Taigan Plummer (D): Open Town Hall in Warrensburg – October 24, 2026

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This afternoon Taigan Plummer, the Democratic Party candidate in the 54th Legislative District, held another in a series of open town halls in the district. Interested voters showed up at the community room at the local public library for an hour and a half long conversation.

Taigan Plummer (D).

There was significant and detailed discussion of all of the ballot measures. Taigan Plummer and audience engaged in an educational discussion.

Before the forum started an elderly lady [not pictured] who saw my camera asked me if I was with the local paper. When I told her I wasn’t she appeared disappointed. I briefly explained Show Me Progress. She wasn’t particularly interested.

After the ballot issue discussion Taigan Plummer opened the discussion up for any questions. There were thoughtful questions on statewide and local issues.

Towards the end of the town hall that same elderly lady, angrily reading from a script, threw out small numbers (literally, small change when it comes to these things) stating that the candidate was late in paying her local taxes a few years ago – “making our schools and services suffer.”

One of the other attendees (noting the script) asked her, “Who wrote that for you?”

Taigan Plummer was calm, polite, and turned the conversation. She explained that at the time she had been working 60 hours a week at a minimum wage job, had two children, lost her job, and had debilitating health issues. She paid the delinquent taxes shortly after, with penalties/interest. She pointed out that she was not a person of means and at that time, like many people today, she had to make a choice of putting a roof over her children’s heads and feeding her family, or paying her taxes on time
.
One other attendee commented, “That’s the kind of everyday person we want representing us.”

As the townhall ended the audience (with one exception) stood and applauded.

I checked the blog archive on my phone – I knew it was there. I found it.

I approached the elderly lady and politely asked her if she knew who Denny Hoskins (r), our current Missouri Secretary of State, was. She did. I then pointed out that when he was a full year into his first term as a right wingnut republican member of the Missouri House Denny Hoskins (r) didn’t pay $16,091 in property taxes on his rental property and had accrued $4,227 in penalties. [That’s over $20,000.] At the time Hoskins made all kinds of excuses, but finally got a loan and paid his delinquent taxes.

That’s the beauty of a long memory and archives with direct references to the public record.

I told her what I found offensive was her selective outrage. She didn’t respond.

There’s a distinct difference between someone falling on hard times and someone with apparent means acting as if the rules don’t apply to them.

Oh, and Barack Obama wore a tan suit once.

Denny Hoskins (r) [2017 file photo].

Previously:

Brandon Phelps (r): we get a slick mail piece (October 24, 2026)

Brandon Phelps (r): we get a slick mail piece

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“…Missouri ranks 49th out of 50 in state funding for public education…”

Missouri Schools Face $270 Million Gap in Funding

14 Oct 2026 education funding, foundation formula, K-12 schools, Missouri education

While the cost of educating students continues to rise each year, the funding Missouri schools receive from the state to pay for teacher salaries and classroom supplies would remain flat under recent recommendations from the State Board of Education. If those recommendations are enacted into the next budget, there would be a $270 million gap between the cost of educating students and the amount school districts receive from the state. This means local public schools will need to make tough choices in the coming years to balance their budgets, like cutting teachers or support staff or student programs.

Missouri’s Foundation Formula is the calculation used by the state to determine how much state funding is needed to provide a baseline level of per student funding for all Missouri school districts. The cost of fully funding the Foundation Formula grows each year to keep pace with rising inflation. But for the first time in a decade, Missouri will no longer reimburse districts for the full amount required under Missouri’s Foundation Formula, based on current requests.

[….]

A $270 million shortfall in the Foundation Formula is a $315 gap per student .

Statewide, it is the equivalent of the average salary of over 4,500 teachers or over 8,100 support staff (such as bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, paraeducators, and office staff) across all of Missouri’s local school districts[1].

This could result in a gap of over $1,000 per student in the school districts that rely most heavily on state funding.

[….]

WARRENSBURG R-VI
The estimated shortfall in this school district is $1,125,390 each year or 1.8% of all spending.
That is a gap of $328 per student and is the equivalent of 19 teacher(s) or 34 support staff.

[….]

HOLDEN R-III
The estimated shortfall in this school district is $327,570 each year or 1.7% of all spending.
That is a gap of $274 per student and is the equivalent of 6 teacher(s) or 10 support staff.

[….]

