Friday, May 19, 2017
And So Monday It Is
I wrote yesterday that the rumor was for a special session in Mid-June. Nope. Monday. (Lucky for me that I never did mind about the little things…like being wrong.)
See Governor Eric Greitens twitter video here. “No vacations for politicians!”
Considering that the governor’s party hold overwhelming majorities in both chambers, it’s a pretty remarkable speech. It truly is an outsider speech. He’s not acknowledging any leverage over these folks.
One Greitens supporter doesn’t get it: How does this type of speech help him with the senators who are most problematic? Doesn’t he realize they had principled objections with the Rone proposals? Why not quietly try to find middle ground instead of publicly denigrate them? Senators LOVE to tangle with governors; it makes them bigger.
The Resistance
The obvious core of the resistance will be Sens. Doug Libla, Gary Romine, and Rob Schaaf. Democrats will play a pivotal role here. Do they embrace the jobs creation lure of the proposal? Or do they dig in with worries of how rates will be impacted? If Dems join dissident Republicans you have a protracted battle in the Senate with an awful lot of talk about dark money and questions about who is funding the non-profit to make political attacks on senators (see Schaaf’s twitter jabs here which are starting this line).
One Democrat, Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, is already no-board with the resistance. She tweets: Looks like I can finish my book "Spies of the Congo" n Special Session...as people die in my district. Missouri Priorities? Not saving lives
The Call
1. To enact legislation authorizing the Public Service Commission to approve a special electricity rate for an aluminum smelter facility, a steel works facility, or other similar facility that is not based on the electrical corporation’s cost of service provided that the Public Service Commission (1) determines the special electricity rate for the facility is in the interest of the State of Missouri; (2) approves a uniform percentage adjustment in each general rate proceeding; (3) approves a tracking mechanism to track changes in the net margin experienced by the electrical corporation; and (4) approves either a rate schedule reflecting the special electricity rate if the facility is located within the electrical corporation’s certificated service territory or a contract reflecting the special electricity rate, but neither the rate schedule nor the contract shall allow the special electricity rate to continue beyond ten years.
2. To enact legislation authorizing the Public Service Commission to allow electrical corporations a reasonable opportunity to earn a fair return, by methods such as rate adjustment mechanisms, not otherwise statutorily authorized, which the commission shall lack authority to modify or eliminate during the specified term.
3. Such additional and other matters as may be recommended by the Governor by special message to the General Assembly after it shall have been convened.
House Starts
From the desk of Chief Clerk Adam Crumbliss…
Dear House Members and Staff:
Governor Greitens released the following a few minutes ago. Please be advised that Majority and Minority leadership will be providing additional information with specific timelines.
The House historically convenes special sessions in technical session, so your presence will not be compelled on Monday. Unless legislation is filed and second read Tuesday, you will not be compelled to attend on Tuesday. The only exception would be for those on committees that might hear this legislation.
The technical session on Monday saves some money for the House. The plan would be committee hearing on Tuesday, floor on Wednesday. Senate might wait until following week to start in earnest.
The Rolling Session?
One rumor that the governor will be taking a “one at a time” approach, and after the Rone proposal, we’ll be seeing another special session or a continuation of this session with another topic added.
Dunn Resigns
Rep. Randy Dunn announced on Facebook he would be resigning to take a job opportunity in Nebraska.
I sit at my computer with tears in my eyes as I type this. Today I submitted my letter of resignation from the Missouri House of Representatives which will be effective come May 31, 2017.
I am resigning to serve as the Founding Executive Director of a community development intermediary, Spark, located in Omaha Nebraska with the mission to ignite neighborhood transformation throughout the Omaha-Council Bluffs region.
The decision to resign was not an easy one. Serving in the legislature has been the most rewarding job I have ever had and I will certainly miss it….
Barnes Contra Galloway
In his latest blog post, Rep. Jay Barnes punctures Auditor Nicole Galloway’s warning that the legislature may have violated the Hancock amendment last session. See it here.
Pull Quote: Garbage-in, garbage-out. Nothing could be truer of government reports. On Tuesday, State Auditor Nicole Galloway released a report suggesting the General Assembly may have passed legislation that will violate the Hancock Amendment’s strict limits on raising revenue through taxes or fees. The potential offending legislation, according to Galloway’s report, was Senate Bill 588, a bill that I carried in the Missouri House, to help Missourians who had turned their lives around to expunge non-violent offenses from their record if they met strict requirements. Of course, creating such a path is not free. Accordingly, to be fiscally responsible, the legislation had to include a filing fee that high enough to cover the costs so that law-abiding Missourians wouldn’t be left paying the tab… The report’s fatal flaw is that it relies on a bloated fiscal note that dramatically overestimated the number of Missourians who are eligible and likely to apply for an expungement...
Lobbyists Registrations
Christopher Maples added University of Missouri.
Steven Carroll deleted Healthcare Efficiency Solutions
Todd Smith deleted Omega Solutions, and Gate Way Group.
Richard Moore deleted CenturyLink.
$5K+ Contributions
Civic Progress Action Committee - $7,500 from RGA Reinsurance Company.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Gary Cross and former Sen. Chuck Purgason.
Saturday: former Rep. Jim Guest.
Sunday: MO McCullough, and Jessica Pabst.