File this under “almost missed:” Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D-University City) filed a bill earlier this month to make St. Louis Brewery and Boulevard Brewing Company the state’s official breweries. St. Louis Brewery, of course, is the purveyor of Schlafly beer. The company’s Bottleworks location is a hot spot in Maplewood, while the Tap House is a fixture in St. Louis City. The bill, by the way, was referred to the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee. State Senate boundary realignment ruffles feathers—again The wee hours of Thursday morning brought …

The word “non-binding” was thrown around often when either previewing or analyzing Missouri’s GOP primary. And with good reason: The real battle for delegates will take place at the party’s March caucuses. Although former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum easily won Missouri's Republican primary, it doesn't necessarily ensure that he'll get the Show Me State's delegates. Santorum's primary victory—along with wins in the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses—helped revive the former Pennsylvania senator’s campaign against former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The delegate situation will be decided at the …

Campaigns these days can no longer just rely on advertisements and direct mail to deliver a message. They also need to have a quick-fire presence on the Web. That aforementioned statement is not necessarily revolutionary. Campaigns have utilized the Web as both a messaging tool and an opposition research mechanism for more than a decade. But with more and more people getting information about politics and politicians through the Web, the demand is high for manpower to update Twitter pages, fill Facebook pages, manage e-mail lists and organize YouTube videos. For instance, Sen. Claire …

The Missouri General Assembly's session is in full swing, and that means some intriguing ideas are coming into focus. One example: Rep. Mike Kelley (R-Lamar) sponsored legislation that would allow the State Board of Education to draw up a policy that would allow for school bus advertisements. According to a bill summary, "school districts will retain the advertising revenue after payment is made to private bus owners." It says that "50 percent of a district's revenue from the advertising must be used to offset the fuel costs of providing pupil transportation services and 50 percent can be …

Democratic polling firm Public Policy Polling released a survey on Wednesday showing U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) tied with all three of her potential GOP opponents. Noting that things "could not be any closer in Claire McCaskill’s bid for re-election," a news release from the company noted that the freshman Missouri Senator ties each of her three prospective Republican opponents―Frontenac businessman John Brunner, Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) and former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman―at 43 percent. That prompted Dean Debnam, the president of Public Policy Polling, to note that McCaskill is “…

Whether it’s Missouri’s State of the State or the United States' State of Union, a chief executive’s speech to a legislative body typically makes reporters’ inboxes balloon. And it’s not just because Harry & David’s sends an unusually large amount emails advertising its latest delicious sale. Rather, lawmakers tend to enjoy providing snap reactions to high-profile events. That was certainly the case earlier this month when Gov. Jay Nixon gave his State of the State address. And it was also what happened when President Barack Obama’s State of the Union delivered his State of the Union earlier …

For procrastinators, Wednesday was especially difficult. That’s because seemingly essential websites, such as Wikipedia, were blacked out to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act. The House bill, commonly known as SOPA, and the Senate legislation, known as PIPA, are attempts at curbing piracy of popular media, such as movies and music. But many opponents say the bills could have a much further-reaching impact that could shut down sites, such as the aforementioned free online encyclopedia. Thus, Wednesday became the day where many sites opposed to the measures spoke out and …

Missouri’s senior U.S. senator, Claire McCaskill, will face a conservative Republican for her seat in November. The question is, will it be Rep. Todd Akin, a representative since 2001 who is giving up his congressional seat to run for the Senate, or St. Louis businessman John Brunner? Akin and Brunner were both at a Republican forum Thursday night at the Cliff Cave branch of the St. Louis County Library. More than 100 people came on the frigid evening to the event sponsored by the Tesson Ferry Township Republican Club. Each candidate running for office had five minutes to make his case. Akin …

Every so often, Gov. Jay Nixon taps some notable names to fill the nearly endless stream of posts in state government. Wednesday was no exception, as the Democratic governor picked several familiar faces from the St. Louis metro area for appointments. For example, Nixon appointed Crestwood resident Jim Avery to fill a slot for the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission. Avery, who served as a state representative for Crestwood and Sunset Hills in the 2000s, previously was the chairman of the state board of mediation. According to the governor's office, Avery will review administrative …

House Speaker Pro Tem Shane Schoeller — a Willard Republican running for secretary of state — will attend a fundraiser on Thursday in Town and Country. The event at the Cedar Springs Clubhouse will be hosted by Rep. Sue Allen (R-Town and Country). In addition to a slew of Republican state representatives, the event will also feature House Majority Leader Tim Jones (R-Eureka) and Sen. Jim Lembke (R-St. Louis County). Jones is expected to become the next House Speaker if Republicans retain control on that chamber next year. Schoeller is in a crowded race to replace Democratic Secretary of State…

