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A major question for this year’s session of the Missouri General Assembly is whether Republican legislative leaders will continue a recent display of independence from their fellow Republican Gov. …
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By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
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2/10/21
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The start of Missouri’s legislature during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic raises questions about how lawmakers will adjust to the realities of this rampant virus.
Just visualize a …
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By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
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1/6/21
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This column is inspired by a 1970 song by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young for parents to “teach your children well.”
I’ve been thinking about that song often as I’ve wondered how my …
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By Phill Brooks
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12/23/20
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When Missouri’s House begins its 2021 session, it may face a fascinating issue of residency which has a long history.
The issue arises from a St. Louis Post Dispatch report that Rep. Nick …
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BY Phil Brooks
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12/9/20
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The title of this column is a question that kept popping into my head during Missouri’s gubernatorial campaign.
That question repeatedly was asked by fictional President Jed Bartlet in the …
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11/25/20
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There are four Missourians who helped develop the systems that provide you with accurate and prompt election night returns.
To understand this column, you need to realize that the results reported …
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By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
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11/11/20
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The recent thoughts written by others about the tragic death of Gov. Mel Carnahan two decades ago have prompted me to add some personal details.
There was something about Carnahan that touched all …
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By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
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11/4/20
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Before proceeding with this column, I want you to think about what you’ve read, seen or heard from the candidates running for state office during this campaign season.
How often have you …
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By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
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10/28/20
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Missouri’s recent veto session was another chapter in a long and fascinating legislative history.
Until the 1970s, there were no veto sessions. Instead, prior versions of the state Constitution …
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By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
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9/30/20
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Missouri’s House displayed unusual constitutional discipline during this summer’s anti-crime special session.
House leaders obeyed a state constitutional provision which requires a …
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By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
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9/16/20
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As I reflect on the final months of term-limited state legislators who have made a profound difference for the state, I also remember Harriett Woods.
While she gained national attention for her …
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by Phil Brooks
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6/24/20
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There are some interesting similarities between Missouri’s governor and the nation’s president in dealing with COVID-19.
Their refusal to wear face masks is the most visible. Both Gov. …
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By Phill Brooks
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6/10/20
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I had expected limited production from Missouri’s 2020 annual session because of the several weeks lost from the extended spring break to avoid COVID-19 exposure.
Indeed, the General …
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By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
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5/28/20
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Missouri's General Assembly faces historic challenges for the final three weeks of the 2020 regular session.
The budget tops the list with a projected $1 billion or even higher revenue loss for …
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By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
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4/24/20
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This spring, Missouri lost one of the key partners in the most dynamic cross-party legislative collaboration I’ve seen in half a century.
Jack Buechner was a founding member of a group of …
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By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
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4/22/20
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The coronavirus pandemic has raised some difficult journalistic questions for which there are not easy answers.
Journalists are facing conflicts between stressing good health practices while, at …
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By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
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4/8/20
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A Missouri incident nearly a decade ago demonstrates the danger of politicians trying to control health information as the administration of President Donald Trump has done to deal with the …
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By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
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3/18/20
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