Missouri Birther Bill Gets Preliminary Approval From Lawmakers

Orly Taitz, self-proclaimed Queen of the Birther Movement

On a voice vote, the Republican-controlled Missouri House of Representatives gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a bill requiring presidential and vice presidential candidates to produce a birth certificate that would appear on the state's ballot.

The bill passed following an emotional debate on the House floor during which Republicans denied charges of racism and refuted accusations that the legislation targeted President Barack Obama. The bill -- which would take effect in time for the 2016 presidential election -- is headed for a final vote Wednesday. Under House rules, a preliminary voice vote is taken followed by a roll call vote. But the Missouri Senate is unlikely to hear the bill in the time remaining in the legislative session, and Gov. Jay Nixon (D) has indicated he'd veto it.

The bill's main sponsor, Rep. Lyle Rowland (R-Cedarcreek), said he was sponsoring the bill in order to provide verification to the state's secretary of state of candidates' eligibility. The measure is needed to provide another level of verification, Rowland said during questioning from Democrats.

"I have not been a representative that long. If I was a representative in the 1930s and 1940s, I would have brought (the bill) to the U.S. at that time," he said. "We have a flawed process."

Rowland, a cattle farmer first elected in 2010, also explained that he wants the nation to progress in its election system. "Early man ate with their hands, now we eat with a fork. We have come a long, long way, we have progressed," Rowland said.

Rep. Jacob Hummel (D-St. Louis) directly asked Rowland if Obama was a U.S. citizen, but other Republicans objected and House Speaker Steve Tilley (R-Perryville) immediately ruled Hummel's question out of order, saying that it did not relate to the bill since the bill does not cover the 2012 election.

Rep. Denny Hoskins (R-Warrenburg) questioned Hummel about why he was asking about Obama.

"There is a large amount of people out there who don't think our president if a U.S. citizen," Hummel responded. "I think that is where this bill is coming from. That is why I am not supporting this legislation."

Rowland said he developed the bill after one constituent approached him about a U.S. Senate candidate. Under questioning from Hummel, Rowland said he thinks Obama may have come up in the conversation but was not sure. Rowland also said that 300 people emailed him over the issue, but noted he has not met most of them.

"We're going to pass a state law on 300 emails?" Rep. Sylvester Taylor (D-St. Louis) said in response to Rowland.

Democrats stuck to the racism argument.

"It is difficult for me to stand and speak on this bill, I am so offended," Rep. Karla May (D-St. Louis) said. "It seems to me that we in this state want to continue to perpetuate a class of racism. This piece of legislation that started outside the state of Missouri is evil and hatred."

Several Republicans leaped to Rowland and the GOP's defense before debate was cut off. Rep. Dwight Scharnhorst (R-St. Louis) said he wants to see not only the president's birth certificate, but also Obama's college transcripts, saying they are needed for "confidence and security."

"I have heard our side of the aisle called racist and xenophobic, I am tired of it," Rep. Wanda Brown (R-Lincoln) said. "There is nothing wrong with asking the president of the United States for his birth certificate. I am tired of being called racist."

Comments

[Harry Orielly]

02:15 PM on 04/17/2012

Pelosi & the powerful DEMOCRATIC machine is in full swing (working FAST&FURIOUSLY) payiing off judges & politicians as it has done many times before on the 40 previous lawsuits and dismissed by crooked politicians- So you didn't read about any of them even on the last page of the NY-TIMES- where is Pelosi's outrage that she showered on Bush- but turns her head on Obama crimes-?

[Harry Orielly]

10:58 PM on 04/02/2012

No way Obama will alolow this law to pass because he is a FRAUD who has deceived America and the NEWS-MEDIA BLACKOUT on Obama past crimes is UNFORGIVEABLE-

[Will737]

12:34 PM on 04/17/2012

Apparently it didn't occur to you to read the article. This ridiculous law doesn't even apply to any election before 2016.

[Harry Orielly]

10:56 PM on 04/02/2012

There is NO way Obama will allow this bill to get passed- as we speak the entire DEMOCRATIC party is working FAST&FURIOUSLY behind the scenes by bribing judges & politicians to defeat this bill- only because Obama is a FRAUD who has deceived America & has powerful super-rich people who have hidden his criminal past history at the cost of millions- Obama has fought tenciously to NOT produce evidence of his eligibility to be president- he even surrendered his LAW license to avoid investigation- The real culprits are the American news-media who have kept the past crimes of Obama out of sight f4rom the American people- WE pride ourselves on FREEDOM of the PRESS but as PRAVDA recently published a story on it's FRONT PAGE that there is NO FREEDOM of the PRESS in America today- because the news-media is controlled by power mongers-

[Will737]

12:41 PM on 04/17/2012

You have no proof of anything--just the same as all the other Birthers who come here and make outrageous claims without any proof at all and just the same as all of the Birthers who have filed lawsuits.

Over 200 judges have looked at what little the Birthers have come up with, and mostly those judges have found that Birthers don't even have standing to make a claim. And those judges who have humored the Birthers by ignoring the standing question have all decided that the Birthers have nothing even remotely like actual evidence.

Empty and dishonest words are all you Birthers have.

