Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Workforce Report

This morning the Alliance for Childhood Education (ACE) will be publishing its Workforce Initiatives and Issues Report.

The 28-page publication outlines workforce challenges and opportunities facing employers and also includes regional maps for each part of the state that breaks down where the jobs are. Data shows that in 2020 nearly two-third of all jobs in Missouri will require post-secondary education but Missouri, like much of the nation, is falling short to meet demand. ACE calls on the legislature to pass a Workforce-Education Alignment Platform and begin a broader dialogue on how to make the state more competitive by removing barriers and updating policies. This platform represents a change in thinking on how to tackle the increased demand for skilled labor in Missouri which has employers struggling to fill jobs with the current applicant pool.

Speaker Todd Richardson endorsed the Workforce-Education Alignment Platform which consists of four pieces of legislation aimed aligning the resources of public education institutions with the needs of the business community.

The report endorses the following legislative proposals: Visiting Scholars (HB 97 & SB 401); Business-Centric Curriculum (SB 44 & HB 253); Flexibility for Higher Education Institutions (SB 328 & HB 75); and Adult High Schools (SB 406 & HB 680).

McCaskill Quarter

Senator Claire McCaskill is off and running.  St. Louis Business Journal reports that she broke a fundraising record.  See it here.

“Sen. Claire McCaskill raised $2.8 million during the first three months of this year, which is a record for the first quarter of a nonelection year for a Missouri Senate race. During the first three months of 2011, the last time McCaskill, D-Mo., was up for re-election, she raised only $1 million, the Wall Street Journal reports. McCaskill's campaign told the newspaper that more than 5,500 of the donations she's received in 2017 came from first-time donors….”

Congresswoman Ann Wagner has a strong fundraising operation churning already.  Between Wagner and McCaskill’s numbers, this adds to the pressure for Josh Hawley to jump in sooner rather than later if he intends to make a challenge.  John Brunner – should he decide to run – would presumably largely self-fund again so he can take a less urgent approach.

Greitens’ Quarter

The April quarter of Governor Eric Greitens’ campaign committee received some attention from the Post-Dispatch (see it here).  Greitens raised $24,726, spent $550,950 has $2,419,939 on-hand.

The largest expense was about $200K to c5 Creative Consulting for “Media Services.”  The Post notes that this is the Nick Ayers firm.

It looks like the governor expensed a lot of his DC travels through the campaign account, as well as their Facebook ads.  But the other law expense was for legal fees: $12,552 to Chalmers Pak Burch & Adams, and $15,043 to Husch Blackwell.

Krewson Inauguration

The press release: Mayor-elect Lyda Krewson will be sworn in as Mayor on Tuesday, April 18th at noon in the rotunda at City Hall.  Kansas City Mayor Sly James will deliver the pre-inaugural address… St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger and St. Clair County Chairman Mark Kern will be in attendance…

Without making too much of it, the inclusion of KC’s James could point to a renewed effort for the two urban areas of the state to join forces more often on their shared public policy goals.  And the attendance of Stenger and Kern might signal a greater willingness for partnerships within the St. Louis region.  We’ll see…..

Meanwhile

Progressives cheered the news of Krewson’s appointment of Nicole Hudson as director of racial equity and priority initiatives. “Hudson will leave her staff position with Forward Through Ferguson, a nonprofit formed to put in place the changes proposed by the Ferguson Commission. She served as communications director for the commission.”  Previously Hudson was general manager of the St. Louis Beacon, a non-profit news website which later merged with St. Louis Public Radio.

And

Martin Casas, husband of lobbyist Kate Casas, announced on Twitter that he’d be joining the staff of Mayor Lyda Krewson.

State Employee Moves

Michael Quinlan joined the Office of the Attorney General as chief counsel of the Litigation Section.  For the past twenty years he operated Quinlan Law Firm, and recently had also served as the executive director of the Center for Christian Renewal (see the website here).

Christine Krug joined the Office of the Attorney General as an assistant attorney general.  She previously worked in the Circuit Attorney’s office in St. Louis City under Jennifer Joyce.

Ryan Asbridge joined the Department of Revenue as chief counsel.  He worked for the attorney general’s office for several years.  In 2008, he ran for state representative as a Republican, losing to Mary Still (65%-35%).

Tweet of the Day

Former Sen. Jane Cunningham‏ @JCunninghamMO: United needs to be put out of business. We have been hurt by that airline over and over. They never take responsibility for ruining trips.

Nachtigal Passes

Post- Dispatch reports that “Jerry Nachtigal, a former journalist who became spokesman for three consecutive Missouri governors, has died… Nachtigal was Gov. Mel Carnahan's spokesman in October 2000 when it fell to him to confirm that Carnahan; the governor's son, Roger; and aide Chris Sifford had died in a plane crash. Nachtigal also was spokesman for Gov. Roger Wilson, who took office upon Carnahan's death, and with Wilson's successor, Gov. Bob Holden…”  See it here.

Bits

Jefferson City seeks RFP for Marketing and Public Relation Services.  See it here.

Pew Charitable Trusts says Missouri ranks 12th in phone use while driving.  See it here.

The Missouri Ethics Commission fined the City of Ferguson $100 for an incorrect “paid for” disclosure on flyers for Proposition U (see it here), and dismissed a similar complaint against Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III (see it here).

Today’s Events

From Mary Scruggs’ indispensable events calendar:

Senate Memorial Service.

Lobbyists Registrations

Dwight Scharnhorst added Missouri Amateur Radio Parity Act.

Ron Schnare added Shire Pharmaceuticals LLC.

Mike Winter deleted Bayer Corporation, and Bayer US LLC.

Alex Eaton, Rebecca Lohmann, Daniel Pfeifer, and Greg Porter added Missouri Care (aka Wellcare Healthplans Inc).

Don Morrison added Airlines for America, and Southwest Airline.

Lori Fluegel added Kansas City Child Abuse Roundtable.

Kathryn Ann Harness added Mental Health America of Eastern Missouri.

Bridget McCandless added Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.

$5K+ Contributions

MO Cattlemens Association PAC - $31,029 from Missouri Cattlemen’s Association.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rep. Nate Walker, former Reps. Mike Colona, Amanda Good, Public Radio’s Maria Altman, Lori Becker, and Charlie Hinderliter.