Tuesday, June 05, 2007
MOHELA PETITION-DRIVE WITHDRAWN
The MOHELA founder who submitted a referendum to put Gov. Matt Blunt's "Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative" to voters has given up. The story is in today's Globe.
Politically, John Hancock of Missouri Pulse said that Democratic opponents have only legislation available to stop the sale. Before Purdy's concession, Fired Up Missouri suggested that new federal legislation would make the sale illegal.
The petition might have thrown a monkeywrench in building plans, had it gone on. The governor's office said that universities should proceed as if the check was in the mail. Had Allan Purdy garnered enough signatures, there would be some serious screeching sounds from universities slamming the brakes.
The bill authorizing the sale of MOHELA's assets had been signed just days before Purdy turned in his referendum. The fight to get to that point took two years, and most of the fighting in the first year was between the governor and Republicans in the legislature. But still, this was Allan Purdy -- a founding board member of MOHELA and involved with the creation of Sallie Mae, according to his wife, Vivian. Even belatedly, his effort to alert the public shows his concern about the issue.
And though Purdy has conceded the idea of having voters decide, I don't think Missouri has seen the last of the debate over the MOHELA sale.
Politically, John Hancock of Missouri Pulse said that Democratic opponents have only legislation available to stop the sale. Before Purdy's concession, Fired Up Missouri suggested that new federal legislation would make the sale illegal.
The petition might have thrown a monkeywrench in building plans, had it gone on. The governor's office said that universities should proceed as if the check was in the mail. Had Allan Purdy garnered enough signatures, there would be some serious screeching sounds from universities slamming the brakes.
The bill authorizing the sale of MOHELA's assets had been signed just days before Purdy turned in his referendum. The fight to get to that point took two years, and most of the fighting in the first year was between the governor and Republicans in the legislature. But still, this was Allan Purdy -- a founding board member of MOHELA and involved with the creation of Sallie Mae, according to his wife, Vivian. Even belatedly, his effort to alert the public shows his concern about the issue.
And though Purdy has conceded the idea of having voters decide, I don't think Missouri has seen the last of the debate over the MOHELA sale.
Labels: EDUCATION, MOHELA, STATE
// posted by MoJoe @ 22:14 
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