Blog

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, Aug. 19, 2024
Contact: liz@progressmo.org

Over 90% of Missouri kids attend their local public schools that Missouri State Senate candidates want to radically alter

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Kids across the state of Missouri have started returning to their classrooms, and the signs of their return are everywhere: from back-to-school shopping in our stores to the smiling photos posted by proud parents on social media. But politicians in Missouri, in their desperation to out-extreme each other, are instead campaigning on hurting students and teachers. 

Joe Nicola, running for State Senate District 11 in eastern Kansas City, demands “education freedom without government strings attached.” Translated: Nicola, who founded his own church, wants public taxpayer money in the form of vouchers for students to attend private and religious schools. 

Adam Schnelting, running for State Senate District 23 in St. Charles, voted in favor of SB 727 to funnel public money into private schools. According to Dr. Patrick Layden, Executive Director of the NEA, SB 727’s unfunded mandates “jeopardize the education and well-being of countless Missouri students.” 

David Gregory, running for State Senate District 15 in west St. Louis County, has focused his campaign on promoting vouchers, telling West News Magazine: “We will become the best by creating competition with education freedom and forcing our schools to compete for our children.”

James Coyne, running for State Senate District 19 in Boone County, is campaigning on eliminating the state income tax without any revenue offsets to maintain the paltry school funding that exists. Missouri ranks 49th nationally in the percent of school funding coming from state resources as of a 2020 report from former auditor Nicole Galloway. 

These candidates have aligned themselves with a policy platform that advocates for the elimination of the Department of Education. It also takes swipes at “failing schools” and an “education crisis.”

Missouri public schools face a funding shortage due to selfish politicians in Jefferson City and a teacher shortage due to bottom-five salaries in the U.S. Over 90% of Missouri kids attend their local public schools. We should focus on funding them rather than taking public taxpayer money to give to private and religious schools. 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, Aug. 12, 2024
Contact: liz@progressmo.org

Three things to know about David Gregory after GOP primary

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Voters last week selected extreme conservative David Gregory as the Republican candidate for Senate District 15. Gregory, who failed in his bid for state auditor in 2022, has said that he feels Missouri’s total abortion ban doesn’t go far enough. 

Here are 3 things to know about David Gregory:

1. Gregory doesn’t think Missouri’s abortion ban goes far enough. Although Missouri has what is considered to be one of the most sweeping abortion bans in the nation, Gregory told a KFVS reporter the draconian law doesn’t go far enough, saying that legislators would be taking steps to prevent women from crossing state borders to get abortions, a tremendous seizure of personal freedom.
   
   “If you’re a Missouri resident no matter where you get it, can we have that arms-length reach? Can we do something about it either civilly or criminally?  I don’t know the constitutionality of that. It may be constitutional; it may not be. I’m not sure. But I do know in Missouri certainly they’ll be taking steps to find out and steps to find out what they can to prevent that.”
   
   He further states that the federal government can offer strings-attached money that would only be available to states that deny Missourians abortions.
   
2. Gregory believes families with several children shouldn’t have to pay income taxes. On his website, Gregory has boasted about his “pro-life plan” that includes incentivizing families with at least three children by releasing them from paying income taxes. 
   
3. Gregory voted for Missouri’s abortion ban trigger law. As a state representative, Gregory voted “yes” on HB 126, the bill that established Missouri’s extreme abortion ban. He said online that he has a 100% pro-life voting record and has said abortion is a “non-negotiable issue for me.”

With abortion on the ballot, many voters look down ballot in effort to protect health care freedom and bodily autonomy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024
Contact: liz@progressmo.org

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – This fall, Missourians will have an opportunity to cast a historic vote enshrining abortion access in the state. Although polling suggests Amendment 3 will pass, extreme politicians – including many who won primary races last week – are doubling down on their anti-abortion rhetoric.

State Senate candidate Adam Schnelting of St. Charles, who proudly boasts on social media that he “authored the law that ended abortion in Missouri,” is one of several politicians who told voters to “decline to sign” the initiative petition. 

In one of a series of nearly identical videos featuring extreme politicians, Schnelting said that the driver pushing the health care initiative is financial profit, failing to acknowledge the long understood correlation between poverty and limiting abortion access.

