Podcast appearances and mentions of sunshine law

The Manatee County School Board is not boring anymore. Yesterday, in a tight 3-2 vote, the elected panel suddenly fired the district superintendent. Sunshine Law violations may have happened in the run-up to that vote, one critic says.Then: In its ongoing session, the state legislature could ban counties' use of tourism taxes for tourism promotion. Sarasota's boosters are worried. Sera Deniz has more on that.Next: 104,000 bucks. That's the annual income it takes for a family of four to make it here in Sarasota, and that amount keeps rising fast. We have a Suncoast Searchlight report on the United Way's annual ALICE survey.Finally: A state law that bans camping on public property has put Florida counties in a bind. Half a year after this anti-homeless law went into effect, Alex Lieberman is looking at its effects.

Aaron Malin and attorney Dave Roland have spent a decade in a legal battle to unseal the records of Missouri's drug task forces. These multijurisdictional law enforcement groups can seize vast quantities of drugs, money, and property, but they operate in secrecy. Ten years and many lawsuits later, Malin and Roland are upping the stakes with a motion for civil contempt against the Cole County Prosecuting Attorney's office. Malin and Roland reflect on a decade of fighting government secrecy and the state of Missouri's Sunshine Law.

Why TRUMP Should Drop PENNYThe Legislature's Lobbyist FamilyConflict with TN Sunshine LawWill NGOs be held Liable for Illegal Alien Crimes?Trying 16-Year-Olds as AdultsResolution to Fast & Pray& More on The Big 7!Conservative Talk Radio Host YAFFEE from 102.3FM fills in for Brandon Lewis on the Big 7! Check out more from Yaffee HERE - https://www.wgow.com/2024/03/29/yaffee-live/Sign Up for The Tennessee Conservative's FREE eNewsletter, just text "NEWS" to 423-205-5600.Like what we're doing & want us to stick around?Donate Today! - https://bit.ly/3OBZvcCNot afraid to admit you're a Conservative? Advertise with us! Check out our advertising options here - https://tinyurl.com/2re6bfswSubscribe to our FREE eNewsletter - https://bit.ly/3ybSpV8The Stories:Why Donald Trump Should Dump His Penny Schwinn Pickhttps://tennesseeconservativenews.com/why-donald-trump-should-dump-his-penny-schwinn-pick/House Republicans Vote To Allow Family Members Of Lawmakers To Remain Lobbyists At Tennessee Capitolhttps://tennesseeconservativenews.com/house-republicans-vote-to-allow-family-members-of-lawmakers-to-remain-lobbyists-at-tennessee-capitol/TN Bill Allows Approval For Development Projects Without Public Inputhttps://tennesseeconservativenews.com/tennessee-bill-allows-approval-for-development-projects-without-public-input/New Tennessee Bill To Hold Charitable Organizations Liable For Crimes Committed By Illegal Immigrantshttps://tennesseeconservativenews.com/new-tennessee-bill-to-hold-charitable-organizations-liable-for-crimes-committed-by-illegal-immigrants/Proposed Tennessee Legislation Would Try 16-Year-Olds As Adults If They Have A Juvenile Recordhttps://tennesseeconservativenews.com/proposed-tennessee-legislation-would-try-16-year-olds-as-adults-if-they-have-a-juvenile-record/Tennessee Bill Filed To Hold Commercial Entities Liable For Knowingly Engaging In Possession & Circulation Of Obscene Materialshttps://tennesseeconservativenews.com/tennessee-bill-filed-to-hold-commercial-entities-liable-for-knowingly-engaging-in-possession-circulation-of-obscene-materials/Conservative Tennessee Lawmaker Introduces Resolution Calling For Tennesseans To Fast And Prayhttps://tennesseeconservativenews.com/conservative-tennessee-lawmaker-introduces-resolution-calling-for-tennesseans-to-fast-and-pray/Follow The Tennessee Conservative on these Free Speech platforms:TTC on X, formerly known as Twitter - https://twitter.com/TnCoNews1TTC on MeWe -https://bit.ly/3SbuqxWTTC on Gettr - https://bit.ly/3LifSKCTTC on Gab - https://bit.ly/3di03aiTTC on Truth - https://bit.ly/3BINn5BTTC on Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-399985

Navigating Divorce While Parenting: How to Put Your Kids FirstSeth and Pete sit down with Heather Brooke Quick, the founder and CEO of Florida Women's Law Group, to discuss how to become a better, stronger parent during and after divorce. Heather shares her expertise on helping clients navigate co-parenting challenges and putting their children's needs first.Seth, Pete, and Heather dive into the importance of focusing on the big picture and remembering that co-parenting is a lifelong commitment. They discuss strategies for keeping animosity in check, even when dealing with contentious issues like finances. Heather emphasizes the value of taking the high road and modeling positive behavior for your children.Questions we answer in this episode:How can I shield my kids from the negative aspects of divorce?What's the best way to communicate with my ex about parenting issues?How much should I share with my kids about the divorce process?Key Takeaways:Always prioritize your children's well-being over conflicts with your exBe mindful of your reactions and behavior, as your children will learn from your exampleConsider therapy or counseling to help your children process their emotions during divorceThe conversation also touches on the importance balance of maintaining transparency with your children about age-appropriate aspects of the divorce, such as changes in finances or living arrangements. Seth, Pete, and Heather offer guidance on how to have these conversations without putting your children in the middle of adult issues.This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the challenges of parenting during and after divorce. With Heather's expertise and Seth and Pete's relatable insights, you'll gain valuable tools for putting your children first and building a strong foundation for your post-divorce family.Plus, we tackle a listener question – with Heather! – about when to file for divorce when pregnant.Links & NotesFind Heather on the web, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTubeTune in to Heather's podcast Women Winning DivorceSchedule a consult with SethGot a question you want to ask on the show? Click here! (00:00) - Welcome to How to Split a Toaster (00:26) - Meet Heather Quick (01:28) - Becoming a Better Parent During Divorce (02:00) - Your Role in the Discussion (04:40) - Reminding People to Love Their Kids (07:29) - Men vs. Women in Divorce (10:05) - Financial Conversations (12:39) - Divorce Transparency? (16:52) - The Line of Role Modelling (17:46) - Sunshine Law (18:40) - Resources for Kids (21:32) - Parenting During Parallel Parenting (24:15) - Behavior as Divorcing People (26:26) - End Result (30:11) - It's Not Their Fault (31:55) - Knowing When to Step Back (33:19) - Finding Heather (34:43) - Listener Question (39:21) - Wrap Up

A flyover from this weeks top heartland stories including:Missouri's new presidential primary; Iowa's massive fertilizer spill; Hawley signals some break with Trump on Jan 6th; Missouri town paying big for open record violation; Texas immigration law seesaw; Sustainability in St. Louis; Turns out, young white republicans at turning point events MIGHT be a bit racistSOURCES - river front times, missouri independent, missouri democrats.org, nbc news, newsweek, and WOWT Ohama channel 6 newsMissouri democratic primary TOMORROW - March 23Details: https://www.missouridemocrats.org/mdp-primary-information-2024Back to the poopy water in Iowahttps://www.wowt.com/2024/03/19/experts-detail-environmental-impact-fertilizer-spill-southwest-iowa/Experts detail environmental impact of fertilizer spill in southwest IowaDNR experts are still examining the environmental impacts of a massive 1,500-ton liquid nitrogen fertilizer spill near Red Oak, Iowa caused by a New Cooperative valve that was left open last Monday.They know liquid nitrogen fertilizer traveled along the East Nishnabotna River in Iowa for 50 miles down to the state of Missouri where it's estimated to have traveled at least another 10 miles.“(It's) probably the longest fishkill that we've experienced in this area,” said Brent Marten, an environmental specialist for the Iowa DNR.As the fertilizer plume swept through the water, the home of aquatic wildlife soon became their grave. Native species of varying sizes were found dead ashore and floating in the water.“Just acute toxicity basically burned tissue on the outside and if they ingested it, on the inside of the fish,” said Lorenzen.Water testing showed that where the spill happened, nitrogen levels were at least 60 times higher than they should've been.Josh Hawley (drop) says Trump Shouldn't Issue Blanket Pardon for Jan 6thhttps://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article286871930.htmlIn a rare showing of a possible spine in the face of Trump's crazy, Missouri's soon to be one term senator Joshua “Yes these are my boots” Hawley breaks with Trump and suggests that CRIMINALS WHO ATTACKED THE GOVERNMENT might be best to be left as criminals, real novel takeMissouri Town who abused open records law drops appeal of penaltyhttps://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/15/phelps-county-town-drops-appeal-of-80000-missouri-sunshine-law-judgment/Rebecca Varney sued after Edgar Springs banned her from visiting city hall to see records or attend town board meetingsEdgar Springs, a town of 200 in southern Phelps County, must now pay Rebecca Varney $750, plus almost $80,000 in attorney fees, to satisfy a November court decision that found it violated Varney's First Amendment rights and the Missouri Sunshine Law.Circuit Judge John Beger ruled that the city's violations began in 2018 when it barred Varney from entering city hall to view records open to the public under the Sunshine Law. The initial order allowed her to attend meetings of the town's Board of Aldermen but was expanded in 2019 to bar her from entering city hall at any time after she questioned whether a gathering that included several town officials was an unposted meeting.“Our rights are worth it,” Varney said. “It's been hard but I go to city council meetings, I get to sit down just like everybody else. And they have to treat everybody that way.”In her lawsuit, Varney asked for only nominal damages in addition to legal vindication. Berger's ruling gave Varney $100 for the constitutional violation, $650 for the Sunshine Law violation and $78,966 for litigation costs and attorney fees. Interest is accruing at the rate of 9% per year.“This was not a close case,” said Dave Roland, the attorney who represented Varney. “They should have seen from the very outset, it was going to be a loser and they were going to be on the hook for both their attorneys fees and ours.”Roland runs the Freedom Center of Missouri, providing pro bono Sunshine Law legal services for people unable to afford an attorney. Money gained from rulings like the one against Edgar Springs is used to support other litigation. Texas Immigration Law Back On Hold After Multiple Court Rulings In Last Weekshttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/appeals-court-blocks-texas-immigration-law-supreme-court-action-rcna144193The decision comes just hours after the Supreme Court said the measure, known as SB 4, could go into effect while litigation continues.A three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals split 2-1 in saying in a brief order that the measure, known as Senate Bill 4, should be blocked. The same court is hearing arguments on the issue Wednesday morning.The state law would allow police to arrest migrants who illegally cross the border from Mexico and impose criminal penalties. It would also empower state judges to order people to be deported to Mexico.Meet Me In (Sustainable) St. Louieeeehttps://www.riverfronttimes.com/news/bloomberg-taps-st-louis-as-1-of-25-american-sustainable-cities-42136549The City of St. Louis has been selected as one of Bloomberg Philanthropies' 25 sustainable American cities and will receive resources to combat climate change locally.The three-year program will utilize federal funding in the area to “proactively build low-carbon, resilient, and economically thriving communities,” according to a news release from Bloomberg. St. Louis was chosen to take part in the program based on the city's leadership and ambition, according to the St. Louis Development Corporation. Black Gay Republican Says Missouri Republican Heckled Him at MAGA Evenhttps://www.newsweek.com/black-gay-republican-says-missouri-republican-heckled-him-maga-event-1879832Rob Smith (conservative commenter) accused a state legislator from Missouri of being among the individuals who allegedly heckled him at a MAGA event in December.Smith, a Republican who is Black and gay, alleged that Missouri State Representative Chris Lonsdale joined a group of conservatives accused of heckling him while attending a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix in December 2023.Video sent by Smith to Newsweek appears to show Lonsdale near a crowd that heckled and chanted a homophobic slur against Smith. Lonsdale was seen pointing his finger toward Smith. However, the video was taken from behind the lawmaker, and it remained unclear whether he was among the individuals chanting the slur."One of the individuals is a Republican elected official named Chris Lonsdale, a State Rep for MO district 38," Smith wrote in an X message to Newsweek. @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Post) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