– Missouri’s own formula for what schools need calls for a $388 million increase in funding in the next budget year. But in September, the State Board of Education instead opted to request flat funding.

– Based on that decision, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) does not even request full funding in its recently released departmental budget book.

– Schools were already underfunded by $190 million in the current state budget, with an additional cut to student transportation.

– What’s more, policymakers used one-time budget tricks to balance the budget in the current year. Because they used temporary measures this year, DESE needs $118 million in new general revenue funds just to reach the flat funding level requested next year.

[….]

And:

Missouri vs. national average
Where school funding comes from (FY25, share of total revenue).

National avg
Where US schools get funding
47% state
45% local
8% fed

Missouri
What MO schools rely on
33% state
49% local
18% fed

[….]

Missouri already gets 14 percentage points less from the state than the national average. Missouri ranks 49th out of 50 in state funding for public education, and this year the legislature undercut the foundation formula by $190 million. We are starting from a bad place — not what kids and teachers deserve….

[….]

“…Missouri ranks 49th out of 50 in state funding for public education…”

This arrived in today’s mail:

“…Brandon Phelps puts our kids, teachers, and classrooms first…”

Bullshit is right.

Brandon Phelps (r) is the incumbent in the 54th Legislative District. Taigan Plummer (D) is the Democratic Party candidate challenging him in the November General Election.

“…Missouri ranks 49th out of 50 in state funding for public education…”

Campaign Finance: saturation

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Vote “NO” on Amendment 3.

Yesterday at the Missouri Ethics Commission for the anti-choice, anti-trans bigots, anti-women’s health care PAC pushing Amendment 3 on the November ballot:

253648 10/23/2026 Her Health, Her Future PAC Conservative Leadership for Southeast MO PO Box 609 Kennett MO 63857 10/22/2026 $10,000.00

C253648 10/23/2026 Her Health, Her Future PAC Her Health Her Future Missouri 1254 Devonworth Drive Town Country MO 63017 10/22/2026 $500,000.00

[emphasis added]

“Your religion does not rule my body”

Not unchallenged.

Yesterday at the Missouri Ethics Commission for the campaign to preserve access to women’s health care:

C253512 10/23/2026 Stop the Ban Protect Freedom and Democracy 620 E Armour Blvd Kansas City MO 64109 10/23/2026 $153,970.25

[emphasis added]

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission for the campaign to preserve access to women’s health care:

C253512 10/24/2026 Stop the Ban Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Inc 123 William Street New York NY 10038 10/23/2026 $750,000.00

[emphasis added]

“He who hath not a uterus should shut the fucketh up”

Vote “NO” on Amendment 3.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: Next (August 3, 2026)

Campaign Finance: bring a nuke to the fight (September 4, 2026)

Campaign Finance: there’s plenty more (September 24, 2022)

Campaign Finance: even more (September 28, 2026)

Campaign Finance: be under no illusion (September 30, 2026)

Campaign Finance: an emphatic “NO” (October 2, 2026)

Campaign Finance: “…and they shall sow the public right of way and all the empty lots across the land with their yard signs…” (October 4, 2026)

Campaign Finance: that about sums it up (October 5, 2026)

Campaign Finance: keep it coming in (October 7, 2026)

Campaign Finance: all that right wingnut money, just to vilify a tiny minority (October 9, 2026)

Campaign Finance: “…It’s the only way to be sure.” (October 14, 2026)

Campaign Finance: no quarter (October 14, 2026)

Campaign Finance: keeping it up (October 15, 2026)

The current temperature out there (October 16, 2026)

Campaign Finance: you’re next (October 16, 2026)

Campaign Finance: “We will not go back” (October 16, 2026)

Campaign Finance: Solidarity (October 19, 2026)

Campaign Finance: all-in for the anti-choice propagandists (October 20, 2026)

Wasting all that money (October 22, 2026)

Campaign Finance: – no quarter – “NO” on Amendment 3 (October 23, 2026)

Vote “NO” on Amendment 3.

“NO” on congressional district gerrymandering – Proposition A – we get mail

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Vote “NO” on Proposition A.

In this afternoon’s mail:

DC politicians are making backroom deals
to stay in power

Vote NO on Prop A by Nov 3

Paid for by People Not Politicians,
Mike Pridmore, Treasurer.

Stop Politicians’ Power Grab.