[Harry Orielly]

02:07 PM on 04/17/2012

GOOGLE "MARA ZEBEST" who has written dozens of books on ADOBE software and hear her stake her reputation that the (ADOBE PDF file) birth certificate is a blatant FORGERY- Did you read about this in the NY-TIMES- YOU didn't???

[oldybutgoody]

01:30 PM on 04/02/2012

Quote: Rep. Dwight Scharnhorst (R-St. Louis) said he wants to see not only the president's birth certificate, but also Obama's college transcripts, saying they are needed for "confidence and security."

"I have heard our side of the aisle called racist and xenophobic, I am tired of it," Rep. Wanda Brown (R-Lincoln) said. "There is nothing wrong with asking the president of the United States for his birth certificate. I am tired of being called racist." End quote.
_____________________________________________

The best way to avoid being called a racist is to stop putting forth such legislation that is obviously based on racism. Those subscribing to the birther nonsense are either racist or they are unprincipled fools willing to appeal to racists and the unfounded fears of the basest of their base. Either way, we need to get them out of office.

[DocWylie]

12:30 PM on 04/02/2012

Apparently the "high functioning" Republicans have all split for DC, leaving the "low functioning" ones running the state.

When it comes to comic relief, the state of Misery never fails to disappoint.

[Alex Fidelibus]

10:06 PM on 03/31/2012

Right. Like that's the flaw in our election process.

Republicans must just want to make America look bad.

[Writerdude2011]

11:44 PM on 03/30/2012

so the state that gave us the rush limbaugh hall of fame statue web get this. actual elected officials spending their time and government money debating this. good thing missouri doesn't have any real problems to deal with. Idiots.

[rdrover]

05:54 PM on 03/30/2012

Well, the Show-Me State sure showed us! Defund 'em!

[Pup99]

09:47 AM on 04/12/2012

I'm from Missouri, and I couldn't agree with you more.

[mo girl]

02:58 PM on 03/30/2012

I am a Missourian and I am very angry that the state legiislature is wasting time and money on such nonsense!!! There are so many, many, more important things they need to be focusing on instead of wasting tax dollars on this. They are sitting around dreaming up with ways to discredit this president. Literally, wasting time and money while there are REAL problems in our state that need their IMMEDIATE attention! I'm ashamed of them! I will do everything in my power to see these people removed from an office that is supposed to be for public service, not an office to service the goals of "the party" (GOP). I WILL NEVER, EVER AGAIN VOTE FOR ANY REPUBLICAN (as I have in the past)!

WE ARE WATCHING YOU JEFFERSON CITY AND YOU WILL BE HEARING FROM US IN NOVEMBER, COUNT ON IT!!

[MissouriModerate]

07:57 PM on 03/30/2012

Hello, mo girl...fanned and favorited.

[TomJ]

12:02 PM on 03/30/2012

So happy to know Missourians have absolutely no issues of higher importance to address. No problems then with jobs, education, healthcare, taxes, drugs, poverty? Tell me - how are the unicorns doing?

[LeftRight]

12:25 PM on 03/30/2012

Considering that they're second place in the "Meth capital of the United States" running....

[MoMick]

04:00 PM on 03/30/2012

Awwwww. We can't even be first in meth production Maybe we can be first in regressive legislature. We certainly have the right state government.

[Pup99]

09:51 AM on 04/12/2012

Only second? I could have sworn that we had #1 locked up.

[nazztea]

12:19 AM on 03/30/2012

Another great economics, and jobs bill.
Congratulations to the Missouri legislature.

[turtom]

11:08 PM on 03/29/2012

My advice to anyone who, like the Republican Rep. Wanda Brown, is tired of being called a racist, is to stop acting like one.

If a person cannot explain why this legislation is suddenly important after the Republic has survived 43 white Presidents, not one of whom had to show their birth certificate. If they cannot acknowledge the ugliness of this story, how deeply racist it really is; if they can't see how race has informed these events, how race is really at the center of these events, thenj they are hopelessly self-deceived.

[PatA]

12:05 AM on 03/30/2012

Already a fan!

[mtomasic]

10:18 PM on 03/29/2012

If the Republican Party had its own way, instead of football, we'd have the non-white gladiators performing each weekend for their amusement.

As a white man, I am warning Republicans that the shoe will shortly be on the other foot. Republican white males have already avoided military service for two generations and now they are attacking women. As they continue their racist, mysoginistic attitudes, black, brown, red and yellow veterans; women; immigrants; and gay and lesbian communities will all turn against you.

And when the tide turns, the Republican Party will cease to exist.

[turtom]

11:15 PM on 03/29/2012

Even the tea party will desert them. The GOP will be John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Orin Hatch sitting in the back of some downbeat bar, talking about the good old days.

[LeftRight]

07:42 AM on 03/30/2012

Don't forget white Veterans and white civilians who don't think that racism is the way to go!

[Seven Teenatheart]

09:04 PM on 03/29/2012

Birthers = National Embarrassment

[Brian Corvello]

08:13 PM on 03/29/2012

And... there we go...

Missouri is now right after Arizona on my list of states where I will never again visit.

[LeftRight]

07:42 AM on 03/30/2012

Sadly I have to.... My stepson lives there with his dad...

[Pup99]

09:53 AM on 04/12/2012

Don't forget Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, Texas.....