Alyson E. Raletz
Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008
Monday, Dec. 1, 2008
A very useful Christmas
Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008
Turkey trotters aim to counter calories
Friday, Nov. 28, 2008
Bridge plan back on track
Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008
Monday, Nov. 24, 2008
Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008
Friday, Nov. 7, 2008
Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008
Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008
Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008
Schaaf claims mandate after win
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008
Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008
Friday, Oct. 31, 2008
Friday, Oct. 31, 2008
Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008
Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008
Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008
Monday, Oct. 27, 2008
Monday, Oct. 27, 2008
Friday, Oct. 24, 2008
Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008
Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008
Monday, Oct. 20, 2008
Monday, Oct. 20, 2008
Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008
Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008
Monday, Oct. 13, 2008
Zweifel eyes efficiency
Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008
Friday, Oct. 10, 2008
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008
‘Missouri is not better off,’ area Dems tell voters
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008
Monday, Oct. 6, 2008
Monday, Oct. 6, 2008
Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008
Sheehan a ‘poster boy for the economy’
Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008
Blunt, Boehringer reveal possible expansion
Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008
Schaaf not afraid to go against grain
Monday, Sept. 29, 2008
Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008
Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008
Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008
English-only amendment sparks heated debate
Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008
Monday, Sept. 22, 2008
Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008
Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008
Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008
Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008
Missouri lawmakers began to mold next year’s debate Monday with their wish list of proposals.
Bill gates open for '09 sessionMonday, Dec. 1, 2008
The 2009 legislative session doesn’t start until Jan. 7, but lawmakers could begin shaping the subjects of their debates as early as today.
Today marks the start of pre-filing, the first day state representatives and senators can submit their bills for the first regular session of the 95th General Assembly.
A very useful Christmas
Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008
The black cloud that’s hovering over the American economy could translate into a blue Christmas for many families.
Shoppers aren’t leaning toward giving lumps of coal, though.
Think more along the lines of toothbrushes.
Turkey trotters aim to counter calories
Friday, Nov. 28, 2008
Flocks of the waistline-conscious filed down St. Joseph’s Riverwalk Thursday morning with visions of cranberry sauce and yams dancing in their heads. With the fowl meal looming, local service organizations invited diners to wobble before they gobbled at the third annual Turkey Trot.
Bridge plan back on track
Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008
Thanksgiving travelers going over 802 of the state’s worst bridges this year will know it when they see fresh signs that read “Safe & Sound.”
The signs mark progress after more than a year of the project’s near standstill.
The initiative slated 157 of Northwest Missouri’s bridges for improvements, including 12 in Buchanan County.
Monday, Nov. 24, 2008
Pre-filing legislative proposals in Jefferson City starts Dec. 1, but a St. Joseph representative already has released his wish list.
Among the bills Rep. Dr. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, said he intended to submit next week was a bill to reform to the state’s certificate of need process, which incoming hospitals and certain medical services must undergo before they can operate.
The inclusion of such reform aimed at increasing competition ruffled the feathers of the hospital community enough in 2008 to halt consideration of Gov. Matt Blunt’s Insure Missouri proposal to offer health insurance to more Missourians.
Interestingly enough, Dr. Schaaf said the reforms would make the process "less political."
Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008
A local doctor whom voters re-elected to the Missouri House of Representatives could receive different attention from the Legislature’s new leadership.
With one of Rep. Dr. Rob Schaaf’s biggest supporters, House Speaker Rod Jetton, term-limited and stepping down, even the St. Joseph Republican said he is unsure of his future status as a committee chairman and what momentum his hospital competition advocacy will have in 2009.
“I don’t know,” Dr. Schaaf said several times.
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008
A special legislative session to hasten winter utility bill assistance remains on the table.
Shields chosen Senate leaderFriday, Nov. 7, 2008
Missouri Senate Republicans have chosen a new leader from St. Joseph who likely will resist the governor-elect’s biggest campaign promise.
