Monday, June 20, 2017
MOScout Exclusive: Haahr Changing Practice
As the House moves ahead to consider toughening the Senate’s pro-life bill, the secondary topic of conversation among Republicans is the leadership races. Supporters of Speaker Pro Tem Elijah Haahr are confident that he has secured commitments from far more than the majority of the House Republicans in his quest to win the Speaker-Elect spot. That vote will happen later this summer.
Additionally it’s said that Haahr is parting ways with Aaron Sachs’ firm in Springfield and will likely be joining Lathrop & Gage in early July where he will focus on business defense. One source says “the split was largely motivated by Haahr’s strong support for tort reform legislation.”
The Yellow Chicken in the Room
The House appears poised to pass the abortion bill with some additional regulations that weren’t in the Senate bill. And a chicken made an appearance at the hearing yesterday – a reference to Rep. Mike Moon’s Facebook chicken-beheading video.
But
Moon abstained from voting in committee because he thinks there could be a potential legal challenge to it.
From his Facebook: The original title of SB 5 dealt with the MO AG's jurisdiction in abortion cases. Prior to passing out of the senate, the title was changed to "relating to abortion." This seems obvious to me that it violates the rule prohibiting the change of the bill's purpose (Article III, section 21).
One glaring potential constitutional conflict is with the provisions in RsMO 188.125 relating to zoning, building codes, etc." In an omnibus bill, it appears to violate the one subect rule Article III, section 23)…
Roorda: Only Paying Police More Can Reduce Crime
Post-Dispatch reports that “Missouri Highway Patrol troopers will soon be patrolling interstates in St. Louis as part of a 90-day pilot program to free up city police officers to focus on violent crime… Following a surge in violent crime in February 2015, then-Chief Sam Dotson approached the state to help with patrols downtown and along interstates, envisioning a six-month pilot program using about a dozen troopers. The idea didn’t go over well with some of the rank and file, said St. Louis Police Officers’ Association business manager Jeff Roorda, and the same can be said for some this time around… Roorda said the plan wouldn’t be a “magic bullet” for the city’s crime problems, which he said can only be addressed by raising salaries…”
Van Schenkhof New ED of CTF
Press release: The Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) Board of Directors announced today that Emily van Schenkhof, MPH, of Fulton, Missouri will serve as its new CTF Executive Director beginning July 2017… In her most recent post, van Schenkhof worked at Missouri KidsFirst (MKF) beginning in 2006, serving as Deputy Director since October 2011… See it here.
Mizzou Naming Rights
Columbia Tribune reports that the “Columbia City Council approved Monday night a 10-year agreement with University of Missouri Health Care for the naming rights of the large pavilion at Clary-Shy Park for $495,000.”
On Twitter, Scott Charton points out it’s not great optics right now. “Context for @muhealth tone deafness: @Mizzou has cut $ millions, eliminated 342 jobs, including 91 staff layoffs and 65 non-tenured faculty.”
Post Profiles Caleb Arthur
Caleb Arthur – said to be looking at running for Senate 30 – was profiled in the Sunday Post-Dispatch. See it here.
Pull Quote: Little more than five years ago, Caleb Arthur was making $10 an hour as a law enforcement officer in his rural, south-central Missouri hometown of Houston. Fast forward to today, and the 31-year-old without a college degree is the founder and chief executive officer of a 125-person company that took in $24.5 million in sales last year and ranks as one of Missouri’s fastest-growing businesses.
His new line of work? Rooftop solar panels.
Arthur’s emergence at the helm of Sun Solar, which handles solar installations and energy efficiency upgrades for homes and businesses, would seem tailor-made to become a prized anecdote in political speeches about job creation….
“Believe in climate change or not, these jobs are growing at a faster rate,” said Arthur, who identifies as a lifelong Republican…
White Guys Get Serious About Innovation
Governor Eric Greitens announced a new task force. This one will focus on innovation, working with the Hawthorn Foundation.
The picture of the group’s inaugural meeting drew some guffaws from the twitterverse as the task force’s membership appears to be 95-98% white men.
Really though we must thank those folks for their service. Can you imagine burning hours of your day sitting in a room listening to people pontificate on innovation? That’s public service!
Kander in GA
Politico reports that Jason Kander is in Georgia stumping for the Democratic candidate in the special election there. Read it here.
Pull Quote: Ossoff avoided talk of Trump during his brief remarks Monday, instead turning his focus to former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, who campaigned with him Monday. Kander, who narrowly lost a Senate race in November, was one of the few national party figures whom Ossoff’s team would use as surrogates given the party’s tenuous brand in the district.
Doris Mathewson Passes
Doris Mathewson, wife of former Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Jim Mathewson, has passed away after a long period of declining health. They were married 51 years.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 21, at First Christian Church, 200 South Limit, in Sedalia, Missouri. The family will receive friends from 9:30 a.m. until service time Wednesday at the church.
Jim Mathewson home address: 23650 Highway B, Sedalia MO 65301.
eMailbag on Senate 18
Anyone who has met her would agree that SD18 is Cindy O’Laughlin’s to lose. She is very active in conservative grass roots and up to speed on everything happening in the Capitol. She also runs a business that covers nearly all of Northeast Missouri. She’ll outraise and outwork the rest of the potential candidates in this race…
Lobbyists Registrations
Jeffrey Altmann added Four Corners Development.
Lana Ladd Baker added Ehawk Inc.
$5K+ Contributions
We Are Missouri - $20,000 from Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 Political Education Fund.
We Are Missouri - $50,000 from Missouri AFL-CIO Special Registration.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to Treasurer Eric Schmitt, and Capital Cork’s Jami Wade.