MOScout Daily Update: Walmart Copycat in Springfield - Luetky Seeks LA - Parson Meets with Macquarie and more...
Copycat Shooter Comes to MO?
Missourinet reports on some bozo walking into a Walmart in Springfield wearing combat fatigues, with a tactical rifle and ammo. See it here.
“The heavily-armed man who carried 100 rounds of ammunition into a Walmart today was using a cell phone to video himself as he pushed a shopping cart.”
He was arrested, but the thing is, as Jeremy Cady tweets, I’m not sure there’s any law broken. With a few exceptions, you can walk around with guns (and body armor and ammo) wherever you want. Everyone is sort of their own “well regulated militia.”
Talky Town
· Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer’s office is on the hunt for a legislative assistant. Luetky’s previous LA, Fred Barnes, recently was hired away to become chief of staff to Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin.
· Rep. Peter Merideth hasn’t completely closed the door on a possible Senate 5 bid. He’s been expected to stay in the House and running for Assistant Floor Leader. A final decision will come soon.
Parson Repeats Signal on “Asset Recycling”
On Twitter, Governor Mike Parson shows interest in private-public partnerships to invest in infrastructure… “The @Macquarie Group, which is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, is one of the world’s largest infrastructure asset managers. We appreciated the chance to get to meet with them during our Trade Mission to Australia…”
Rural Hospitals Plight Continues
Missourinet reports: “Voters in southwest Missouri’s Nevada have voted to increase their taxes to save their hospital [Nevada Regional Medical Center (NRMC)]. Tuesday’s half-cent sales tax ballot measure was approved by 89 percent of voters… The vote will help the 71-bed NRMC pay off its debts. The tax is expected to generate about $800,000 annually, specifically for bond payments. Nevada Regional is the only hospital between Kansas City and Joplin that delivers babies… Nevada Regional serves six counties and is an acute, intensive and skilled care hospital. The Missouri Farm Bureau and the Missouri Hospital Association note seven rural Missouri hospitals have closed in the past five years…”
What It Means
It appears we’re entering an era where rural healthcare in Missouri will require direct taxpayer subsidies to continue.
For Political Pickers
9AM this morning… the estate sale of Sen. Irene Treppler and her husband Walter. See it here.
Irene died in 2012. From the Post-Dispatch obituary: She was one of 12 women in the House when elected to that 163-district chamber, and one of only two women in the Senate when she took one of its 34 seats… “Potty parity” may be her most famous achievement, but Mrs. Treppler also led changes in law to make schools and other public buildings safer from earthquakes and won passage of a “good Samaritan” law protecting doctors who provide emergency aid at accident scenes. The parity law showed her mettle. When she first proposed requiring more toilet facilities for women at stadiums and other large public venues in 1991, it was an object of quips and jokes in Jefferson City. Her law, enacted in 1995, requires the same number of toilets for women as there are toilets and urinals for men…
eMailbag on Medicaid Expansion Debate
Yes, Dave the Medicaid expansion question will pass with overwhelming support by voters. Just like Minimum Wage increases passed, Right to Work question was defeated, Requiring utilities to use renewables passed and on and on it goes.….Yet, Democrats can no longer win a statewide election as voters equally overwhelm Koster, McCaskill, Hensley and Kander. As the Talking Heads once wrote. “Psycho killer, qu’est-ce que c’est?”
Help Wanted
VOYCE seeks Grants and Public Policy Coordinator. “The Grants and Public Policy Coordinator is charged with furthering the mission of VOYCE by: 1) increasing the financial resources for VOYCE through the identification and submission of grants applications, and 2) implementing a grassroots strategy to improve long-term care for Missouri consumers through legislative advocacy. Responsibilities include working with the staff and volunteers to devise strategies to address public policy issues that engages our grassroots network in advocating to federal, state and local legislators for statewide systemic changes to improve the quality of care for all residents.”
Lobbyists Registrations
Kate Nielson deleted American Association of University Women.
$5K+Contributions
PT-PAC of Missouri - $10,000 from Peak Sport & Spine.
Missouri Leadership Forum - $15,000 from Witte Bros. Exchange Inc.
Missouri Democratic State Committee - $12,500 from U.A.W. Region 5 Midwest States C.A.P. Council.
MO Opportunity PAC - $10,000 from Dan D Cobb.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Lyndall Fraker, and Christopher Till.
Saturday: Gary Nodler, Jason Grill, Gary Nodler, Cheryl Dozier, Mindy Mazur, and Jerry Hobbs.
Sunday: Doug Healy.