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Capitol Perspectives
By Phill Brooks
2024
May 14: The Value of Tolerance in College Protests
April 21: Recognizing When It's Time To Go
January 27: An Uncharted Path for Missouri's Legislature
2023
December 28: Ignoring the Constitution in Missouri Government
December 14: Legislative Estimates of Tax Cut Losses
November 20: Capitol Perspectives: Does Power Corrupt in Missouri's House?
October 02: The Legacy of Missouri's 2023 Legislative Session
September 05: There Must Be a Better Way to Do Ballot Descriptions
August 18: Missouri Courage in holding Officials Accountable
May 26: A Dysfunctional Senate
May 04: Missourian Rights to Change Their Constitution
April 17: Dealing with Governmental Disruptions
March 29: Bringing Order to the Missouri's House
March 02: Parson's Attacks on Statehouse Reporters
February 20: Dealing with Legislative Misbehavior
January 24: Improving the Sunshine Law
2022
December 28: The 50th Anniversary of Missouri's Sunshine Law
December 15: Performance Audits
December 01: Dealing with Violence
November 17: Legislative Fights for Leadership
October 10: Missouri Voters Versus Their Elected Officials
October 03: Legislative Food Fights
August 10: Missouri's One-Party Primaries
May 23: Possible Reasons for Missouri's Legislative Dysfunction
May 15: A Dysfunctional Legislative Session
April 28: Divisive Ideological Fights in Missouri's Legislature
April 14: Rethinking Missouri Senate Filibusters
March 31: There's Got to be a Better Way
March 16: Ukraine's Example for Missouri Lawmakers
March 03: Diminishing Words of Inspiration
February 17: Missouri Congressional Redistricting
February 04: The Effects of Snow on Missouri legislators
February 03: Legislative Targeting of Schools
January 21: The Profound Change in Missouri's Legislature
2021
December 30: A Possible Partisan Legislative Food Fight
December 11: Personal Attacks in Congress versus Missouri
December 07: Attacks on Journalism by Missouri's Governor
December 02: Questions for Missouri from Georgia
November 18: WKRP Lessons for Missouri
November 05: Judicial Correction of Legislative Gaffes
October 14: The Governor's Charge of a Journalist Hack
October 14: A Personal Perspective of Todd Akin
September 30: The Loss of a Major State Leader, Jim Mathewson
August 19: Impeaching Governors
August 05: The Power of Women Legislators
July 22: Medicaid's Financial History
July 12: The Two Sides of Bob Griffin
July 08: Missouri's Medicaid History
June 24: The Price of a Purge
May 17: A Most Unusual Legislative Session
April 29: A Possible Tax Increase
April 15: Kicking the Can Down the Road
April 01: How Missouri Controls Filibusters
March 15: Missouri's Legislative Second Half
March 04: Legislative Efforts Versus the Constitution
February 18: Punishment of Legislators
February 04: Legislative Independence
January 14: A U.S. Capitol Invasion
January 04: A Time for Setting Legislative Priorities
2020
December 17: Teach Your Children Well
December 03: I Live in My District
November 19: What's Next
November 03: Election Night Reporting History
October 27: Further Reflections on Gov. Mel Carnahan's Death
October 22: The Better Angles of our Nature
October 08: The Passing of an Historic Missouri Legislator
September 24: Veto Session Adventures
September 16: A Special Session Legislative Whale
July 23: The Responsibility of Journalists
July 16: A Capitol Squirrel
July 02: A Simple Question
June 18: Harriett Woods
June 04: COVID-19: The Governor and President
May 21: Legislative Successes, Losses and Missed Opportunities
May 07: Missouri Government Precidents from COVID-19
April 23: COVID-19 Issues for Missouri's Legislature
April 09: The Passing Era of Bipartisanship in Missouri
March 26: Issues in Covering Coronavirus
March 12: Control of Medical Information
February 27: Unusual Locations for Stories
February 13: Privacy Rights
January 30: Dark Money in the 2020 Campaigns
January 16: A Major Change in Missouri Highway Funding
2019
December 05: Preparing for a Legislative Session
November 07: A Capital Turkey
October 31: Impeachment Similarities and Contrasts
October 17: Urban Violence
October 03: Time for One More Question
September 20: Harry Truman's Statehouse Legacy
May 23: The Return of Legislative Chaos
May 09: The Passage of a Missouri Legislative Era
April 25: A Fire is More than Just a Flame
April 11: Let Parson be Parson
March 28: Full Time Phelps
March 14: A Return to Order in Missouri's Legislature
February 28: Government's Social Media Problems
February 14: Drugs, Cops, Politics and Compromise
January 31: How to Win Money for Highways
January 17: State of the State
January 03: The Art of Compromise
2018
December 13: Prospects for Missouri's Next Legislature
November 29: Getting Away with Murder
November 15: An Eclectic but Selective Election
November 01: Term Limits
October 18: Partisanship in Missouri's Legislature
