Legislator cautions against support for Amendment 1 due to constituent privacy

Dave Marner, Managing Editor
Posted 10/17/18

Dan Brown returned Monday to the area he once served as a state senator with a strong message urging Gasconade County voters to reject Amendment 1 on the Nov. 6 ballot.

“A big killer on …

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Legislator cautions against support for Amendment 1 due to constituent privacy

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Dan Brown returned Monday to the area he once served as a state senator with a strong message urging Gasconade County voters to reject Amendment 1 on the Nov. 6 ballot.

“A big killer on this amendment is redistricting,” said Brown. “We did it in 2010.”

Speaking at St. James United Church of Christ — Charlotte, he said Republicans should be concerned that whoever is elected auditor next month will have an opportunity to influence the redistricting process along with “a non-partisan state demographer and a non-partisan committee.”

He expressed contempt for the last round of redistricting under the Democratic administration of former Gov. Jay Nixon. The process, which is conducted every 10 years, is due to be conducted again in 2020.

He supports Republican challenger Saundra McDowell over incumbent Democrat Nicole Galloway, a Nixon appointee following Tom Schweich’s suicide.

Brown said Missourians could face an attempt by Democrats to stretch urban legislative districts out into the rural areas using highway corridors such as Interstate 44 to bring a St. Louis-area district all the way out into Franklin County.

“No. 1, we believe in God. We’re God-fearing people,” said Brown. “We’re patriotic. We’re conservative. We have rural Christian values.”

Democrats, he told the crowd of just over 50 people, “want us to have their urban values.”

Brown told those in attendance to pick up the handout placed on tables in the fellowship hall. “This handout is really good,” he said. “It really does a good job.”

Brown said he was also concerned with  a provision of the amendment which could mean private emails between constituents and their legislative representatives could become public documents if someone was to request them through the Missouri Sunshine Law which covers open meetings and open records of government agencies.

“Sunshineable records is a big problem for you,” he warned the partisan crowd. “It hasn’t got a lot of media attention but it’s a big deal. I don’t want what you’re emailing to your senator sunshineable.”

He cited an example of what might transpire based, he said, on personal experiences with constituents. A person in his district has concerns about a family member who may have been a homicide victim, or victim of a sexual or physical assault. That person sends their representative or senator a letter. Sometimes an elected official might request medical reports, police reports, or other pertinent investigative reports to research on their constituent’s behalf.

Those records, he warned, could end up becoming part of a media request for personal records if Amendment 1 passes.

E. Louise Baker told Brown she was worried “uninformed voters will vote the wrong way.”

Share the handout with them, he suggested.

Prior to redistricting in 2010, Brown was the state senator for Gasconade County.

“I know I’ve been preaching to the choir but I want the choir to get out and vote, and vote no on this thing,” Brown implored them.
“Call 10 friends and ask them to call 10 friends.”

And for good measure, Brown added, “We have to defeat Claire McCaskill.”

Ron Hardecke added his thoughts as Brown closed out his comments. 

“We need to get Saundra McDowell elected,” said Hardecke. “She’ll do the right thing. The other one won’t. She’ll do what her party wants her to do.”

Additional information about ballot language is found in a story on page 21 in the Gerald News section.  A closer look at Amendment 1 is found on page 3. And, three views on Proposition D — a proposal to increase the state’s motor fuel tax by 2.5 cents per year over the next four consecutive years to fund Missouri State Highway Patrol operations and provided increased funding for road and bridge repairs locally and statewide — are found on Editorial/Opinion page.

Senate debate on Thursday

KSDK Channel 5 along with Nine Network Public Media and St. Louis Public Radio will host an hour-long senate debate between Republican Josh Hawley and Democrat Claire McCaskill which will be aired live on KSDK at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The debate, moderated by PBS NewsHour’s Judy Woodruff, will take place at Nine Network’s studio in St. Louis with a live audience of 130 Missourians. Panelists include KSDK’s Mike Bush and St. Louis Public Radio’s Jo Mannies. Nine Network’s Ruth Ezell will take questions from the audience and questions that come through social media during the debate.