MOScout Daily Update: Haahr Schatz File HB126 Amicus Brief - Rehder Jabs Swan - Wallingford for House - MMJ Apps - Nixon Contra MU and more...
Driving the Day
10AM this morning, oral arguments will be heard in the Western District Court of Appeals for ACLU v. Ashcroft. This is the latest round in the saga around HB 126.
First in MOScout: Legislative Leaders Filed Amicus Brief
Speaker Elijah Haahr, Senate Pro Tem Dave Schatz and bill sponsor Nick Schroer have joined the case in support of Ashcroft. They filed an amicus brief in their official capacities of members and officers of the MO General Assembly. They’re defending Ashcroft’s actions, saying their unique insight will help the Court understand the validity of their use of the emergency clause.
What It Means
The speaker and the senate pro tem are doubling down on the issue. No cold feet from Republicans.
Southeast Senate Primaries Heat Up
· In Senate 27, Rep. Holly Rehder telegraphs what will likely be a line of attack against Rep. Kathy Swan in this op/ed: Normally, I wouldn't give a spare moment of my time to think about the political stances that these Hollywood windbags take. However, when we have those in our own state working to give millions of dollars of tax credits and government subsidizes to the film industry for filming in Missouri, it's important that we bring to light their boycotts and threats. I've always been against tax credits for the film industry, that is true. It's corporate welfare. But with this latest stunt from Hollywood, it is even more vital that we refuse to play their games…
Swan was the House sponsor of the film tax credit legislation.
· In Senate 25, a tour de force from Eddy Justice at a 4th of July parade. See it here. It appears he’ll be taking the ground game seriously assuming that Rep. Jeff Shawan does formally enter as an opponent.
Meanwhile
Southeast Missourian reports that Sen. Wayne Wallingford “will run for Swan's District 147 House seat. The House district takes in an area primarily covering the city of Cape Girardeau… Wallingford was elected in 2010 to a two-year term in the Missouri House. In 2012, he was elected to the first of two terms in the Senate. Wallingford said, if elected, he could serve three more two-year terms in the House under the term-limits provision… The 72-year-old lawmaker said he physically is up to the challenge of spending long hours at the state capitol during legislative sessions… He said lobbyists, who are seeking to talk to him, have trouble keeping up as he walks through the capitol. ‘I am climbing up the stairs like you wouldn't believe, and they get to the top of the stairs and they're huffing and puffing. They can't even talk,’ said Wallingford…” See it here.
MMJ Pre-Applicants
Just before the long holiday weekend, the DHSS made the names public of those applying for licenses to run medical marijuana businesses. See an excel spreadsheet of those people here.
Journalists dug into the list…
· Post-Dispatch takes deep dive into one well connected applicant, Bradford Goette, and his PAC.
· KCStar notices that the governor’s niece in on the list.
Nixon Contra MU
ABC17 reports on a lawsuit against University of Missouri with former Governor Jay Nixon representing the plaintiff. See it here.
Hillsdale College, located in south Michigan, sued the [University of Missouri] in 2017 over the school's handling of a multimillion-dollar endowment to hire business and economics professors. The college says MU has not followed the instructions of the endowment and that Hillsdale should instead get the money… The lawsuit asks a judge to order the university to pay Hillsdale College for the millions already spent on the endowment and the remaining money in the program…
Jay Nixon, former Missouri governor and attorney for Hillsdale College, said Hillsdale took its role as overseeing Hibbs' endowment seriously. "Mr. Hibbs' legacy gift, relative to the University of Missouri, is not being used as it is described in his will," Nixon said in a statement provided by Hillsdale. "Hillsdale College looks forward to thorough discovery into why the University of Missouri changed the terms of Mr. Hibbs' gift. Hillsdale College intends to pursue this litigation until an appropriate resolution is achieved…"
DMVs Sharing Info With Feds
Breaking yesterday from the Washington Post, this looks like an issue that could attract a legislative response from the MO General Assembly next session. See it here.
Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Immigration and Customs Enforcement have turned state driver’s license databases into a facial-recognition gold mine, scanning through millions of Americans’ photos without their knowledge or consent, newly released documents show… Police have long had access to fingerprints, DNA and other “biometric data” taken from criminal suspects. But the DMV records contain the photos of a vast majority of a state’s residents, most of whom have never been charged with a crime. Neither Congress nor state legislatures have authorized the development of such a system, and growing numbers of Democratic and Republican lawmakers are criticizing the technology as a dangerous, pervasive and error-prone surveillance tool…
Lobbyists Registrations
Matthew Roney added Reach Healthcare Foundation, Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, and Children's Mercy Hospitals & Clinics.
Jake Silverman added Strategic Capitol Consulting LLC.
Heath Clarkston, Doug Nelson and Kurt Schaefer added Corizon Health LLC.
David Sweeney deleted Kiel Center Partners.
$5K+Contributions
UFCW Local 655 Elect Club - $5,950 from UFCW Local 655.
Teamsters Local Union No 688 Political Action Committee - $10,612 from DRIVE Committee.
Fair Missouri - $40,978 from Missouri Alliance for Freedom.
Missouri Alliance For Freedom - Grace River PAC - $50,000 from Herzog Technologies.
Missouri Alliance For Freedom - Grace River PAC - $50,000 from Herzog Railroad Services.
Missouri Alliance For Freedom - Grace River PAC - $50,000 from Herzog Contracting Corp.
Citizens for Megan Thompson - $25,000 from TK Thompson.
Keep Government Accountable - $10,000 from David Roberts.
Keep Government Accountable - $10,000 from Sue Fischlowitz.
Howell For Judge - $10,000 from Jason Howell.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to former Rep. Marsha Haefner, Richard Martin, Jeff Aboussie, and Nick Robinson.
Condolences
To Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin on the passing of her mother, Virginia Waldeier. O’Laughlin reflects on her mom in a Facebook post here. Visitation from 6 to 8PM Thursday, July 11 at Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home in Grant City. The funeral will be 10AM Friday, July 12 at the funeral home.
To Rep. Sara Walsh on the passing of her brother, Michael Dickson. See the obituary here. A graveside service for friends and family will be held Saturday, July 13, at 9:30AM at Columbia Cemetery, 30 E Broadway, Columbia.