August 16 2018 - RTW "Presentation" at Summer Caucus - New MMJ Alliance? - Dark Money's Dark Lawsuit and more...
Driving the Day
This morning is the 66th annual Governor’s Ham Breakfast at the State Fair. Missourinet reports that it’ll be packed…
House Republican Summer Caucus Talk
A big rumor making its way around yesterday, sending tremors through the political world – especially labor… Word is that MOChamber CEO Dan Mehan and businessman Greg Hoberock will be addressing House Republicans at their summer caucus this weekend. While it’s unclear what they’ll say, they are slated to be “presenting on right to work.” They could just be talking about how to “message” the landslide loss of the issue. But some are nervous that they’ll be pitching the idea of re-passing the legislation….
Also
On tap for the summer get together, legislators are bracing for what they’ll be hearing from HRCC on the latest polling information, as well as a 2019 preview from Speaker-elect Elijah Haahr.
And
Strongman Jeff Roe will host a dinner tonight for some reps...
Leadership Race Talk
I got a fair amount of pushback for calling Rep. Travis Fitzwater the expected winner of the speaker pro tem race in the House. A fair number of folks think Rep. John Wiemann has as good, if not better, shot…
“I'm hearing Travis and Wiemann are in a dead heat for Pro Tem.”
“[Fitzwater] is well liked but he entered too late and he is not putting in the time and miles to meet with members that is necessary… Picking a front runner right now seems premature. Wiemann is working it.”
“I believe there's a strong case Rep. John Wiemann is the frontrunner in the Speaker Pro Tem race... [he’s] campaigned hard across the state for House candidates and in the specials… [and] developed very good relationships with likely incoming House GOP freshman class on the campaign trail”
From one insider without a dog in the fight comes this assessment: You win those lower tier leadership races by putting 45k miles on your car and going to everyone's house and personally asking for the vote…
MMJ Alliance?
One strong source sees two of the medical marijuana campaigns banding together, a move which would change the landscape of the three competing measures. According to this source, New Approach Missouri and Missourians for Patient Care won’t be doing any negative campaigning against each other, but rather will reserve their fire exclusively for Brad Bradshaw’s Find the Cure proposal. They might even merge their campaign together under one umbrella.
Earlier this week, Bradshaw sued to block the two groups from the ballot, a move likely to solidify this alliance.
Furthermore, he says that NAM and MPC have reached an understanding not to litigate after the election but – assuming both pass – jointly propose how implementation could occur…
And
Post-Dispatch reports that AG Josh Hawley “signals potential” support for medical marijuana. See it here.
Dark Money, Dark Lawsuit
Last week, A New Missouri sued the Missouri Ethics Commission, apparently to quash a subpoena (18AC-CC00315 - A NEW MISSOURI, INC. V MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION). But then. Poof. Very quickly that suit was swept away, hidden from public view. It can no longer be found on Casenet.
Apparently the dark money operations want to keep their legal filings dark too…
Bits
Governor Mike Parson made several appointments: Tim Brinker, of Washington, was appointed as the Franklin County Presiding Commissioner; Jennifer Dixon, of St. Joseph, was appointed to the Missouri Western State University Board of Governors; Cindy Duckworth, of Bloomfield, was appointed as the Stoddard County Public Administrator; Lisa Elmore, of Fair Grove, was appointed to the Missouri Board of Examiners for Hearing Instrument Specialists; William Hopfinger, of Sunset Hills, was reappointed to the Advisory Commission for Physical Therapists; Alyssa Mayer, of Kansas City, was appointed to the Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners; Cindy Robinson-Steen, of Glenwood, was appointed as the Schuyler County Circuit Clerk; Jim Ruse, of Gallatin, was appointed as the Daviess County Presiding Commissioner; Sharon Turner Buie, of Kansas City, was appointed to the Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners; and Melissa Vigen, of Kahoka, was appointed as the Clark County Public Administrator.
Press release: Missouri’s unemployment rate edged down another tenth of a point to 3.4 percent in July, the lowest it’s been since June 2000. Nonfarm payroll employment in the state was little changed from the revised June level…Nonfarm payroll employment reached 2,904,400 in July, an increase of 100 from June…
Tweet of the Day
Rowden memorabilia on sale… See it here.
eMailbag on McDowell
“In all the cases cited about residency, none deal with a candidate who never lived in the state of Missouri prior to establishing residency. In the case of McDowell, she had no domicile to which she always intended to return because she had never domiciled in Missouri prior to 2010. In the Lewis case, the court said that 'The purpose of residency statutes is to ensure that governmental officials are sufficiently connected to their constituents to serve them with sensitivity and understanding.' Someone who moved to Missouri eight years ago and started running up debts with people doing business in Missouri can hardly be seen as sensitive and understanding towards their constituents. They are her victims. The taxpayers are her victims, remember their tax dollars are being used to pay her debts.”
Help Wanted
St. Louis Economic Development Partnership seeks General Counsel. “Provide legal support for commercial, industrial, residential and mixed-use project. Prepare and present documents pertaining to the acquisition, condemnation, finance, sale, blight, environmental remediation, construction and redevelopment of property… Discuss issues, concerns and initiatives requiring legislative action with the CEO and other supervisory staff; draft, review, revise or comment on proposed legislation. In regard to legislation, identify and work with key persons and/or organizations that will be impacted and collaborate with them in order to secure a desired outcome; work with outside lobbyists; prepare/submit written material presenting legal positions to legislative committees; monitor and determine appropriate responses; obtain input and advise on approved legislation and its impact….”
New Committees
SWMO Healthcare Committee was formed. It’s a PAC. Its treasurer is Heather Grote.
$5K+ Contributions
New Approach Missouri - $50,000 from Seven Points LLC.
Uniting Missouri PAC - $10,000 from Anheuser Busch.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $10,000 from HealthPAC.
We Are Missouri - $10,000 from California-Nevada Conference of Operating Engineers.
We Are Missouri - $10,000 from Operating Engineers Local 501 (Los Angeles).
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Reps. Sue Meredith and Crystal Quade, and Randy Wright.
MOScout Reminder
As part of the website overhaul, The MOScout Weekly Summary will now be opt-in for MOScout subscribers. If you would like to continue to receive this, let me know by sending me an email (dave@moscout.com).