A flyover from this weeks top heartland stories including:Missouri's new presidential primary; Iowa's massive fertilizer spill; Hawley signals some break with Trump on Jan 6th; Missouri town paying big for open record violation; Texas immigration law seesaw; Sustainability in St. Louis; Turns out, young white republicans at turning point events MIGHT be a bit racistSOURCES - river front times, missouri independent, missouri democrats.org, nbc news, newsweek, and WOWT Ohama channel 6 newsMissouri democratic primary TOMORROW - March 23Details: https://www.missouridemocrats.org/mdp-primary-information-2024Back to the poopy water in Iowahttps://www.wowt.com/2024/03/19/experts-detail-environmental-impact-fertilizer-spill-southwest-iowa/Experts detail environmental impact of fertilizer spill in southwest IowaDNR experts are still examining the environmental impacts of a massive 1,500-ton liquid nitrogen fertilizer spill near Red Oak, Iowa caused by a New Cooperative valve that was left open last Monday.They know liquid nitrogen fertilizer traveled along the East Nishnabotna River in Iowa for 50 miles down to the state of Missouri where it's estimated to have traveled at least another 10 miles.“(It's) probably the longest fishkill that we've experienced in this area,” said Brent Marten, an environmental specialist for the Iowa DNR.As the fertilizer plume swept through the water, the home of aquatic wildlife soon became their grave. Native species of varying sizes were found dead ashore and floating in the water.“Just acute toxicity basically burned tissue on the outside and if they ingested it, on the inside of the fish,” said Lorenzen.Water testing showed that where the spill happened, nitrogen levels were at least 60 times higher than they should've been.Josh Hawley (drop) says Trump Shouldn't Issue Blanket Pardon for Jan 6thhttps://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article286871930.htmlIn a rare showing of a possible spine in the face of Trump's crazy, Missouri's soon to be one term senator Joshua “Yes these are my boots” Hawley breaks with Trump and suggests that CRIMINALS WHO ATTACKED THE GOVERNMENT might be best to be left as criminals, real novel takeMissouri Town who abused open records law drops appeal of penaltyhttps://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/15/phelps-county-town-drops-appeal-of-80000-missouri-sunshine-law-judgment/Rebecca Varney sued after Edgar Springs banned her from visiting city hall to see records or attend town board meetingsEdgar Springs, a town of 200 in southern Phelps County, must now pay Rebecca Varney $750, plus almost $80,000 in attorney fees, to satisfy a November court decision that found it violated Varney's First Amendment rights and the Missouri Sunshine Law.Circuit Judge John Beger ruled that the city's violations began in 2018 when it barred Varney from entering city hall to view records open to the public under the Sunshine Law. The initial order allowed her to attend meetings of the town's Board of Aldermen but was expanded in 2019 to bar her from entering city hall at any time after she questioned whether a gathering that included several town officials was an unposted meeting.“Our rights are worth it,” Varney said. “It's been hard but I go to city council meetings, I get to sit down just like everybody else. And they have to treat everybody that way.”In her lawsuit, Varney asked for only nominal damages in addition to legal vindication. Berger's ruling gave Varney $100 for the constitutional violation, $650 for the Sunshine Law violation and $78,966 for litigation costs and attorney fees. Interest is accruing at the rate of 9% per year.“This was not a close case,” said Dave Roland, the attorney who represented Varney. “They should have seen from the very outset, it was going to be a loser and they were going to be on the hook for both their attorneys fees and ours.”Roland runs the Freedom Center of Missouri, providing pro bono Sunshine Law legal services for people unable to afford an attorney. Money gained from rulings like the one against Edgar Springs is used to support other litigation. Texas Immigration Law Back On Hold After Multiple Court Rulings In Last Weekshttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/appeals-court-blocks-texas-immigration-law-supreme-court-action-rcna144193The decision comes just hours after the Supreme Court said the measure, known as SB 4, could go into effect while litigation continues.A three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals split 2-1 in saying in a brief order that the measure, known as Senate Bill 4, should be blocked. The same court is hearing arguments on the issue Wednesday morning.The state law would allow police to arrest migrants who illegally cross the border from Mexico and impose criminal penalties. It would also empower state judges to order people to be deported to Mexico.Meet Me In (Sustainable) St. Louieeeehttps://www.riverfronttimes.com/news/bloomberg-taps-st-louis-as-1-of-25-american-sustainable-cities-42136549The City of St. Louis has been selected as one of Bloomberg Philanthropies' 25 sustainable American cities and will receive resources to combat climate change locally.The three-year program will utilize federal funding in the area to “proactively build low-carbon, resilient, and economically thriving communities,” according to a news release from Bloomberg. St. Louis was chosen to take part in the program based on the city's leadership and ambition, according to the St. Louis Development Corporation. Black Gay Republican Says Missouri Republican Heckled Him at MAGA Evenhttps://www.newsweek.com/black-gay-republican-says-missouri-republican-heckled-him-maga-event-1879832Rob Smith (conservative commenter) accused a state legislator from Missouri of being among the individuals who allegedly heckled him at a MAGA event in December.Smith, a Republican who is Black and gay, alleged that Missouri State Representative Chris Lonsdale joined a group of conservatives accused of heckling him while attending a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix in December 2023.Video sent by Smith to Newsweek appears to show Lonsdale near a crowd that heckled and chanted a homophobic slur against Smith. Lonsdale was seen pointing his finger toward Smith. However, the video was taken from behind the lawmaker, and it remained unclear whether he was among the individuals chanting the slur."One of the individuals is a Republican elected official named Chris Lonsdale, a State Rep for MO district 38," Smith wrote in an X message to Newsweek. @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Post) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

Hosts: Greg Skordas and Leah Murray There is an important bill in our government, which is known as the Sunshine Law. Public bodies are supposed to do their work openly and in front of the public. The power that individual citizens have to open those records comes from the GRAMA (Government Records Access and Management Act), which allows us to access records. Leah and Greg listen to an interview with First Amendment Lawyer Jeff Hunt, where he explains this using examples from current legislation.

Hosts: Greg Skordas and Leah Murray Eye on the Hill: HB269 Public School History Curricula Amendments The state Legislature is still in session and a new bill is working its way through the system, HB269 Public School History Curricula Amendments, which would require schools to display a poster detailing the Ten Commandments. This week that bill underwent some changes in committee, and it now says that the Ten Commandments can be taught in public schools—not that they have to be. Is this bill in violation of the Lemon Test? Eye on the Hill: HB290 Ranked Choice Voting Amendments There are a couple of interesting election stories happening in Utah this week. When things start to go down we like to bring in a County Clerk to tell us about what’s happening. Davis County Clerk Brian McKenzie joins Greg and Leah to talk about what happened in Cache County and discuss the status of ranked choice voting in Utah. Eye on the Hill with the Government Records Access and Management Act There is an important bill in our government, which is known as the Sunshine Law. Public bodies are supposed to do their work openly and in front of the public. The power that individual citizens have to open those records comes from the GRAMA (Government Records Access and Management Act), which allows us to access records. Leah and Greg listen to an interview with First Amendment Lawyer Jeff Hunt, where he explains this using examples from current legislation. Utah State Board of Education votes to request for Natalie Cline’s resignation The Utah State Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday night requesting that embattled board member Natalie Cline resign immediately. Natalie Cline is saying that the Board moved too fast and that she had no due process. Doesn’t due process only apply in criminal cases? Does it apply to boards dealing with their own members? Is higher education still worth it? According to a new policy brief by the Kem C. Gardner institute, there are several reasons why higher education is necessary and important. Some of those reasons include greater economic stability and valuable benefits added to society and to Utah's economy. Leah and Greg break down some of the other big takeaways from the report. Tom Suozzi takes over George Santos’ seat in New York Way over on the other side of the country in New York, Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election to succeed Republican George Santos. Greg and Leah discuss what this might mean for the 2024 presidential election and for Congress. National security threat about Russia wanting nuclear weapon in space It’s possible you all heard the news today that there is a national security threat… Usually we hear that from the White House, but today it came out of Congress. ABC News Correspondent Andy Field joins the show to explain what’s going on and whether it’s odd that we’re hearing about it from Congress and not from the President. The latest on the mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs celebratory parade About 123 million people watched the Super Bowl last weekend, which is the highest number of people watching a single event at the same time ever. The team that won was the Kansas City Chiefs and, as all teams do, they came home to celebrate. Unfortunately, it ended with a mass shooting that killed one and injured nearly two dozen others. And it all started as a street dispute. ABC News Correspondent Alex Stone joins the show with the latest.

TALKIN' POLITICSQuick Hit: Missouri GOP working extra to move public school funding to private handshttps://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/10/missouri-senate-panel-debates-expanding-tax-credit-scholarships-for-private-school-tuition/True or FalseThe St. Louis Cardinals will bring sports betting to Missourihttps://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/12/st-louis-cardinals-lead-missouris-major-teams-to-launch-initiative-on-sports-betting/ Yeah, No… The state of political coverage at the momentTrying to make a conversation that doesn't exist?Rachel slack message: We are at the stage of the cycle where all articles have 200-ish words of info about anything related to the actual meat of the article, followed by 750 words about opinion polls. No fucking wonder people tune out.Isn't It Ironic…Missouri AG office requiring training for Sunshine violationshttps://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2024/01/12/willard-officials-will-undergo-sunshine-law-training-after-complaints/72188733007/?utm_source=pspr-DailyBriefing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-briefing&utm_term=hero&utm_content=1042NL-E-NLETTER65From ArticleAfter receiving a letter from the Missouri Attorney General's Office, city leaders in Willard will have to undergo Sunshine Law training.A letter issued by the AG's office notes two complaints were filed in October about the way Willard Board of Aldermen agendas were constructed. The first complaint came in regard to the letter of impeachment presented to former mayor Sam Snider during the Sept. 25 meeting, which was not included in the agenda.Buy or SellBipartisan Action on child tax credithttps://newrepublic.com/post/178014/child-tax-credit-congress-2024From articleSenate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, a Democrat, and House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, a Republican, have been negotiating an agreement for several months, and lawmakers believe that they are close to creating compromise legislation amenable to both parties.2024 Election Coverage Era `Trump hurling conspiracy theorieshttps://www.axios.com/2024/01/12/trump-nikki-haley-birther-conspiracyIowa day for GOP!   NPR think piece https://www.npr.org/2024/01/13/1224412456/2024-election-american-valuesPolling - Haley supporters are more likely to break Biden than Trumphttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/poll-nearly-half-haleys-iowa-backers-say-ll-vote-biden-trump-rcna133821 Jan 6th not going away and Trump is making it part of his platformhttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/13/trump-january-6-rioters-hostages?CMP=Share_iOSApp_OtherPardons dangled as wellPrimary schedulehttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-primary-elections/calendarMore student loan action from bidenhttps://missouriindependent.com/briefs/biden-announces-plan-to-cancel-some-student-loan-balances-under-12000/Biden moving on MJ? https://dnyuz.com/2024/01/12/federal-scientists-conclude-there-is-credible-evidence-for-certain-medical-uses-of-marijuana/Kerry out, feels like a 2024 move https://t.co/TDbwaT7Dd3Special special Trump moment https://x.com/atrupar/status/1746621767030812834?s=46&t=mukZUfs5M_R3E9tAHIu-GA @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Post) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

