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>> We got a table full of top seeds and we're here to win a championship on Donnybrook on this Thursday evening.

Welcome aboard Alvin Reid sitting in for Charlie Brennan who is still what whereabouts unknown like Daniel D. Lewis on assignment.

>> Joining us this week is media veteran Wendy Wiese, one of our founders, Bill McClellan of the St.

Louis Post Dispatch, political columnist from the St.

Louis Post Dispatch, Joe Holleman, and Jason Rosenbaum is with us this week from St.

Louis Public Radio.

This week we have the official artwork of 314 Day by Natashna Anderson.

You can see her work on Instagram at natasha Now 314 day is this weekend, excuse me, and we're celebrating its 20th anniversary at Nine PBS in the public media commons.

We'd love to have you there to celebrate all things St.

Louis and it's free.

Visit ninepbs.org/events for tickets.

And I want to give a shout out to our own Amy Shaw.

She's going to be getting award from Focus St.

Louis.

She's an alumnest of their leadership program and she's going to be honored during um their annual event, what's right with uh St.

Louis.

So, congratulations Amy.

Congratulations to Sam Page.

He's not running for office and all of a sudden he's a fun guy.

Well, today he announced that he would like to see the city become part of the county and then possibly move the county offices downtown.

Pie in the sky there, uh, Bill, or you think maybe this time we got something going on?

>> No, completely pie in the sky.

But, but I I'm like you, Sam Page unplugged.

Yeah.

And and it's fun and makes me think of you know in Mexico the president is president for six years and he or she cannot run for reelection and not that Mexico has done such a great job over the years.

But I think there's a certain common sense about that that you know let a person have six years in office and not run so that maybe you could be you know you'd be like Sam Page is now just not worrying about reelection just trying to figure out what's the right thing to do.

>> Well and I I don't I don't know why even though we all are in agreement that wow that's kind of that is sort of out of the box thinking and pie in the sky.

I don't know if it's because of what our colleague Jacob Kirn a couple of weeks ago, he really sort of sounded an alarm.

I think for everybody and for all of the the Donnybrook viewers, when it comes to our future here in the city of St.

Louis, things are bleak and they're not getting better and we have to be prepared.

We don't like bad news.

You know, we're very optimistic people in St.

Louis.

And so there's something there was a little bit of wind in the sales when it comes to this idea for me.

I think I I I thought where has he been?

And you know, I think this is a nice uh this is sort of a nice way to not or to not really end your time in office, but to continue to be part of the conversation.

>> Well, he won't be part of the conversation because he'll be gone.

And frankly, I think it was responsible for him not to announce today that, oh, I'm going to appoint a new board of freeholders uh membership that my successor will have to deal with even if they don't like any of the people or the idea.

So, I think it was probably good he didn't actually announce anything substantive and he just wanted to spark the conversation.

had he actually tried to move the uh actual debate into a practical way when he's leaving, I think it would be frankly immoral.

I'm gonna say it say that.

>> Uh but I don't think it's a bad thing that he's approaching this topic.

I think >> yeah, it's going to be hard.

It's been tried like what 50,000 times and failed each time.

But I think that there are real things that really should be discussed.

I've been on this show and said, "Why do we have two emergency management systems, one in the city and the county?

Why do we have a special school district in St.

Louis County and the city's not in it?"

I'm sure that won't be part of this discussion because education is radioactive, but I actually give Sam Page some credit for sparking discussion even though it's not practically doing anything.

>> I I hope it starts a trend that from now until the time he leaves office, let's say once a month, he comes up with a potentially good idea that has no shot had it ever come into fruition and it could just be Sam's idea for this month.

What about moving the Cardinals to Wentzville and renaming them in the Browns and to throw it out there.

I mean, you know, I mean, because you are a lame duck, >> you can do that and not worry about anybody going, "Well, that's the most insane thing I've ever heard."

So, >> I think I think the path forward is to sue more people.

I mean, I mean, we have all this money because we successfully sued the Rams, which I was against at the time.

And now I think, you know, we're like somebody who makes his living on slip and falling.

>> Yeah.

But we haven't really done anything with that transformative money.

>> But it's still there.

It's still there.

It's still there.

I do want to actually point out why he was actually saying that because he said that the county is reaching a point of no return in terms of its budget, which it is.

It's going to run out of surplus pretty soon.

And he sees that the city re-entering the county and a bunch of services being merged as a possible solution long term.

I don't know if that's necessarily true.