A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows that U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) seems to be cutting into the former House Speaker’s Hawkeye lead. The survey found that Newt Gingrich and Paul are tied in Iowa, with Mitt Romney coming in third. That’s a change from a previous poll that showed Gingrich with a relatively healthy lead. Like Romney, Paul is a veteran of the 2008 campaign. But that may be where the similarities end. Paul has been an advocate of a noninterventionist foreign policy and an opponent of the U.S. Federal Reserve. He’s even come out against a monetary standard not backed with…

Ann Wagner celebrated yet another endorsement this week with the backing of the Susan B. Anthony List. The Ballwin resident and former Missouri Republican Party chairwoman announced earlier this week the backing from the group, which spends money on behalf of anti-abortion rights candidates. Wagner’s opponent, GOP attorney Ed Martin, has been active in anti-abortion rights politics for some time. "I am honored to receive the endorsement of such a well respected and politically active pro-life organization like Susan B. Anthony List,” Wagner said in a statement. “Their commitment to endorsing …

For the most part, last week’s great redistricting earthquake threw a number of lawmakers into the same state legislative districts. But rather than spurring primary fights, at least some incumbents are making plans to move. Such was the case with Sen. Jane Cunningham, a Chesterfield Republican who was drawn into the same district with Sen. John Lamping (R-Ladue). But instead of a confrontation, Cunningham instead will run in the nearby 27th District, which features parts of western St. Louis County and northern Jefferson County. Similar situations happened across the state and region with …

With the Republican nomination for governor all shook up, so to speak, there’s increased speculation that Ed Martin might bolt from the 2nd Congressional District race. Martin didn’t help pare down curosity when he went on KMOX to say that he would consider switching races once again during the election cycle. Martin already bowed out of the GOP primary for the U.S. Senate after U.S. Rep. Todd Akin (R-Wildwood) decided to run for the nation's greatest deliberative body. Beyond having to answer for his propensity to switch races midstream, Martin may have to deal with yet another well-funded …

Remember John Lamping, the man that folks in Maplewood Brentwood elected to the state senate last election? Well, he'll no longer be our Senator. He and the 24th District are moving a little northwest. That's because, for only the second time in history, a judicial panel redistricted the maps for both the state Senate districts and state House of Representatives districts, affecting voters and politicians across the St. Louis area. Maplewood and Brentwood residents are divided into two state Senate districts, the 15th and the 4th, a change from being represented only in the 24th district, …

Another week brings about another endorsement for state Rep. Jason Kander. While three Republicans fight it out to become the Republican nominee for secretary of state, the Kansas City Democrat continues to receive a string of endorsements that could lead him toward a clearer path to November 2012. This week, Kander received the backing of state Treasurer Clint Zweifel. Zweifel – a former state legislator from Florissant who now lives in Columbia – said in a statement “now more than ever we need elected officials that understand and appreciate what public service is all about.” “Jason Kander …

Around the time two major 2nd District candidates debated each other this week in O’Fallon, one contender received endorsements from St. Charles political figures. Republican Ann Wagner – who’s been endorsed by everyone from the current governor of New Jersey to the former governor of Arkansas – received backing from St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, former state Sen. Chuck Gross, R-St. Charles, and St. Charles Mayor Sally Faith. “I have known Ann for nearly 20 years and I have always known her as an effective leader. Whether it was building up a party at the grassroots level, …

Republican candidate Ann Wagner rounded up yet another high-profile endorsement this week, this time from former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. And she also got some encouraging words from a notable political analyst. As Ballwin-Ellisville Patch noted, Huckabee’s endorsement included a statement praising Wagner for being “a strong supporter of the conservative social issues that are important to us like the sanctity of life, and the preservation of marriage between one man and one woman.” Political analyst Staurt Rothenberg—who in October said Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis, was one of the …

Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain could show that when it comes to running for the White House, experience winning elections matter. The Georgia Republican was arguably one of the biggest surprises in the Republican race for the White House, winning a Florida straw poll and taking the lead in many national opinion surveys. That was a marked change from earlier this year when Cain visited Jefferson City, a time when he was an also-ran in the GOP field. But on Sunday, Cain’s campaign was rocked to the core by a Politico article that reported two women complained about Cain’s …