THE 100 REPORT
Former Congressman Todd Akin Passes
A statement released by the Akin family announced that former St. Louis area Congressman Todd Akin passed away late Sunday evening. We join the Akin family in mourning his passing and offer gratitude for the conservative causes championed by Congressman Akin while in office.
WATCH: Senator Bill Eigel Was The Featured Guest In TWMP
Senator Bill Eigel appeared on This Week in Missouri politics as the featured guest to discuss COVID-19 vaccine mandates, the gas tax increase, and Medicaid expansion. On the panel, Scott Faughn is joined by Rep. Donna Baringer, former Sen. Jim Lembke, Thurman Law partner Derrick Good, and Atlas Strategy principal Gregg Keller.
Gregory Ponies Up Personal Funds In Quest For State Auditor
David Gregory wrote a $250,000 personal check to his campaign committee to mark the end of the fundraising quarter in September. We won’t know whether this is a sign Gregory’s getting serious about the race or a band-aid for a poor fundraising quarter until reports are released over the next two weeks. Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick had also previously put $250,000 of his own money into his committee for Auditor and last week rolled out the endorsement of Governor Mike Parson at a fundraising event in St. Louis.
Eigel: Vaccination Should Be Ip To The Individual
Sen. Bill Eigel is among the Republican lawmakers speaking out against proposed federal vaccine requirements, arguing the government should not enact sweeping health requirements. Eigel has opposed the proposals since they were announced, taking part in a rally against the mandates during veto session and calling on Gov. Mike Parson to convene a special session to block mandates in Missouri. The St. Charles County Republican said mandates were not the place of the government or businesses and health care choices should be up to the individual.
“I’ve always been supportive of the freedom to choose what you’re injecting into your own body,” Eigel said. “I oppose vaccine mandates for the same reason I support right-to-work legislation in the state of Missouri, and that is there are times when it’s inappropriate for businesses to place restrictions on employees and leverage them or coerce them by holding employment over their heads.”
SCOTUS Poised To Rule On Abortion, Guns, Religious Rights
The Supreme Court is slated to decide on cases related to several hot-button issues during the term that begins Monday, including abortion, gun rights, and school vouchers. On Dec. 1, justices will hear arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which challenges a Mississippi law that bans most abortions when "the probable gestational age of the unborn human" is more than 15 weeks. Detractors claim a ruling in favor of the law could undermine or even lead to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Carrie C. Severino, the president of the Judicial Crisis Network, told The New York Times, "There are going to be people losing their minds over this case, whichever direction it goes."Another contentious case will be heard Nov. 3, when the court will decide in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen regarding whether the state of New York can order citizens who want a concealed carry license to demonstrate a good reason for having one. The ruling would also effect concealed carry restrictions in California, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. In Carson v. Makin, scheduled to be heard before the court on Dec. 8, justices will decide if Maine can exclude religious schools from a state tuition program. The conservative-majority high court will also decide on challenges to President Biden's vaccine mandate, as well as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) for immigrants, and a case regarding the death penalty sentence of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev.
Kamala Harris Still Can't Handle Unscripted Events
Vice President Kamala Harris has somehow managed to distinguish herself as the least skilled prominent politician in the country, and there appears to be no venue too small for her to showcase her blunders. Harris is now doing damage control over a visit to a classroom at George Mason University. Harris responded to a student accusing Israel of “ethnic genocide” by saying, “Your voice, your perspective, your experience, your truth cannot be suppressed, and it must be heard.” Harris then had to clarify that she disagreed with the student, and her office has reached out to Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida, who is the co-chairperson of the Bipartisan Anti‐Semitism Task Force.The incident is just another reminder that Harris is completely inept in any scenario that isn’t scripted by her and her team. She was able to look like a political force when she would use Senate hearings to browbeat speakers or when she caught then-candidate Joe Biden in the first Democratic presidential debate with a pre-planned attack about buses. When she follows a script, she is as good as any other politician. But you can’t get by on scripted appearances alone. Harris was dismantled by former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard the next time she stepped on the debate stage after her planned attack against Biden. More recently, then-Vice President Mike Pence ran circles around her during their debate last year. And Harris has constantly been caught off-guard by the most basic questions in interviews with sympathetic news outlets.