Tuesday, May 16, 2017
4 Marijuana Petitions?
MOScout tipster: Last night at the Missouri Cannabis Industry Association meeting, President and former New Approach Missouri board member Mike Kielty announced that he was partnering with Missourians for Compassionate Care to put forth a MMJ IP that does not include home grow (like NAM). If this is true, this would be the 3rd MMJ petition competing for ballot access with Brad Bradshaw and New Approach...and the 4th MJ petition overall, including the "Total Legalization" plan put forth by the Missouri Marijuana Legalization Movement…
Luetkemeyer for Senate 34
I wrote yesterday about a new committee formed by Anton Luetkemeyer to run for Senate 34 where Sen. Rob Schaaf is termed.
MOScouters were quick to explain to me that “Anton Luetkemeyer” is Tony Luetkemeyer, cousin of Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer, and husband of Greitens’ general counsel Lucinda Luetkemeyer. One also mused that “given how close Lucinda is to Todd Graves, Tony will most likely will be the nominee…” Rep. Nick Marshall has said he’s running for the seat.
Luetkemeyer’s Announcement
The press release (see his website here)….
Outsider Tony Luetkemeyer announces for State Senate
Calling for an injection of fresh, outsider leadership to move Missouri forward and change the culture of Jefferson City, conservative Parkville resident Tony Luetkemeyer announced his candidacy for District 34 of the Missouri Senate today.
Luetkemeyer outlined a clear agenda for growing Missouri's economy, properly educating our youth, ensuring safer communities, safeguarding individual rights and liberties, protecting life, and reforming government:
* Keep taxes for families and businesses low, rein in wasteful government spending, and roll back job-killing regulations.
* Fight to end Common Core and work to stop the federal government from dictating to Missouri schools.
* End regulations that hamper the important work done by Missouri farmers and small business.
* Stand up for religious freedom, life, and the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.
* Enact a minimum three-year ban on state officials serving as lobbyists after leaving office and restrict gifts from lobbyists to restore public trust in government that political insiders have eroded.
"As a political outsider, I bring a fresh perspective to develop creative solutions to help Missourians where politics-as-usual has failed us," Luetkemeyer said. "I look forward to talking with residents of Buchanan and Platte counties to learn more about the issues important to their families so we can solve our most pressing challenges, together. With bold leadership, we can move Missouri in the right direction."
Wagner To Announce Mid-July?
National Journal reports that “Rep. Ann Wagner is planning to enter the Senate race in July, according to two sources familiar with her plans, and has seen private polling showing her already leading Sen. Claire McCaskill. Officials from both parties agree that McCaskill is the most vulnerable Democrat up for reelection…” See it here.
Richard on Umbrellas and Stuff
For a guy who had trouble running the Senate this session, Pro Tem Ron Richard thinks he could run St. Louis and St. Louis County better. Listen to a two minute blurb with the mighty Jason Rosenbaum here.
St. Louis keeps getting in the way of themselves… They have a governance in St. Louis City that’s… I mean they have an entrenched bureaucracy that keeps them from functioning in my mind. The county has all these municipalities and all these little bity fiefdoms. Someday guys like me from rural Missouri are going to say ‘enough’s enough, you guys are out of money keep passing taxes I think that’s not in the best interest of Missouri, so we’re going to have to start merging municipalities, fire districts, police district public safety, merge county and city, sell lambert field, take that $2-3 billion do infrastructure in the city.’ But you gotta protect it because St. Louis will probably figure out a way to spend the money on a bunch of umbrellas and stuff…
A Modest Proposal
Richard should move to St. Louis and run for mayor if he thinks he’s got all the answers.
Atkins to AutoReturn
Jay Atkins terminated his lobbyists registrations (below). Word is that he’s been hired as VP of Government Affairs for AutoReturn. See their website here. It’s a Californian company described as a kind of Uber for cops and tow trucks. Though it’s headquartered in San Francisco, Atkins will be based in Missouri.