I think that that has to be studied really really closely by a bunch of smart people.

I think there should be a board of freeholders that come up with a more specific idea.

Um, but I don't know if that is going to be the long-term solution to the budgetary problem.

Arguably, the bigger the more like immediate solution is taxing internet sales, which the county council's putting on the ballot.

>> Put it there.

I agree with you, Wendy.

For some reason, I feel like at least this time there's at least some ump to it.

Yeah.

And here's a reason why.

I think that St.

Louis County and the city of St.

Louis are kind of looking at the state as a as an enemy, not an ally.

And you need as many allies as you can get.

And in the region, St.

Charles is going to go with the state.

Franklin County is going to go with the state.

Obviously, the metro east side is in another state all together.

So, I think it might be time for us to come together to try to take on uh a a majority in Jefferson City that actually doesn't really do a they do what they can for us without, you know, risking a single vote out there and that really isn't good for us.

Speaking of the state in Jefferson City, the um plan to eliminate the state income tax favored by Governor Kho and many Republicans has left House Committee and is moving right along, but the debate is still going on.

And uh Jason, I know you're there and you're covering it.

Uh it looks like right now, would you say we're going to end up voting on this or do you think this could break down before a bill got passed?

I think there's actually a decent chance that we could vote on this, but not for the reason that you may think.

Um, I think that the way things are now, and granted the political winds can change between March and November, um, it is not going to be a great night for Republicans and therefore it's not going to be a great night for all these ballot initiatives that Republicans put forth to voters.

that includes banning most abortions, restricting the initial petition process, and potentially eliminating this the income tax and expanding the sales tax.

So, I could see the Democrats taking a gamble and saying, "Well, the environment is going to be good for us.

This this idea is going to be opposed by a lot of really powerful interest groups that are probably going to spend a lot of money against it.

We may not filibuster it and let it go to the voters."

Um, I don't know if that will happen because Jefferson City politics is notoriously unpredictable, but it it may not be the worst gamble to do in this year where Donald Trump has two years left in office.

His poll numbers are at the mid30s to high30s.

The last time that happened with when there was a Republican president in the White House, uh, when with two years left, the Missouri Republicans had the worst election of the 21st century, and that was 2006.

>> Joe, I'm willing to predict that the Republicans in Missouri are going to have have a fine night in November.

Oh, yeah.

I mean, I just think this is such a solid red state, Jason.

>> Okay.

All right, Joe, I don't think you were here the last time we talked about the income tax.

Okay.

You >> We've talked about it.

>> All right.

I just didn't know for some reason I didn't think I don't know where you stand or I've forgotten where you stand.

>> Well, we we we've talked about it to the points when they were discussing it and I said I'm >> I am for any politician political group looking to reduce our tax burden.

>> So in that sense whether or not if it goes to the vote of the people then that'll determine whether or not it happens.

Uh but at the point was is there were people who were criticizing him even discussing it and I think government looking at cutting back on taxes and cutting back on spending.

I am always welcome to listen to that.

I am always open to listen.

I >> I think I was one of the ones that was criticizing because the the idea is always we can be the next fill in the blank and in this particular discussion it was Texas and I believe Tennessee and it was they they are so far ahead of us in so many I just think that's kind of a red herring.

I I think it is a good to discuss it and I think that there are some states that have been able to make uh it work without an income tax but Tennessee has Nashville and Dolly Parton, Texas has oil.

Uh Washington state has you know all the Silicon Valley companies although they're just actually putting in an income tax.

>> It has my camp.

>> So I think I think the question I think there should be a robust discussion.

I don't think any tax should be sacrosanked.

I think the question is, are you going to be able to replace it with something that is not going to be painful and is not going to cause state government to collapse?

And I think it's a good debate to have actually.

>> Well, and I also think it also brings up the discussion because when people say, well, you're you're reducing the amount of tax money we're going to get.

Well, hand in hand, that should lead you to discussion of reducing spending, which is also something I'm in favor of government doing.

So, I I like the discussions that talking about tax cuts and spending cuts bring about, which is how can we be more responsible with the money we're already taking from people.

>> All right.

Well, we're talking about the financial end of things and you can certainly help us out as we head into a new year.

Donnie Bash is always almost here.

So, let's talk about why we need your help.

>> She was supposed to be inducted with you guys.

>> Raj Christa Morty.

All right, I practiced it.

Welcome back.

Hey, in Illinois, close Senate race between Juliana Stratton and Raj and a lot of, you know, Raj's just raised an godly amount of money.

