When we saw (on Twitter) that C-SPAN 2 was showing tweets from members of Congress while they listened (?) to the State of the Union, we had to check it out. The tweets offered few surprises during the few minutes I watch. D’s were positive… R’s, not so much.

Given the tone and level of debate in Congress, might I suggest we just move it over to Twitter? Would force members to distill their rants and rambles. Think about it before you decide.

“One freshman Missouri legislator says her Facebook account was compromised Thursday when someone used the account to post an embarrassing status update on her page. The Facebook page for Rep. Donna Lichtenegger, R-Jackson, displayed a message yesterday naming gifts from lobbyists as one of the things she likes most about her new job.

“I love lobbyist! (sic) All the free food and stuff you get. This job is awesome!” the post read.

Our thanks to Rebecca Berg for posting that item. This solves the mystery down in the Capitol shredder room about the jump in yellow papper mix. It’s all those Post-It notes with Facebook and Twitter passwords.

From Missourinet.com. Story by Brent Martin, photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI:

AUDIO: 44 min

Governor Nixon acknowledge times are tough, but asserted he was an optimist in urging the General Assembly to fight every day for every job in an effort to turn the state economy around.

In fact, Nixon asserted that the economy is turning, albeit slowly, in his third State of the State address to a joint session of the legislature.

Nixon emphasized economic development in an address that lasted nearly 45 minutes and was interrupted numerous times, even though the Democrat faced a legislature more firmly in the hands of Republicans now than in the previous two times he delivered the annual message. Nixon credit bipartisan work between his administration and the legislature for keeping the budget in balance and avoiding deep budget deficit that are plaguing other states.

The governor said the state would continue to emphasize manufacturing. His speech capitalized on the recent announce that Ford Motor Company plans to take advantage of state tax breaks to keep its Claycomo assembly plant at full production in Kansas City, which Nixon said would benefit parts plants throughout the state.

“Ford’s commitment will help keep thousands of hard-working Missourians on the job at Claycomo, and at automotive suppliers in Hannibal, Nixa, Perryville, Joplin, Mexico and every corner of our state,” Nixon told the legislature.

Nixon proposed a sharpening of the state’s economic development tools by unveiling his Compete Missouri job initiative. The initiative proposes consolidating six business incentives into one, rolling three worker training programs into one and providing $5 million for job training.

“That’s good for business, good for our workers and great for our economy,” Nixon stated.

Nixon reiterated his support for a second commercial nuclear power plant in Missouri.

“Missouri has some of the lowest electric rates in the nation,” Nixon said. “That’s attractive to businesses and families. But as our energy needs grow, we need to be looking now for new sources of clean, abundant and affordable power.”

Nixon’s contention that he proposes to keep state funding for public schools flat has already raised some eyebrows among legislators. The governor has proposed that local school districts carry over a total of $112 million in federal funds provided this year into the next budget year, allowing him to trim that amount in his proposed appropriations for education. Schools received a total of $189 million from the federal government this fiscal year.

The governor made only brief mention of the bi-partisan tax credit commission that he appointed to review the state’s 61 tax credit programs and recommend changes, stating merely, “I ask the members of the legislature to allow this commission to present its recommendations at hearings in the House and Senate. We should give the commission’s report serious and full consideration.”

Nixon asked lawmakers to extend the Missouri Rx program that provides a break on prescription costs to senior citizens.

A call to return to ethics reform likely will meet a rebuff from the legislature. Nixon called again to reinstate campaign contribution limits.

“Right now, anyone can write a check for any amount of money, and tip the balance of an election,” Nixon said. “That is corrosive to our democracy.”

Nixon has long advocated campaign contribution limits. The legislature has just as adamantly opposed them.

In a nod to the political gulf that separates him and the legislature, Nixon trumpeted bipartisanship, stating that he and the legislators share common values and common goals.

“For as long as I’ve been a public servant, as a state senator, as attorney general and now, as your governor, my approach has been pretty simple,” Nixon told the legislature. “Bring folks together. Hash things out. Find solutions.”

In trying to strike a bipartisan tone, Nixon closed with a quote from Senator Bond, the Republican who retired from public service after serving 40 years in elective office, who urged politicians to remember that there is a lot of real estate between a political opponent and a true enemy.

“In the days and weeks ahead, let us take those words to heart, and act on them in good faith,” Nixon stated.

Politicians in Germany are using iPads en masse in the Bundestag, the German parliament chamber. The device is “a reasonable expense claim” for the politicians, so they’re popping up everywhere. More pics here. There MUST be some of these in the Missouri House and Senate. Send me a photo.

