stadium letter with signatures
DESCRIPTION
MO Legislator SignaturesTRANSCRIPT
CAPITOL OFFICE
State Capitol201 West Capitol Avenue
Room 308Jefferson City, MO
65101-6806Tele: (573) 751-4039
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSETodd Richardson
State RepresentativeDistrict 152
COMMITTEE
Ex-officio member of all committees of the House
DISTRICT ADDRESS
123 South Second StreetPoplar Bluff, MO 63901
Tele: (573) 686-7281
November 5, 2015
Governor Jay Nixon:
As you continue to move forward on your own with a stadium financing plan, it is important to clarify the position of leadership of the Missouri House of Representatives, as well as a broad bipartisan cross-section of our membership. St. Louis is, and should remain, an NFL city. However, regardless of our desire to see the Rams remain in St. Louis, we will oppose any proposal that undermines the authority of the Missouri General Assembly and the will of the people. As both the chairman and the vice chairman of the House Budget Committee have made clear, we will not stand idly by as the people of this state are committed to millions of dollars in debt without proper legislative approval or a public vote.
We find it both confusing and troubling that the General Assembly has been excluded from any conversation involving the commitment of state funds to the financing of a new stadium. We would remind you that the Constitution of Missouri exclusively vests the authority to appropriate money with the legislature. We strongly urge you to consider this before continuing upon any path that seeks to circumvent the people of this state and their elected representatives. While my colleagues and I hold the state’s triple-A credit rating in the highest regard, the consequences of forcing the General Assembly to choose between jeopardizing the State’s triple-A credit rating and funding poor public policy with hundreds of millions of dollars of debt payments with no public input will be disastrous.
Historically, both the legislature and the citizens of this state have shown immense support for our NFL franchises. Missouri is very proud of its NFL franchises and has invested more than $350 million dollars in funding for the Jackson County Sports Complex in Kansas City and the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis over the last 25 years. However, this loyal support is now being sorely tested by a process that has been conducted in secret, even as we continue to pay debt service on the Edward Jones Dome for the next six years.
It is time for public debate upon this issue. This debate is not about the cultural or civic significance that the NFL brings. This debate is about the commitment of hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ dollars and decades of debt obligations by the state. Such a commitment cannot and should not be taken lightly; nor should it be made behind closed doors and out of the public’s eye.
We call upon you to begin operating in good faith with the legislature and the people of Missouri. For the sake of the citizens of the state of Missouri, your fans, and your customers, we invite you, Rams ownership, and the National Football League to work with the General Assembly, just as you have in the past.
The St. Louis Rams have become an integral part of Missouri’s sports history and community. We are a diverse state, comprised of two major metropolitan areas, millions of acres of rural communities, and a great level of enthusiasm for all of our professional and collegiate sports teams. We are a state that respects the rule of law, and are known for our healthy ‘Show-Me’ skepticism. With that in mind, the time has come for an open and transparent dialogue regarding the future of Missouri’s professional sports landscape, and Missourians will not place their full faith and credit in any process that commits taxpayer financing while failing to respect our Constitution and the rule of law.
Sincerely,
Todd RichardsonDistrict 152
Allen AndrewsDistrict 1
J. EgglestonDistrict 2
Nate WalkerDistrict 3
Craig RedmonDistrict 4
Lindell ShumakeDistrict 5
Tim RemoleDistrict 6
Mike LairDistrict 7
Jim NeelyDistrict 8
Delus JohnsonDistrict 9
Galen HigdonDistrict 11
Kenneth WilsonDistrict 12
Kevin CorlewDistrict 14
Noel J ShullDistrict 16
Nick KingDistrict 17
Lauren ArthurDistrict 18
Bill E. KiddDistrict 20
Brandon Ellington
District 22
Randy DunnDistrict 23
Jeremy LaFaverDistrict 25
Mike CierpiotDistrict 30
Sheila SolonDistrict 31
Jeanie LauerDistrict 32
Rebecca RoeberDistrict 34
Gary L. CrossDistrict 35
T.J. BerryDistrict 38
Joe Don McGaughDistrict 39
Jim HansenDistrict 40
Randy PietzmanDistrict 41
Bart KormanDistrict 42
Jay HoughtonDistrict 43
Caleb RowdenDistrict 44
Dave MuntzelDistrict 48
Charles BasyeDistrict 47
Travis FitzwaterDistrict 49
Caleb JonesDistrict 50
Dean DohrmanDistrict 51
Nathan BeardDistrict 52
Glen KolkmeyerDistrict 53
Denny HoskinsDistrict 54
Rick BrattinDistrict 55
Jack BondonDistrict 56
Wanda BrownDistrict 57
David WoodDistrict 58
Mike BernskoetterDistrict 59
Jay BarnesDistrict 60
Justin AlfermanDistrict 61
Tom HurstDistrict 62
Bryan SpencerDistrict 63
Robert CornejoDistrict 64
Anne ZerrDistrict 65
Margo McNeilDistrict 69
Sue MeredithDistrict 71
Mary NicholsDistrict 72
Rochelle Walton GrayDistrict 75
Tracy McCreeryDistrict 88
Jeanne KirktonDistrict 91
Genise MontecilloDistrict 92
Cloria BrownDistrict 94
Marsha HaefnerDistrict 95
John McCahertyDistrict 97
Andrew KoenigDistrict 99
Shamed DoganDistrict 98
Don GosenDistrict 101
Kurt BahrDistrict 102
John WiemannDistrict 103
Kirk MathewsDistrict 110
Ben HarrisDistrict 118
Jason ChipmanDistrict 120
Mark ParkinsonDistrict 105
Chrissy SommerDistrict 106
Ron HicksDistrict 107
Justin HillDistrict 108
Paul CurtmanDistrict 109
Shane RodenDistrict 111
Robert VescovoDistrict 112
Dan ShaulDistrict 113
Becky RuthDistrict 114
Dave HinsonDistrict 119
Keith FrederickDistrict 121
Steve LynchDistrict 122
Diane FranklinDistrict 123
Rocky MillerDistrict 124
Warren LoveDistrict 125
Patricia PikeDistrict 126
Mike KelleyDistrict 127
Sue EntlicherDistrict 128
Sandy CrawfordDistrict 129
Jeffrey MessengerDistrict 130
Sonya AndersonDistrict 131
Eric BurlisonDistrict 133
Elijah HaahrDistrict 134
Lincoln HoughDistrict 135
Kevin AustinDistrict 136
Lyndall FrakerDistrict 137
Don PhillipsDistrict 138
Jered TaylorDistrict 139
Lynn MorrisDistrict 140
Tony Dugger
District 141
Robert RossDistrict 142
Jeff PogueDistrict 143
Paul FitzwaterDistrict 144
Shelley KeeneyDistrict 145
Donna LichteneggerDistrict 146
Kathryn SwanDistrict 147
Holly RehderDistrict 148
Don RoneDistrict 149
Andrew McDanielDistrict 150
Tila HubrechtDistrict 151
Steve CooksonDistrict 153
Shawn RhoadsDistrict 154
Lyle RowlandDistrict 155
Jeffery JustusDistrict 156
Mike MoonDistrict 157
Scott FitzpatrickDistrict 158
Bill LantDistrict 159
Bill ReiboldtDistrict 160
Bill WhiteDistrict 161
Charlie DavisDistrict 162
Tom FlaniganDistrict 163