Likewise, David Gregory of Chesterfield – who served in the House of Representatives alongside Schnelting and voted for the 2019 trigger ban and is also running for State Senate – boasts that he is “pro-life, pro-gun and pro-Christian.” He even has a pro-life plan for Missourians where families pay no income taxes if they have three children.

Missourians, desperate to restore bodily autonomy to women, are taking notice. 

Eva Meyer from Jefferson City said how a candidate feels about abortion will be a determining factor in who gets her vote.

“Some politicians have shown us they only care about their own agenda and taking the most extreme positions possible in an attempt to win votes. I am voting to turn back Missouri’s cruel abortion law, and I’ll also be voting for candidates who support this right and will not interfere with the will of voters.”

Dr. Kathy LeMon, a 78-year-old clinical psychologist from Springfield, said the importance of voting for legislators who support abortion access cannot be underscored enough. “This is the most important vote I will cast in my lifetime. It is not just about abortion. It is about the rights of individuals to make their own decisions. I will be voting for legislators who support the will of the people, and legislators who support abortion.”

This fall, Missourians face a choice: restore abortion access or let politicians keep calling the shots. Polling shows most voters want abortion back, but some fear it won’t be that simple.

They remember 2020. Voters overwhelmingly chose to expand Medicaid, giving health care to thousands. But politicians have spent years trying to dismantle it, denying people the care they were promised. Will the same thing happen with abortion?”

Republicans have been uncomfortable with the initiative process for a while, given that it has worked against their preferences,” University of Missouri political scientist Peverill Squire recently said. “The voters have been willing to overturn them on several major issues.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, Aug. 12, 2024
Contact: liz@progressmo.org

Five things to know about Jerry Nolte

Kansas City, Mo. – Voters Tuesday officially selected former Missouri State Representative and Clay County Commissioner Jerry Nolte as the Republican candidate for Senate District 17. However, if you dig into his record, from voting for increased restrictions on abortion to overturning the will of the people on an increase to the minimum wage and costing taxpayers more than a quarter million dollars, it’s clear Nolte is the wrong choice for Missouri.

Here are five things to know about Jerry Nolte:

1. Nolte repeatedly voted to restrict access to abortion. While in Jefferson City, Nolte joined his Republican colleagues in Jefferson City to put restrictions on abortion access in 2008.
   
2. Nolte voted to restrict access to birth control. As a state representative, Nolte voted to make mifepristone – the medical abortion pill – a Schedule 1 drug equivalent to heroin, LSD, or ecstacy.
   
3. Nolte’s bad behavior cost Clay County taxpayers $354,227. As a Clay County Commissioner, Nolte was accused of inappropriate behavior, including harassment and retaliation by five top county employees. A settlement was reached with the employees costing taxpayers $354,227.
   
4. Nolte voted to overturn a voter-approved minimum wage increase. While in the House of Representatives, Nolte voted to overturn a voter-approved minimum wage increase and lower wages for tipped employees. He cosponsored legislation to lower the minimum wage after voters approved an increase by ballot measure in 2006. Paid sick leave with another minimum wage increase is likely to be on the ballot again this November.
   
5. Nolte sides with big business over everyday Missourians. At the start of the 2012 legislative session, Nolte stated he would work to cut Missouri’s business taxes in half. This has been a priority in the legislature in recent years.
   

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, Aug. 12, 2024
Contact: liz@progressmo.org

Five things to know about James Coyne

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Running unopposed in the Republican primary, James Coyne only received 70% of the Republican votes for Senate District 19 covering Boone County. Voters’ lack of enthusiasm coincides with Missouri GOP desperation as they struggled to find a replacement for Chuck Bayse, who dropped out due to health concerns. Examining his record and comments further, it’s unclear whether he was vetted before being put on the ticket with less than 48 hours until the filing deadline.  

Here are 5 things to know about James Coyne:  

1. This isn’t Coyne’s first run. Although this is his first nomination as a Republican, Coyne has run for the SD 19 seat before. As an Independent candidate in 2020, Coyne received a total of 72 votes.

2. As an insurance professional, every prediction he made about the Affordable Care Act was wrong. In his 2017 YouTube explainer, Coyne proclaimed the ACA would be dead in two years. But as of 2023 data, more than 258,000 Missourians receive health care coverage through the ACA.   
   