TALKIN' POLITICSQuick Hit: Missouri GOP working extra to move public school funding to private handshttps://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/10/missouri-senate-panel-debates-expanding-tax-credit-scholarships-for-private-school-tuition/True or FalseThe St. Louis Cardinals will bring sports betting to Missourihttps://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/12/st-louis-cardinals-lead-missouris-major-teams-to-launch-initiative-on-sports-betting/ Yeah, No… The state of political coverage at the momentTrying to make a conversation that doesn't exist?Rachel slack message: We are at the stage of the cycle where all articles have 200-ish words of info about anything related to the actual meat of the article, followed by 750 words about opinion polls. No fucking wonder people tune out.Isn't It Ironic…Missouri AG office requiring training for Sunshine violationshttps://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2024/01/12/willard-officials-will-undergo-sunshine-law-training-after-complaints/72188733007/?utm_source=pspr-DailyBriefing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-briefing&utm_term=hero&utm_content=1042NL-E-NLETTER65From ArticleAfter receiving a letter from the Missouri Attorney General's Office, city leaders in Willard will have to undergo Sunshine Law training.A letter issued by the AG's office notes two complaints were filed in October about the way Willard Board of Aldermen agendas were constructed. The first complaint came in regard to the letter of impeachment presented to former mayor Sam Snider during the Sept. 25 meeting, which was not included in the agenda.Buy or SellBipartisan Action on child tax credithttps://newrepublic.com/post/178014/child-tax-credit-congress-2024From articleSenate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, a Democrat, and House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, a Republican, have been negotiating an agreement for several months, and lawmakers believe that they are close to creating compromise legislation amenable to both parties.2024 Election Coverage Era `Trump hurling conspiracy theorieshttps://www.axios.com/2024/01/12/trump-nikki-haley-birther-conspiracyIowa day for GOP!   NPR think piece https://www.npr.org/2024/01/13/1224412456/2024-election-american-valuesPolling - Haley supporters are more likely to break Biden than Trumphttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/poll-nearly-half-haleys-iowa-backers-say-ll-vote-biden-trump-rcna133821 Jan 6th not going away and Trump is making it part of his platformhttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/13/trump-january-6-rioters-hostages?CMP=Share_iOSApp_OtherPardons dangled as wellPrimary schedulehttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-primary-elections/calendarMore student loan action from bidenhttps://missouriindependent.com/briefs/biden-announces-plan-to-cancel-some-student-loan-balances-under-12000/Biden moving on MJ? https://dnyuz.com/2024/01/12/federal-scientists-conclude-there-is-credible-evidence-for-certain-medical-uses-of-marijuana/Kerry out, feels like a 2024 move https://t.co/TDbwaT7Dd3Special special Trump moment https://x.com/atrupar/status/1746621767030812834?s=46&t=mukZUfs5M_R3E9tAHIu-GA @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Post) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

Flyover Friday, December 22, 2023SEAN START HERE:  On this episode of The Heartland POD for Friday, December 23rd, 2023 -  OUR LAST NEW EPISODE OF 2023! A flyover from this weeks top heartland stories including:A St. Louis shaggy dog story | Losers gonna lose | Biden | Plocker | Medicaid | VouchersWelcome to The Heartland POD for a Flyover Friday, this is Sean Diller in Denver, Colorado. We have the crew here today, Rachel Parker and Adam SommerWe're glad to have you with us. If you're new to our shows make sure you subscribe and leave a 5 star rating wherever you listen. You can also find Heartland POD content on Youtube and on social media with @ THE heartland pod, and learn more at thehearltandcollective.com RACHEL: Speaking of… if you have not visited over there (blah blah) last call shows, articlesADAM:  And I want folks to sign up for two reasons: 1. Every dollar you provide in support is going to pay for web hosting, show production, the costs for not just this show but our whole universe to exist and we need that support to keep this not only functioning but growing as we get into another election cycle - AND 2. FOLKS We have 2 tickets for Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit at Shrine Mosque in springfield MO, for January 17th. And to sweeten the pot, I will be there as well and happy to buy you a beer or soda or apple juice, whatever your speed is. Every member $5 and up is in the contest. 1 entry per $5 of your level. I'll put all the entries into a database for a random drawing and announce it on January 5th so plenty of time to get signed up SEAN: Sign up now theheartlandcollective.com click the button. Alright! Let's get into the storiesSOURCES: The Heartland Collective, Wisconsin Examiner, Missouri Independent, River Front Times, Kansas Reflector The saga of a STL bar owner and police crash continueshttps://www.riverfronttimes.com/news/st-louis-police-didnt-do-toxicology-test-after-bar-pm-crash-41488321From article: The St. Louis police officer behind the wheel of the SUV that smashed into Bar:PM in the early hours of Monday morning had no toxicology test done on him in the wake of the incident.At their weekly briefing, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Lieutenant Colonel Renee Kriesmann said that no such test was conducted on the officer because the police only do those tests when there is a "reasonable suspicion" of drug or alcohol use, which police didn't feel was the case following the crash.The fact that police crashed their vehicle into the LGBTQ bar and then arrested one of its co-owners, Chad Morris, made news nationwide and drew condemnation from city leaders. President of the Board of Aldermen Megan Green wrote on twitter that the "incident demonstrates the need for greater oversight of law enforcement — citizen oversight in particular."Missouri GOP loses again, in Courthttps://theheartlandcollective.com/2023/12/19/missouri-gop-loses-in-court-again/From Article: This past January, a law went into effect that the degenerate GOP Missouri lawmakers passed into law in 2022. Said (and now overturned, we'll get to that in a sec) law criminalized sleeping on state-owned land, making that a Class C misdemeanor. Cities, per this ridiculous travesty of a law, could have been penalized by our unelected attorney general if the law wasn't enforced.Advocates for unhoused people took immediate action, filing suit against the state. In a unanimous decision, the Missouri Supreme Court struck down the law. This is a win for the Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, a Springfield homeless shelter, and Public Citizen Litigation Group. Because the bill was passed as an amendment to another piece of legislation, the court found that it violated a constitutional mandate for legislation to have a “single subject and clear purpose.”In the unanimous opinion, Judge Paul C. Wilson wrote: “It takes an extraordinary showing to convince this court to engage in judicial surgery to save a bill infected with the otherwise fatal constitutional disease of multiple subjects…and no effort was made by any party to make such a showing here.”Unlike my producer Adam Sommer, I don't speak law for a living, but I'm pretty sure that a unanimous court opinion citing “fatal constitutional disease” is…bad. That's bad, right? President Biden made a stop in Wisconsin recentlyhttps://wisconsinexaminer.com/2023/12/20/bidens-wisconsin-visit-highlights-black-small-business-growth-milwaukee-revitalization-project/From Article: With his visit to Milwaukee, including a talk at the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce as well as a stop at the shop of a Black plumbing contractor, President Joe Biden underscored his administration's economic focus on the middle class Wednesday.Biden touted the addition of 15 million jobs since he took office after the brief COVID-19 pandemic recession. “We're doing it by building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down.  Not a whole lot trickled down on my dad's kitchen table with a top-down economy,” he said. “But when you [build from the middle], when you increase the middle class, the poor have a shot and the wealthy still do very well, the middle class does well, and we all do well.”In his remarks to the chamber, Biden highlighted the administration's $15 billion project to replace lead pipes across the country, including in Milwaukee, part of the bipartisan infrastructure law enacted in 2021. Missouri GOP Speaker of the House spent $29,000 tax payer money on furniture, including $5,000 for a custom fridge cabinethttps://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/20/in-a-statehouse-short-on-space-dean-plocher-converted-an-office-into-a-liquor-pantry/From article: For four years, state Rep. Mike Stephens occupied prime real estate on the third floor of the Missouri Capitol.His office in room 306B certainly wasn't the biggest in the space-starved statehouse, where staff often work out of musty, windowless rooms, and many lawmakers are stacked on top of each other in non-ADA compliant mezzanines. House Speaker Dean Plocher took over that space and converted it into what has been jokingly referred to as his “butler's pantry,” a makeshift storage room stocked with liquor, beer, wine and soda to complement the supply in his office.The move was part of a $60,000 renovation of Plocher's office in late 2022 and early 2023, paid for with public funds by the House. Half the costs stemmed from expenses resulting from repairs to walls, baseboards and ceilings in the speaker's office. The other half, according to records obtained by The Independent through Missouri's Sunshine Law, went towards new furnishings — to the tune of about $29,000, including $8,600 for a black leather sofa and armchairs, $2,500 for a new walnut table, $2,500 for a refrigerator with an ice maker, $5,000 for a custom cabinet to hold the refrigerator and $385 for two walnut trash can bins. Kansas Gov Kelly Stands Firm On Education and Medicaidhttps://kansasreflector.com/2023/12/21/kelly-not-drawn-to-horse-trade-compromise-on-school-choice-to-win-medicaid-expansion/From article: Top priorities of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican Senate President Ty Masterson collide in January when the Kansas Legislature convenes for the 2024 session.Kelly left no doubt her central objective would be to convince at least 63 representatives and 21 senators — simple majorities of the House and Senate — to vote for passage of a bill expanding eligibility for government health benefits through Medicaid to 150,000 lower-income Kansans.Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, the GOP centers of power in the Capitol, are committed to advancing a bill delivering millions in state tax dollars to private schools through scholarships, savings accounts or vouchers. Their numerical challenge is bigger than Kelly's. They'll likely need two-thirds majorities — 84 in the House, 27 in the Senate — to override a Kelly veto on private school funding. Finally, reporting in Missouri is highlighting a private group working hard to push private religious schooling and its connections to other “school choice” organizationshttps://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/10/nonprofit-near-kansas-city-seeks-to-become-epicenter-of-the-school-choice-movement/From article: The headquarters of the Herzog Foundation sits on the edge of Smithville, in an 18,000-square-foot stone and glass building on a corner lot across the street from a cornfield on a gravel-lined highway.Few Missouians have likely heard of the Stanley M. Herzog Charitable Foundation, or the organization's namesake. But the unassuming locale masks what has been described as the “epicenter of the school-choice movement.”Stan Herzog's political largesse bankrolled a generation of conservative candidates and causes in Missouri, pouring through a constellation of political action committees and nonprofits. When he died in 2019, he set aside $300 million to start a foundation dedicated to expanding the reach of Christian education.That mission kicked into overdrive in 2021, when Missouri lawmakers created a tax credit to support scholarships to help low-income students and those with disabilities attend private schools. Since then, a subsidiary of the Herzog Foundation has distributed almost half of the scholarships in the state. @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Post) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

