Monday, June 8, 2015
Greitens Polling?
A tipster reports a 15 minute live poll from what sounded like the Eric Greitens for governor campaign. We’ll see…. Here are the deets:
Favorable/unfavorable ratings and name ID on all the Republican primary gubernatorial candidates, followed by asking who they were likely to vote for.
Then a series of issue questions: common core, cuts to unemployment /welfare, right to wrok, and tax cuts.
Then a testing of Greiten’s profile including being a Navy SEAL and receiving an award from President George W Bush. Which was then followed by another re-test of who they were likely to vote for.
The Case for Eigel
Bill Eigel started his campaign committee for Senate 23 last week. His treasurer is former House budget chair, and now United for Missouri executive director, Carl Bearden.
One Missouri arch-conservative sees Eigel as the front-runner. Here’s his analysts: Rep. Mark Parkinson can't win. There is no path to victory even with his $50,000 (self-funded) anomaly. His Missouri Ethic Commission reports show he has zero history of raising money and building infrastructure. He’s a lone wolf out of touch with the realities of modern campaign. Every day he is in the race he only serves as a spoiler.
Rep. Anne Zerr will not be a senator….
Anyone who talks about a split conservative base vs. moderates paving the way for Zerr has a myopic view of Republican primary voters. Eigel (who’s wife’s maiden name is Zerr) will lock down the Tea Party and Libertarians because that’s who he is. He will also appeal to the establishment and traditional Christian conservatives with his record as a successful small businessman and devout pro-life Catholic. He’s the only one that can pull votes from all four pillars of the Republican base. None of whom will be excited about the Rep. Zerr featured at Progress Missouri’s rally last year. See the video here.
Long Seeks To ‘Reboot’ FDA Social Media Regs
Politico has an article about the effort to update the FDA’s regulations on drug makers using social media. See the article here.
Pull Quote: The agency’s current marketing and promotion regs don’t even mention the Internet. They focus instead on brochures, file cards and, inexplicably, lantern slides — a mid-1800s invention that was supplanted decades ago. In the era of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, drug and medical device makers contend a social media reboot is critical.
The first draft of the House Energy and Commerce’s bill did make an attempt. Among other changes, it would have forced the FDA to let drug companies communicate truthful “introductory” information in character-limited settings such as Twitter so long as they hyperlinked to a webpage with more safety and efficacy information.
That “one-click” concept is gone from the legislation that cleared the committee in late May and is now headed to the House floor. Also gone is a measure directing FDA to revise all regulations and guidances that could apply to online communications so that drug and medical device makers can use the Internet “in a meaningful way” to disseminate truthful and non-misleading information.
In Rep. Billy Long’s view, these provisions would push FDA “to update its regulatory approach to communications to keep up with today’s technology.” The Missouri Republican quickly introduced them as a separate bill after they were cut from Cures, and an E&C staffer signaled that despite the lack of clear bipartisan consensus last month, members remained supportive and that more work on social media could still take place.
Bits
CDT reports on the Raise Your Hand effort to raise the tobacco tax for early childhood programs. See it here. “An effort is underway to place a 50-cent increase in the state’s tobacco tax on the November 2016 ballot by initiative petition… The effort already has the endorsement of the Missouri School Boards Association… Ron Leone, executive director of the Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, said his group will oppose any effort to increase the tobacco tax because it will affect competitiveness with neighboring states. Leone said the convenience store association hasn’t determined a strategy to fight the tax campaign and that the tax’s supporters still have obstacles to overcome to get their issue on a ballot. Leone said the tax campaign will have to spend $1 million or more just to get the question before voters. Meanwhile, other groups are trying to place their own tobacco tax on the ballot to fund other items, including higher education.”
Former Missouri reporter Jonathon Shorman, now reporting in Kansas, offers a rundown of their current budget stalemate. See it here. “With historic gridlock and division over the budget that threatened to furlough thousands of workers and shut down much of state government, lawmakers — in the minds of many — have provided a new answer to the old question: “What’s the matter with Kansas?”
The end of quarter invites are starting… “Please Join Us for a Reception in Support of Jake Zimmerman's Campaign for Attorney General… Tuesday, June 30th at Starrs, 1135 South Big Bend Blvd., Richmond Heights, 63117, 5-7PM”
Help Wanted
Missouri Housing Development Commission seeks General Counsel. “Responsible for overall performance and operation of the legal department, and provide counsel to the Executive Director and MHDC’s Board of Commissioners. Ensure MHDC is operating within the law at all times…” See the ad here.
Lobbyists Registrations
Roxsen Koch deleted Metro North Company LLC.
Bill Guither deleted Missouri Recycling Association.
$5K+ Contributions
Schmitt for Missouri - $10,000 from August Busch III.
Nicole Galloway for Missouri - $5,001 from Barry Aycock.
MO State Teachers Assn Legislative Impact Co - $10,000 from Southwest Region MSTA.
Greitens for Missouri - $5,001 from Gil Bickel.
Greitens for Missouri - $10,000 from Jeff Cook.
Joe Keaveny for Senate - $5,540 from U-Gas Inc.
Missourians for John Brunner - $5,001 from David Jones.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to Super-Lobbyist Tricia Workman (43), and Suzy Gorman (53).