MOScout Daily Update: Bonding Filibustered - Dem Names 2020 - Brown Returns and more....
Bonding Filibustered
Pro Tem Dave Schatz introduced a substitute resolution for the governor’s plan to borrow money and repair bridges across the state. According to the new plan, the state would pay the money back over seven years, greatly reducing the amount of interest paid. However, that compromise was not accepted by the Senate’s Conservative Caucus which favors the House position – paying for the work cash-on-the-barrelhead.
The Senate Journal tells the tale of the late night with a poetic sparseness…
Senator Schatz moved that SS for SCR 14 be adopted.
Senator Hough assumed the Chair.
President Kehoe assumed the Chair.
Senator Rowden assumed the Chair.
Senator Hegeman assumed the Chair.
President Kehoe assumed the Chair.
Senator Hough assumed the Chair.
President Kehoe assumed the Chair.
At the request of Senator Schatz, SCR 14, with SS (pending), was placed on the Informal Calendar.
What It Means
The slow movement/ non-movement of legislative priorities can depress morale. People are starting to hear the clock ticking.
The legislative charity softball game is tonight, so tonight neither chamber will go very late. After Thursday, there’s five weeks left. As short as that sounds, that’s still plenty of time. And the truth is that the pressure of the clock is one of the key ingredients for compromise.
And
Building veteran: I find it quite entertaining that the conservative caucus keeps saying on the bonding filibuster that departments need to do performance metrics. They act like they are new to the place. Performance budgeting is all over the damn place. Look at chapter 33 for example. Seems like that is all the agency people do anymore.
BASE REVIEW OF STATE AGENCY BUDGETS
33.800 Procedure to be established for performance-based review of state agencies.
33.803 Performance-based review procedure — selection of department or agency, how
33.805 Department or agency selected for performance-based review, appropriation ...
33.807 Access to all records and assistance to house and senate committees, ...
Brown Back in the Building
Jared Brown is back. Sen. Justin Brown’s chief of staff – who stumbled into trouble with the law when he got into a bar-room tangle (and a gun cartwheeled out of his coat) – is back on the job.
According to Casenet, Rusk Bail Bond posted Brown’s bond. He’s charged with “Unlawful Use Of Weapon” and “Peace Disturbance.” And has an arraignment scheduled for April 19.
Daily Revenue Numbers
As I wrote yesterday, the daily numbers from state tax receipts can be quite volatile. After two steps forward, it’s one step back. As of close of business Monday, state revenues were $251 million behind last year’s numbers, or down -3.66%.
Follow-Up on Plocher Proposal
A few people mentioned that Rep. Dean Plocher’s SJR 54 – which would put the St. Louis City-County merger to vote of those residents – could get around any timing problems by simply having the governor put it on an earlier ballot.
One reader mused: [But] maybe Parson doesn’t want to; is that what lunch with Rex was all about?..
Dems 2020
Talk in the building around 2020 state-wides is how little of it seems to be going on. Not a lot of names in the mix for Dems considering that all of the offices are now held by Republicans. File all of this under Rumorville….
· Sen. Scott Sifton, once seen as gunning for a gubernatorial bid with AG as a possible exit ramp from that, is now believed to be a possible successor to Steve Stenger in St. Louis County.
· Auditor Nicole Galloway is still mum about her plans. If she wants to challenge Parson, Dems will unite behind her. But given his fundraising lead (see more checks into the Parson PAC in today’s listing below), how long can she wait?
· Former Rep. Vicki Englund was in the building yesterday. She’s taking time off politics right now, but would consider a return, mentioning Treasurer as an office of interest.
· And Sen. Jill Schupp gets mentioned in conversations, even though I haven’t heard that it’s something she’s interested in. Schupp has proven to be one of Dems’ best fundraisers ($285K in the bank after her recent re-election campaign) and hardest workers.
Anti-Vax Bits
· One lobbyist thinks that Speaker Elijah Haahr would like to have the Health and Mental Health Policy Committee soundly reject HB 711, the bill protecting anti-vaxxers from discrimination. One wonders whether the committee will have the fortitude to do that as the bill sponsor is Committee Vice-Chair Rep. Lynn Morris. We’ll see….
· Washington Post reports that “New York City on Tuesday declared a public health emergency and ordered mandatory measles vaccinations to halt an outbreak concentrated among ultra-Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn, becoming the latest flashpoint in a nationwide battle to try to stop the second biggest flare-up of the disease since 2000.”
· Meanwhile the state is contracting with the Missouri Primary Care Association (MPCA) as “the only feasible source from which to acquire services for Improving Immunization Rates since MCPA receives federal funding from the Bureau of Primary Health Care to work with health centers in Missouri.”
Bits
· Springfield City Council moves to keep pot dispensaries away from schools. See it here. [U]nder an amendment proposed by Councilman Craig Hosmer, the barrier for schools and day cares would extend to 1,000 feet. He said it would ensure that children wouldn't be exposed to drugs and the potential pitfalls of a new industry.
· Governing Magazine reports on Arizona’s move to loosen professional licensing. See it here. “We have licensing for yoga instructors. I think that’s insane,” he says. Citrus fruit and vegetable packers also need a license in Arizona, but nowhere else. [Governor Doug] Ducey also questions the need for more common occupational licenses, such as for hair stylists. “How many people go back for a bad haircut three times?” he asks.
Help Wanted
Navarro Research and Engineering seeks Public Affairs Specialist. “Navarro is a premier contractor providing high-quality technical services to DOE, NASA, and DOD. Navarro’s success is based on our customer service focus and our well-known responsiveness and innovation…. Examples of the kind of the projects the public affairs specialist will be responsible for include: Planning, coordinating, and implementing programs and activities that inform and engage the public, industry, and all levels of government about DOE’s activities; Creating community involvement plans, including identification of and targeted outreach to priority audiences, key issues, and recommended messages and communications delivery methods; Writing and preparing presentations, talking points, backgrounders, fact sheets, press releases, news stories, technical reports, outreach publications, brochures, digital content and other printed and electronic materials intended for distribution to the public or news media…” See the ad here.
New Committees
Pfizer Missouri Political Action Committee - Federal Committee was formed. Its treasurer is Nicholas Wagner.
$5K+ Contributions
HealthPAC - $220,000 from MHA Management Services Corporation.
Megan Green For St Louis - $6,055 from NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri PAC.
AGC of MO PAC - $5,525 from Branco Enterprises Inc.
Uniting Missouri PAC - $5,200 from Thompson Coburn LLP.
Uniting Missouri PAC - $5,200 from Stock & Associates Consulting Engineers Inc.
Uniting Missouri PAC - $25,000 from ClayCo.
Uniting Missouri PAC - $5,200 from Icon Mechanical Contractor LLC.
Uniting Missouri PAC - $5,200 from National Design Build Services LLC.
Lobbyists Registrations
Tony Dugger added United Surety Agents of Missouri.
John Kilper added Mastercard Incorporated.
Megan McBride added The Kelley Group.
Steven Tilley and Thomas Robbins added Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc.
Randy Scherr deleted Tradewind Energy, LLC.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Eric Greitens and Judy Baker.