3. Coyne wants to defund local public schools, police, firefighters, roads and more. His policy proposal demanding the elimination of the state’s income tax includes no alternative revenue sources or spending adjustments, which would make critical parts of the state’s operation impossible. The state’s income tax accounts for nearly $10 billion, about 1/5 of the state’s $50.5 billion operating budget.
   
4. He hasn’t met a conspiracy theory he doesn’t believe. While Coyne’s presence on the web and social media is limited, what he has posted is mostly disproven conspiracies. He claims to have been a part of the 2009 Tea Party march on Washington D.C. and that he was going to march on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 before the violent mob attacked our government. His Facebook account has several posts denying the results of the 2020 election. 
    
5. Coyne wants Missouri to use gold and silver as legal tender. As outlined on his campaign website, included among other conspiracy theories, he says Missouri should move away from paper currency to precious metals like Texas.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024
Contact: liz@progressmo.org

Five things to know about Rep. Adam Schnelting

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Voters Tuesday selected Missouri State Representative Adam Schnelting as the Republican candidate for Senate District 23. However, if you dig into his record, from his boasting about being an architect of Missouri’s extreme abortion ban to leaving everyday Missourians behind by voting against lowering prescription drug prices and expanding childcare access, it’s clear Schelting is the wrong choice for Missouri.

Here are 5 things to know about Adam Schnelting:

1. Schnelting boasts he “authored” Missouri’s abortion ban. On social media and in campaign ads, Schelting frequently describes himself as the author of the abortion ban currently in place in Missouri. As a State Representative, Schnelting voted “yes” on HB 126, the bill that established Missouri’s extreme abortion ban. However, Schnelting was not the sponsor nor a co-sponsor of the bill.
   
2. Schnelting attempted to stifle the will of voters. Schnelting was actively trying to keep Missourians from being able to vote on abortion by encouraging voters not to sign the initiative petition that was being circulated.
   
3. Schnelting is a proud member of the MAGA-aligned Freedom Caucus. Schnelting received the Missouri Freedom Caucus endorsement, and consistently voted alongside other members of the Caucus.
   
4. Schnelting opposed lowering the cost of medication. Schnelting voted against SB 751 which would lower the cost of 340B prescription drug prices. In the State Senate, the only senators to vote against the bill were Freedom Caucus members.
   
5. Schnelting opposed helping parents find and afford childcare. In the 2024 legislative session, Schnelting voted against HB 1488, priority legislation for expanding access to childcare for all families.

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Hawley’s Longstanding Opposition to No-Fault Divorce Poses Threat to Women and Family Safety

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, August 1, 2024
Contact: claire@progressmo.org

JEFFERSON CITY, MO: On Thursday, Missouri advocates and experts held a virtual press conference on the dangers posed by Senator Josh Hawley’s long-held opposition to no-fault divorce. A recording recently made public by Rolling Stone revealed that Hawley supports drastic changes to divorce laws, advocating for the elimination of no-fault divorce.

Click here for a link to today’s media event.

No-fault divorce provides a critical escape route for individuals, particularly women, to leave potentially dangerous or unhealthy marriages without facing insurmountable legal hurdles.

Speakers on the call condemned Hawley’s stance and detailed the chilling consequences for Missourians if no-fault divorce were to disappear.

Hon. Margaret T. Donnelly, retired family law judge and former Missouri State Representative, said, “At a time when family courts in Missouri are encouraging families in the middle of a divorce to mediate and solve their legal issues peacefully, Josh Hawley wants to throw them back into the arena to battle it out. Having to blame the other spouse for bad behavior and then spending several days in front of a judge testifying to that misconduct is destructive to those families, and especially to their children. Abolishing no-fault divorce will not stop divorce. It will only make it much harder for families and their children to move forward to the best possible future.”

Liz McCune, Progress Missouri Executive Director: “Josh Hawley wants to take us back to the days when women had no way out of unsafe marriages. His stance on divorce is anti-woman, anti-family and downright dangerous. Hawley’s extreme positions, like his embrace of white Christian nationalism, betray Missouri values and endanger families. Missourians deserve better, and it’s time we demand it.”

Madeleine Hatler, Victim Advocate: “Asking a survivor to prove they have been abused can put them into increased danger. Rolling back our family law for more than 50 years makes survivors less safe and adds an undue burden on them during an already difficult and traumatic time. Senator Hawley’s stance ignores the reality of domestic abuse and puts vulnerable Missourians at risk.”