And Stratton is the how we say, well, the governor's favorite.

So, that's he it's the old school verse kind of the new school.

So Wendy, uh, we're close enough to remember that Dick Durban was our friend, but we're going to have a new senator in Illinois.

What you think on that?

>> New sheriff in town.

And it's, it's kind of interesting because, and we were relying on our colleague Jason to help us with the the pronunciation, but uh, Raj Krishna Morti, uh, the congressman seems to be he's new school, but he's also old school.

At least I I get the sense that the lieutenant governor cuts more of a uh progressive swath than than than Representative Krishna Morty does.

And it's going to be a great fight because they seem to really not care for one another.

And uh JB Pritsker and Tammy Duckworth has they have both thrown their uh support behind the the lieutenant governor.

But the I I I just think the really interesting thing is going to be to watch the the soul of the Democratic party because this is this is this is the senatorial election.

>> I actually think they're pretty similar.

I I think that beforehand we were saying Christian Morphe was the moderate one.

Maybe because he said there needs to be some immigration enforcement agency that replaces Donald Trump's ICE.

We asked him, all three candidates, about should IECE be eliminated?

And I guess that's one of the points.

And also, I guess Julian Stratton wants a $25 an hour minimum wage.

And Robin Kelly and uh Christian Morphe said that's not realistic.

Let's go for 17 nationally given that nationally it's only 725.

But I think in in in these primaries where they're very fairly similar, you have to look for those little differences.

So you can really pound away at those ads, but the whoever wins the primary is going to be the senator for Illinois probably for the next 20 to 30 years.

So it's an important race.

>> Exactly.

And I think that Christian Ward I think his I think his the numbers seem to be changing constantly.

Um but I I don't know why I have a feeling that he's going to to win.

Well, I do.

And uh I think that Robin Kelly, who's also a congresswoman from the south side of Chicago, will take votes away from Stratton rather than Raja.

>> The thing I like best about the race, not being an Illinois voter, is is that it's good old-fashioned politics.

So, Illinois being Illinois, uh, you've got the two people in, then you've got a potential spoiler as to who is Kelly going to take votes away from, and then you have this interparty bickering, and then at the end, of course, they'll all raise hands and say, "Well, we've got to beat the Republican."

So, I mean, I to me, it's just an exercise in the machine candidate that's picked by Pritsker, the governor.

That's the one they want you to vote for, and then there's this sort of outlier.

Then there's a spoiler.

It's It's like a primer on on politics.

I love it.

>> Stalking horses are true Illinois values, Joe.

>> Yes, they are.

>> That's what I love about Robin Kelly, you know, she is a Congress person, so it isn't like uh St.

Louis where like Freeman Bosley had Clarence Joe Roie in the enter the race against Joe Roie, >> you know.

>> Well, it wasn't it isn't so obvious, right?

>> It isn't as obvious hates JB Pritsker and Stratton is JB Pritsker's candidate.

So, I think she's in the race to her strategy, >> and it's that kind of viscer that makes politics so interesting.

>> Well, I was just going to say that um you know, I hate political commercials, but it's almost like Well, we do have a dog in the fight, obviously, because the Metro East Side, but I've just been entertained by these blockbuster old school drag you through the mud commercial.

Doesn't look like two different parties.

I mean, it's like watching TV.

>> Yeah, they are two different parties, doesn't I?

I mean, you know, that's I I think sometimes in covering politics enough, you realize when they talk about the Republican party or the Democrat party, oh no, there's all kinds of factions in there, you know, so that political unity is pretty much a fallacy.

>> And everybody I mean, I think if you're obviously if you're in the media, you love it, but I'm wondering, do the voters love it?

Do the voters >> I think so.

I I mean, down state, they probably really could care less about this one, you know, because many people didn't vote for Dick Durban, but at least they knew Dick Durban.

He was from down this way this time.

I bet you they just do not >> and they get pronounced dictor.

I mean, >> yeah, but he's a great immigrant story.

>> I don't know.

It's almost like Chicago doesn't care about the rest of the state.

>> I mean, I know I'm kidding.

They care.

All right.

Well, meanwhile, in St.

Louis, Harris Stow better care about this.

Um a proposed budget would dramatically cut federal uh federal excuse me state money going to Harris Stowe um Lincoln University and then Truman University based on the number of students that attend uh college there.

I was kind of shocked uh at the sheer number of money they would take from these universities.

