TheChat: Proposed Missouri voter ID proposal ripped

Good morning.

▪ “Instead of protecting the integrity of our elections, this proposal would render them illegitimate by disenfranchising thousands of legal Missouri voters.” — Missouri House Democratic Leader Jake Hummel on a voter ID proposal now going to the voters.

Republicans passed the measure Thursday. They called it a way to safeguard elections. Democrats called it a way to steal them.

▪ “Until we come to terms with limiting campaign contributions we really haven't reformed anything.” — Missouri state Sen. David Pearce, a Warrensburg Republican, arguing that a $40 limit on gifts from lobbyists is meaningless unless campaign donation limits are re-imposed.

Said Pearce, “We're worried about $40 here and $40 there, but we can take a check for $1 million from that same lobbyist.” Missouri has no campaign donation limits. (link via johncombest.com).

▪ “Obamacare has been a never-ending string of lies, broken promises and increased costs for middle-class families.” — Missouri Congressman Sam Graves, a Republican, on a court ruling Thursday that concluded that the health care law does not authorize an appropriation for slashing deductibles and co-payments.

Without that appropriation, many consumers could not afford to buy insurance. Congress, a federal judge said, did not make the formal appropriation insurers need to make affordable health insurance policies under the program.

▪ “While we were honest about our few differences, we recognize that there are also many important areas of common ground.” — House Speaker Paul Ryan after his high-stakes meeting Thursday with Donald Trump.

Trump walked away without Ryan’s endorsement. There was no grip-and-grin photo op afterwards. But progress toward finding common ground reportedly was made.

This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 6:40 AM.