Flyover Friday, December 22, 2023SEAN START HERE:  On this episode of The Heartland POD for Friday, December 23rd, 2023 -  OUR LAST NEW EPISODE OF 2023! A flyover from this weeks top heartland stories including:A St. Louis shaggy dog story | Losers gonna lose | Biden | Plocker | Medicaid | VouchersWelcome to The Heartland POD for a Flyover Friday, this is Sean Diller in Denver, Colorado. We have the crew here today, Rachel Parker and Adam SommerWe're glad to have you with us. If you're new to our shows make sure you subscribe and leave a 5 star rating wherever you listen. You can also find Heartland POD content on Youtube and on social media with @ THE heartland pod, and learn more at thehearltandcollective.com RACHEL: Speaking of… if you have not visited over there (blah blah) last call shows, articlesADAM:  And I want folks to sign up for two reasons: 1. Every dollar you provide in support is going to pay for web hosting, show production, the costs for not just this show but our whole universe to exist and we need that support to keep this not only functioning but growing as we get into another election cycle - AND 2. FOLKS We have 2 tickets for Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit at Shrine Mosque in springfield MO, for January 17th. And to sweeten the pot, I will be there as well and happy to buy you a beer or soda or apple juice, whatever your speed is. Every member $5 and up is in the contest. 1 entry per $5 of your level. I'll put all the entries into a database for a random drawing and announce it on January 5th so plenty of time to get signed up SEAN: Sign up now theheartlandcollective.com click the button. Alright! Let's get into the storiesSOURCES: The Heartland Collective, Wisconsin Examiner, Missouri Independent, River Front Times, Kansas Reflector The saga of a STL bar owner and police crash continueshttps://www.riverfronttimes.com/news/st-louis-police-didnt-do-toxicology-test-after-bar-pm-crash-41488321From article: The St. Louis police officer behind the wheel of the SUV that smashed into Bar:PM in the early hours of Monday morning had no toxicology test done on him in the wake of the incident.At their weekly briefing, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Lieutenant Colonel Renee Kriesmann said that no such test was conducted on the officer because the police only do those tests when there is a "reasonable suspicion" of drug or alcohol use, which police didn't feel was the case following the crash.The fact that police crashed their vehicle into the LGBTQ bar and then arrested one of its co-owners, Chad Morris, made news nationwide and drew condemnation from city leaders. President of the Board of Aldermen Megan Green wrote on twitter that the "incident demonstrates the need for greater oversight of law enforcement — citizen oversight in particular."Missouri GOP loses again, in Courthttps://theheartlandcollective.com/2023/12/19/missouri-gop-loses-in-court-again/From Article: This past January, a law went into effect that the degenerate GOP Missouri lawmakers passed into law in 2022. Said (and now overturned, we'll get to that in a sec) law criminalized sleeping on state-owned land, making that a Class C misdemeanor. Cities, per this ridiculous travesty of a law, could have been penalized by our unelected attorney general if the law wasn't enforced.Advocates for unhoused people took immediate action, filing suit against the state. In a unanimous decision, the Missouri Supreme Court struck down the law. This is a win for the Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, a Springfield homeless shelter, and Public Citizen Litigation Group. Because the bill was passed as an amendment to another piece of legislation, the court found that it violated a constitutional mandate for legislation to have a “single subject and clear purpose.”In the unanimous opinion, Judge Paul C. Wilson wrote: “It takes an extraordinary showing to convince this court to engage in judicial surgery to save a bill infected with the otherwise fatal constitutional disease of multiple subjects…and no effort was made by any party to make such a showing here.”Unlike my producer Adam Sommer, I don't speak law for a living, but I'm pretty sure that a unanimous court opinion citing “fatal constitutional disease” is…bad. That's bad, right? President Biden made a stop in Wisconsin recentlyhttps://wisconsinexaminer.com/2023/12/20/bidens-wisconsin-visit-highlights-black-small-business-growth-milwaukee-revitalization-project/From Article: With his visit to Milwaukee, including a talk at the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce as well as a stop at the shop of a Black plumbing contractor, President Joe Biden underscored his administration's economic focus on the middle class Wednesday.Biden touted the addition of 15 million jobs since he took office after the brief COVID-19 pandemic recession. “We're doing it by building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down.  Not a whole lot trickled down on my dad's kitchen table with a top-down economy,” he said. “But when you [build from the middle], when you increase the middle class, the poor have a shot and the wealthy still do very well, the middle class does well, and we all do well.”In his remarks to the chamber, Biden highlighted the administration's $15 billion project to replace lead pipes across the country, including in Milwaukee, part of the bipartisan infrastructure law enacted in 2021. Missouri GOP Speaker of the House spent $29,000 tax payer money on furniture, including $5,000 for a custom fridge cabinethttps://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/20/in-a-statehouse-short-on-space-dean-plocher-converted-an-office-into-a-liquor-pantry/From article: For four years, state Rep. Mike Stephens occupied prime real estate on the third floor of the Missouri Capitol.His office in room 306B certainly wasn't the biggest in the space-starved statehouse, where staff often work out of musty, windowless rooms, and many lawmakers are stacked on top of each other in non-ADA compliant mezzanines. House Speaker Dean Plocher took over that space and converted it into what has been jokingly referred to as his “butler's pantry,” a makeshift storage room stocked with liquor, beer, wine and soda to complement the supply in his office.The move was part of a $60,000 renovation of Plocher's office in late 2022 and early 2023, paid for with public funds by the House. Half the costs stemmed from expenses resulting from repairs to walls, baseboards and ceilings in the speaker's office. The other half, according to records obtained by The Independent through Missouri's Sunshine Law, went towards new furnishings — to the tune of about $29,000, including $8,600 for a black leather sofa and armchairs, $2,500 for a new walnut table, $2,500 for a refrigerator with an ice maker, $5,000 for a custom cabinet to hold the refrigerator and $385 for two walnut trash can bins. Kansas Gov Kelly Stands Firm On Education and Medicaidhttps://kansasreflector.com/2023/12/21/kelly-not-drawn-to-horse-trade-compromise-on-school-choice-to-win-medicaid-expansion/From article: Top priorities of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican Senate President Ty Masterson collide in January when the Kansas Legislature convenes for the 2024 session.Kelly left no doubt her central objective would be to convince at least 63 representatives and 21 senators — simple majorities of the House and Senate — to vote for passage of a bill expanding eligibility for government health benefits through Medicaid to 150,000 lower-income Kansans.Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, the GOP centers of power in the Capitol, are committed to advancing a bill delivering millions in state tax dollars to private schools through scholarships, savings accounts or vouchers. Their numerical challenge is bigger than Kelly's. They'll likely need two-thirds majorities — 84 in the House, 27 in the Senate — to override a Kelly veto on private school funding. Finally, reporting in Missouri is highlighting a private group working hard to push private religious schooling and its connections to other “school choice” organizationshttps://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/10/nonprofit-near-kansas-city-seeks-to-become-epicenter-of-the-school-choice-movement/From article: The headquarters of the Herzog Foundation sits on the edge of Smithville, in an 18,000-square-foot stone and glass building on a corner lot across the street from a cornfield on a gravel-lined highway.Few Missouians have likely heard of the Stanley M. Herzog Charitable Foundation, or the organization's namesake. But the unassuming locale masks what has been described as the “epicenter of the school-choice movement.”Stan Herzog's political largesse bankrolled a generation of conservative candidates and causes in Missouri, pouring through a constellation of political action committees and nonprofits. When he died in 2019, he set aside $300 million to start a foundation dedicated to expanding the reach of Christian education.That mission kicked into overdrive in 2021, when Missouri lawmakers created a tax credit to support scholarships to help low-income students and those with disabilities attend private schools. Since then, a subsidiary of the Herzog Foundation has distributed almost half of the scholarships in the state. @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Post) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

9:05 – 9:22 (17mins) Patrick Ishmael, director of government accountability at Show-Me Institute, to discuss a new lawsuit that claims St. Louis broke the law by hiding emails on short-term rentals and the city's attempt to charge thousands of dollars for a response to a Sunshine Law request?“The case is egregious, Roland said, because after the city told Pona her request would cost thousands of dollars, she altered it. She asked for the files in their “native format,” as the law allows. Since the city had already identified the emails responsive to her request, she offered to pay the cost of the initial search — about $26. The city still said no.” 9:25 – 9:37 (12mins) Larry Conners "Mr. Conner's Neighborhood @LarryConnersUSA 9:41 – 9:56 (15mins) Weekly: Jay Ashcroft, Missouri Secretary of State, @MissouriSOSCandidate,Missouri Governor @JayAshcroftMO See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9:05 – 9:22 (17mins) Patrick Ishmael, director of government accountability at Show-Me Institute, to discuss a new lawsuit that claims St. Louis broke the law by hiding emails on short-term rentals and the city's attempt to charge thousands of dollars for a response to a Sunshine Law request?“The case is egregious, Roland said, because after the city told Pona her request would cost thousands of dollars, she altered it. She asked for the files in their “native format,” as the law allows. Since the city had already identified the emails responsive to her request, she offered to pay the cost of the initial search — about $26. The city still said no.” 9:25 – 9:37 (12mins) Larry Conners "Mr. Conner's Neighborhood @LarryConnersUSA 9:41 – 9:56 (15mins) Weekly: Jay Ashcroft, Missouri Secretary of State, @MissouriSOSCandidate,Missouri Governor @JayAshcroftMO See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Tom Dunlap in an engaging episode as he unravels the intriguing 'Florida Man' phenomenon. This episode delves into the question: are these outlandish and often amusing news stories mere myths or a slice of reality? Tom examines a range of bizarre incidents, from a naked man hugging a tree and assaulting an officer, to a man with a Florida tattoo seeking a 911-assisted ride home, to a thrill-seeker clinging onto a fast-moving truck. He sheds light on the reasons behind this stereotype, including Florida's Sunshine Law, media sensationalism, confirmation bias, and the state's diverse demographic makeup. Offering insightful perspectives, this episode transforms the way we perceive these widely-discussed 'Florida Man' tales. Don't miss this captivating blend of humor, legal insight, and cultural commentary, ideal for sparking lively discussions during your Thanksgiving week.

Jen Olson and Renee Henke, Wentzville School Board Members, join Marc & Kim to talk about what is going on at the Wentzville School Dist. as well as the lawsuit the MO Attorney General has brought against the district over the Sunshine Law 

@TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85  (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp   (Post) Sean Diller @SeanDillerCO   (Twitter and Post)https://heartlandpod.com/JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Heartland POD Host Rachel Parker spotlights a Kansas City Star investigative series on the limits of reigning in small-town corruption in Kansas and Missouri, and how safeguards could prevent the loss of untold thousands lost to local communities due to plain, old-fashioned corruption. Also: Missouri AG Bailey is wasting more time and resources on fruitless lawsuits while falling further and further behind in Sunshine Law requests. https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article278111252.htmlhttps://www.kansascity.com/news/state/kansas/article278596404.htmlhttps://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/29/suit-targets-gun-initiative-over-missouri-ag-claim-it-would-spike-rape-and-murder-cost-millions/https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/29/pile-of-public-records-requests-swells-as-missouri-ag-works-through-stack-from-2021/Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

@TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85  (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp   (Post) Sean Diller @SeanDillerCO   (Twitter and Post)https://heartlandpod.com/JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Heartland POD Host Rachel Parker spotlights a Kansas City Star investigative series on the limits of reigning in small-town corruption in Kansas and Missouri, and how safeguards could prevent the loss of untold thousands lost to local communities due to plain, old-fashioned corruption. Also: Missouri AG Bailey is wasting more time and resources on fruitless lawsuits while falling further and further behind in Sunshine Law requests. https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article278111252.htmlhttps://www.kansascity.com/news/state/kansas/article278596404.htmlhttps://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/29/suit-targets-gun-initiative-over-missouri-ag-claim-it-would-spike-rape-and-murder-cost-millions/https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/29/pile-of-public-records-requests-swells-as-missouri-ag-works-through-stack-from-2021/Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

Sean explains the "Sunshine Laws" in Georgia and what it means for cameras in the courtroom for President Trump.  It's obvious that all laws are not created equally... and just what President Trump can expect for the spectacle that will be his trial in Georgia.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On tonight's program: Florida parents could have even more of a say over what's in public school libraries as part of a expanded parental rights bill; Higher education programs are also under scrutiny from those who accuse the institutions of systemic “wokeness”; While supporters say a bill that protects conscientious objections for medical services bars discrimination, others warn that will be the result; Lawmakers pass a bill restricting how hemp products can be marketed in Florida; Florida governors would be able to fly – literally under the Sunshine Law radar – because of a bill now flying to the governor's desk; And opponents fear a bill allowing coastal redevelopment could be a death knell for Miami Beach's historic art deco district.

