Friday, August 26, 2016
Campaign Limits IP Goes Forward – For Now
Post-Dispatch reports that the challenge to the campaign limits initiative petition was rejected by Cole County Circuit Judge Patricia Joyce. One expects that that opponents will appeal. That’s the season we’re in. See it here.
Pull Quote: In arguments before Joyce earlier this week, attorney Chuck Hatfield said the initiative financed by Clayton businessman Fred Sauer unfairly limits some classes of businesses and associations from giving money to campaigns. In particular, he said some classifications of banks and member-owned organizations like the Association of Missouri Electrical Cooperatives would be barred from contributing to their own political action committee. Hatfield argued that is unconstitutional. Joyce disagreed.
"Because state-chartered banks and utilities operate in highly regulated industries, the risk of corruption or the appearance of corruption is heightened, and thus the First Amendment permits the ballot initiative to impose more stringent contribution limitations on these entities than on other corporations," Joyce wrote.
Here’s a Best Guess at Who’s Working on What IPs
Medical marijuana (in litigation)
Pro: Jac Cardetti, Brad Ketcher
Against: Marc Ellinger
Campaign finance (in litigation)
Pro: Todd Jones
Against: Ellinger / Chuck Hatfield
RYH4K Cig Tax: (in litigation)
Pro: Cardetti, Aaron Willard, Ellinger, Eddie Greim, Jane Dueker, James Harris
Against: Hatfield, Ketcher
Realtors’ Sales Tax Expansion Prohibition
Pro: Hatfield
Big Checks
In the large contributions (below), David Humphreys adds $1 million to his “Accountability” Committee which mostly contributed to primary challenges to Republicans that didn’t share his views on labor issues. Now the targets of his largess will presumably be Democrats, perhaps starting at the top of the ticket – because you get the governor’s mansion and you don’t have foodle with this “veto-proof majority” stuff.
And – Chris Koster received a half-million dollars from labor union AFSCME.
Where’s The Senate Race
According to the New York Times it’s “competitive.” But at last look it only gives Jason Kander an 18% chance of unseating incumbent Roy Blunt. See it here.
Farm Bureau Straw Poll
See the results of the Farm Bureau’s straw poll here.
At the top of the ticket was an even split between Eric Greitens (49.7%) and Chris Koster (50.3%). No other Democrat comes close to 50%; Koster received the Farm Bureau endorsement.
One assumes Greitens will do better in rural Missouri than this straw poll because if he only grabs 50% of out-state Missouri he will get crushed.
Haefner Gets Fiscal Oversight
Rep. Marsha Haefner was names chair of the House Committee on Fiscal Oversight. She promised to keep a close eye on fiscal notes. See it here.
Pull Quote: She emphasized the role of Fiscal Oversight in making sure tax dollars are spent wisely, and said the committee under her leadership will, “look very different this year than it has in the recent past. It will no longer be a pass-through for legislation. When I did some research on this I found that just in last year’s session alone, through legislation that had fiscal notes that weren’t even tied to the budget, [the Fiscal Review Committee] passed over $1-billion dollars of general revenue in legislation that contained fiscal notes,” said Haefner. “That just can’t happen.” Haefner said the legislature should have a clear plan for what its priorities are and what it’s willing to spend on those in a given session. That could mean some lawmakers will have to back off of priorities.
State Revenues
With a week left in the month, state tax receipts are about even with higher refunds off-setting the growth in individual income tax receipts. These numbers are volatile so we’ll see what the final week shows. So far fiscal-year-to-date, revenues are up 3%.
Schmitt Hearts Guns
Sen. Eric Schmitt announced a “pro-second amendment coalition,” and expressed his devotion to firearms.
The press release…
Members of Schmitt’s “Pro-Second Amendment Coalition” include:
Matt Blunt – Greene County
Rick Brattin- Cass County
Eric Burlison- Greene County
Justin Decker- Butler County
Bryce Evans- Saline County
Derrick Good- Jefferson County
Victor Gunn- Cape Girardeau County
Brad Jackson- St. Louis County
Joe Leahy- Butler County
Mark Muller- Bates County
Brian Munzlinger- Lewis County
Stephanie Overstreet- Howard County
Jesse Rolfes- St. Louis County
Steve Simpson- St. Louis County
Schmitt is a strong defender of the Second Amendment… Schmitt also supported allowing more law-abiding citizens to have access to concealed carry permits. (lowered age from 21 to 19, SB 656, 2014). Schmitt voted to protect the privacy of law-abiding gun owners by barring healthcare professionals from asking patients about their gun ownership or documenting such gun ownership in a patient’s medical records. (SB 656, 2014)...
