Friday, January 24, 2014
Cleaning out the in-box for Friday bits…
New PAC Formed
Former Rep. Barney Fisher is the treasurer of a new called political action committee, Missouri Employment Freedom. It sounds like a vehicle to support a right to work campaign.
See Fisher’s bio here. Before being term-limited, he was chair of the Workforce Development and Workplace Safety Committee.
The deputy treasurer is James C Thomas III, a lawyer whose name often appears on committees with ties to Axiom Strategies campaigns…
MO Chamber Turns to Bond for Medicaid Fight
Kit Bond recently registered for Missouri Chamber. He’ll be working on the push for Medicaid expansion. Jason Hancock has the story. Read it here.
“It’s Republicans who are uncertain on this issue, and there are few Republicans in Missouri who have more respect and credibility than Kit Bond,” said Dan Mehan, the Missouri chamber’s president.
Nixon Draws Line in Sand on Tax Cuts
After the Senate passed Sen. Will Kraus’ SB 509 (combined with Sen. Eric Schmitt’s SB 496) out of committee, Governor Jay Nixon issued a rebuke and set the stage for another schools vs tax cut debate.
Republicans will need to reframe because we already know how that movie ends…
Nixon’s Statement
"Last year, the people of Missouri spoke out clearly that they want good schools and good jobs, not risky experiments that funnel money away from public education. But some members of the legislature are back at it again, trying to take even more funding away from our schools and more opportunities away from our children with a billion dollar experiment," Gov. Nixon said. "As I said in my State of the State Address: Missouri already has the sixth lowest taxes in the nation, and I have signed four tax cuts as Governor - but I will not support anything that takes money out of our classrooms. It's unfortunate that a committee that is unwilling to cut even a dollar of tax credit spending is all too eager to take a billion dollars away from public education and other priorities. Once again the choice is clear, the General Assembly can get serious about fully funding our schools, or they can undertake fiscally irresponsible experiments with our tax code - but they cannot do both."
I Know Free Speech When I See It?
Anonymous twitterer says that the “porn revenge” bill goes against the First Amendment. See the twitter-feed here.
MODOT Wants More $$$$
"We have started to fall off the cliff," [MODOT Director Dave] Nichols told a lunch crowd that turned out here for the annual Missouri Conference on Transportation.
Nichols said it costs roughly $485 million a year just to maintain the status quo on the state-owned highways and bridges.
By 2020, Nichols warned, there won't be enough state dollars to match federal funds, resulting in loss of already-scarce Washington dollars to other states.
Read the Post-Dispatch article here.
McCaskill: Finally All Statewide Electeds Working Together!
In a recent fundraising email blast for state Dems, US Senator Claire McCaskill draws a distinction between 2014 and past cycle… top Dems are playing nice with each other…
From: Senator Claire McCaskill
Sent: Tuesday, January 14
To:
Subject: Will you become a member?
Dear ,
2014 is going to be different. We have all of the elected Democrats in the state working together. We are focused. We have one goal: to take back seats in the Missouri legislature. And we need your help….
Email Dogs Legislature For Rolling Over to Nixon
A slightly edited email that was passed around recently…
Begin forwarded message:
> From:
> Date: January 21, 2014 at 2:38:16 PM CST
> To:
> Subject: FW: Charlie Brown kicks the football again
>
> See below.
>
> Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2014 13:26:57 -0600
> Subject: Fwd: Charlie Brown kicks the football again
> From:
> To:
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From:
> Date: Fri, Jan 17, 2014 at 1:12 PM
> Subject: Charlie Brown kicks the football again
> CC:
>
> What the f**k are these idiots doing? Jay f**ks them on withholds f**ks them on
the cre f**ks them on administrative rules and just f**ks them and Daniel f**king
Hall gets the psc. F**king term limits.
>
Gatschy: I’m Conservative!
Everybody wants to be farthest right in Senate 2…
ST. CHARLES- State Representative Chuck Gatschenberger (R) recently earned the American Conservative Union (ACU) Defenders of Liberty award for his support of conservative issues. ACU Defenders of Liberty are those members of the Missouri General Assembly who scored 100 percent on the ACU’s conservative 2013 State Legislative Ratings…
Scissors to Jackson: That’s My Name
Lobbyist Irl Scissors tweeted at Pelopidas’ David Jackson about their recent rebranding to Gate Way Group… @iscissors: “@pelopidas, @GateWayLobbyist - My firm's been Gateway Government Relations since '11. Thx for muddying the waters.”
Lobbyist Registrations
From the Pelopidas website:
Paul Frank added Missouri Care (AKA Wellcare Healthplans Inc).
$5K+ Contributions
Friends of Tom Schweich - $10,000 from James McDonnell III.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Jim Hansen (67), Bill Skaggs (72), and Crystal Williams.
Saturday: Former Rep. Mike Corcoran (51).
Sunday: Ken Franklin (38).