A bill making its way through the Missouri Senate seeks to rewrite the state's 50-year-old Sunshine Law; another bill in Florida would require bloggers writing about elected officials to register with the state. As we approach Sunshine Week, a look at freedom of information and threats to it. Also, there's a growing number of Millennials and Gen Z-ers who are paying for news, and some of the first formalized polices covering AI. From Missouri School of Journalism professors Amy Simons, Earnest Perry and Kathy Kiely: Views of the News.

Getting the documents your client requests is the primary reward of Sunshine Law litigation, but can you also be reimbursed for your time? In our final episode on Sunshine Laws, we discuss settlements, misconceptions about attorney/client privilege, and our personal observations that judges are becoming more eager to rule on these cases to ensure government entities are transparent and act to serve people, not politics.

Getting the documents your client requests is the primary reward of Sunshine Law litigation, but can you also be reimbursed for your time? In our final episode on Sunshine Laws, we discuss settlements, misconceptions about attorney/client privilege, and our personal observations that judges are becoming more eager to rule on these cases to ensure government entities are transparent and act to serve people, not politics.

The newly conservative board of New College of Florida bungled the first round in their effort to hire Richard Corcoran as interim president. The trustees pushed the "reset" button and called for yet another special meeting next week to re-ratify the hiring of DeSantis' former education commissioner. Outrageous pay aside, there are questions about financial ripple effects, ethics, and potential Sunshine Law violations. Also: New College students get a morale boost with a statewide walkout of college and high school students planned for next Thursday. We also visit an elementary school in Sarasota during Black History Week, to gauge how DeSantis' War on Woke plays out among teachers, students and parents. Finally, we have a look at the race to lead the Republican Party of Florida.

The newly conservative board of New College of Florida bungled the first round in their effort to hire Richard Corcoran as interim president. The trustees pushed the "reset" button and called for yet another special meeting next week to re-ratify the hiring of DeSantis' former education commissioner. Outrageous pay aside, there are questions about financial ripple effects, ethics, and potential Sunshine Law violations. Also: New College students get a morale boost with a statewide walkout of college and high school students planned for next Thursday. We also visit an elementary school in Sarasota during Black History Week, to gauge how DeSantis' War on Woke plays out among teachers, students and parents. Finally, we have a look at the race to lead the Republican Party of Florida.

It's one thing both sides can agree upon...government transparency is a good thing. But getting access to government information isn't easy. In Part One of our in-depth discussion on Sunshine Laws, Attorneys Mark Pedroli and Joseph Martineau explain the basics of Sunshine Law and Freedom of Information Act requests and why they should be part of your discovery if your case involves a government entity.

It's one thing both sides can agree upon...government transparency is a good thing. But getting access to government information isn't easy. In Part One of our in-depth discussion on Sunshine Laws, Attorneys Mark Pedroli and Joseph Martineau explain the basics of Sunshine Law and Freedom of Information Act requests and why they should be part of your discovery if your case involves a government entity.

Elad Gross, a local civil rights attorney, joins KMOX's Michael Calhoun to talk about the city countersuing him over the state's Sunshine Law.

The columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on the struggles with Sunshine Law compliance with the City of St. Louis. Also, thoughts on leaders being open to City/County merger talk after election wins. Follow Antonio for more: https://twitter.com/AntonioFrench

Hour 3 -  Happy Halloween! Here's what Nick Reed covers this hour: Missouri House Rep. Crystal Quade has filed Sunshine Law requests with Attorney General Eric Schmitt, Gov. Mike Parson and the Department of Health and Senior Services to request records regarding an alleged investigation into Freeman Hospital in Joplin and Joplin resident Mylissa Farmer, who was unable to get treatment in Missouri in August when her water broke early and put her health at risk. After the FBI interfered in the 2016 presidential election through Russia hoaxing and the 2020 presidential election by suppressing the legitimate Hunter Biden laptop story, it looks like the notoriously corrupt federal agency is election meddling again ahead of the 2022 midterms. An FBI whistleblower alleged in a leaked document that the FBI lists “misinformation” as a potential “election crime,” Project Veritas reported on Thursday.

Hour 2 -  Happy Halloween! Here's what Nick Reed covers this hour: Senate candidate John Fetterman will appear Friday on The View. It appears Democrat Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman's “Trump-voting Republican” parents are not Trump-voting Republicans, but card-carrying Democrats. In what seems to be an attempt to paint himself as an everyman candidate who is more Pennsylvanian than partisan, Fetterman apparently talked his parents into claiming they are Trump voters and Republicans in one of his senate campaign ads. Police arrested Democratic nominee for Arkansas auditor, Diamond Arnold-Johnson, on allegations of felony terroristic threatening Friday morning. Missouri House Rep. Crystal Quade has filed Sunshine Law requests with Attorney General Eric Schmitt, Gov. Mike Parson and the Department of Health and Senior Services to request records regarding an alleged investigation into Freeman Hospital in Joplin and Joplin resident Mylissa Farmer, who was unable to get treatment in Missouri in August when her water broke early and put her health at risk.

Host: Rachel Parker @RaitchetPGuest: Lori Curry @MissouriPrisonWebsite - https://moprisonreform.org/about-us/Missouri Prison Reform: Advocating for those incarcerated in Missouri's Department of Corrections by elevating their voices, advocating for their needs, and exposing harmful policies that undermine our overall goal of harm reduction, healing, and rehabilitation. https://heartlandpod.com/Twitter: @TheHeartlandPOD"Change The Conversation"

Host: Rachel Parker @RaitchetPGuest: Lori Curry @MissouriPrisonWebsite - https://moprisonreform.org/about-us/Missouri Prison Reform: Advocating for those incarcerated in Missouri's Department of Corrections by elevating their voices, advocating for their needs, and exposing harmful policies that undermine our overall goal of harm reduction, healing, and rehabilitation. https://heartlandpod.com/Twitter: @TheHeartlandPOD"Change The Conversation"

By email, text messaging or in-person, Board members can rather easily but unintentionally engage in a “meeting” under the law.   In this episode, Duane talks through the Sunshine Law issues that can come up when board members confer about school-related topics outside of regularly scheduled meetings.  

The columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on a proposal calling for new bars in certain downtown areas to close by 1:30 am. Also, concerns with Mayor Jones' administration being uncooperative with Sunshine Law requests. Follow Antonio for more: https://twitter.com/antoniofrench

Data reporter Janelle O'Dea joins hosts Liz Miller and Beth O'Malley to discuss the St. Louis-area public pay database. The database, at https://stltoday.com/pay, provides information about government employees' salaries. The project takes O'Dea nine months to prepare, and involves hundreds of Sunshine Law requests. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Missouri's Sunshine Law was written to ensure that the public could have access to all sorts of government records — including emails, meetings, votes and deliberations. But do the use of self-destructing text-messaging apps sidestep the reach of the state's open records law?

Host: Kevin Smith@KevINmidMO1. January 6th Hearings and Fox News Cowards2. MO Sunshine Law Allows For Active Destruction Of Documents By Elected Officials3. The Real Border Crisis: Red State Guns4. Texas Attacks On Trans Kids Continue, Lambda Legal Fights Back5. Michigan GOV candidate Ryan Kelly (R) charged in insurrection6. Toxic Emissions In Cancer Alley7. LGBTQ+ In Missouri Means Less Medical Care8. STL City Gov. Rocked With Federal Bribery Charges and Resignations of Lewis Reed9. Climate flooding impacts drinking water10. Dr. Bob Onder Can't Hack It, Quits Race In St. Charles County https://heartlandpod.com/Twitter: @TheHeartlandPODChange The Conversation

Host: Kevin Smith@KevINmidMO1. January 6th Hearings and Fox News Cowards2. MO Sunshine Law Allows For Active Destruction Of Documents By Elected Officials3. The Real Border Crisis: Red State Guns4. Texas Attacks On Trans Kids Continue, Lambda Legal Fights Back5. Michigan GOV candidate Ryan Kelly (R) charged in insurrection6. Toxic Emissions In Cancer Alley7. LGBTQ+ In Missouri Means Less Medical Care8. STL City Gov. Rocked With Federal Bribery Charges and Resignations of Lewis Reed9. Climate flooding impacts drinking water10. Dr. Bob Onder Can't Hack It, Quits Race In St. Charles County https://heartlandpod.com/Twitter: @TheHeartlandPOD"Change The Conversation"

A bill before the Missouri House of Representatives stands to limit access to public information under the state's Sunshine Law. What's under consideration? Also, Elon Musk's bid to buy Twitter and a new boss at the New York Times. From the Missouri School of Journalism professors Amy Simons, Earnest Perry and Kathy Kiely: Views of the News.

Is county government making all these plans outside of the Sunshine Law? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Last week (March 13-19, 2022) was Sunshine Week, a national initiative to educate the public about the importance of open government and the dangers of excessive and unnecessary secrecy. This episode of Radio Active Magazine begins with excerpts from a “Sunshine Week” presentation 2022-03-15 on Missouri Sunshine Law by Casey Lawrence, Director of Sunshine Law […] The post Missouri Sunshine Law appeared first on KKFI.

Annie welcomes Eric Schmitt to the show to discuss his recent lawsuit against Rockwood School District and the Missouri School Board Association for violating the Sunshine Law. © 2022 KFTK (Audacy). All rights reserved. |iStock / Getty Images Plus

On this week's episode of the Northeast Newscast we're joined by Dennis Ellsworth, executive director of the Missouri Sunshine Coalition. We discuss a bill being proposed in the Missouri Legislature that would change the Missouri Sunshine Law, leaving citizens and journalists with less access to government documents.The Missouri Sunshine Coalition is a partnership of civic, business, nonprofit, state agency, and media members who support transparency in government. The group has long promoted awareness of the landmark 1973 Sunshine Law and the benefits it provides to the state's residents.

Virtual learning bill in Missouri, Bill would block Missouri cities, counties from enacting EV charging station mandate, As Missouri looks to legalize recreational marijuana, expungement gets renewed attention, Legislature, Governor could revise Missouri's Sunshine Law

Virtual learning bill in Missouri, Bill would block Missouri cities, counties from enacting EV charging station mandate, As Missouri looks to legalize recreational marijuana, expungement gets renewed attention, Legislature, Governor could revise Missouri's Sunshine Law

As schools prepare for the Spring personnel season, Duane and Emily discuss the actions and processes for school boards in making good personnel decisions this Spring.  In this episode, we cover a wide-range of personnel topics as they relate to Board decisions including the hiring process before the board, non-renewals, contracting, personnel-related Sunshine Law issues, resignations, and much more!

Missouri's current Sunshine Law says citizens cannot be charged for any records review done by government attorneys, but a bill being prioritized by Gov. Mike Parson could change that. Advocates explain how it would affect access to records in Missouri.