You are supposed to pick your representative, not the other way around. Prop A would:

Ensure DC politicians pick their own voters

Cut up Kansas City into three districts

Remove your ability to vote them out

Vote NO on Prop A by Nov 3

Previously:

HB 1: Gerrymander this (September 9, 2025)

Can play with AI, can’t be bothered to certify petition signatures (June 7, 2026)

Denny Hoskins (r) is a pre-eminent legal scholar and final arbiter of the Missouri Constitution, said no one ever… (August 4, 2026)

Missouri Supreme Court: “HB 1 congressional redistricting, yeah, no.” (September 3, 2026)

Missouri Supreme Court: “HB 1 congressional redistricting, yeah, no.” (September 3, 2026)

Favorite whine (September 3, 2026)

Gov. Mike Kehoe (r) thinks we’re all ignorant and stupid (September 3, 2026)

What the Missouri Supreme Court said (September 3, 2026)

Missouri Supreme Court slaps down Denny Hoskins (r)….again (September 4, 2026)

Tears in the rain (September 4, 2026)

Denny Hoskins (r): “…unclean hands…” (September 7, 2026)

Justice Brett Kavanaugh – SCOTUS: “Yeah, no.” (September 8, 2026)

Missouri Supreme Court order to Denny Hoskins (r): “…show cause…” (September 9, 2026)

Missed it by that much (September 9, 2026)

Salus populi suprema lex esto (September 10, 2026)

Stupid is as stupid does (September 10, 2026)

Denny Hoskins (r) and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (September 10, 2026)

So sad (September 10, 2026)

Judicial contempt has a way of making one focus (September 11, 2026)

Denny Hoskins (r) and friends whiff at the U.S. Supreme Court (September 25, 2026)

A paragraph for Missouri history (September 25, 2026)

Being obtusely wrong still makes you wrong, Denny (September 26, 2026)

Denny’s Dirty Ball (September 28, 2026)

What color is the sky in Denny’s (r) world? (0ctober 3, 2026)

We Get Mail – “NO” on Proposition A (October 5, 2026)

Campaign Finance: “NO” on Proposition A (October 10, 2026)

Campaign Finance: “NO” on Proposition A – with emphasis (October 15, 2026)

Campaign Finance: there’s still work to be done (October 22, 2026)

Denny Hoskins (r): keep stepping on that Fascist rake (October 23, 2026)

Vote “NO” on Proposition A.

The birds return

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Especially when you bribe them with suet and seeds.

This morning in west central Missouri:

Cardinal. Cardinalis cardinalis.
Canon 5D III, Tamron 150-600 mm.
f 6.3, 1/125, ISO 800, 428 mm.

If you feed them, they will come…

Blue Jay. Cyanocitta cristata.
Canon 5D III, Tamron 150-600 mm.
f 6.3 1/125, ISO 800, 400 mm.

Blue Jay. Cyanocitta cristata.
Canon 5D III, Tamron 150-600 mm.
f 6.3 1/125, ISO 800, 400 mm.

Previously:

For the birds, mostly (October 22, 2026)

Denny Hoskins (r): keep stepping on that Fascist rake

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The thing is, he doesn’t care.

Denny Hoskins (r) [2022 file photo].

On social media, from the official Missouri Secretary of State social media page:

Missouri Secretary of State
[October 21, 2026]

With ELECTION DAY less than two weeks away, some words of wisdom President Lincoln delivered to Congress at the onset of the Civil War. His message underscored the importance of free and fair elections.
In that spirit, Secretary of State Denny Hoskins encourages all of those eligible to vote in the November 3 election, and reminds everyone that no-excuse absentee voting is underway.
#Vote
sos.mo.gov/elections

On the importance of voting

Ballots are the rightful and peaceful successors of bullets. – Abraham Linoln

Denny Hoskins, CPA

Uh, dog whistle anyone?

Some of the responses:

You are a f*ck, aren’t you.
Your post hints at veiled violence.

When can we expect to see daily updates to the website on early vote totals?

agree. Right now 46 states are providing some degree of early vote info. At minimum the number of Voters. Several states do provide data on registration status, gender, age and race or race or ethnicity. I don’t care that we don’t provide any of those but I want up to date daily totals posted publicly like the rest of the states do. I don’t trust our secretary of state any further then I could throw him and I’m a very old lady with a very small throw

Missourians, beware. This appears to be a calculated attempt at political provocation.
By invoking Lincoln’s comparison of ballots and bullets just days before an election, Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is using rhetoric that could bait an angry individual into making a threat, allowing him to recast himself as the victim of political intimidation.
This is not the first time his political rhetoric has raised such concerns.
Do not take the bait. Challenge his conduct, scrutinize his decisions, and hold him publicly accountable. But do not give him the threatening response that could be used to manufacture a narrative of political persecution.
Political accountability, not manufactured martyrdom.

he’s an idiot and tried to steal our right to vote on propositions!