October 04: The Shifting Agenda of Missouri's GOP
September 20: Negative Political Attack Ads Return
August 30: Echoes of John McCain in Missouri
May 31: The Possible Legacy of Eric Greitens
May 31: The Distractions of Sex
May 31: A New Experience for Missouri's Legislature
May 17: The Possibility of a Light on Dark Money
May 03: The Politics and Games of Adulthood
April 19: An Absence of Historical Perspectives
April 05: What Makes Them Think They Can Get Away with It
March 22: The Decline of Committee Hearings
March 08: An Impeachment Alternative
February 22: Legislative Help from Cats
February 08: Fiscal Notes Matter
January 25: A Looming Budget Cliff
January 11: Evaluating Legislators
2017
December 28: How Lawmakers Handle Sexual Scandals
December 12: New Perspectives to the Education Commissioner's Firing
December 01: A Challenge to Constitutional Independence
November 16: The Wild West of Missouri Highways
October 27: I Think
October 05: Regulating Private Business
September 22: A Senator's Hub Cap
September 08: An Unusual Summer
May 12: Bloated Whales and Discordant Elephants
May 05: A Bizarre Legislative Session
April 21: Church and State
April 07: Getting Even
March 24: Taking Care of Business
March 10: A Missouri Senate Lion
February 24: Unheeded Budget Warnings
February 10: Boom Boom Bailey
January 27: Transparency
January 12: Change
2016
December 29: Courage
December 09: The Christmas Spirit of Lobbyists
November 18: Rebooting Government
November 04: Federal Investigators Going Dark
October 21: Reporters are not Liars
October 07: Random Campaign Thoughts
September 16: An Historic Veto Session
September 02: Passing Echoes of Legislative Bipartisanship
August 19: The Dignity of Missouri's Capitol
August 12: Deep Pocket Donor Finances Ballot Measure to Limit Deep Pocket Donors
August 05: An Unusual Primary
July 22: Missouri Ballot Initiatives: A Tale of Two Tobacco Taxes
July 22: Initiative and Referenda: Does Missouri's System Still Empower Voters?
July 15: Social Unrest Spans Nearly a Century: Missouri Mining Riots of 1917
July 08: Disappearing Government
July 01: Missouri's Money Matters; $27 billion budget begins
June 24: Missouri Capitol Security Missteps
June 17: Missouri's Role In Korean Conflict Must Never Be Lost in History
June 10: Road Funding Haunts State Whose Native Son Built America's Interstate Highways
June 03: 45 Days That Balance Power and Politics in Missouri
May 23: Was I Ever Wrong about the Legislative Session
May 20: Missouri's Legislative Session Has Not Ended Quite Yet
May 13: Missouri's Gaming Tax Trend Focuses On Fantasy
May 13: Teaching Journalism
May 06: Ask the Gubernatorial Candiates
April 29: Less may be more in the legislature, except for ethics
April 22: Effective Governors
April 15: Election Antics Nothing New For Missouri
April 08: Making Rain
April 01: First Ethics Bill Passed Protects Citizens from Politicians' Politics
March 31: Statecraft and The Art of the Deal
March 18: The Soul of the Senate
March 11: Missouri Matters In Presidential Primary
March 04: From Chaos to Order in Missouri's Legislature
February 26: It Takes Two to Tango in the Missouri General Assembly
February 19: Punting the Football in Government
February 12: Death, Taxes and More Money for Missouri Roads
February 05: Tyrannosaurus Rex of State Politics
January 29: Battle For Budget Biggest Job Facing Lawmakers
January 22: From Lions to Mosquitoes
January 15: Lawmakers Rush Legislation to Protect Citizens From Lawmakers
January 8: Gridlock
2015
December 11: Seniority Matters in Filing Legislation
December 04: Politics and Higher Education Administrators
November 20: Missouri a late guest to the Thanksgiving tradition
November 13: Campus Protests: Then and Now
November 06: Longshots in World Championships Pay Off... Sometimes
October 30: Take Out the Trash Day
October 23: A day to remember that we always forget
October 16: Political Fund Raising and Public Service
October 09: Power of Position: Which State Official is Truly No. 2?
October 02: RIP Harold Caseky, a remarkable legislator
September 25: Senate President Pro Tem: the emergence of power
September 18: Bond Issue Schemes
September 11: Missouri Veto Overrides, Exercises In Show and Substance
September 04: The Retirement of a Shining Light
September 04: Missouri Veto Sessions: Power and Politics
May 15: A Session Marked by an Intern Scandal and Filibusters
May 08: Gas Taxes and Political Courage
May 01: Legislative Leaders and Term Limits
April 24: Challenging the legislature
April 17: When Reporters Get Angry
April 10: Macks Creek and Hidden Taxes
April 03: A Passing Era in the Missouri Auditor's Office
March 20: The Need for Audacity
March 13: Improving the legislature
March 06: Perspectives about Schweich's Eulogy
February 27: Tom Schweich
February 20: Expanding the Legislature's Footprint
February 13: Don't Ask Me 'How Are You?'