Summary:Welcome back to another episode of The Tragedy Academy; today, Jay meets Australian native Damien Boath. Damien shares with us his fascination for deep space and his love his pondering the unknown. Through his discovery of astrophotography, Damien can get a tiny glimpse of what is out there waiting for us to explore!Key Points:

This week's episode begins with Craig Pittman telling us how the CIA took over Sanibel Island!Our guest this week is Pamela Marsh, executive director of the First Amendment Foundation in Tallahassee, a non-profit group working to secure and enforce open government in the state of Florida. Our topic this week is the state's Sunshine Law which requires official government meetings be open to the public.In the episode, we mention a story from Medeira Beach you can read more about here, and a story from Sebastian you can read more about here.This week's episode of "Welcome to Florida" is sponsored by Visit Sarasota. Be sure to follow Visit Sarasota on Twitter and Facebook at @visitsarasota and on Instagram @visitsarasotacounty for inspiration ahead of your next trip to Sarasota.

Earlier this week, the Missouri Attorney General filed a lawsuit against the Springfield Public Schools alleging 13 violations of the Sunshine Law.  This lawsuit makes claims that may have a substantial and adverse impact on public school districts and their taxpayers.   Emily joins Duane in this episode to discuss some of the potential implications of this lawsuit.  

Today's episode focuses on a topic of significant discussion during the past 18 months—livestreaming school board meetings.    Duane discusses the legal considerations for boards as they determine whether to livestream, or continue to livestream, their meetings. This episode talks through some of the legal land mines associated with online video of board meetings such as accessibility for individuals with disabilities, records retention requirements and the disclosure of the livestreamed video in response to Sunshine Law requests, as well as the use of board meeting videos in litigation.  

Local attorney Dee Wampler joins Nick Reed this morning. Here's what they cover: Ernest Johnson was put to death Tuesday for killing three workers while robbing a convenience store in 1994. Sarah studied criminology and talks about methods of execution. The ACLU botched a quote from RBG. Renaming Fort Hood. State Rep. Craig Fishel filed a Sunshine Law request demanding that Springfield's public schools turn over three years' worth of staff emails and other documents with references to critical race theory. In response, the school district is demanding a deposit of at least $170,000 to get started. Dee shares his weight loss update.

Hour 3 -  Nick Reed talks about a variety of topics in the news, including: State Rep. Craig Fishel filed a Sunshine Law request demanding that Springfield's public schools turn over three years' worth of staff emails and other documents with references to critical race theory. In response, the school district is demanding a deposit of at least $170,000 to get started.

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating over ten years broadcasting weekdays on the internet – providing you news and commentary rooted in the principles of individual liberty, personal responsibility, limited government and the rule of law. On Thursday's show, we visit with Pastor Rick Stevens, Co-Founder of the Florida Citizens Alliance, about the Governor's executive order placing parents in charge of quarantining their children for COVID, and we discuss school boards in Florida who violate the “Sunshine Law” in making decisions. We visit the President of the National Federation of Republican Women, Ann Schockett, about their 41st Biennial Convention in Orlando this week. Seton Motley, the Founder and President of Less Government, and I discuss the absurd taxes proposed by Democrats to pay for “climate change.” We also visit with the former Mayor of Naples, Bill Barnett. Please join us for tomorrow's show. We have terrific guests including William Yeatman, the Director of Health Studies at the Cato Institute, Michael Cannon, and Professor and author, Larry Bell. Please join us live at 7 a.m. on this website, or you can access the show anytime on podcast platforms (iTunes, TuneIn, Spotify, and Stitcher, and ChoiceSocial).

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating over ten years broadcasting weekdays on the internet – providing you news and commentary rooted in the principles of individual liberty, personal responsibility, limited government and the rule of law. On Thursday's show, we visit with Pastor Rick Stevens, Co-Founder of the Florida Citizens Alliance, about the mask mandate controversy in Lee County Public Schools and we discuss the positive resolution of the “Sunshine Law” lawsuit filed against the Collier County School Board in 2017. The President of American Commitment, Phil Kerpen, and I discuss Biden's proposal of a draconian “double death tax.” We visit with Seton Motley, the Founder and President of Less Government, about the taxes proposed by Democrats to pay for “climate change.” We also visit with the former Mayor of Naples, Bill Barnett. Please join us for tomorrow's show. We have terrific guests including our Congressman, Byron Donalds, Research Fellow from the Cato Institute, William Yeatman, the Director of Health Studies at the Cato Institute, Michael Cannon, and Stanford Professor William Damon. Please join us live at 7 a.m. on this website, or you can access the show anytime on podcast platforms (iTunes, TuneIn, Spotify, and Stitcher, and ChoiceSocial).

The Missouri Supreme Court's decision regarding responses to Sunshine Law requests for records will likely change the way Missouri public school districts respond to requests.  Emily Omohundro and Tom Smith join Duane to discuss this week's decision from the Missouri Supreme Court regarding responses to Sunshine Law requests for records. We discuss the ruling and how it could potentially impact how Missouri school leaders and records custodians respond to Sunshine Law requests. 

I “Resigned” from the Animal Advisory Committee   Dear friends,   I have resigned from the Animal Advisory Committee and  I will be in D.C. on legislative issues for the next couple of days, so it could be several days before we get a chance to speak with each other.  Because emails have been circulated by those who oppose my efforts and they have engaged the attention of the press, who have gotten a copy of Commissioner Blair's letter from his office, I felt that I should let you know that you may be contacted by the media for comment and I didn't want you to be surprised.   If these tactics work to remove me from the AAC then it sets a precedence for those that will be affected by the proposed ordinance to have other members, who they describe as “nuts” removed as well.  The work we do is controversial, but we should not be dismissed from our positions without being allowed to face and answer our accusers.   Since I am no longer a member of the committee, I believe there is no violation of the Sunshine Law for me to send these letters to you since they are public record and in the hands of the press.  I would strongly admonish all of you, however, not to discuss it among yourselves as Charlotte indicated that it would violate the Sunshine Law for that to happen.  You may contact me individually after Thursday.  The following are the sequence of letters.  Commissioner Blair's letter below was in hard copy by mail and I have retyped it word for word and can fax you the original if you wish to verify it.   Dear Carole Baskin, I wanted to take a moment and thank you for all of your hard work over the past year in service on the Animal Advisory Board.  This community needs volunteers that are willing to serve on the various Boards and Councils to advise the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners on important decisions for this community.  I am thankful for your many hours of dedication and service.   However, over the past few months I have received an abnormal amount questions and concerns from citizens and media regarding the eligibility of your participation on the Animal Advisory Board.  I researched some information and although I did not find anything that would exclude you from eligibility of service the constant media contact regarding past history that involved your facility is too much for our staff to continue to handle.   Please know that this is a very difficult situation that I am in.  I am going to have to ask you to resign from your position on the Animal Advisory Board immediately.  I appreciate your understanding in this matter.   Again, I wanted to thank you for your time of service and all that you have done for the Animal Advisory Board.   Regards, Brian Blair County Commissioner   My letter to Commissioner Blair dated 6/4/2006   Commissioner Brian Blair County Center 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., 2nd Floor Tampa, FL  33602   As the sanctuary has become better known and more financially stable, it has allowed me to become more active in what can really end the flow of abused and abandoned big cats, i.e. passing legislation that would end the activities that create that horrible flow.   The forces that oppose such legislation are largely people who want to own these animals as pets or use them to make a living.  A recent undercover report by API shows how these people circumvent the current laws and shows the abusive conditions in which these alleged “exotic animal lovers” keep their “pets.” This can be viewed at www.api4animals.org/a3b_exotic_pets.php.   My role in promoting legislation to end this abuse has grown dramatically within the last year.  Representative Poppell  specifically asked me to appear with him and his cosponsor Senator Posey at the press conference announcing what became known as the “Python Bill” this past session.  The bill was directed at the horrible situation in the Everglades where pet pythons released into the area are taking over and wiping out the native wildlife at an alarming rate.   The request that was made to me by both legislators was to draft amendments that would expand the bill to include all dangerous exotic wildlife.  The bill made it through 4 committees and just fell short of reaching the floor this year.  I testified before a number of the committees and have been told by various members that they were strongly in support and could be counted on to help when we try again next year, and chances are strong for passage next year.   The majority of our population oppose exotic animal ownership and exploitation. The small number of people who are breeders, exotic animal owners and exhibitors who are threatened by the legislation know they do not have the support of the voters, and have no good arguments in support of their position since it is based on selfishness.  So, as I have become a visible leader in support of these laws, their approach has been to try to discredit me and Big Cat Rescue.  Since there is no basis for that, they can only do it with lies.   Unfortunately, they got the ear of one local reporter some months ago.  She made up her mind what her story was going to be before she came to us and demonstrated absolutely no interest in seeking truth, only in confirming what she had already posed.  The story was then constructed to create impressions that are absolutely false.  That story has then been circulated broadly by those who want to continue to abuse exotic animals.   There were two primary sources for that story that we know of.  One was a man in St. Petersburg, Vernon Yates, who believes that riding around town with a tiger in the back of his pickup truck is appropriate behavior because it is, unfortunately, legal.  He was sighted by a Pinellas County Commissioner in the Commissioner's neighborhood in 2004.  This lead to an appearance before the Commission where he loudly called the Commissioner a liar.  His performance can still be viewed on the County site at http://www.pinellascounty.org/media/bcc022205/Results.htm   (Click on #64 at the bottom of the page.)   A second source was a woman in North Carolina who is an exotic pet owner who operates under multiple aliases to make it appear that many people are sending emails.  She has a criminal record.  Below is a copy of an email from this woman bragging about her role in helping Vernon Yates feed misinformation to the reporter.  Please note that it specifically states that one purpose of effort with the reporter was to have me removed from the “commission board”, i.e. the Animal Advisory Committee.   No Vernon didn't I did... with Vernons information..lol.... and with all the messages we have sent out, (you and me)  she is being removed from the commission board and they will be doing a TV expose' on her next week.. the tv crew is out at Vernons now.. he keeps calling me and having me speak to the reporter on behalf of simply simian... so we are in the forefront anyway   As you can see, it has been their plan to use you to remove me from the Advisory Board since back in March when they fed Chris Hawes (Carole adds she was at Bay News 9) the misinformation she relied on for her article.   As for the evolution of the practices and philosophy of the sanctuary, we not only have nothing to hide, we lay this out very clearly in the About Us section of our website, which I enclose for your reference.  We have always had information about the past on the site and never hidden it.  But we made it even more explicit after this story came out to demonstrate clearly that we have nothing to hide.  And while I wish I had been quicker to come to the understandings it took some years to realize, the silver lining is that this past has given me greater credibility in the fight to change the laws.  I have the advantage of explaining that I started out believing that the activities we are trying to stop, breeding and pet ownership, were appropriate, and learned differently with experience as I saw the abuse and abandonment that followed first hand. The reaction to the news report from people who know our sanctuary has generally been “what in the world is wrong with this reporter?”   In their efforts to discredit me, Mr. Yates and/or other exotic animal owners have filed false charges with TAOS (The Association of Sanctuaries), USDA, and Give.org, the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance.  Out of close to one million non profits in the country, we are one of only about 80 that meet the strict BBB charity standards.  In each of these cases, the organizations involved found that the allegations were without merit.  In some cases, their requests for documentation or proof of the charges were not responded to by those making the charges, because there of course was none.  But, part of the strategy of the exotic animal owners is just to be an annoyance, as they are being to you.  And they hope to impair our relationships with supporters and impair our funding without regard to the impact on the animals in our care.   Below is an email being circulated by these people to generate the emails that you no doubt will have received from this group over the weekend.  Since they are urging that they be sent by Sunday June 4, I suspect they somehow know that I have a tentative appointment to see you in a tiny gap that you may have in your schedule, although I understand it may close if you run late.   Below is the email that was circulated to generate emails to you this past weekend:From: EPOU@yahoogroups.com mailto: EPOU@yahoogroups.com On Behalf Of Raven Simons Sent: Friday, June 02, 2006 5:59 PM To: EPOU@yahoogroups.com Subject: [EPOU] FW: FL Animal Rights activist removed from Animal Advisory   Hello all,  I am asking an important favor of everyone. Please write a thank you letter to Mr. Brian Blair for removing Carole Lewis Baskin (Big Cat Rescue and Humane USA) from the Hillsborough County Animal Advisory Committee. Carole is having a fit at being removed. Mr. Blair needs to show community support on this decision.   To all the bird people- This is the women that posted our names and address on her Humane USA website.   To all the pet owners- I welcome anyone to attend the meetings with us. This group called the Animal Advisory committee are nuts. They are extreme in their views.   Please feel free to forward this email to supportive individuals. We need as many letters as possible by Sunday 6/4/06. Anyone and everyone can write a letter, not just Hillsborough County people. This effects any animal owner. Counties tend to follow each other's lead.   Animal rights activist do not have a place on an advisory committee. They have a personal agenda that is not in anyone's best interest, including the animals.   Mr. Blair can be reached at Blairb@hillsboroughcounty.org . I am including the letter that I sent. Thank you, Lisa   Dear Mr. Blair:   I am writing to thank you for removing Carole Lewis Baskin from the Hillsborough County Animal Advisory Committee.   I have been attending the Animal Advisory meetings. The committee is made up of animal rescue / animal rights individuals and local veterinarians. Ms. Baskin is the Florida director of Humane USA, an animal rights group. I feel there should be individuals representing the pet community (groomers, kennel owners, dog trainers, ect.) on this advisory committee.   The current Animal Advisory committee is outrageous in their proposals. They would like the Hillsborough County ordinances to regulate the pet population and our ownership to an extreme. Without the balance of pet industry individuals, I feel that Hillsborough County will not be a pet friendly place to live. The pet industry provides many jobs in our area and has a multimillion dollar impact on our County. The medical community has also proven that pets improve the quality of our lives.   The story on BayNews 9 about the fraudulent fund raising at Big Cat Rescue, which Ms. Baskin is the CEO, is of concern also. It makes you question her integrity.  Thank you for taking the time to address this issue.   Respectfully, Lisa Welch   This is also being circulated through the email list of the Phoenix Exotics, a group who promote exotic pet ownership and whose abuse was documented in the API study.  Please notice that they view the entire Committee as “nuts” and feel people who are concerned about animal welfare have no place on it.  You can review the credentials of the Committee, many of whom are intimately involved in trying to solve the massive problem of stray, feral and abandoned animals being faced by Animal Services and our County. Those writing to you in support of my departure of course would like a committee packed with people who make money from the animals.  Will their interests be in solving the problems we are facing?  You can also see how they use the Bay News 9 report, and the untrue interpretation of it.   Mr. Blair, you are a fighter both literally and figuratively, the latter in fighting for what you believe is right.  And you are no stranger to the controversy that the fight generates.  Your office has to deal with people calling in on both sides of issues all the time.  And whatever proposals are made by the Animal Advisory Board will be no different.  No matter which direction they take, they will be controversial and generate public comment.  That will happen whether I am there or not.   I am sorry that my appointment has motivated these people to harass you in this way.  But there is absolutely nothing in the history of the sanctuary that should create any awkwardness unless you are being lied to, which unfortunately is the modus operandi of the people who oppose the legislative work I am doing.  If you were the recipient of the letter you sent me, I think the first thing you would say to whomever sent it was that one of the most basic founding principles of our nation is the right to face your accuser.  You would feel you had a right to at least understand in person what is being alleged and by whom.  And you would be correct.  That is how I feel.   The impact on me of resigning is that these people learn that their efforts pay off and it will only encourage them to do more.  And not only would that resignation not solve the problem of your receiving inquiries, it is likely exacerbate it.  1600 people wrote to the County Commission to support the relatively unemotional issue of our recent rezoning and 100 took the day off to show support.  How will our thousands of supporters, the majority of whom are local, react if I resign?  I cannot lie and say “personal reasons” because everyone would know it was not true.  That would only support the untrue allegations about our honesty.   As noted, there are many controversial issues you have to deal with and hear from people about.  Not just to be fair to me, but to be fair to you, I think it is important that we get to speak in person as soon as possible so you can decide what is the “right” side of this issue to be on.  I honestly do not believe it will serve you well to become known as the Commissioner who caved in to a group of people who want to own and exploit exotic animals.  I think that is likely to create far more “awkwardness” than you are experiencing now.   I will not take any action on your request until we have spoken and will continue to try to get on your calendar.  I hope to do that so you have an opportunity to review this before it gets more media attention.  And for your reference, I am not “having a fit”.  I have not even spoken to anyone but my husband and your aide about this because I am hoping to avoid an embarrassment for you.  But I am sure you can imagine my disappointment at receiving your letter.  I look forward to a chance to make sure you at least understand the other and true side of whatever you are hearing.   Sincerely, Carole Baskin. Founder and CEO   I've been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/   I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.     You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile! Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile   You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org   Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue   Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.