C-SPAN’s Twitter page now includes an updated list of Congress members who use Twitter in an official capacity, as well as a new list of Congressional reporters who tweet.

C-SPAN is also expanding its online coverage in other areas. The Congressional Chronicle website is set up to provide full video archives for each member of Congress, and gives users a chance to look into members’ bios, votes, committee memberships and campaign finances. Those accessing the site can even search timelines of sessions and share videos from floor debates and hearings. The network also has a C-SPAN Radio iPhone app.

Whew! We should be doing all of that here at Legislature.com but that’s going to require a major break-through in cloning technology. Why yes, we would love to have some volunteers.

It’s the first day of the legislative session.

There is peace and love at the Capitol.

Lions are lying down with lambs.

Choirs are not singing Kum By Yah but the spirit will waft through the halls.

Bipartisanship will be expressed.

The legislative chambers are lands of hope and glory.

Only later will some plowshares be beaten back into swords.

Only later will passions rise.

Only later will voices be raised, not in song, but in argument.

The lid goes on pressure cooker today and the heat will begin to rise soon. But today we savor a one-day era of good feeling.

By mid-May this day is likely to be long gone and forgotten.

But on the first day, there is always hope that adults are in the rooms and that lions can, indeed, lie down with lambs.

It will be sunny and warm and the grass will be green and the trees will be displaying new life when the remnants of the lions and lambs go home in mid-May.

The Missourinet and our fellow members of the Capitol press corps will tell you day-by-day of the disappearance of plowshares.

Some of what we cover will be gratifying to some. Some of what we cover will be repugnant to others.

But remember this:

Whatever happens is the result of what Missouri voters and non-voters set in motion in November. If you recall, the events leading up to those decisions hardly resembled peace and love and lions being friendly with lambs.

So let us savor the one day of warmth and fuzziness that comes to the Capitol each year.

It’s the first day of the legislative session.

“A person on the floor of the House may not smoke or use a mobile or electronic device that impairs decorum.”

Depending on what a decorum-impairing device constitutes, we could see some iPads on the floor.

Read Nancy Scola’s excellent story at Tech President.

I know of at least one reporter who covers the Missouri Legislature who is toting a new iPad and I’m certain there will be more.

About one-third of the members of the legislature who return to the Capitol on September 15 will be spending the last days of their lives as Representatives or Senators.  Term limits have denied their constituents the chance to re-elect many of them.  Others lost primaries or did not run for another office.

But in the brief time they’ll be in Jefferson City for the veto session, some of those lawmakers will be discussing issues their successors will take up next year.  Several legislative committees will be meeting on the 14th and the 15th.

The Joint Committee on Education meets Tuesday afternoon, the 14th.  The Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement, meets later that afternoon.  And later still, the Joint Committee on Tax Policy gathers to talk about Streamlined Sales and Use Taxes—a phrase often used to refer to collection of sales taxes on interstate sales.

Lawmakers decide on Wednesday the 15th if any of the Governor’s vetoes will be overridden. There weren’t many bills passed in the regular session and few vetoes, so the sessions in the House and the Senate are likely to be dominated by farewell speeches and ceremonies.

Once all of that is done, the Senate Committee on Educated Citizenry 2020 meets and the Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight gathers to talk about the search for a new state transportation director and some other things.

The committee meetings during the veto session are generally the kickoff to the committee season, if you will, that will increasingly focus on developing legislation for 2011, giving us an idea of some of the key issues for the next session and some of the positions lawmakers will take on them.

Days after the November elections, present and future lawmakers will be in the Capitol to pick the new leaders of the chambers for 2011-2012.  A few more committee meetings in November and December and then we’re back in the sausage-making business in January.

It will be cold then.  We can’t play outside.   So we might as well go indoors for a few months and watch the legislature make some new laws and see then what and who the November voters hath wrought.

Crossed posted from Missourinet blog. Written by Bob Priddy

Two weeks ago, after the Chairman of the Senate Fiscal Oversight Committee had abruptly adjourned his committee without any discussion about the so-called Ford bill, we asked him if he thought his action might cost him his committee chairmanship. “It really doesn’t matter at the moment,” he told us, “I’m going to do what I think is right for the longterm direction of the state.”

Bob Priddy’s post –with link to audio »

“The non-progress report on the legislature’s special session we issued at mid-week needs a quick update because it appears progress has been made. To hear legislative leaders talk, you’d think two busy days will polish off all problems and lawmakers can go back to their summer pursuits. So here’s a progress report at the end of the week.”

Read Bob Priddy’s full report here »