Uh Joe and I think your son went to Trum, right?

My son is a graduate of Truman and it was jammed when he was up there 15 years ago.

I mean, it was just it was the place to go.

>> Yeah.

>> It was ranked as being the highest academically for the state universities and it was a little bit cheaper than Missou.

>> So, it was kind of like a a double good deal uh for it.

And everybody who was up there uh my son knew from high schooler.

They were all from St.

Louis up there.

Uh but after he left started hearing about it slowly going down and then a few years ago I saw where they were like hurting and I thought wow you know what happened.

So I don't know if they quit appealing to to uh St.

Louis students if their price went up.

I will say this when it comes to towns to be in college in Kirksville would not be one that most people would pick.

There wasn't a lot to do there.

And I remember there being the two-year thing where my son said, "For two years, it's great."

Then the next two years are just like, "Oh my god, get me out of here."

So, uh, I I don't think there's a lot of amenities up there other than the school.

So, >> I commend your son because our thing back in the day was that smart kids went to Truman, you know, and that's probably still true to this day.

>> And I don't want to I don't want to misspe or get in trouble with my friend and our colleague and friend Debbie Monteray.

I could swear that Debbie is a graduate of of Truman State.

And to the to your point about how such, you know, very smart people went to school there.

And I was wondering if in terms of the timing, would Missizzou's joining of the SEC, which is seen as just sexier and more enticing to so many people.

I >> And the best journalism school in the country >> and the best journalism school in the country.

>> Sorry, Lauren Todd.

>> Well, Northwestern's not number one, but continue.

>> Well, second best anyway.

>> Oh, boy.

Okay, here we go.

Well, hey, what can I tell you?

>> I will I just I do want to just add that this is a proposal and my guess is that it's going to run into a lot of opposition when it gets to the Senate if it even gets out of the house.

>> I know Missou's going to get more money.

Uh, >> and that's crazy because Springfield is going to get more money, >> but a third of the legislators down there don't like Missouri, >> right?

They they would rather see Truman get the money.

And then I >> no I think I think the M system has gotten a lot more popular since Moon Choy got in because Moon Choy has spent a lot of time um ingratiating himself with the Republican party which is what you should do as you assistant president in a Republican dominated state.

That's not a criticism.

That is just reality.

And for now Moon Choy is technically my boss in St.

Louis public.

>> OH THAT'S RIGHT.

OH THAT'S RIGHT.

He signed your check for now.

for now.

For now, we we're de latching for now.

>> Oh, okay.

I I forgot all about that.

I'll tell you what, though.

Um I'll tell you that um Lincoln University, uh established by u black Union soldiers immediately after the Civil War.

Great historic, you know, background and all that.

I think it would survive.

Also, it's in where the state capital is.

Got um successful alumni just throughout the United States and the region as does Harris Stowe.

But of the three, Harris Stowe should be the most concerned about this because I just it it would just be bad.

>> It's already on life support.

>> Yeah, it would just be bad if it lost that funding.

There would be no coming back from that.

Well, Maggie Green has announced that she's going to uh seek another term as president of the board of alderman.

I think that's a I think that's a good thing.

I know she might not be some people's favorites, but uh I'm kind of like you need a squeaky wheel, so maybe she's it, Bill.

Well, maybe she she is, Elvin, but I think there's going to be a lot of opposition to Megan Green.

And I was talking to a couple of businessmen who really want to see a more moderate Democrat uh running the board of alderman than Megan Green.

So, I think it's going to be a tough road to hold for her.

I think that the trend is going away from the progressives.

>> All right.

Yeah.

Does anybody think that this like state police board thing and some of this other stuff coming out in Jefferson City helps her?

>> No.

>> No.

No.

I I I think I think to Bill's point is is that there was a lot of progressive ideas, but when you look back on it, >> how many of those ideas came to fruition?

>> There was the un the bill the unhoused bill of rights.

It didn't go anywhere.

The money then there was all let's spend money on water and that didn't happen.

And then it's like how are we going to decide how to spend the money?

Well, we're going to go online and get everybody to put this input.

So to me, I think if there's something working for and not only the viewpoint that like Bill said, somebody a little more moderate, not of the progressive side is is what is it of a major major ticket item have you done since you've been in here?

And I think that's a question part goes I've I've talked to people who like partially blame Megan Green for the state getting control again saying that you know well Tashara Jones and Megan Green and the police were so up in arms against the two of them and Kim Gardner and saying you know we just we need help.

