MOScout Daily Update: Senate Pre-File Bits - Bruns To Become Cops' Legislative Director - Virginia Young Writes Again and more....
Bits from Senate Pre-Filing
Pre-filing is just the start obviously, though sometimes there are hints of what’s to come…
· SB1… the first bill goes to Sen. Kiki Curls. It says it “relates to expungement of certain criminal records.” Apparently it’s a follow-on to her expungement bill last year (which passed). Listen to the “Senate Minute” about that bill here.
· Look at Sen-elect Eric Burlison… pre-filing a right to work bill, as if there wasn’t just smacked down by Missouri voters by a 35-point margin. I don’t see a right to work bill going anywhere, but Republicans do point out that their pro-RTW stance resulted in very little – if any – damage in November. In other words, “what’s the downside?”
· Now concerned with the will of the body instead of his own agenda, Pro Tem Dave Schatz didn’t pre-file any bills. And only one pre-filed by Floor Leader Caleb Rowden (SB 49 - Relating to enforcement of judgments and decrees against insurance companies).
· A few freshmen bills… Sen-elects Justin Brown, Karla May, and Cindy O’Laughlin pre-filed very few bills… one, one and two respectively.
· And these senators didn’t pre-file any bills… Mike Bernskoetter, Jason Holsman, Tony Luetkemeyer, John Rizzo, Gina Walsh, and Brian Williams.
· Also not a whole lot of activity among the Senate pre-files on the pro-life issue. Only 2 of the 151 bills were related to abortion. Both were the work of Sen. Andrew Koenig.
Bruns Takes New Job
In the lobbyists registration changes (below) Mark Bruns is shedding many clients. One tipster says the reason is because Bruns is taking a new position created by the various police organizations (STLPOA, State FOP, KCFOP). He will be their Legislative Director.
Bruns is a former state representative.
Lieb on CLEAN Redistricting
AP’s David Lieb looks at the possible impact of CLEAN on the 2022 legislative races. See it here.
The votes won’t be cast for another four years, yet Democrats already appear likely to gain seats in Missouri’s Republican-dominated Legislature in 2022. The reason: a one-of-its kind redistricting initiative approved by voters in the November midterm elections… [S]hould it go forward, an Associated Press analysis of the new Missouri formula shows it has the potential to end the Republicans’ supermajorities in the state House and state Senate.
Virginia Young Write Again
Former Post-Dispatch reporter Virginia Young returns to the printed word with a piece for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. See the story here.
An annual FedEx package stuffed with checks provided Republican Ryan Silvey of Kansas City with some of his largest campaign donations when he served in the Missouri Senate. For example, on a single day in 2014, six donors sent a combined $49,500. Some of the donors had funny names, like White Dog Asset Holding LLC. Missouri imposed no limits on campaign contributions at the time. The man responsible for the packages, according to Silvey, was Tom Goss, then the chief financial officer of a Springfield, Mo.-based nonprofit named Alternative Opportunities Inc…
No one has accused Silvey of any wrongdoing, but five of his campaign donors with ties to Alternative Opportunities have been convicted in a still-unfolding public corruption investigation, prosecuted by U.S. attorneys in Arkansas, Pennsylvania and Missouri….
Interviewed in his office at the Missouri Public Service Commission in Jefferson City, Silvey, the commission's chairman, said he was never asked to do anything for Alternative Opportunities or its successor, Preferred Family Healthcare, such as steer government grants to them, as Arkansas officials have admitted doing. There's a simple explanation for why he attracted so much money from the nonprofit's executives, Silvey said, and it goes back to when Goss introduced himself to Silvey at a campaign fundraiser in Liberty, Mo., in the run-up to the 2012 election. "He said, "You don't know me but I'm your cousin," Silvey recalls…
"He told me we were family and the family had seen me in the news, and that's how I got on their radar," Silvey said. After that, Goss usually delivered campaign contributions in an annual FedEx package, Silvey said…
Jami Calls for License Suspension of Rogue Cops
Sen. Jamilah Nasheed called for Department of Public Safety Director Col. Sandy Karsten to suspend the licenses of four St. Louis City policemen indicted for misconduct.
“I am appalled by the unethical, out of control, and vicious behavior of these officers. The text messages released last night show these individuals were more interested in terrorizing our community than protecting it,” Sen. Nasheed said… The Missouri Department of Public Safety must immediately suspend these officers’ licenses pending the outcome of this case… Until real and tangible steps are taken, the public’s trust in its police department will remain deeply damaged.”
The press release notes that “under Missouri Law (RSMo. 590.09.1), the Missouri Department of Public Safety Director has the authority to immediately suspend a peace officer’s license…”
eMailbag: on Koster Speech
I think the news here is that swinging bachelor Chris Koster is engaged to a woman named Jennifer…
Koster has always seen himself as a future governor. People who know him well always thought he was much better suited to the Senate. He doesn't like to make difficult decisions, but he does like to make grand speeches, and to fashion compromise…
New Committees
William Akin formed a candidate committee (Citizens to Elect Will Akin For Sheriff) to run for Clay Country Sheriff as a Republican
Kansas City Southern Employees Pac (Federal Committee) was formed. Its treasurer is Barbara Blevins.
$5K+ Contributions
Friends of the St Louis Zoo - $14,000 from St Louis Zoo Association.
House Republican Campaign Committee Inc - $10,000 from Kansas City Power & Light Co.
Lobbyists Registrations
Mark Bruns deleted Data Recognition Corp., The Swaine Group on Behalf of The City of Holts Summit, Innovative Tax Solutions, Missouri American Water, Distilled Spirits Council Of The United States, Chris Liese And Associates, Missouri Electrical Conference, Cognosante, Healthcare Advantage LLC, Nurtur Health Inc., Health Systems Inc., Home State Health Care, Swain Group, Burton and Liese Government Relations, City of Joplin, Eaglepicher Technologies LLC, Florissant Valley Fire Protection District, International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 12 And 3, Metro-north Fire Protection District, Missouri Association of Insurance Agents,
Missouri Association of License Offices, Missouri Council of School Administrators, Missouri Finance Institute, Missouri Manufactured Housing Association, Missouri Pawn Brokers Association, Missouri Probation and Parole Officers Association, Ozark Consolidated Sevices,
Paetec, Robertson Fire Protection District, Sprinkler Fitters Union, Local No. 268, Strategic Compliance Solutions LLC, OneMain Financial, Inc., IBM Corp., The Firemen`s Retirement System of St. Louis, City Of O`Fallon, Citigroup Washington Inc., Missouri Trucking Association, GibbonsWorkmanLLC, Missouri Pet Breeders Association, and Historic Revitalization for Missouri.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to Jill Ott.