The GOP caucus tapped Sen. Charlie Shields to replace Sen. Mike Gibbons, of Kirkwood, as the new Senate president pro tem — a position referred to as the second most powerful in state politics.
“It’s very significant for St. Joseph to have him in that position. He is uniquely aware of issues that affect us up here,” said Mike Chester, president of the Northwest Missouri Republican Club. “It’s a bright spot after a rough election.”
Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008
As of 3:45 p.m., Missouri Senate Republicans have selected a St. Joseph man to serve as the next president pro tem. The Senate majority floor leader since 2005, Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, will replace Mike Gibbons, of Kirkwood.
House Dems pick sitting floor leader over St. Joe repThursday, Nov. 6, 2008
A St. Joseph Democrat lost his bid for a key party position in the Missouri House of Representatives the same afternoon Republicans were expected to pick a St. Joseph politician to lead the Senate.
Lager loses bid for state officeThursday, Nov. 6, 2008
The state treasurer’s office slipped from the grasp of a Savannah, Mo., politician early Wednesday despite holding the lead during most of Tuesday’s election.
Schaaf claims mandate after win
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008
The spray paint dried on the competition between a doctor and a newspaper man in a local race for the statehouse Tuesday night, allowing the incumbent to hold onto his seat.
Rep. Dr. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, will continue to represent the 28th House District for Andrew and Buchanan counties, as he reaped 10,245 votes over Democrat Mark Sheehan’s 8,202 votes, according to unofficial election results.
Dr. Schaaf asked community leaders to “acknowledge the mandate voters gave today and to help me open the door to increased competition in health care” in a handout he provided to media at the Buchanan County Republican headquarters after learning of the victory.
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008
The possibility of a Northwest Missourian taking the state treasurer’s office stood within reach, but both campaigns were hesitant to call the election late Tuesday night as his opponent saw a late boost in votes.
About 55,767 votes separated a Savannah, Mo., Republican and a Florissant, Mo., Democrat at 11:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008
Envision a world in which St. Joseph politicians run both chambers of the Missouri Legislature.
General Assembly shake-up in store?Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008
The outcomes of statewide office and House of Representatives elections Tuesday could shake up Northwest Missouri’s representation in another legislative body.
Neither of the region’s two Senate seats are up for election this year, but that could change if a Savannah senator captures a higher office. Also, an incumbent representative who’s been raising funds for a Senate election two years off said he’d yank his plans if his statehouse bid fails.
Friday, Oct. 31, 2008
Heartland Health officials say the ad campaign of a Republican incumbent in a local statehouse race is aiming too high.
Local political parties rally voters as election nearsFriday, Oct. 31, 2008
Local political parties looked to rev up members Thursday night as the election season neared its climax.
The partying, though, took on forms as different as their political ideals, from a rally with hot dogs in a large hall to cocktails and mingling in a hotel suite.
Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008
Congressman Kenny Hulshof told a room of less than 20 Republicans who showed for the gubernatorial hopeful’s St. Joseph rally to ignore the polls Tuesday.
Schaaf balks at one salary disclosureTuesday, Oct. 28, 2008
As the November election closes in, the Republican incumbent in a local statehouse election wants voters to take a closer look at his challenger’s supporters and their salaries.
Kinder promotes special sessionTuesday, Oct. 28, 2008
Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder renewed his call for a special legislative session to help Missourians with their utility bills on Monday in St. Joseph.
Finances in $1 million-plus state treasurer race still closeMonday, Oct. 27, 2008
The opponent of a local politician going after the state treasurer’s office has raised more than the Savannah senator.
But Sen. Brad Lager, R-Savannah, has more cash on hand in the last week of the election, according to contribution and expenditure reports candidates had to file with the Missouri Ethics Commission Monday, eight days before the November contest.
Monday, Oct. 27, 2008
Dark front porches this Halloween could mean more than a candy shortage.
And as for the packs of people dressed in police uniforms knocking on those doors — they’re not trick-or-treaters.