>> Sorry Bill I I >> dis I hear it.

Well, you hear it from the police.

That's who you hear from the police.

wanted a court and that was his major thing and they they they acquiesed to him.

So I don't really think it was because of Megan Greener to charge him.

>> Well, I' I've heard businessmen talk about that >> and I also don't think that that that Megan Green helped in any way.

Now whether or not she was the one that's that's the reason we got taken over by the state, but you do have a president of the board of alderman >> holding signs that said defund police and there's numerous throws of it.

Okay.

Now, if you're a police officer in this city, which way do you vote with that election?

>> I'm just saying that that this whole I'm sorry I said that.

I thought it might help her, but there is no way no way you could put the state control of the police on Megan Green.

That that's >> the unhoused partially.

>> No, the unhoused bill of rights was the end of I think voters can do whatever they feel like when they go.

You asked about voting and I'm saying is if you're a police officer in this city, do you vote for Megan?

>> No, they were going to vote for You know, we haven't talked about though is there are three white people on the board of estimate aortionment.

The last time I looked and I'm sure it's gone down since the tornado.

This still is a St.

Louis city still has a large black population and a very active black political community.

So, if she runs one-on-one against a African-American candidate, who knows what happens.

>> And I think there will be a strong African candidate.

>> We need a strong candidate to support Channel 9.

And you're it.

Remember my uh favorite saying, St.

Louis, nothing happened to me.

We're going to have a unified brand for the entire region.

Explore St.

Louis's uh new president is working on that.

And uh we got to do something.

Wendy, is that the first step to getting it all together?

>> It's regionalism.

It's, you know, we're we're going to take a regional approach, but unfortunately, this is something that we've tried.

I mean, we've we've been trying regionalism for 40 years, 40 plus years, and we we haven't had any traction because everybody has their FFT, and uh it it is, you know, it's it's still um as Hatfields and McCoys as it ever has been.

And she seems like a a a lovely person.

Everybody comes to town, I think, and they have they have terrific uh intentions, but it's just it's different here.

It's really different here.

You know, you talk about, hey, they said, well, we you know, we've seen it happen in Kansas City.

Yeah, St.

Louis isn't Kansas City.

We've we've proven that time and time again.

So maybe maybe in this new day, in this new era, things will change.

But if I were placing money at Caesar's Palace, I would probably bet against it.

Not in a cynical way, just in a realistic way.

>> I I I just think that when you put the idea out there the way it is, it sounds like the path that we've been down many times.

>> So many times.

>> In other words, I would rather have them just come out and say like, "Hey, this is what our new slogan is before we even talk about a new slogan."

>> Well, when you think about slogans though, which is what branding sort of is, right?

I mean, we had our new flag that was going to be a brand.

That's right.

But with slogans, if you think of successful cities, do they necessarily have a slogan?

>> The only one I think what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

That's different.

>> You know, that's a good point, Bill.

I never really thought about that.

>> Yeah.

Well, you don't need one.

>> It's because the city's already doing something.

It's sort of like we can't do I heart STL.

New York took that.

I mean, but other than that, it's usually there's something already in the city drawing people.

So, Vegas had the reputation first.

But I think we all need to think in a much more modern, younger way and realize that branding solves all your problems.

All you need is a great slogan.

And the heck with any of the substance to it, if you just come up with this winning slogan, everything's going to fall right into place.

>> I kind of like the St.

Louis County flag.

I'm the outlier.

I give it a seven.

>> You are, Jason.

>> Are you flying it at your house?

>> That's right.

>> Do you wave it on any holiday?

I have waved it in my backyard when I was filming a video about responses to the flag which were overwhelmingly negative, but I I I am a I'm a contrarian like you, Joe, and I kind of like the flag.

So, >> we've just got one in the city.

It's kind of the same one, and I'm good with that.

>> The city's flag is amazing.

>> I think more should be done with that city flag.

Real quick, what was our about the time I was going to college, which is late '7s early, what was our slogan?

>> It's St.

Louis.

>> Was that the St.

Louis has got it all A to Z.

>> A to Z that was but it was also Ralph Butler was he was tell everyone you know remember do you remember St.

Louis and it was uh it was the what was the other one about >> didn't we have something about in the middle >> in the middle of every centers >> that was that was my brief time at RCGA I think that one was going around.

All right.

Speaking of being in the middle of things, Jason down in Jeff City, the redistricting question is still out there.

