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Carnahan's ballot language draws lawsuit, partisan debate

Robin Carnahan
KBIA
Secretary of State Robin Carnahan's language for a ballot initiative on healthcare exchanges is the target of a lawsuit, and criticism from GOP candidates

Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder has filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Robin Carnahan over the language used in a ballot initiative regarding health care exchanges. The Republican Lt. Governor is accusing the Democratic Secretary of State of trying to deliberately mislead voters.

The language approved by Carnahan asks if the law should be amended to “deny individuals, families, and small businesses the ability to access affordable health care plans through a state-based health benefit exchange unless authorized by statute, initiative or referendum.” Kinder says the language skews the ballot question’s true purpose, to bar the governor from creating an exchange by executive order. In response, a spokesperson for Carnahan described the lawsuit as, quote, “political theater in an election year."

And as Missouri’s Lt. Governor announced his lawsuit against Robin Carnahan, two Republican candidates for higher office sharply criticized the Democratic Secretary of State and the Attorney General over the health care exchange ballot language. House Speaker Pro-tem Shane Schoeller is running for Secretary of State. Tuesday, he called on the House Speaker to create a legislative committee to examine the ballot writing process and craft bills to change the current system: "We have a system where our Secretary of State passes the ballot language, and the Attorney General can approve, without accountability for the taxpayers…I am hopeful that by creating an interim committee we can begin the conversation on creating a fair, more accountable and transparent process.”

Also, Republican Attorney General candidate Ed Martin said incumbent Democrat Chris Koster should have rejected the language authorized by Carnahan. The Attorney General’s office has so far not responded to requests for a comment. A spokesman for Carnahan defends the health care ballot language and says they believe it will be upheld in court.

Missouri Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a proud alumnus of the University of Mississippi (a.k.a., Ole Miss), and has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off the old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Mason, and their cat, Honey.
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