A new state law requires registered sex offenders to turn off their lights after 5 p.m. Oct. 31 and to post signs that read “No candy or treats at this residence.”
Friday, Oct. 24, 2008
Frustration over automated phone calls from the John McCain campaign prompted Missouri Democrats to launch their own round of robo calls Thursday.
In an ironic twist, one of St. Joseph’s most vocal advocates of placing political robo calls on to the state’s No Call List defended the reaction.
“This is not a robo call. It’s a response call,” state Rep. Ed Wildberger, D-St. Joseph, said during a news conference at the Buchanan County Democratic Headquarters. “Unfortunately, we can not sit by and not answer these accusations.”
Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008
Contributions are rolling in for two statehouse campaigns that want to see what voters will respond to better: a St. Joseph man hooked up to oxygen or a herd of charging cattle.
One county, two approachesThursday, Oct. 23, 2008
Andrew County ranches and farms — not a regional hospital, state university and prison — make up the geographic majority of the 28th District of the Missouri House of Representatives.
The incumbent in the race to represent Andrew County and part of Buchanan County in the statehouse for the next two years, Rep. Dr. Rob Schaaf, insists the two counties have similar legislative needs.
“It’s really not a lot different (than Buchanan County),” Dr. Schaaf said. “The state issues are uniform throughout the state.”
Monday, Oct. 20, 2008
A local statehouse race grows more pointed as details of the incumbent’s medical malpractice insurance business come to light. The chairman of the board of Missouri Doctors Mutual Insurance Company (MoDocs), Rep. Dr. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, is running to retain his 28th District House of Representatives seat on a platform of lowering health care costs. But the campaign of his opponent, St. Joseph Democrat Mark Sheehan, cites conflict of interest issues surrounding Dr. Schaaf’s connection to the insurance industry and his support of tort reform.
Wyse, Lair battle for 7th District seatMonday, Oct. 20, 2008
CHILLICOTHE, Mo. — The heat in a wide-open race to represent a rural statehouse district has landed in the classroom.
Hulshof champions own health care planWednesday, Oct. 15, 2008
Three weeks away from Election Day, Congressman Kenny Hulshof remains optimistic in his contest with Attorney General Jay Nixon for the governor’s office.
Political Notebook: Obama campaign looks to women votersWednesday, Oct. 15, 2008
As economic problems have mounted in Missouri, Susan Montee believes women voters of the state have seen more a clear choice for president.
Schaaf to appeal to NW MO GOP before electionMonday, Oct. 13, 2008
An incumbent in a local Missouri House of Representatives race will address area Republicans Thursday.
Rep. Dr. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, and other candidates in area races are set to speak at the last Northwest Missouri Republican Club meeting before the November election.
Zweifel eyes efficiency
Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008
A Democrat from the eastern part of Missouri is taking on a Savannah Republican for the treasurer’s seat. Both are new fathers. Both are 30-somethings that started their state political careers in the Missouri House of Representatives. But they both are approaching the office differently. Sen. Brad Lager sees the office through the eyes of fiscal conservatism. Rep. Clint Zweifel, a Florissant Democrat, said he wants to run a competent office that focuses on excellence and fiscal restraint, but also sees it as an opportunity for broader leadership.
Biden visit 'affects the ticket from top to bottom'Friday, Oct. 10, 2008
A house divided prompted a local mother to excuse her son from school Tuesday morning to see the Democrats’ pick for vice president speak in St. Joseph. Heather Hurst, of Savannah, Mo., and her son, Austin, sat among a crowd of roughly 770 people waiting to hear Sen. Joe Biden speak.
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008
Missouri’s secretary of state slammed the state’s voter registration process on the eve of today’s deadline in St. Joseph.
Political Notebook: Bailout 2.0 proved worse than the original, Graves saysWednesday, Oct. 8, 2008
The U.S. House waited until the second time around to pass a banking bailout package. Congressman Sam Graves says the measure hardly improved with age.
