Chili Dinner, Special Session, UAW Strike and More

Sep 17 2019

Only Important Thing According to Governor Parson Gets Accomplished

The House of Representatives on Sept. 11 voted 126-21 to approve legislation allowing businesses and individuals to sell or trade-in multiple vehicles to reduce the amount of sales tax owed on the purchase of another vehicle.

Under current Missouri law, the value of only one vehicle can be credited toward the sales tax owed on the purchase of another vehicle. After a Missouri couple sought to claim credit for selling four vehicles, which would have eliminated the sales tax owed on the purchase of a new truck, Gov. Mike Parson’s administration defended the law all the way to the Missouri Supreme Court, which in June ruled in the administration’s favor and said the law is unambiguous that credit can be given for just one vehicle.

Despite winning the case, Parson, a Republican, inexplicably called a special legislative session for the sole purpose of asking the General Assembly overturn his administration’s legal victory. Since special sessions typically are reserved for issues that demand immediate action and can’t wait until the next regular legislative session in January, Parson has been widely criticized for calling a special session on this topic instead of something more pressing such as gun violence.

Annual Chili Dinner and Wiggins Fund Drive Date Set

Each fall, we host our Chili Dinner with our friends in organized labor. Save the date for OCTOBER 25 hosted again by our Plumbers and Gasfitters Local 8. We are happy to feature Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and County Legislator Jalen Anderson as we raise funds to support the JCDC staff position, which sets Jackson County apart from other Democratic committees in the state. We hope to see you there but if you can't attend: Click here to make a recurring or one time donation.

Fourth Presidential Debate Announced

CNN in partnership with the New York Times will host the fourth Democratic Presidential Primary Debate in Ohio moderated by Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett and Marc Lacey. No decision has been made at this time if it will be restricted to one night. October 15 and 16 have been reserved.

What the UAW - GM Strike Means for Missouri

There are two General Motors plants in the region affected by the United Auto Workers' strike which began this week after talks went nowhere between the union and GM management: the Fairfax plant in Kansas City Kansas and the Wentzville plant just west of St. Louis.

50,000 UAW bothers and sisters entered in solidarity into a strike Monday including over 2,000 in Fairfax and 4,500 in Wentzville.

“What [the strike] means for our members and a lot of Missouri workers is the UAW decided to draw a line in the sand for better wages and benefits for our members,” Glenn Kage, president of the Local 2250, told The Missouri Times. “General Motors is making record profits, and they can’t do so without the hard work of our members who have earned pay increases, earned better benefits, earned for our temporary workers to be converted to permanent workers, earned job protections.”

“General Motors opened a plant in Mexico. … What does that do for Missouri workers, that’s the question,” Kage said.

Over the weekend, the UAW Local 31 (which covers the Kansas City area) President said they've been working below what they should be to help the company get out of the hole.

GM was on the brink of bankruptcy a decade ago and had to be bailed out by the federal government. Employees said they were also part of the solution.

"It's common knowledge General Motors was in some trouble a few years back," said Clarence Brown, UAW Local 31 president.

"We gave up a lot to help them get back for they are, and we got to continue that to best help them get the position they are in now. We have not, as far as I'm concerned, received compensation for what we have done pulled them out that gutter."

Jackson County Democrats have long stood with labor unions and working families especially when it comes to collective bargaining and earning a living wage. We know the Republican party in Missouri have served as a tool for union busting owners and many in their legislative caucus, along with their wealthy donors, can't want for the next opportunity to make Missouri a Right to Work state again.

Jackson County's Own in State House Leadership

Shortly after the election of Lee's Summit area State Representative Keri Ingle as Minority Whip, the Democratic caucus elected Rep. Ingrid Burnett as their Caucus Chairwoman. This is the fourth ranking position in caucus leadership. We are always happy to have a strong voice at the leadership table looking out for Jackson County.

Upcoming Club Meetings and Events:

Raytown Democratic Association: Monthly meeting, Thursday September 19 at 7pm. Las Chili's 6210 Raytown Trafficway. Come early at 6pm for dinner and to make new friends! Guest speaker, KC Councilman Brandon Ellington.
Heartland Alliance for Progress: Monthly meeting Monday September 23rd, 5L15pm at 125 E 31st St. (under the big red tower). "Universal Healthcare: How We Get There" featuring Dr. Sharon Lee (Physicians for a National Health Care Program) and Brian Colby (VP for Public Policy, Missouri Budget Project).
Greg Razer for State Senate Kickoff: Thursday September 26th, 5:30-7:30 at Ollie's Local (3044 Gillham Rd. KCMO).
Greater Kansas City Women's Political Caucus: 28th Annual Torch Dinner. September 27, 6:00-9:00pm. Click here to purchase tickets and attend this great event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-torch-dinner-forward-to-2020-tickets-69155095753?aff=ebdssbeac
13th Annual City Council Cancer Benefit: Join current and past members of the Kansas City Council along with hundreds of supporters as they hold another wonderful event benefiting cancer research Wednesday October 23rd. Final details to come. Check here for more updates.