Adding to the danger survivors face, requiring them to prove abuse to obtain a divorce could trap them in dangerous situations for longer periods. Taking away no-fault divorce does nothing but make them less safe.

“Survivors already have to overcome systematic manipulation by their abusive partner to flee an abusive marriage,” Hatler added. “Asking a survivor to prove that they have been in an abusive situation can do nothing but put them in danger. Taking away no-fault divorce does nothing but make them less safe.”

The growing push to roll back no-fault divorce is also fueled in part by Christian nationalism, a dangerous ideology championed by Senator Hawley, who recently declared, “Some will say now that I am calling America a Christian nation. So I am. And some will say that I am advocating Christian nationalism. And so I do.”

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JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri: On Thursday, Missouri advocates and experts will hold a virtual press conference at 11 a.m. CT on the dangers posed by Senator Josh Hawley’s long-held opposition to no-fault divorce. A recording recently made public by Rolling Stone revealed that Hawley supports drastic changes to divorce laws, advocating for the elimination of no-fault divorce.

No-fault divorce provides a critical escape route for individuals, particularly women, to leave potentially dangerous or unhealthy marriages without facing insurmountable legal hurdles.

Critics warn that Senator Hawley’s push to require proof of fault could trap people in abusive marriages, escalating danger and suffering.

This timely discussion will delve into the real-world consequences of restricting access to divorce, drawing on the expertise of:

• Hon. Margaret T. Donnelly, Retired Judge: Legal expert in family law and former Missouri State Representative
• Madeleine Hatler, Victims’ Rights Advocate
• Other Missouri experts

The growing push to roll back no-fault divorce is also fueled in part by Christian nationalism, a dangerous ideology championed by Senator Josh Hawley, to impose extreme religious beliefs on Americans’ way of life. This worldview seeks to force women back into narrow and oppressive gender roles.

When: 11 a.m. CT Thursday, August 1, 2024

Why: The growing push to roll back no-fault divorce is also fueled in part by Christian nationalism, a dangerous ideology championed by Senator Josh Hawley, to impose extreme religious beliefs on Americans’ way of life. This worldview seeks to force women back into narrow and oppressive gender roles.

How to join: Contact Claire Cook-Callen at Claire@progressmo.org for the Zoom link.

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri: On Monday, faith leaders and experts held a virtual press conference to discuss the dangers of Christian nationalism and its impact on democracy and society. 

Click here for a recording of the media event. 

The event focused on Senator Josh Hawley’s alarming pronouncement at the National Conservative Convention on July 8th, in which he declared, “Some will say now that I am calling America a Christian nation. So I am. And some will say that I am advocating Christian nationalism. And so I do.”

The press conference featured Rev. Nathan Empsall, Executive Director of Faithful America, a leading expert on Christian nationalism, Rev. Phil Snider, Brentwood Christian Church, and other prominent Missouri leaders. 

Rev. Nathan Empsall, Executive Director of Faithful America, said, “Christian nationalism is unchristian and unpatriotic. It is an authoritarian ideology that unconstitutionally and unbiblically merges Christian and American identities, declaring that democracy does not matter because only conservative Christians count as true Americans. Senator Hawley’s recent remarks are a stark reminder of how this dangerous rhetoric seeks to divide and alienate, undermining our democratic values and threatening religious freedom. It is imperative that we stand against this ideology and advocate for a vision of faith that promotes love, justice, and equality for all.”

Rev. Phil Snider, Brentwood Christian Church of Springfield, said, “Christian nationalism stands in stark contrast to the core values held by Missourians. Our faith communities are diverse and inclusive, embracing the richness of different beliefs and backgrounds. Senator Hawley’s rhetoric not only undermines these values but also threatens the very fabric of our democracy. We must stand united against any ideology that seeks to divide and alienate, and instead, champion a vision of faith that promotes love, justice, and equality for all.”

Rev. Molly Housh Gordon, Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia, said, “As a Unitarian Universalist, my tradition is descended from the Puritan settlers who fled religious persecution in Europe and who knew in their bones that religious freedom is essential to all of our other freedoms.

“True faith cannot be coerced or mandated by a government. “Our incredible variety is the greatest strength of our nation, and my faith is made richer by encountering those of other traditions.”

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