‘Missouri is not better off,’ area Dems tell voters
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008
Nearly a week after Gov. Matt Blunt played up Missouri’s job climate in St. Joseph, area Democrats took a different look at the numbers. Tennessee and Missouri are tied for the 13th worst unemployment rate in the United States.
Voter registration on fire in Buchanan CountyMonday, Oct. 6, 2008
Citizens who want to have a say in who will run the White House, statehouse or Buchanan County Courthouse can head to the nearest fire house Tuesday night.
With Missouri’s voter registration deadline approaching at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Buchanan County Clerk Pat Conway’s office is putting on a Last Night Drive.
Monday, Oct. 6, 2008
Missouri’s Secretary of State Robin Carnahan will visit St. Joseph Tuesday to help a local Democrat with his statehouse campaign.
Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008
A Savannah, Mo., senator is pushing his background as a small business owner in his bid for state treasurer.
Sheehan a ‘poster boy for the economy’
Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008
A St. Joseph Democrat running for the statehouse can personally relate to voters in a way the incumbent Republican doctor falls short.
It’s an issue of employment.
“I’m the poster boy for the economy — a 58-year-old man who lost his job and lost his insurance,” said Mark Sheehan, the News-Press’ former Opinion page editor.
Blunt, Boehringer reveal possible expansion
Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008
Gov. Matt Blunt painted a hazy, but bright picture of the state’s economic climate Tuesday when he announced the possible expansion of an animal pharmaceuticals company in St. Joseph that could bring 116 jobs.
Schaaf not afraid to go against grain
Monday, Sept. 29, 2008
Editor’s note: A similar profile on Democrat Mark Sheehan will be featured in the News-Press later this week.
Both candidates in a St. Joseph House of Representatives race have described Rob Schaaf as a maverick.
While previously employed as the News-Press’ Opinion editor, Democrat challenger Mark Sheehan dubbed the incumbent so after going up against the governor on controversial health care issues.
Now Dr. Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, is using the adjective with pride in campaign speeches and advertisements to convince voters in the 28th House District that they should elect someone unafraid of fighting the establishment to a fourth term.
Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008
National and state business groups are backing two area Republican incumbents in their bids for re-election to the Missouri House of Representatives.
Heads up candidates, the News-Press will publish endorsements intermittently in political notebooks in the print version or here in Political Punch blog posts. A St. Joseph Democratic candidate plugged a blog of his own this week.
Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008
Campaigns for state treasurer traded barbs Wednesday via the Missouri Ethics Commission.
Cecil “Ken” Franklin of the Missouri Democratic Party filed an ethics complaint against the Republican in the race, Sen. Brad Lager, of Savannah, for not going into detail on campaign expenses he paid with his credit card.
Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008
The future of construction projects at two regional universities looks hazy if Attorney General Jay Nixon is elected state governor.
English-only amendment sparks heated debate
Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008
A question on the ballot in November is prompting debate among St. Joseph business owners who all call English their second language. Ruth Matos’ South Side taxi service, Vamanos, is tailored to Spanish speakers, a growing population in St. Joseph. But Missourians this election will be able to solidify that when it comes to government business, only English is allowed.
Third House race heats upMonday, Sept. 22, 2008
The race for the largest Missouri House of Representatives district in the state is stirring up big campaign promises, but likely will come down to experience.
Financial shock waves felt in treasurer’s raceSaturday, Sept. 20, 2008
Events that rattled the financial world this week underscored the relevance of the Missouri state treasurer’s race.
Group criticizes judge nomineesThursday, Sept. 18, 2008
An area judge who’s in the running for the Missouri Supreme Court mailed a questionnaire to Gov. Matt Blunt the same week a group of critics asked the governor to reject him.
Political Notebook: Campaigns swap claims on tax plansWednesday, Sept. 17, 2008
Wall Street financial institutions fought for their survival this week while surrogates for two presidential candidates swapped claims about which side had the best tax plan for Missourians.
