MOScout Daily Update: Stop the Ban Formed - Special Session Pitfalls - Bosley Passes - Hough and Shrek? and more…
Committee to Oppose HJR 73 Formed
Stop the Ban, a campaign committee to oppose HJR 73, was formed on Thursday last week, the day after the Senate PQ-ed the resolution to put abortion back before voters.
The treasurer for the committee is Mike Pridmore. He’s served as treasurer on lots of Democratic and progressive campaigns, including the original Amendment 3, and sports betting legalization, as well as Prop A (deputy treasurer), Right to Work referendum (deputy treasurer), and CLEAN Missouri (deputy treasurer).
What It Means
We could be facing a 2024 sequel election as the opposition to HJR 73 rams up, fundraises and organizes – and Jobs with Justice looks to bring back the sick leave mandate as a constitutional amendment.
· Republicans will be faced with an interesting challenge: convincing voters that their 2024 votes were a mistake.
Special Session Pitfalls
It’s been reported that Governor Mike Kehoe is eyeing early June for a special session to pass the stadium subsidies.
The general rule of thumb is that a special session creates a favorable environment for a governor to push through an agenda item. That’s because the governor can tailor the special session to narrow the legislature’s focus and eliminate all the other moving pieces in play during a regular session. No one can leverage or hold hostage some related or unrelated item creating complications.
However, this special session is not a slam dunk. It would be a mistake to move forward without first being assured that the Senate is capable of passing the package.
I know in this age of term limits talking about 2011 feels fuddy-duddy old-timey, but for those around then, we watched the special session (China Hub) flop. It costs $280,000 for legislators to come and argue and debate, and do nothing in that special session.
· This has one of the same ingredients: a big tax giveaway. The public could be easily mobilized to pressure their legislators against “welfare for billionaires.”
· Additionally, Democrats are raw and smarting from the PQ. Do they suddenly play ball because this is an important item for a few of their caucus members?
· Critical to the equation will be the Freedom Caucus. If the Senate Freedom Caucus – and their associated members like Sens. Jill Carter, Mike Moon and Joe Nicola – joins with Dems, they can run a relatively easy filibuster (a couple shifts a day with 8 hours sleep in between) and run out the clock on a special session.
Tornado Upends STL City
Friday night tornados, starting in Clayton and moving through the Central West End and North St. Louis City, ripped apart houses, offices and shops. Governor Mike Kehoe and Senator Eric Schmitt survey the wreckage over the weekend. Senator Josh Hawley will do the same today.
And
Hawley sent a letter to the presidents and CEOs of State Farm, Nationwide, Liberty Mutual, Travelers, Allstate, and American Family Insurance warning them not to delay payment.
Last week, the Subcommittee [on Disaster Management] held a hearing that established an industry-wide practice of subjecting policyholders to substantial delay and underpayment. My investigation has revealed a pattern of this activity across the country and across disaster events… As Missourians work to rebuild and recover from these devastating storms, you must provide immediate and comprehensive assistance to my constituents as they navigate the claims process…
Bosley Passes
I think the term icon gets overused a lot these days. But Freeman Bosley Sr. truly was an icon of the St. Louis political scene.
From the Post-Dispatch: Alderman Freeman Bosley Sr., a St. Louis alderman for 36 years and the patriarch of one of the region’s best-known political families, died Friday at his home in north St. Louis. He was 91. Bosley was one of the city’s longest-serving aldermen, holding a seat from 1977 to 2017 except for four years in the 1980s. He was among City Hall’s most memorable characters of the past half-century, known for his loquacious nature and sometimes out-of-the-ordinary legislative proposals.
· Bosley’s son, Freeman Jr., was the city’s first Black mayor. And his daughter, LaKeySha, is a state representative.
Hough as Shrek?
Lieutenant Governor Dave Wasinger’s staff gave him a cake celebrating the end of session…
Apparently, Shrek was labeled as Sen. Lincoln Hough originally…
$5K+ Contributions
AGC of MO PAC - $11,900 from Branco Enterprises.
Lobbyist Registrations
Jerry Hobbs deleted Future Leaders Outreach Network, and Strategic Engagement Consulting
Levi Anthony Lovell deleted Missouri AFL-CIO
Will Marrs deleted NHC Reliant LLC
Jackie Wood deleted Governmental Services Group, Inc.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Cathy Jo Loy, Will Wheeler, Chuck Purgason, and Scott Callicott.