Friday June 1 - Transition Day

Today

Governor Eric Greitens will formally resign.

OA Commissioner Sarah Steelman sent this email to state employees yesterday.

From: Commissioner's Office

Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2018 10:01 AM

Subject: Continuity of Government

Dear Colleagues,

On Friday, June 1st at 5:00pm, the Lt. Gov. will assume the role of Governor.

I want to reassure you that this transition will not impact the important work we are all doing for the State of Missouri. In times like these, it is essential that government operations continue uninterrupted. The services we provide to Missouri citizens are vital, and the numerous management initiatives underway across the state are producing meaningful change for our workforce.

Thank you for the work you do for the citizens of Missouri. I appreciate your dedication to state government and your continued commitment to moving our state forward.

If you have any questions in the coming days or weeks, please do not hesitate to reach out to your supervisor, your HR team leader, your department director, or me.

We are all committed to ensuring a smooth transition.

Best regards,

Sarah Steelman

Commissioner, Office of Administration

Here’s the swearing-in schedule…

The following is the schedule for the Governor’s Swearing-in Ceremony:

Who:               Lieutenant Governor Michael L. Parson      

What:              Swearing-in Ceremony

When:              Friday, June 1, 2018

4:00 p.m. Prayer Service (First Baptist Church, 301 E. Capitol Ave., Jefferson City, MO 65101)

Private Service-Not open to the general public. Open to media

5:30 p.m. – Swearing-in Ceremony (Governor’s Office, 201 W. Capitol Ave., Room 216, Jefferson City, MO  65101)

Judge Mary Rhodes Russell will preside.

Private Ceremony-Not open to the general public. Open to media

**Details for a public reception will be announced at a later date.

 And

Governor Eric Greitens made a few appointments on his way out the door.  See it here.

Earnest Hart, Jr., of Chesterfield, was appointed to the Martin Luther King, Jr. State Celebration Commission.

Thomas Frawley, of St. Louis, was appointed to the Missouri Juvenile Justice Advisory Group.

George Stailey, of Fulton, was appointed to Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Samantha Timothy, of Forest City, was appointed as the Holt County Collector.

Meanwhile

Kansas City Star reports that the House is still expecting the A New Missouri Inc to fulfill its subpoena request and “turn over communications and documents showing potential coordination among the nonprofit, the governor and the governor's campaign committee.”

Remember – for all the talk of finally uncovering the donors to the governor’s political non-profit, that’s not in this subpoena request.  However it’s possible that the documents requested could lead to further questions and eventually lead to demands for the whole operation to come clean.

The LG Question

Since the troubles descended on Eric Greitens, there has been a long simmering debate about whether the governor can fill a vacancy to the lieutenant governor position through appointment.

This heating up again.

St. Louis Public Radio’s Marshall Griffin tweeted “Latest unconfirmed buzz/rumor is that @mikeparson may choose @Mikelkehoe to be the next Lt. Governor of Missouri...he's in his final year in the Mo. Senate due to term limits & not running for any other office…” See it here.

And PR Guru Scott Charton offered “I’ve had a few friends ask me whether Governor-In-Waiting Mike Parson will eventually appoint a lieutenant governor to fill his vacancy. I don’t know. There is already a constitutional order of succession. Next in line is the Senate President Pro Tem, currently GOP Senator Ron Richard of Joplin, who is term-limited and leaves office next January. No new President Pro Tem has been selected from among the senators. If Parson does appoint a #2, surely pick someone compatible; Missouri hasn’t had a gov-lite gov who got along in about a decade, since GOP Gov. Matt Blunt and GOP Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder. In late 2000, then-Gov. Roger Wilson - who ascended from lieutenant governor after Gov. Mel Carnahan’s death - appointed fellow Democrat Joe Maxwell to serve the remaining days of his term. Maxwell had been elected to the #2 job in November. No one formally challenged the appointment.”

There’s a lack of clarity over the process because the constitution says that the governor fills vacancies “unless otherwise provided.”  And statutes say that the governor doesn’t appoint state representatives, state senators or the lieutenant governor.

This controversy also arose when Republicans were nervous that Peter Kinder might vacate his spot for the 8th Congressional District and Governor Jay Nixon would appoint the new LG.

And farther back, from an old Kansas City Star article:   Democratic Gov. Warren Hearnes in 1969 appointed just-elected Lt. Gov. William S. Morris to fill the remainder of Thomas Eagleton’s term after Eagleton left for the U.S. Senate before his term ended. However, the state Senate leader refused to recognize the appointment, called it illegal and threatened to throw Morris out of the chamber if he came to preside. Morris ultimately waited until his elected term began.

Stay tuned…

Shot

KMOX’s Kevin Killen reports that St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner spent $65K on the Greitens case (compared to God knows how much Greitens’ attorneys billed).

Chaser

Missouri’s top Public Defender, Michael Barrett tweets “The powers that be allot the second worst funded defense system in the country just $355 to investigate and defend each case. D'ya think people are going to prison when they shouldn't?”

St. Louis County Executive Dem Primary

This week’s MOScout poll will be the head to head match-up of St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger against businessman Mark Mantovani

One MOScouter says the race reminds him of “two guys hiking along a trail when a bear appears.  They freeze in their tracks.  One man says, ‘I'm making a run for it.’  The second man says, ‘Are you crazy? We can't out run a bear!’  The first man says, ‘I don't have to out run the bear.  I just have to out run you.’ Stenger just has to get people to choose him over Mantovani.  He doesn't have to be loved.  With Stenger being up double digits with a 3-1 spending advantage in the final 80 days, the race is over.  Tack on the ads about Mantovani being a big Greitens donor… I just don't see any way Mantovani comes close.”

We’ll see….

When SBOE Starts Their New Commissioner Search….

Margie Vandeven’s LinkedIn shows her still living in Missouri.  Would she come back?...

Events

Spring Fling fundraiser for Michael Butler for City Recorder of Deeds – Merchandise Mart Lofts, St. Louis – 5PM

New Committees

Ruthie Espenschied formed a candidate committee (Committee For The Election Of Ruthie Espenschied For Hoco Clerk) to run for Howard County Clerk as a Democrat.

Ed Lockwood formed a candidate committee (Lockwood For Mo District 43) to run for House 43 as a Democrat.

$5K+ Contributions

Missourians for Patient Care - $200,000 from Missourians for Patient Care.

MO Drive Fund - $25,000 from DRIVE Committee.

Missourians For Freedom To Work - $100,000 from Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

We Are Missouri - $150,000 from USW Works.

Mantovani For STL $30,000 from NSI Ventures LLC.

Lobbyists Registrations

Jean Paul Bradshaw, Heath Clarkston, Harry Gallagher, Doug Nelson and Kurt Schaefer deleted Council of State Governments Justice Center.

Linda Barefoot deleted Purdue Pharma.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Reps. Steve Lynch and Randy Pietzman, former Rep. John Wright, and Miles Ross.

Saturday: Rep. Dean Dohrman.

Sunday: Former Reps. Ward Franz and Ray Weter, Nick Haynes, Abe Rakov, and Lynda Brotherton.