Rone Wants Special for Utilities Regulatory Reform
Rep. Don Rone who made a late charge to make a change to the regulatory framework for utilities to help land some jobs for the bootheel called on Governor Eric Greitens to convene the legislature for a special session to pass it. See it here. With a governor who supposedly is itching to call a special session, this might be the first of several legislators floating their issue for a special. However Rone’s bill does fit with governor’s pro-business agenda…
Pull Quote: Special sessions are both rare and expensive and offer no guarantee of success, especially with Rone’s proposal opposed by some in the Senate. Rone points out the legislature has been called into special sessions in similar situations in the past, when economic development and jobs were on the line in the St. Louis and Kansas City regions. Rone said the impact in his region would reach beyond the 500-plus people he said would get new jobs from the two new facilities.
Bits
InBev, known as cost-cutters, announces a big round of capital investments… [W]e're thrilled to announce that we'll be launching a major capital investment program across the country, with investments of nearly $500 million in 2017, and $2 billion through 2020. This is among the largest ever capital investment programs in U.S. brewing history!... $13 million to the St. Louis brewery, including updates to the beechwood-aging tanks and several other initiatives that allow for production capability of new brands, as well as investments to increase sustainability.
Steve Roberts, dad of the state rep, sent out an email blast… “I wanted you to know that I am running for Alderman in the 28th Ward to fill the vacancy created when Lyda Krewson was elected Mayor. St. Louis must become a city united for progress. What divides us is not so much as what unites us…” See the website here.
Scott Dieckhaus goes rogue… On Twitter… Said it about Hillary, and I will say it about Trump: Sharing classified intel should disqualify you from the office
Rep. Jean Evans gets a shout-out on RouteFifty.com. See it here. “In Missouri, where children as young as 15 can get married with a parent’s permission, state Rep. Jean Evans, a Republican, introduced a bill to raise the marriage age after hearing that counties close to the state’s borders were seeing more young women come in to get married….”
Former Speaker Rod Jetton writes on Facebook: I'm excited to announce that I'll be moving to Greece and working on my MA at the University of Macedonia. This particular master's program on the politics and economics of eastern and southeastern Europe with a focus on how the refuge crisis is impacting the EU and the coutries in this region. Now I have to sell my house and all my stuff. It's a little weird to be a poor college student again, but at least this time I'm a bit wiser. l'll still update my Facebook page and if you get to Europe be sure to stop in and see me at Thessaloniki!!
Help Wanted
Higher Education Consortium of Metropolitan St. Louis seeks Executive Director. “The Executive Director will be responsible for cultivating partnerships with educational, governmental, business and community agencies in the regional and statewide area to strengthen higher education; establishing mechanisms to increase external funding through grants and charitable gifts to support the organization’s mission; and assist the Board in developing a vision and strategic plan for the organization and implementation of the plan…” See the ad here.
Today’s Events
Powered by From Mary Scruggs’ indispensable events calendar:
Rep. Peter Merideth’s fundraiser and post-session update – 3542 Crittenden, St. Louis – 5:30PM.
Lobbyists Registrations
Jay Atkins terminated his lobbyist registration.
Franc Flotron, Richard McIntosh, David McCracken, Bill Stouffer and Zach Brunnert deleted Airport Tech Partnership LLP, StudentsFirst, Missouri Automobile Dealers Association, and Bethesda Health Group.
Franc Flotron, Richard McIntosh and Janet Hirshman deleted Populex.
Franc Flotron, Richard McIntosh and David McCraken deleted Pinckney Bend Distillery.
Franc Flotron, Richard McIntosh, Bill Stouffer and David McCracken deleted Allen C Harper.
Franc Flotron, Richard McIntosh, Bill Stouffer and Dan Shuette deleted C3 Green Energy LLC.
Richard McIntosh deleted Alliance Of Automobile Manufacturers
Shantel Smith deleted Bethesda Health Group, and Neurologix Technologies Inc.
Zach Brunnert, David McCracken and Richard McIntosh deleted Neurologix Technologies Inc.
Jeff Grisamore deleted The Meyer Companies, Mallard Haven LLC, Christie Development Associates LLC, and Foster Management Inc.
$5K+ Contributions
Midwest Region Laborers’ Political League Education Fund - $5,779 from Laborers Supplemental Dues Fund.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to Deanna Hemphill.
MOScout News
Sorry, running behind today, legislative grades tomorrow!