a statement. “When Gov. Blunt raided MOHELA’s assets, the one thing he assured us was that it would cause no harm to Missouri students. It was obvious -- at least to those of us who fought the MOHELA raid from the beginning -- that Missouri students would end up paying the price. And now they are."

“I believe a college education is a key to achieving the American Dream, and I am more committed than ever to creating a pathway to a four-year degree for every Missourian who is willing to work hard and play by the rules. We must put the dream of a college degree within reach for every Missouri family," Nixon added.

The Democratic candidate for Governor said the elimination of these programs "has left MOHELA virtually indistinguishable from for-profit loan agencies such as Sallie Mae and NelNet."

House Minority Leader Paul LeVota also said that Missouri students are paying the price of Gov. Blunt's poor decision. "For decades Missouri students have been able to attend college through low-interest MOHELA student loans. At the time of the MOHELA debate, Democrats tirelessly argued that raiding millions from MOHELA would make college less affordable and less accessible for Missouri students and their families. Sadly, Matt Blunt and his legislative allies sold off the loan authority’s assets, mislead Missourians about the consequences, and now generations of Missouri students will pay the price," Rep. LeVota said.

Democrats are pointing to numerous statements made by the Governor, promising that students "would have as good or better a loan program as they have now."

MOHELA Clears House, But Is It Over?

What's the point of having lawmakers anymore if the voting public should decide everything?

Stem cells. The minimum wage. Taxes. Now, MOHELA?

Allow lawmakers to crack down on sex offenders, get tough on meth and bring back money for a local bridge, ya know -- the hard decisions.

But anything controversial -- send it to the voters, even if they don't have time to juggle the details of 7 ballot initatives per election cycle!

That rant is sponsored to you by the lastest MOHELA maneuver.

MOHELA is on its way to the Governor to be signed.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Lawmakers gave final approval today to a $350 million plan to finance college buildings with student loan agency money, delivering a victory to Gov. Matt Blunt after more than a year of political and legal wrangling.

Democratic State Rep. Clint Zweifel declared the battle isn't over. He wants voters to make the ultimate decision on whether Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority assets should be used to pay for construction projects.

Zweifel said there is still no independent financial analysis to determine if the sale will harm student borrowers.

"MOHELA exists to make college education affordable for Missouri students, not provide the Governor and lawmakers money for pet projects," Zweifel said. "I'm sure Missouri voters will overwhelmingly reject this flawed and bungled deal if given the chance."

How?

Get the signatures of at least 5 percent of voters in 6 of 9 state Congressional districts.

Place it on the November 2008 ballot (ya know, when nothing else is goin on.)

"This is too important an issue to give up without a fight," Zweifel said.

MSU, Sex Offenders & MOHELA

Missouri State University is considering expanding its criminal background check policy to cover all new employees. While the plan has been in the pipeline for months, it's gained new urgency after the resignation of an assistant professor, who is also a convicted sex offender.

Watch my KY3 News @ 10 report HERE.

Some states have moved forward with legislation to mandate criminal background checks of employees at institutes of higher education. There's no such push in Missouri. Should there be?

Faculty at Missouri State aren't happy about this proposal, which could be approved by the school's Board of Governors by month's end.

So why this change now? The University makes clear that this has been under consideration since last summer. But Tony Messenger over at the News-Leader raises an interesting question about motivation of the school to dump a sex offender it knew about for years.

"Remember, the horrible MOHELA bill that the legislature is about to pass makes university funding contingent upon not employing sex offenders. Again, good math by Nietzel and Co., but is one move connected to the other,?" writes Messenger.

Senate OK's MOHELA

MOHELA is Mo-Moving to the House.

The Missouri Senate has passed a plan that would authorize millions of dollars in higher education loan assets to capital improvements on college campuses.

After months of wrangling over the issue, Gov. Matt Blunt praised the Senate for its 23-11 vote.

"I applaud Senate members for taking this bold step to support higher education in our state, increase funding for student scholarships, introduce accountability measures, provide tuition stabilization and enact the Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative for Missouri students," Blunt said.

As Jason Rosenbaum at the Columbia Tribune notes, Sen. Frank Barnitz was one of 3 Democrats who voted for it.

From the CT Politics Blog:

"Sen. Frank Barnitz, D-Lake Spring, said he supported the multi-million dollar projects at University of Missouri-Rolla and Linn State Technical College that would funded under Nodler’s bill."

"I think that’s fortunate that I’ve got the funds coming to my district,” said Barnitz, whose district gained dollars after an $85 million Health Sciences Center at MU was stripped out earlier. “I’m glad that I was able to negotiate for my district to get the funds necessary to complete those projects. That’s my job up here – to fight for my district.”