Monday, January 9, 2017
Inaugural Day
See the line-up of events here.
I’m guessing it will be a low/no news day with an inaugural speech echoing Governor Eric Greitens’ campaign rhetoric (service, mission, stepping into the dark, have your back).
But there is the possibility for a surprise. Austin Chambers in a conference call with reporters a week or so ago mentioned Greitens signing executive orders and that Greitens’ team was going to be looking at Nixon’s executive orders to see if there were any they wanted to rescind.
We’ll see…
Greitens Transition Talk
MOScout tipster: Director of the Department of Insurance John Huff will be staying on until a replacement is named, and Jim McAdams, the current deputy director/general counsel may be appointed to another position in the new administration…
Nixon’s Final Actions
Governor Jay Nixon unleashed a flurry of work on Friday. He made a multitude of appointments to various board and commissions. The smart money is that the Senate does a blanket reject of all of Nixon’s pending appointments, and lets the new governor fill him as he wishes. (The smart money also expects Governor Greitens to be slow when it comes to appointments). Nixon pardoned the clergy who disrupted the Senate last year in a protest for Medicaid expansion. And he slyly set special election for the vacant (Caleb Jones) House 50 seat… not until August.
House Starts on Priorities
The House is wasting no time. This week will see committee hearings on two of the top priorities identified by Speaker Todd Richardson.
This morning in Rep. Robert Cornejo’s General Laws Committee (7:30AM, HR1) Rep. Justin Alferman will present HB60 which would ban lobbyists gifts to legislators.
And tomorrow morning, Rep. Holly Rehder’s Economic Development Committee will hear the five House right to work bills. That’s a 2PM hearing in House Room 3 that will likely be packed.
Steelman for OA
As rumored, Governor Eric Greitens is tapping Sarah Steelman to be his director of the Office of Administration. See the Post-Dispatch article here.
Silvey Holsy Talk Senate
On the latest edition of Statehouse Blend, Sens. Ryan Silvey and Jason Holsman talk about the upcoming session. They talk about how the Senate has always had “decentralized” leadership and the dangers of a majority or supermajority trying to steamroll the minority beyond a few priority issues. And they talk ethics reform with Holsman saying that Greitens still needs to come clean on the identity of his $2 million anonymous campaign contributor. Listen to it here.
St. Louis City Bits
Sarah Wood Martin, wife of Sen. Jake Hummel, filed to run for Alderman in the City’s 11th Ward on the final day of filing Friday.
The St. Louis Business Journal ran a front-page story about mayoral candidate Antonio French’s non-profit which had it tax exempt status revoked for a failure to file paperwork. French has had paperwork trouble before. In 2012 he was fined $37,935 by the Missouri Ethics Commission. See that order here.
And for those true junkies – here’s the ward by ward breakdown of last weekend’s MOScout Poll. Beware! The much smaller sample size by ward means the margin of error skyrockets. Consider it for entertainment purposes only.
Other Bits
Pat Contreras, who ran unsuccessfully for State Treasurer last cycle, started a campaign committee to run for “Statewide Office Office of the Attorney General” in 2020.
Robin Smith was fined $1,000 by the Missouri Ethics Commission for failing to file 24 notices of contributions. See it here.
News Tribune article highlights staffer Dylan Bryant. See it here.
Help Wanted
Emerson seeks Manager, Government Relations. “The Manager, Government Relations manages Emerson’s PAC and helps advance Emerson’s interests in Washington DC. The Manager, Government Relations will support lobbying activities by participating in trade association and industry group briefings, relationship building, and direct issue advocacy as well as developing and implementing PAC solicitations, coordinating with outside vendor to ensure compliance with all reporting deadlines, vetting of all questions concerning corporate political giving, and making PAC presentations to division management groups at major Emerson plant locations…”
Today’s Events
From Mary Scruggs’ indispensable events calendar:
Inauguration Day - Capitol
9 a.m. Prayer Service – St. Peter’s Church
10 a.m. Honor our Missouri Heroes – Capitol rotunda
11:30 a.m. Swearing in ceremony– South Lawn
1 p.m. Formation of the Troops – North Steps of Capitol
1:30 p.m. Receiving Line at the Governor’s Mansion
3 p.m. Public Reception – Capitol Plaza Hotel
7:00 p.m. Salute to Service Inaugural Ball in the Capitol rotunda
Lobbyists Registrations
Nancy Giddens, Shannon Cooper, and Quintin Hull added Compass Health Network; and deleted Midwest Behavorial Healthcare Management, Inc.
Nancy Giddens and Shannon Cooper deleted Best Friends Animal Society, and Davita Healthcare Partners Inc.
Quintin Hull added KCPT Public Broadcasting, Missouri Forest Products Association, Distilled Spirits Council of the US, Missouri Deer Association, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, AHIP, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City.
Jeff Altmann added Intellistrobe Safety Systems, and Trevor J Crist.
Kelsey Thompson added Missouri Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Scott Kimble and Mike Lodewegen added Educationplus.
Andrew Wynne added US Chamber for Legal Reform.
Michael Michelson added Greenwich Biosciences.
Rodney Boyd added U.S. RAS Association Midwest.
Sherri Giorgio deleted Abbvie Inc.
Jeffrey Earl deleted Missouri Department of Corrections.
Andrew Briscoe deleted Missouri Division of Profession Registration.
$5K+ Contributions
Find the Cures - $55,000 from Bradley Bradshaw.
We Deserve Better Inc - $9,871 from Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures Inc.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to former Rep. Caleb Jones.
Congratulations
To Auditor Nicole Galloway, and husband Jon, on the birth of her son, Joseph Nickels Galloway.