Vote!! SNEA/MNEA Recommendations

We've all been inundated with TV ads, much of which comes from shadowy PACs with unlimited support from billionaires. This election will be remembered as the first post-Citizens United campaign, and it's up to the voters to decide if the election process simply goes to the highest bidder.

Springfield NEA and Missouri NEA members interviewed candidates, examined ballot issues, and made recommendations based on support for students, teachers and public education.

Ballot Issues

Proposition B - Yes

Funding schools through lottery and tobacco tax revenues isn't the ideal way to fund education, but in our state, we have to try to make up for our legislature's inability to adequately fund the formula they established. The tobacco lobby has worked wonders in Missouri, which has the lowest tax in the nation. This tax would bring us up to the same levels as surrounding states.

Proposition E - NO

In a district with 53% free & reduced lunch student population (up 15% in last 10 years), we also recognize the importance of health care for students and families. Proposition E is an effort to undermine the Affordable Care Act by not allowing local and state government to establish health insurance exchanges that would make health insurance affordable to folks in our community. This law has passed a Supreme Court test and is in effect. Eliminating state and local control means that the federal government will run the exchanges - and pass on the charges to Missourians. Voting "No" is all about allowing state/local control of these exchanges and promoting affordable health care.

Constitutional Amendment 3 - NO

This amendment seeks to replace the Missouri Court Plan with a more politicized appointment and election process. The Missouri Court Plan was established in 1949 and is the model for over thirty states in providing non-partisan judges for our courts. This ballot issue is an attempt to politically manipulate our court system.

Legislative Candidates

Springfield NEA members interviewed candidates for the state legislature and made the following recommendations based on their support for students, teachers and public schools. As we all know, the Missouri General Assembly has made a parlor game each year of tampering with public education with such issues as teacher tenure, RIF law, charter schools and persistent attempts to privatize public schools. Big money is backing these efforts, and we desperately need some local representatives with backbone to push back. To put it bluntly, some of our current legislators have been players in this farce, and they need to be replaced.

Springfield NEA enthusiastically supports these legislative candidates:

Casey Clark - 135th District
James Owen - 134th District
Charlie Norr - 132nd District

Key State Races

U.S. Senate - Claire McCaskill
On education issues, Claire has been consistently supportive of public schools during her six years in office. Her opponent opposes the school lunch program, Pell grants and student loan programs.

Secretary of State - Jason Kander

I was fortunate to be on the Missouri NEA interview team that met with Jason Kander. He is very knowledgeable of issues concerning public education and earned our recommendation. This particular race is very important to teachers because the Secretary of State's office is responsible for accepting or rejecting petition language for ballot issues and attaching a fiscal note to each measure.

Missouri's resident billionaire anarchist, Rex Sinquefield (fair tax, repeal teacher tenure), has bombarded the SoS office over the past few years with repeated petition attempts aimed at privatizing schools and eliminating tax revenues that he feels intrude upon his financial interests. And now, he is bankrolling his very own candidate for Secretary of State (Schoeller). From the Wall Street Journal (10/26/12):

 "Mr. Sinquefield has given $400,000 to Republican secretary of state candidate Shane Schoeller, a 41-year-old free-marketeer who supports education reform." Also from WSJ:

"In 2014, Mr. Sinquefield is planning his most ambitious ballot initiative to date: abolishing teacher tenure in Missouri. He says the initiative polls very well, particularly when tied to merit pay."

This year, the Secretary of State race is extremely important to teachers and public schools. Please vote for Kander for Secretary of State.

For other Missouri NEA recommendations: http://www.mnea.org/Missouri/Recommendations.aspx