The House is ready to vote on final passage of a bill to change the way Floridians vote by mail. Democrats offered 18 amendments to the elections bill. None passed. Also, on today’s Sunrise: — A bill that allows concealed carry of guns at churches that share space with a school is on its way to Gov. Ron DeSantis. — Another bill exempts presidential search committees at state colleges and universities from the Sunshine Law flames out in the Senate. The bill had support from most Senators, but it was one vote short of the two-thirds margin required to pass an exemption to the open records law. — After being indicted by the statewide grand jury, the Broward County School Superintendent Robert Runcie vows on video he will beat the perjury charge. Several hours after a video dropped, Runcie announced he's resigning — but not because of the indictment. — Otter Cat is back in the Legislature, but now with a fancier name — jaguarundi. — And finally, a Florida Woman says teachers vaccinated for COVID-19 can't work at her school anymore because it messes with a student's menstrual cycles. Spoiler alert: it’s a hoax.

If you've been waiting on a COVID-19 shot, get ready. Beginning Monday, adults' age restrictions are gone; Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida will receive a record number of vaccines next week. Also, on today’s Sunrise: — The Governor is planning to get his own vaccination before the end of the week — DeSantis is also asking state lawmakers to give teachers and principals $1,000 bonuses for getting schools reopened during the pandemic. — The Senate Health Policy committee approves a bill saying transgender kids cannot play on the girl's team — unless they take a testosterone test. LGBTQ advocates are wondering what lawmakers will do next. — Speaking of which, the House votes on the “Parental Bill of Rights” that would require schools to out gay students to their parents, even if doing so would put those kids in danger. — Yet another hole in the Sunshine Law. A senate committee votes to exempt the home address of lawmakers from the public records law. Sen. Ray Rodrigues says the current climate is so toxic that lawmakers need protection from angry constituents. — And finally, police are accusing a Florida Woman of stabbing her roommate over $60 in federal stimulus money.

Mark Pedroli defends Missouri's Sunshine Law and the right of Missourians to government transparency. He started the Sunshine and Government Accountability Project and is a civil rights attorney. We talk about his important work, litigation we have both undertaken involving Eric Greitens and Missouri's state officials, and our fight for public access to public records. You can learn more about Mark at https://pedrolilaw.com/ The #EladPod is hosted by civil rights attorney, government accountability advocate, educator, and lifelong Missourian Elad Gross. These are recordings of our live, uncensored town halls with audience questions designed to bring our government back to you. To participate in our town halls and view recordings, visit www.EladGross.live Recorded on 3-13-2021

Mike Delamont & Morgan Cranny celebrate the weird, wonderful, and completely true new stories from the Sunshine State. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gov. Ron DeSantis faces accusations of using vaccination sites to reward his political donors. He just presided over the opening of a new pod serving the whitest and wealthiest areas in Manatee County. The Governor was offended when local officials asked why he chose that site. Also, on today’s Sunrise: — DeSantis’ response drew a stern rebuke South Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz. — Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried also piled on … calling the Governor’s actions troubling and potentially illegal. — There’s a problem with Florida’s vaccine supply. DeSantis says we’re short because of the winter storm. — A research professor at the University of Florida warns that we need to pay more attention to the U.K. variant of COVID 19 because there’s more in Florida than any other state… and it’s nastier than the original. — A Senate committee approves a bill exempting presidential searches at public universities from the Sunshine Law. The bill’s sponsor says they might as well because universities have already found a way around it. — There’s a ruckus over free speech on campus. Things got mighty tense in the House Post-Secondary Education and Lifelong Learning Subcommittee. — And finally, two Florida Men tried to get out of wearing a mask by claiming to be federal agents. Then they got to meet a real one.

On Tuesday, the Manatee County Commission meeting teemed with drama, including disclosures of extramarital affairs, accusations of blackmail, and potential Sunshine Law violations. All this resulted in a vote to once again pursue firing County Administrator Cheri Coryea.

Joe Hendricks is a Manatee County freelance journalist who regularly reports for the Anna Maria Island Sun. Most recently, he's been covering the attempt by some Manatee County Commissioners to fire county administrator Cheri Coryea and the possible Sunshine Law violations involved.

Holly Lubart, Director of Government Affairs for the Pennsylvania News Media Association shares information about Pennsylvania's Right to Know laws on the Building PA Podcast. The focus of the discussion centers on the value of right to know for contractors and how access to public information can be useful for proposals and other useful business development uses.Co-hosts Jon O'Brien and Chris Martin ask questions relevant to the legislation to help listeners understand how to utilize these laws - Open Records Law and the Sunshine Law. "The legislation was based on the public's distrust of the Pennsylvania legislature and the law helped promote a transparent government especially at the state and local level," said Lubart. "Without access to government information there is no way to hold government officials accountable."In today's business climate and managing the post COVID-19 world makes this law a valuable resource to the construction industry. For example, contractors can use the law to gain an understanding on construction project documents. Conversely, project documentation for public projects are accessible via this law allowing the general population and competitors to gain insight into your business. The Building PA Podcast encourages all contractors to know and understand this law.