Hoskin belongs in prison. No bullets necessary.

Well said. Mo Republicans want violence for a government take over. That is why they ignore our democracy and pose with guns in ads. It isn’t about 2a or they would advocate for small govwernment. It is also noted that DHS is now knocking on resident’s door in KC and STL to “catch voter fraud”. IF there is voter fraud in Missouri that is Hoskins fault. He is in charge of elections. So much for small government. The Mo Republicans are treading all over us, the State and US constitution. This is why we vote in every election up and down the entire ballot. This is why we show up loudly non-violently to speak up again and again at city, county, and State meetings and local community gatherings.
[….]

Yeah when they are respected and not in gerrymandered districts

Practice what you preach buddy. You tried to take our right to vote on a proposition because “YOU” didn’t like it. It is our privilege to vote on them ALL.

“Fair elections” is respecting the voters, which you have not and we are forced to vote AGAIN because you didn’t like the outcome. What happens when you don’t like the outcome AGAIN???? 🤷🏼‍♀️

Where does cheating and ignoring the will/vote of the people fall, Denny?

Says the man who got punished by SCOTUS and MO courts for screwing over voters. Oh, the Republicans left the principals of Missouri President General Grant and Illinois President Lincoln a long time ago.
[….]

This has gone beyond being a sore loser. This is volatile behavior.

Says the dude who tried to subvert that process, illegally, until the courts held him accountable.

Hoskins, please just quit.
The people of Missouri, the MO and US Supreme courts are done with your games.

Are you threatening violence? It sure seems so.

This feels like when someone incessantly posts bible verses/passages but actively supports the indisputably most corrupt and closest living person to the actual devil himself. *cough* Ann Wagner *cough*

Denny you have proven repeatedly that you do not care about voter, their privacy, will, or integrity. Get off your soap box before you fall off.

Denny, what have I told you about invoking civil war dialogue into electoral politics.
Shame on you.
Missouri had a specific place/position in the civil war that should NOT be ignored, nor should it be invoked during voting.
My Great,great grandfather was the last surviving member of Union veterans in Missouri.
He immigrated here at 15, lied about his age, and fought the white enslaving plantation owners with his life, and WE WON.
I AM PROUD OF HIM LYING AND FIGHTING for the Union.
You are treading on sacred space and invoking violence where none should be present.
Not to mention, you’re a common schoolyard bully who targets transgender children and queer families out of public spaces.
You are ANTI-democracy and ANTI-American.
Shame on you, Denny.
Shame on you.
[….]

Mr. Zero Credibility chimes in with a Lincoln quote. Ha.

A disgrace to the office, resign loser

You are an embarrassment

From the guy who walks around with a bat? Can you not?

Then maybe you should respect our votes.

Obama wore a tan suit once.

Denny Hoskins (r) [2017 file photo].

Previously:

HB 1: Gerrymander this (September 9, 2025)

Can play with AI, can’t be bothered to certify petition signatures (June 7, 2026)

Denny Hoskins (r) is a pre-eminent legal scholar and final arbiter of the Missouri Constitution, said no one ever… (August 4, 2026)

Missouri Supreme Court: “HB 1 congressional redistricting, yeah, no.” (September 3, 2026)

Missouri Supreme Court: “HB 1 congressional redistricting, yeah, no.” (September 3, 2026)

Favorite whine (September 3, 2026)

Gov. Mike Kehoe (r) thinks we’re all ignorant and stupid (September 3, 2026)

What the Missouri Supreme Court said (September 3, 2026)

Missouri Supreme Court slaps down Denny Hoskins (r)….again (September 4, 2026)

Tears in the rain (September 4, 2026)

Denny Hoskins (r): “…unclean hands…” (September 7, 2026)

Justice Brett Kavanaugh – SCOTUS: “Yeah, no.” (September 8, 2026)

Missouri Supreme Court order to Denny Hoskins (r): “…show cause…” (September 9, 2026)

Missed it by that much (September 9, 2026)

