MOScout Weekender: Razer to Tax Commission - Weber Mulls Future - Big Appointments - Senate 15 GOP Poll - Parson Endorses Kehoe - Hallway on Session and more…
Parson Makes Array for Appointments
Governor Mike Parson announced an array of appointments to various board, commissions and judgeships.
Among the most high profile….
· Sen. Greg Razer was appointed to the State Tax Commission. More on this below.
· John Mitchell, of Kansas City, was appointed to the Public Service Commission. “Mr. Mitchell served as a civil engineer at Burns and McDonnell Engineering Co., Inc., for 34 years before retiring in 2022.”
· Katie Sinquefield was appointed to the Public Defenders Commission.
· Ann Marie Baker, of Springfield, was appointed to the powerful State Highways and Transportation Commission.
· Former St. Louis City mayor Lyda Krewson was appointed to the University of Missouri Board of Curators.
· Dr. Thomas Prater and Dr. Tawni Ferrarini were appointed to the State Board of Education.
· Ed Elder was appointed to the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.
· Amy Westermann and Jerel Poor II were appointed to the Administrative Hearing Commission.
· Former St. Louis City police chief Dr. Daniel Isom and Winston Calvert, former chief of staff to St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, were appointed to the Bi-State Development Agency of the Missouri-Illinois Metropolitan District.
· Former congressional candidate Taylor Burks was appointed to the Truman State University Board of Governors.
· Former Roy Blunt aide Tracy Henke and Reverend Darryl Gray were appointed to the Missouri Workforce Development Board.
· Dudley McCarter, of Clayton, was appointed to the Coordinating Board for Higher Education.
Other Appointments…
· The governor returned the Missouri Ethics Commission to serviceability, appointing Jeremy Schneider, of Atlanta, and Whitney Smith, of Des Peres, to that commission.
· Victoria Babb, and Louise Secker were appointed to the Missouri Community Service Commission.
· Dr. Maureen Clancy-May, of St. Louis, was appointed to the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Governors.
· Rodney Hendricks, of Jerico Springs, was appointed to the Missouri Southern State University Board of Governors.
· Mattea Miller was appointed as the student representative to the Missouri State University Board of Governors.
· Michelle Hataway was named Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED). Hataway had been serving as DED Acting Director since June 2023.
· Chastidy R. Dillon-Amelung, of Creve Coeur, was appointed as Associate Circuit Judge for the 21st Judicial Circuit.
· The Honorable David A. Roither, of St. Louis, was appointed as Circuit Judge for the 22nd Judicial Circuit.
· Amanda L. Oesch, of Scott City, was appointed as Associate Circuit Judge for Scott County in the 33rd Judicial Circuit.
More on Senate 7
The surprise announcement of Sen. Greg Razer’s appointment to the Tax Commission was apparently not a huge surprise to some. Democrat Pat Contreras had a statement prepared, and lined up some very big KC names (Emanuel Cleaver, Mayor Quinton Lucas, Jason Kander, Jolie Justus, Andrea Bough and Wes Rogers), presumably with Razer’s help.
This maneuver upset some House Dems. Rep. Emily Weber was planning on running when Razer was termed out in 2028. And it stings for them to see the one of their own, who has been in the trenches of Jeff City fighting day in and out, get brushed aside in what seems like a ploy to hand off the seat without a primary.
Weber faces a tough choice. If she ever wants to be a state senator, she likely has to run now. However, doing so risks her House seat.
· One Dem assesses the situation: “The names that Pat has behind him are legit big names, but they’re also the names who (mostly) just got stiffed by the voters on the stadium tax, so it's clear their endorsements are not clinching in anyway.”
Parson Endorses Kehoe
I’m told that at the Hawthorne Foundation Dinner on Thursday night Governor Mike Parson endorsed Mike Kehoe as his successor.
This isn’t unexpected. Inside the building this has already been baked into the cake. But definitely noteworthy. We’ll see how the Kehoe campaign utilizes Parson’s support in the coming months.
Remington/MOScout Poll: Senate 15 Republican Primary
Survey conducted April 8 through April 12, 2024. 304 likely 2024 Republican Primary voters participated in the survey. Survey weighted to match expected turnout demographics for the 2024 Republican Primary Election. Margin of Error is +/-5.6% with a 95% level of confidence. Totals do not always equal 100% due to rounding. Survey conducted by Remington Research Group on behalf of The Missouri Scout. See the full report here.
Q1: The candidates it the August 6th Republican Primary for Missouri State Senate District 15 are Mark Harder, Jim Bowlin, and David Gregory. If the election were held today, for whom would you vote?
Mark Harder: 14%
Jim Bowlin: 9%
David Gregory: 14%
Undecided: 63%
Q2: What is your opinion of Donald Trump?
Favorable: 74%
Unfavorable: 22%
No opinion: 4%
Q3: Which of the following should be your State Senators’ top priority? Creating jobs, fighting illegal immigration, improving education, lowering taxes, reducing crime, or something else?
Creating jobs: 9%
Fighting illegal immigration: 46%
Improving education: 10%
Lowering taxes: 12%
Reducing crime: 15%
Something else: 8%
Q4: Generally speaking, should your representatives fight for Republican values even if it means gridlock OR should they be willing to compromise with Democrats in order to get something done?
Fight: 50%
Compromise: 38%
Not sure: 12%
MOScout’s Hallway Index: Tough Issues Ahead
I asked lobbyists, “Which of these tough issues is most likely to pass the legislature this year?” 21 replies… (Answers from January 21 in parenthesis. Education reform was then labeled as “open enrollment.”)
RESULTS
1. IP reform… 42.8% (22.7%)
2. Open enrollment… 38.1% (54.5%)
3. Sports betting… 4.7% (4.5%)
4. State takeover of police… 14.3% (18.2%)
Sample of Comments
· IP reform, why would the grassroots support anyone associated with the legislature after what they have put them up against to fight the abortion issue through the ballot and risk something getting placed in the constitution. The legislature could have prevented all of it, and need to show they will.
· What MRL wants, MRL gets.
· Sports betting and state takeover of the police have zero chance of passing. Ed Reform has a better chance than IP reform, but it's close.
· [Ed Reform] One house vote away, it's a lift but has a good team pushing it.
Who Won the Week?
Mary Elizabeth Coleman – Another strong week for MEC in the building delivering for the pro-life agenda, and grabbing free press in the process. This time with her handling the bill to statutorily defund Planned Parenthood.
House Dems – With the mighty Jason Rosenbaum reporting that there’s little chance of the pro-choice IP being certified in time to make the August ballot, House Dems’ chances of picking up seats in the November improves.
Crystal Quade – Likewise, the Quade path has always depended on a topsy-turvey November turnout due to Dobbs fallout. One Republican tells me that putting abortion on the November ballot takes the general election for governor “from a snooze fest to a dog fight.”
Casey Wasser – One week after the Senate stumbled to approve Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer’s SB 1351, the COO of the Soybean Association went to bat for the bill and Senate reconsidered and passed it.
Find a downloadable version here.
$5K+ Contributions
Scorse for Commissioner - $10,000 from Edward Scorse.
MBA Gateway Region PAC - $5,644 from Midwest Regional Bank.
Committee to Elect Matt Henson (running for Treasurer Cape Girardeau) - $15,000 from Matthew Henson.
Committee to Elect Matt Henson - $10,000 from Matthew Henson.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Clem Smith, Craig Fishel, and Mark Reardon.
Sunday: Mark Boyko, and Brad Robinson.