Uh made it to the Supreme Court where hearings were held.

U there apparently are enough votes to force this to come to an election in November.

You mentioned the November elections and all these ballot initiatives.

Um where are we at as far as all this stands and I guess about the halfway point of the legislative session.

So there are a lot of redistricting pieces of litigation and it can get very confusing and I would say some bad actors say whenever there is a victory in one of the cases it means there's a victory for everything which is not true.

I think that there are really two cases that matter right now.

One was before the Missouri Supreme Court which asked can you do mid decade redistricting in the middle of the decade?

If the answer is no, none of the other litigation matters, no new map until 2032, this entire saga will have been a complete waste of time.

Um, if the Supreme Court says you can do it in the middle of the decade, the other big case, which is still outstanding in a Cole County court, is which map is in effect?

Katherine Hanoway and Denny Hoskin say the new map is in effect that targets Emanuel Clever.

Um the affforementioned referendum folks say that by turning in signatures they prevented the map from ever going into effect uh last December.

And the question I've asked Hannah is when the folks against right to work turned in signatures to eventually overturn right to work.

Right to work was not in effect in Missouri for a single millisecond and not a single business sued over that.

which to me was odd because I bet that there was at least one business in Missouri that probably would have wanted um uh union workers not to be required to pay dues anymore because that would weaken the union enough for them to roll over them.

Um Hannah said, "Well, you know, Jay Ashcroft was wrong and I'm right and I guess we'll find out in court."

But the court precedent on that seems to favor the referendum people based off the president before.

president can obviously be overturned.

And if the old map is in effect, Emanuel Cleaver wins, which he was the main target, the map may get overturned in 2028 or, you know, did not 2028.

It may get overturned in November and it will have been a complete waste of time.

So, this entire thing could be a complete waste of time except for me because I really like this stuff.

>> I'm going to stay with you on this one.

Okay.

Before we get out of here, um a a contingent of uh people of faith um uh Catholic and I I think other representatives uh went to Jeff City and are opposed to the death penalty and apparently um I I'm I'm sorry was it was a hearing or a bill is being filed.

So it seems like it's at least going to get talked about again down that way.

I think one of the most interesting things that I've seen throughout my time covering Missouri politics is there always is a contingent of Republicans, as you mentioned, usually Catholic Republicans who are against abortion rights, but they are also against the death penalty.

Um, in this case, it was Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman, Representative Jim Murphy, former state representative Tony Levasco, who is running again for the legislature, but for a different seat.

Um, and I also remember that Paul Wland, who was the Jefferson County Republican senator, was also against the death penalty and was actually attacked during his 2014 election by Democrat Jeff Roorda for not being pro death penalty.

And Paul Welen ended up winning.

But even though I think this is interesting, it never really has made enough traction because all the governors of Missouri have all been pro death penalty.

So, I'm not sure if this is going to make it.

any chance you do you think I'm not saying this legislative session we rule out the death penalty but do you think this is the first step kind of like you know we were talking about maybe this time you start making that step >> with the consolidation I I I think with I think with outstate Missouri I no even with a Catholic governor and with Archbishop Rosanski >> but things can change like gay marriage there was a time when no one thought gay marriage had a chance and suddenly it became everybody's was for practically.

But I think that the death penalty is here in Missouri and will be here for good.

>> As long as we're red as long as it's a red state.

>> Well, some red states have Yeah, you're right.

>> Yeah.

I mean, it's I I don't want to call it unusual, but I guess maybe that's what you would do because there are some red states do not have the death penalty.

And of course, they I can't think of one, but I actually have read this in the past.

So, but I would give it >> no no chance.

Exactly.

in our last minute.

One uh anything else we should watch for, Jason, here as we go into the second half of the legislative session.

>> You know, the other thing I think people should watch out for is there was a piece of legislation that um kind of restricted judges abilities to rewrite ballot summaries that was struck down because it was put into um a multi-ubject bill.

They're trying to repass that as a singular bill, and I think that it probably will have a pathway to pass.

Whether it will affect the ballot initiatives this year, I have no idea.

That's one thing.

Um I think one of the one of the realities is the Republicans and Mike Kio passed a lot of things in 2025.

The income tax thing is the main thing that I think he wants passed.

But the problem is with too much success is sometimes you just don't have as many things and the budget is really not great.

So, that's not going to be a fun experience and I don't think it will be as um active as it was in 2025.

>> All right.

Thank you.

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Thank you for that enlightening us on Jefferson City.

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