Salus populi suprema lex esto (September 10, 2026)

Stupid is as stupid does (September 10, 2026)

Denny Hoskins (r) and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (September 10, 2026)

So sad (September 10, 2026)

Judicial contempt has a way of making one focus (September 11, 2026)

Denny Hoskins (r) and friends whiff at the U.S. Supreme Court (September 25, 2026)

A paragraph for Missouri history (September 25, 2026)

Being obtusely wrong still makes you wrong, Denny (September 26, 2026)

Denny’s Dirty Ball (September 28, 2026)

What color is the sky in Denny’s (r) world? (0ctober 3, 2026)

We Get Mail – “NO” on Proposition A (October 5, 2026)

Campaign Finance: “NO” on Proposition A (October 10, 2026)

Campaign Finance: “NO” on Proposition A – with emphasis (October 15, 2026)

Campaign Finance: there’s still work to be done (October 22, 2026)

Campaign Finance: – no quarter – “NO” on Amendment 3

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Vote “NO” on Amendment 3.

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission for the campaign to preserve access to women’s health care:

C253512 10/23/2026 Stop the Ban The Fairness Project P.O. Box 21337 Washington DC 20009 10/22/2026 $580,000.00

C253512 10/23/2026 Stop the Ban PROMO 2200 Gravois Ave. St Louis MO 63104 10/22/2026 $50,000.00

C253512 10/23/2026 Stop the Ban Abortion Action Missouri Foundation 1210 S Vandeventer Ave St Louis MO 63110 10/22/2026 $150,000.00

[emphasis added]

No quarter.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: Next (August 3, 2026)

Campaign Finance: bring a nuke to the fight (September 4, 2026)

Campaign Finance: there’s plenty more (September 24, 2022)

Campaign Finance: even more (September 28, 2026)

Campaign Finance: be under no illusion (September 30, 2026)

Campaign Finance: an emphatic “NO” (October 2, 2026)

Campaign Finance: “…and they shall sow the public right of way and all the empty lots across the land with their yard signs…” (October 4, 2026)

Campaign Finance: that about sums it up (October 5, 2026)

Campaign Finance: keep it coming in (October 7, 2026)

Campaign Finance: all that right wingnut money, just to vilify a tiny minority (October 9, 2026)

Campaign Finance: “…It’s the only way to be sure.” (October 14, 2026)

Campaign Finance: no quarter (October 14, 2026)

Campaign Finance: keeping it up (October 15, 2026)

The current temperature out there (October 16, 2026)

Campaign Finance: you’re next (October 16, 2026)

Campaign Finance: “We will not go back” (October 16, 2026)

Campaign Finance: Solidarity (October 19, 2026)

Campaign Finance: all-in for the anti-choice propagandists (October 20, 2026)

Wasting all that money (October 22, 2026)

Vote “NO” on Amendment 3.

“Keep abortion safe and legal”

Wasting all that money

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Vote “NO” on Amendment 3.

The anti-choice, anti-trans bigots, anti-women’s health care PAC pushing Amendment 3 on the November ballot sent a slick mail piece to our houshold. It arrived in today’s mail:

We’ve already voted. We voted “NO” on Amendment 3.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: Next (August 3, 2026)

Campaign Finance: bring a nuke to the fight (September 4, 2026)

Campaign Finance: there’s plenty more (September 24, 2022)

Campaign Finance: even more (September 28, 2026)

Campaign Finance: be under no illusion (September 30, 2026)

Campaign Finance: an emphatic “NO” (October 2, 2026)

Campaign Finance: “…and they shall sow the public right of way and all the empty lots across the land with their yard signs…” (October 4, 2026)

Campaign Finance: that about sums it up (October 5, 2026)

Campaign Finance: keep it coming in (October 7, 2026)

Campaign Finance: all that right wingnut money, just to vilify a tiny minority (October 9, 2026)

Campaign Finance: “…It’s the only way to be sure.” (October 14, 2026)

Campaign Finance: no quarter (October 14, 2026)

Campaign Finance: keeping it up (October 15, 2026)

The current temperature out there (October 16, 2026)

Campaign Finance: you’re next (October 16, 2026)

Campaign Finance: “We will not go back” (October 16, 2026)

Campaign Finance: Solidarity (October 19, 2026)

Campaign Finance: all-in for the anti-choice propagandists (October 20, 2026)

Vote “NO” on Amendment 3.