MOScout Daily Update: Page PAC - Schmitt on Title VII - More Dem Senate 19 Talk - Kander Profiled by NYT and more...
Dems Still in Flux on Senate 19
CDT’s Rudi Keller has a nice look at the various Democrats looking at running in Senate 19 against the Republican incumbent, Sen. Caleb Rowden. See it here.
· Dave Raithel, a self-proclaimed radical who sought the seat in 1992 and was a candidate for Columbia Board of Education in 2011, said he will file… “I was a dues-paying member of the (Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee) back when Ron Dellums was putting that together,” Raithel said.
· Two other possible candidates, unsuccessful 2018 Fourth District Democratic nominee Renee Hoagenson and former state Rep. Judy Baker, said they have been in talks to determine who would be the most electable nominee.
· [Michela] Skelton has been invited to take part in the party discussions but did not attend, Hoagenson said.
· “I don’t consider [Skelton] a strong candidate for the seat at all,” Hoagenson said…
· Baker said she, like Hoagenson, isn’t ready to decide finally about whether she will run in 2020 or for which office.
PAC Formed to Support Page
In the new committees below, you’ll see Page PAC. County Executive Sam Page appears to be following a now well-worn path of having a third-party PAC. The treasurer is Brad Bakker, who lost (to Rep. Wiley Price) in a primary for House 84 last year.
What It Means
While others are talking about running, Page is putting the pieces into place for his re-elect. Money is a big piece.
Schmitt Advocates for Anti-LGBT Ruling
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt joins other Republican AGs in a filing urging the Supreme Court to “hold that Title VII does not prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.” See it here.
The question presented in these cases is not whether federal law should prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. That is a question on which there is a wide divergence of opinion, and one on which this brief takes no position.
The question instead is much simpler: Does Title VII, as enacted by Congress in 1964 and as subsequently amended, prohibit those forms of discrimination? Application of traditional tools of statutory construction yields an easy answer: no. Title VII prohibits only “sex” discrimination, and the plain meaning of “sex” is biological status as male or female, not sexual orientation or gender identity.
DESE Preps Virtual Schools
Last week the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issued an RFP for virtual school vendors. See it here.
This document constitutes a request for sealed proposals from prospective vendors for possible inclusion in a Qualified Vendors List (QVL) for Missouri Course Access and Virtual School Program (MOCAP)...
The following statutes apply to MOCAP: Sections 161.670, 162.1250, and 161.935, RSMo. 5 CSR 20-100.230, Virtual Instruction Program, recently amended, goes into effect on August 30, 2019, and applies to MOCAP….
DESE administers MOCAP. MOCAP provides the opportunity for Missouri students in grades Kindergarten through 12 to participate in online courses. Successful completion of MOCAP courses provided by MOCAP contractors will result in the student obtaining course credits, which will be accepted by all Missouri schools…
Additional information may be found at https://mocap.mo.gov/....
Why the Drop?
News Leader does a nice job explaining the current Medicaid debate. See it here.
For several months now, politicians have been telling two stories about Missouri's Medicaid system. One version, trumpeted by Democratic lawmakers, tells of a crisis in which thousands of people, the majority of them children, are being kicked off the rolls each month under questionable circumstances. The state could help, they say, but a Republican administration is content to stand by and let the tragedy unfold.
Republicans in the legislature and the Governor's Mansion, on the other hand, tell a sunnier story. Yes, people are coming off the rolls, they say, but there are good reasons: an improving state economy is putting people to work and new technology is powering a much-needed "cleanup" of the rolls to ensure everyone receiving benefits is eligible.
Independently determining exactly who's right and to what degree is difficult. There are no existing plans for public hearings and an obvious method of investigating the issue has its own limitations…
One thing that's not in dispute is that in recent months, a substantial number of people have come off the rolls of Missouri's Medicaid system, called MO HealthNet. A review of the most recent caseload numbers shows roughly 127,000 fewer people were receiving Medicaid benefits in July than there were in January 2018, a 13 percent drop…
Where’s Charlie Now?
Give a look at this fun twitter-thread which finds former County Executive Charlie Dooley in his element.
Since we were in St. Louis I decided it might be fun to drive by the house I lived in the first five years of my life. My dad had told me the address and how the street name had changed since the ‘70s. We moved away back in 1977…
Colona Makes Panel
Former Rep. Mike Colona made a recent St. Louis City panel. The press release: The Twenty-Second Circuit Judicial Commission has announced the panel of three nominees to be submitted to Governor Michael L. Parson to fill the associate circuit judge vacancy in St. Louis City created by the appointment of Judge Madeline O. Connolly as circuit judge… Micah D. Hall, Steven J. Capizzi, and Michael J. Colona.
Kander in NYTimes
NYTimes profiles Jason Kander. See it here. Jason Kander was a rising political star, in the homestretch of a race for mayor of Kansas City that he was widely expected to win. And he was moments away from upending it all. His campaign manager, Abe Rakov, stopped him and asked, “Are you sure this is the thing you want everyone in the world to remember about you forever?” Mr. Kander said yes. So his manager pressed Send…
“People were telling him to deal with it in secret and stay in the race, but to him that would be dishonest,” Mr. Rakov recalled in a recent interview…
5G Explainer
Visual Capitalist gives a nifty overview of 5G, and it’s benefits and drawbacks. See it here.
Wireless technology has evolved rapidly since the turn of the century. From voice-only 2G capabilities and internet-enabled 3G, today’s ecosystem of wireless activity is founded on the reliable connection of 4G. Fifth-generation wireless network technology, better known as 5G, is now being rolled out in major cities worldwide. By 2024, an estimated 1.5 billion mobile users─which account for 40% of current global activity─will be using 5G wireless networks.
Help Wanted
House seeks Legislative Counsel to the Majority Caucus. “The Legislative Counsel to the Majority Caucus is an advanced professional position providing legal analysis and advice on legislative matters related to the majority caucus. This position is full time and is eligible for Missouri state employee benefits. The Legislative Counsel position assists and advises the Speaker of the House, House Majority Leadership and members of the majority caucus on matters of administrative law, legislation, records requests, and other legal matters related to their legislative duties…” See it here.
New Committees
Terrence Fiala formed a candidate committee (Fiala For Missouri) to run for House 6 as a Democrat. The current incumbent, Republican Rep. Tim Remole, is termed.
Thomas True formed a candidate committee (Committee To Elect Thomas True) to run for House 93 as a Democrat. The current incumbent, Rep. Bob Burns, is termed.
Page PAC was formed. Its treasurer is Brad Bakker.
Lobbyist Registrations
Andrea Leigh Clark added KC Healthy Kids.
Steven Webb added St Louis Recorder of Deeds.
Dave Berry, Tom Dempsey, Deanna Hemphill, and Tracy King deleted Missouri Council For A Better Economy DBA Better Together.
Kari Rinker deleted National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Anne Zerr, Stephanie Bell, Ray Salza, and Robert Butler.
Congratulations
To Trent and Amber Watson on the birth of their son, Henry Watson.