February 06: Complexities of Controlling Special Interest Money
January 30: A Salary Squable in the Senate Family
January 23: Agreement on Problems, but Not Solutions
January 16: The Power of State Auditors
January 08: Making a Difference in the Legislature
2014
December 19: The Passing of a Legislative Era
December 12: Deadly, Devious and Disability Details
December 5: The Changing News Culture in the Statehouse
November 24: Politically Correct Speech
November 14: Missouri's I70 Democrats
November 7: Protecting the Public from Journalists
October 31: The Dangers Politicians Take
October 24: Let Others Lead
October 17: And the Band Played On
October 10: Political Transformations and Gay Marriage
October 3: Dealing with Less
September 26: The Lion of the Lobbyists
September 19: The Budget Fights of Two Nixons
September 12: He's No Cato the Younger
September 5: Ferguson, Police and Reporters
May 16: A Mixed Legislative Record for Missouri's Governor
May 9: Civilizing the Legislature
May 2: Veto Strategies
April 25: Tax Cut Tactics
April 18: Memories of Senates Past
April 11: The Value of Outside Fiscal Experts for Government
April 4: The Art of Compromise
March 28: Unfinished Business
March 14: Dead on Arrival Bills
March 7: The History of Bipartisanship in Missouri's Legislature
February 28: Legislative Difficulties with Education
February 21: Politics and Missouri's Legislature
February 14: Nullification
February 7: Missouri's Lack of Radical Ideas
January 31: The Unintended Frustrations from Open Government
January 24: Spending Fights in Missouri Government
January 17: A Different Perspective on Lobbyists
January 10: A Possible Rain Making Session
2013
December 13: How Can They Say No?
December 6: Nixon's Change in Tactics
November 22: Turf Wars
November 15: The Departure of Indicted Missouri Legislators
November 8: My Time in Prison
November 1: Rain Making in Government and Politics
October 25: We Won't Pay for It
October 18: Spokespersons who will not Speak
October 11: The Powers and Problems for Speakers
September 27: Missouri Political Comebacks
September 20: Sloppy Legislation
September 13: Political Courage
September 6: The Loss of an Education Leader
August 30: Veto Session Adventures
May 17: The Senate Saucer
May 10: Fiscal Discipline in Missouri Government
May 3: The Meaning of an Egg
April 26: The Dimming Light of Missouri's Consumer Movement
April 19: The Results of Legislative Investigations
April 12: A Week can be an Eternity in Missouri's Legislature
April 5: The Senate Drains
March 29: Budget Wars
March 22: Unintended Consequences
March 15: Abortion Politics
March 8: I Miss the Blue Book
March 1: Press Facilities in the Statehouse
February 22: Joke Bills
February 15: The History of Booze in Missouri's Legislature
February 8: Rural Dominance in Missouri's Legislature
February 1: Second Term Governors
January 25: The Aircraft of Missouri's Governors
January 18: The Quitters
January 11: Missouri's Memorable Inaugurations
2012
December 7: How Governors Win over the Legislature
November 30: Dick Webster, the Senate's Most Colorful Character
November 16: Election Consequences for Missouri
November 11: Learning to be Winners and Losers
November 2: The Decline of Parties
October 26: The Pain of Loss
October 19: Repair and Neglect of Missouri's Capitol
October 12: The Influence of Money
October 5: Missouri's Lieutenant Governor
September 28: Government Gag Orders
September 21: Overcoming Political Catastrophes
September 14: A Sad Time in Missouri's Legislature
August 7: Campaign Rehtoric versus Government Issues
August 31: The Cost of Candor
August 24: Campaign 2012, Advertising or Policy
May 18: An Incremental Session
May 11: Term Limits
May 4: The Responsibility for Education
April 27: Budget War Stories
April 20: What's to Become of Missouri's Senate?
April 13: The Criminals I Have Known
April 6: White Hats
March 30: Wedge Issues
March 23: Capitol Security
March 16: Missouri's Legislature and Women
March 9: Governors Propose, Legislators Dispose
March 2: Echoes of a Past Budget Crisis
Feb. 24: The Curious Saga of Redistricting
Feb. 17: Jason's Key
Feb. 10: Governors and the Legislature
Feb. 3: Lori's Filibuster
Jan. 27: Tax Credits and Term Limits
Jan. 20: State of the State: From Policy to Theater
Jan. 13: Education Funding - A Legislative Nightmare
Jan. 6: A Session of Limited Expectations
2011
Dec. 16: Making the Budget
Dec. 9: Consensus Revenue Estimates
Dec. 2: Questions from Mamtek
Nov. 18: Interim Committees
Nov. 11: Mel Hancock's Legacy
Nov. 4: Hidden Government Officials
Oct. 28: The Nature of Legislative Failure
Oct. 21: The Demise of the Special Session
Oct. 14: The Return of Bipartisanship
Oct. 7: Musical Chairs
Sept. 30: Term Limits and Civility
Sept. 23: Omnibus Bills
Sept. 16: Special Sessions History
Sept. 9: Technical Sessions
Sept. 2: $1E
Aug. 26: Welcome and Intro
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