Attorney Dan Kolde sued the University of Missouri on behalf of the Beagle Freedom Project for violating the state's open records law. After he won at trial, the university has agreed to spend $175,000 to close out the case. Kolde discusses the lawsuit with host Sarah Fenske.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (February 13, 2020 at 1:00p.m.) LOCAL PHARMACY HOSTS NEWS CONFERENCE WITH PATIENTS TO DEMAND FLORIDA DRUG PRICING REFORM PBM Reform Podcast Series:  https://omny.fm/shows/pharmacy-podcast-network/playlists/pbmreform  OKEECHOBEE,FLORIDA (02/13/2020) –Okeechobee Discount Drugs is hosting a press conference to call attention to the IMMEDIATE need for drug pricing reform in Florida, citing information from a new report recently released by 3 Axis Advisors, a data consultancy firm specializing in Medicaid claims analysis. The report, entitled “Sunshine in the Black Box of Pharmacy Benefits Management” is a comprehensive Florida Medicaid claims analysis that examined five years’ worth of Medicaid pharmacy data claims - more than 350 million deidentified claims obtained through the state’s “Sunshine Law”. “We can no longer stand by and watch our patients and our state continue to be price gouged and played by these giant corporations whose first allegiance is to their shareholders,” said Steven Nelson, RPH and owner at Okeechobee Discount Drugs. “We - healthcare providers and our patients - have to take action if no one else will. We have to stand up and say we’re unwilling to watch our state healthcare system continue to be gamed by corporate analysts whose sole job is looking for loopholes to exploit. The fight is now personal.” The Florida Medicaid claims analysis report uncovered several findings including differential drug pricing for the same medication at pharmacies that are very often within walking distance of each other; pricing certain medications very high relative to the acquisition costs, creating incentives for certain pharmacies to over-dispense the drugs; systematic patient steering to managed care organization (MCO) and pharmacy benefit manager (PBM)-owned or affiliated pharmacies, especially for higher-cost “specialty” medications typically prescribed for chronic diseases including cancer;  and a system that ensures MCO- and PBM-owned/affiliated pharmacies receive the benefit of Florida’s $12 billion annual Medicaid spend. "As a patient, my biggest concern every month is being able to afford my medications. As a Florida resident and taxpayer I’m upset that a publicly held corporation would think it could just come to our state and take advantage of us like that. We’re not accountants, we’re just everyday people who rely on the system to help us, not to exploit us,” said Brenda Fortner, a longtime resident of Okeechobee. “We need to do more than just give lip service to the pricing and access issues that are currently running rampant here in Florida,” said Steven Nelson, RPH at Okeechobee Discount Drugs. “Too many patients and small business pharmacies have been harmed already. Legislators need to take swift action now.” CONTACT: Stacey Nelson Email: Stacey @ okeedrug.com Phone Number: 561.632.6033

In this week's episode, Joe Hadsall shares his opinion and thoughts about Missouri's Sunshine Law and why it's so important. Music: "Happy Alley" and "Destiny Day" by Kevin MacLeod, www.incompetech.com.

More ghosts! More high-deas! More portmanteaus! More animal facts! Jon feels terrible, Kyle giggles a bunch and Harland is a liar. We explore the Sunshine Law, serenity, funeral plans, and James Bond.Welcome to another episode of What’s Your Condition, an internet review show where nothing is answered and no one learns anything. Three friends explore a surreal digital world by deconstructing the absurd fringes of the internet's overlooked underbelly as an excuse to spend time together.Twitter - http://twitter.com/urconditionInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatsyourconditionYoutube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGf9E_r6rSsIInfjdGa-zoQSound effects and music obtained from www.zapsplat.comFind out more at http://www.whatsyourcondition.comThis podcast is powered by Pinecast.

On August 28, 2019, the Show-Me Institute filed suit against Missouri’s Office of Administration for violating the state’s Sunshine Law. Government entities may think they can get away with these excuses because too few citizens are able to invest the time money and emotional energy required to pursue a legal fight to keep these government entities transparent and accountable. We have determined that this case is a crucial opportunity to ensure equality in government transparency for all Missourians. Learn more about the case: https://bit.ly/2ZwsO5O Learn more about the Freedom Center of Missouri:http://www.mofreedom.org/ The Show-Me Institute Podcast is produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Gov. Eric Greitens' use of a secret message app called Confide was revealed in 2017, but the controversy surrounding it still swirls today. This week, politics reporter Jason Hancock joins host Leah Becerra to take a deep dive into Confide, its use in Missouri government, and the fear that a recent court ruling may undermine open records laws. For further reading: ‘Dream for fans of corruption': Greitens Confide ruling vexes transparency advocates - https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article232439834.html Former Missouri Gov. Greitens' use of Confide didn't violate Sunshine Law, judge says - https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article232418307.html Missouri lawmakers hoped to ban secret texting apps in government. Time is running out - https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article230093804.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Times-Union reporter Christopher Hong talks with Page One Podcast host Mark Woods about the conclusion of a probe into potential Sunshine Law violations.

St. Louis Public Radio investigative reporter Beth Hundsdorfer and longtime political reporter Jo Mannies offer analysis and context in light of what critics have called a "broadside attack" on Missouri Sunshine Law by state legislators.

Beverley Milligan discusses the Sunshine Law accusations against Mayor Gore and former Mayor Dennis Boback and former Mayor Ray Murphy chimes in on the topic as well. He also hints he may run for office again.

Post-Dispatch metro columnist Tony Messenger joined Tim in studio in late January 2018 to discuss Eric Greitens and other civic topics in the region...   Why there's little support for Greitens in the wake of scandal Where does he stand in regards to potential criminal charges Dissecting interviews and assessing the damage to his career How troublesome are Sunshine Law and Confide app issues What is Josh Hawley's role in these legal proceedings so far Contrasting the Governor and Hawley, Senate race preview Why the STL Blues illustrate a broken governmental process Possibility of a City / County merger & how it could happen   Please support our sponsors: The Home Loan Expert, Ryan Kelley James Carlton Agency (State Farm) Gateway Buick GMC Triad Bank   Follow us on Twitter: @McKernanShow   Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheTimMcKernanShow   Thanks to Story of the Year for our theme.  Please rate, review, and subscribe so more people discover the pod.  Feedback is welcome:  tmckernan@insidestl.com

Post-Dispatch metro columnist Tony Messenger joined Tim in studio in late January 2018 to discuss Eric Greitens and other civic topics in the region…   Why there's little support for Greitens in the wake of scandal Where does he stand in regards to potential criminal charges Dissecting interviews and assessing the damage to his career How troublesome are Sunshine Law and Confide app issues What is Josh Hawley's role in these legal proceedings so far Contrasting the Governor and Hawley, Senate race preview Why the STL Blues illustrate a broken governmental process Possibility of a City / County merger & how it could happen   Please support our sponsors: The Home Loan Expert, Ryan Kelley James Carlton Agency (State Farm) Gateway Buick GMC Triad Bank   Follow us on Twitter: @McKernanShow   Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheTimMcKernanShow   Thanks to Story of the Year for our theme.  Please rate, review, and subscribe so more people discover the pod.  Feedback is welcome:  tmckernan@insidestl.com

Watch Download File

Police Chief Ken Burton discusses LEXIPOL contract and CALEA accreditation. Also, responses to news about the difficulty in filling Sunshine Law requests.

On this week’s episode of What Doesn’t Kill You, Katy welcomes Daisy Freund and Robert Hensley of the ASPCA to discuss North Carolina’s “Anti-Sunshine” Law. A coalition of animal protection, consumer rights, food safety, and whistleblower protection organizations recently filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law, which is designed to deter whistleblowers and undercover investigators from publicizing information about corporate misconduct. Under the law, organizations and journalists who conduct undercover investigations, and individuals who expose improper or criminal conduct by North Carolina employers, are susceptible to lawsuits and substantial damages if they make such evidence available to the public or the press. The law is part of a growing number of so-called “ag-gag laws” which are pushed by lobbyists for corporate agriculture companies, in an attempt to escape scrutiny over unsafe practices and animal abuses by threatening liability for those who expose these improper and, in many cases, illegal practices. “The public wants to see justice served when these kinds of abuses are documented, they don’t want to hear about, well, technically because we managed to get away with almost no regulation, that’s perfectly legal to do that to an animal – but that’s not the point.” [25:00] – Daisy Freund    

On this week’s episode of What Doesn’t Kill You, Katy welcomes Daisy Freund and Robert Hensley of the ASPCA to discuss North Carolina’s “Anti-Sunshine” Law. A coalition of animal protection, consumer rights, food safety, and whistleblower protection organizations recently filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law, which is designed to deter whistleblowers and undercover investigators from publicizing information about corporate misconduct. Under the law, organizations and journalists who conduct undercover investigations, and individuals who expose improper or criminal conduct by North Carolina employers, are susceptible to lawsuits and substantial damages if they make such evidence available to the public or the press. The law is part of a growing number of so-called “ag-gag laws” which are pushed by lobbyists for corporate agriculture companies, in an attempt to escape scrutiny over unsafe practices and animal abuses by threatening liability for those who expose these improper and, in many cases, illegal practices. “The public wants to see justice served when these kinds of abuses are documented, they don’t want to hear about, well, technically because we managed to get away with almost no regulation, that’s perfectly legal to do that to an animal – but that’s not the point.” [25:00] – Daisy Freund    

***This episode of Bowl After Bowl was originally published February 10, 2015. The title and notes have been republished as originally written***   Yesterday, Show-Me Cannabis filed four lawsuits against Missouri drug task forces in violation of the Sunshine Law. We arrived in Jefferson City, Missouri this morning after driving back from the High Times' SoCal Cannabis Cup in San Bernardino, California — just in time to take the group photo for Show-Me Cannabis' Lobby Day. Nearly 100 activists gathered together today to create change. We spoke with our representative, Kip Kendrick, about legalization in Missouri. Hear what he had to say along with highlights from Amber Langston's second Women of Cannabis event and the Cannabis Cup.

Today we sat down with Aaron Malin, Director of Research for Show-Me Cannabis. We discuss his experience covering protests in Ferguson, MO for Reason Magazine. Aaron told us he was troubled by the tactics the police were using during protests following the non-indictment of Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown. Aaron said that, among other things, he saw police attention focused on groups of loud but relatively peaceful protesters as looters ransacked businesses and destroyed property just a short distance away. He also talks about the incredible displays of force by police and National Guard personnel. Aaron also told us about his research work with Show-Me Cannabis, a Missouri group that aims to legalize cannabis in 2016. Aaron has recently been focused on researching the various Drug Task Forces in the state of Missouri. Another of his projects is to identify if and when taxpayer funds have been used to illegally campaign against cannabis reform efforts and to ensure the practice stops. Aaron does most of his research using data he obtains via open records requests. Under the Missouri Sunshine Law, information about taxpayer-funded agencies must be made available upon request. Aaron walks us through the process of how to submit a Sunshine Law request in Missouri and shares a few of the more interesting things he's found in his research.

***This episode of Bowl After Bowl was originally published October 25, 2014. The title and notes have been republished as originally written*** Today we sat down with Aaron Malin, Director of Research for Show-Me Cannabis. We discuss his experience covering protests in Ferguson, MO for Reason Magazine. Aaron told us he was troubled by the tactics the police were using during protests following the non-indictment of Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown. Aaron said that, among other things, he saw police attention focused on groups of loud but relatively peaceful protesters as looters ransacked businesses and destroyed property just a short distance away. He also talks about the incredible displays of force by police and National Guard personnel. Aaron also told us about his research work with Show-Me Cannabis, a Missouri group that aims to legalize cannabis in 2016. Aaron has recently been focused on researching the various Drug Task Forces in the state of Missouri. Another of his projects is to identify if and when taxpayer funds have been used to illegally campaign against cannabis reform efforts and to ensure the practice stops. Aaron does most of his research using data he obtains via open records requests. Under the Missouri Sunshine Law, information about taxpayer-funded agencies must be made available upon request. Aaron walks us through the process of how to submit a Sunshine Law request in Missouri and shares a few of the more interesting things he's found in his research.

Guests this hour include - Carl DeMaio (Gov. watchdog) and Mehran Aram (Aramco mortgage) Carl DeMaio may have lost the election to become San Diego's Mayor but, his fight carries on and over to The Mark Larson Show! Carl talks redevelopment money, Mayor Filner's appointments, *The Sunshine Law*, and shining the light upon the gov. A little more Elvis BDay fun today. Hey, Hey, Don't be cruel O.K.? We're so true! And Mehran Aram with a financial update! ROLL TIDE, here on The Mark Larson Show!