|
The start of Missouri’s legislature during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic raises questions about how lawmakers will adjust to the realities of this rampant virus.
Just visualize a …
more
By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
|
1/6/21
|
|
This column is inspired by a 1970 song by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young for parents to “teach your children well.”
I’ve been thinking about that song often as I’ve wondered how my …
more
By Phill Brooks
|
12/23/20
|
|
When Missouri’s House begins its 2021 session, it may face a fascinating issue of residency which has a long history.
The issue arises from a St. Louis Post Dispatch report that Rep. Nick …
more
BY Phil Brooks
|
12/9/20
|
|
The title of this column is a question that kept popping into my head during Missouri’s gubernatorial campaign.
That question repeatedly was asked by fictional President Jed Bartlet in the …
more
11/25/20
|
|
There are four Missourians who helped develop the systems that provide you with accurate and prompt election night returns.
To understand this column, you need to realize that the results reported …
more
By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
|
11/11/20
|
|
The recent thoughts written by others about the tragic death of Gov. Mel Carnahan two decades ago have prompted me to add some personal details.
There was something about Carnahan that touched all …
more
By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
|
11/4/20
|
|
Before proceeding with this column, I want you to think about what you’ve read, seen or heard from the candidates running for state office during this campaign season.
How often have you …
more
By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
|
10/28/20
|
|
Missouri’s recent veto session was another chapter in a long and fascinating legislative history.
Until the 1970s, there were no veto sessions. Instead, prior versions of the state Constitution …
more
By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
|
9/30/20
|
|
Missouri’s House displayed unusual constitutional discipline during this summer’s anti-crime special session.
House leaders obeyed a state constitutional provision which requires a …
more
By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
|
9/16/20
|
|
As an emeritus faculty member of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, I feel compelled to offer some thoughts about the recent controversy involving the tweets by two school newsroom …
more
Phil Brooks
|
7/29/20
|
|
A few decades ago, Missouri’s Senate had a unique visitor — a baby squirrel.
Harvey’s chamber appearance was unplanned.
Arriving to the Capitol late one day, I entered the …
more
by Phil Brooks
|
7/22/20
|
|
This column is prompted by a simple question asked of the governor at one of his news conferences.
Missouri had reached a peak level of COVID-19 infections.
That record was set after Missouri …
more
By Phill Brooks
By Phill Brooks
|
7/8/20
|
|
As I reflect on the final months of term-limited state legislators who have made a profound difference for the state, I also remember Harriett Woods.
While she gained national attention for her …
more
by Phil Brooks
|
6/24/20
|
|
There are some interesting similarities between Missouri’s governor and the nation’s president in dealing with COVID-19.
Their refusal to wear face masks is the most visible. Both Gov. …
more
By Phill Brooks
|
6/10/20
|
|
I had expected limited production from Missouri’s 2020 annual session because of the several weeks lost from the extended spring break to avoid COVID-19 exposure.
Indeed, the General …
more
By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
|
5/28/20
|
|
Missouri's General Assembly faces historic challenges for the final three weeks of the 2020 regular session.
The budget tops the list with a projected $1 billion or even higher revenue loss for …
more
By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
|
4/24/20
|
|
This spring, Missouri lost one of the key partners in the most dynamic cross-party legislative collaboration I’ve seen in half a century.
Jack Buechner was a founding member of a group of …
more
By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
|
4/22/20
|
|
The coronavirus pandemic has raised some difficult journalistic questions for which there are not easy answers.
Journalists are facing conflicts between stressing good health practices while, at …
more
By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
|
4/8/20
|
|
A Missouri incident nearly a decade ago demonstrates the danger of politicians trying to control health information as the administration of President Donald Trump has done to deal with the …
more
By Phill Brooks, Contributing Columnist
|
3/18/20
|
|
A recent lawsuit filed against the Missouri House has highlighted a growing conflict between demands for openness in government versus the expectation of Missouri citizens for personal …
more
2/19/20
|
