MOScout Weekender: Senate 13 Poll - Hallway Skeptical on MedEx Costs - WWTW and more...

Remington/MOScout Poll: Senate 13

Survey conducted June 3 through June 4, 2020. 545 likely 2020 Democratic Primary Election voters participated in the survey. Survey weighted to match expected turnout demographics for the 2020 Democratic Primary Election. Margin of Error is +/-4.2% with a 95% level of confidence. Survey conducted by Remington Research Group on behalf of Missouri Scout.  See the full results here.

Q1: What is your opinion of Gina Walsh?

Favorable: 27%

Unfavorable: 4%

No opinion: 69%

Q2: Candidates in the 2020 Democratic Primary Election for State Senate are Al Green, Tommy Pierson Jr., and Angela Walton Mosley. If the election were held today, for whom would you vote?

Al Green: 15%

Tommie Pierson Jr: 19%    

Angela Walton Mosley: 21%

Undecided: 45%

Q3: In general, how do you feel about reopening the economy?

We should be reopening faster: 6%

We are going at about the right speed: 33%

We are reopening too fast: 53%

Not sure: 8%

Q4: What do you think is the most pressing concern for state government?

Dealing with the coronavirus: 15%

Ending police brutality: 43%

Creating more jobs: 8%

Improving healthcare: 7%

Making neighborhoods safer: 8%

Something else: 4%

Not sure: 15%

MOScout’s Hallway Index: Costs of MedEx

There’s skepticism in the lobbying corps that Medicaid expansion would actually save the state money. I asked: “In your opinion, would the proposal to expand Medicaid…?”   30 replies…

RESULTS

1. Cost the state a lot of money…  30%

2. Cost the state some money….  36.7%

3. No idea… 10%

4. Save the state some money… 13.3%

5. Save the state a lot of money… 10%

Sample of Comments

·         Buckle up, DESE.

·         The fiscal note used by Galloway and prepared by Wash U is flawed. It assumes you can move current Medicaid population into the 90% coverage by feds and you can't. It also doesn't consider the double-digit unemployment rate we are seeing now with COVID.

·         I don't see how it doesn't cost a lot of money. I think if the General Assembly could have packaged this as some type of reform-it would of helped. Maybe long term it works out-but hard to see at the moment.

·         Anybody who says [it costs money] is wrong either because it doesn’t support their narrative or they haven’t taken the time to understand how Medicaid funding works. The state pays 100% of Medicaid costs for various disabled populations right now. These are the most expensive people to care for. When we expand Medicaid, the feds will pick up 90% of that cost we are now paying. This results in hundreds of millions of dollars in savings…

·         Missouri’s budget is always going to be tight, and the GR that would be required for expansion isn’t chump change. Just a couple hundred million here or there isn’t meaningless, ask folks with interest education how they feel after this week.

·         It seems like Medicaid expansion math on either side of the divide is kabuki theater.

·         Just expand it and get it over with, we are all gonna pay for it one way or another anyway.

·         Every study shows it saves the state money and every other red state that has implemented it has saved money.

·         It will generate federal dollars that will increase revenue for the state as providers spend that money and pay sales tax and pay income tax on their earnings.

·         Medicaid Expansion is going to cost K-12 education. I'm not sure how long it will take for the school groups to get woke on that.

·         I think both sides of the discussion have overplayed their hand. There will certainly be a cost to state bringing 200,000 people onto the program; however, Medicaid is exceptionally efficient with very low overhead. Expansion really covers the working poor ($10-$20/hour) living pay check to pay check - This is the group of people playing by the rules and getting screwed every time they turn around. Could you imagine if people living pay check to pay check making 10-$25/hour actually voted???

Who Won the Week?

Joe Lakin, Dave Hageman and Victory Enterprises – Takes a signature win knocking off 9-term incumbent Steve King in biggest Congressional campaign story of the year.

Medicaid expansion – Gets a win in court, raises a fresh $1+ million, gathers key endorsements.  This train is moving towards August.

The urban mayors – Faced with twin crises, the mayors from Missouri’s coasts have charted different paths, but each has shown leadership at a time when it was most necessary.

Eric Schmitt – The AG says tells Kim Gardner that there’s a new sheriff in town. Law and order never goes out of style, especially when looters prowl the night.

The party crowd – DHSS Director Randall Williams says that party crowds at the Lake of Ozarks bars haven’t led to any more reported cases of COVID.  Party on…

Find a downloadable version here.

$5K+ Contributions

Citizens for Atchison - $9,200 from Darrell Atchison.

Missourians for Healthcare - $16,181 from The Fairness Project (Washington DC).

Missourians for Healthcare - $250,000 from Missouri Hospital Association.

Sander for Missouri - $5,333 from Christopher Sander.

Democratic Governors Association - Missouri - $30,000 from Democratic Governors Association (non-corporate) (Washington DC)

Barrett for Senate - $5,500 from Joshua Barrett.

UFCW Local 655 Elect Club - $5,452 from ufcw local 655.

Keep Government Accountable - $10,000 from IUOE Local 513 Political and Education Fund.

Keep Government Accountable - $25,000 from Operating Engineers Local 101 PAC.

Nexus PAC - $10,000 from Nexus Group.

Civic Progress Action Committee - $13,000 from RGA Reinsurance Company.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Connie Cierpiot and Ann Brand.

Sunday: Nimrod Chapel and Trent Skaggs.