TheChat: Recruiting Democratic candidates is tough work

Back to the grind...

▪ “I don’t concede that Missouri is nearly as conservative as people think that it is.” — Missouri state Rep. Gail McCann-Beatty, a Kansas City Democrat, talking about the state’s political leanings.

But other Democrats concede that’s it’s tough to recruit party members to run for seats in a General Assembly that’s so thoroughly dominated by Republicans. (link via johncombest.com).

▪ “We have more work to do.” — Patrick McKenna, director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, on the need to convince lawmakers that the department needs more revenue.

The Senate voted to raise fuel taxes by six cents a gallon, but the House refused to take up the measure in this election year. The department did renew the state's cost-share program, in which local governments pay a portion of a project in exchange for speeding up construction.

▪ “Transparency is always good.” — Missouri state Sen. David Sater on a measure that would stop health insurance companies from raising rates for Affordable Care Act consumers in Missouri without a review by a state agency.

The bill is under consideration by Gov. Jay Nixon. Proponents say the measure is a long time coming because Missouri is the only state that does not review health-insurance rates.

▪ “The common man needs to be included more.” — Gwendolyn Posey, 44, a registered independent from Sparks, Oklahoma, on the Republican presidential nominating process.

A new poll shows strong dissatisfaction with the process in both parties.