Eagles Strike Back
How did it ever come to this? Somehow Ed Martin managed to bring a civil war to the previously tranquil conservative coalition.
The press release: On August 24, 2016, directors of Eagle Forum, an Illinois non-profit corporation, filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against a Virginia corporation calling itself "Phyllis Schlafly's American Eagles." Eagle Forum is already involved in a suit in Illinois State Court arising out of the Board of Directors' termination of the organization's acting President, Ed Martin, and the Board of Directors' efforts to obtain an accounting of the organization's finances.
The new suit, filed derivatively on behalf of Eagle Forum in federal court, alleges that the Virginia corporation, which is also led by Ed Martin, has misappropriated Eagle Forum resources and mailing lists to solicit donations and grassroots support for the newly-formed Virginia organization, leading supporters to believe they are supporting Eagle Forum, when, in fact they are supporting the Virginia corporation, an entirely separate organization that has no relation to Eagle Forum and its Board of Directors, each of whom were hand-picked by Phyllis Schlafly.
Nixon Wins Case Against Barrett
Governor Jay Nixon’s statement: During my tenure, the Office of Public Defender has seen a 15 percent increase in funding and a nearly five percent increase in staff, even while other state agencies have had to tighten their belts and full-time state employment has been reduced by nearly 5,100. As with any agency - especially an agency that has had an increase in funding and personnel - the Office of Public Defender should strive to improve the efficiency of its operations before asking the taxpayers for more money, including taking action to recover the more than $70 million in uncollected legal fees identified in the most recent state audit of the agency by the Missouri State Auditor…. It is my hope that following today's order denying this patently unlawful action, the Office of Public Defender will now return its attention to the job it has to do, and the resources already available with which to do it.
St. Louis Scouts Soccer Stadium
The possibility of tax-payer funding for a football stadium was a hot button last year when the Rams were headed for the door. Now the issue may resurface as St. Louis has begun looking at locations for a soccer stadium. St. Louis Business Journal reports on the search. See it here.
Pull Quote: A group of local business and sports leaders aiming to lure a Major League Soccer team to St. Louis has narrowed its focus for a potential stadium site to the area just west of Union Station where the Interstate 64 Market Street interchange is located, according to sources familiar with the deal. Officials would build a soccer stadium there in hopes of attracting a MLS team by 2020. There is no firm commitment from the MLS that the league will expand with a team in St. Louis and no process yet to apply for an expansion team. However, league Commissioner Don Garber has indicated that St. Louis is on a shortlist of cities to get a team during future expansion. The properties are mostly owned by the Missouri Department of Transportation which, according to MoDOT District Engineer Greg Horn, is in discussions with St. Louis Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority (LCRA) to finalize an option agreement for the land….
Brown Fined
Kim Brown of the Ash Grove National Education Association was fined $500 by the Missouri Ethics Commission for a failure to file a non-committee expenditure report. See it here.
Endorsement Bits
Roy Blunt won the endorsement of the National Federation of Independent Business.
Chris Koster picked up the endorsement of the Missouri Pork Association.
Stephen Webber, running in Senate 19, picked up the endorsement of the firefighters’ union.
eMailbag
File under “Friday Snark”: Trump, Blunt, Greitens, Parson, Hawley, Ashcroft, and Schmitt disproves that the Republican party lacks diversity. Schmitt is a really tall white guy, Blunt is a shorter white guy, Hawley is a younger white guy, Parson is an older white guy, and Ashcroft is a second generation white guy candidate. I wonder how the electorate will react to the sudden onslaught of diversity.
Help Wanted
Anheuser Busch seeks State Manager, State Affairs. “Review and analyze proposed legislation to determine quantitative/qualitative impacts to AB and manage activities of contract lobbyists. Working with legislative consultants, develop plans and strategies to pass legislation that would drive top-line growth or plans to stop legislation that would negatively impact the company's bottom line. Build and Maintain relationships with key industry and government stakeholders and manage the Stakeholder Outreach process for ad hoc projects and announcements as necessary… Develop and manage $1M institutional and political budget….” See it here.
Today’s Events
From Mary Scruggs’ indispensable events calendar:
Rep. Becky Ruth Golf – Union Hills Golf Course – Pevely – 7AM.
Sunday: Effective date of laws, unless emergency date specified
Changes in Lobbyist Registrations
Chelsea Dunn and Jason Thorp added Trinity Highway Products LLC.
Tom Dempsey added Renovate America Inc.
Michael Kapocius added Takeda Pharmaceuticals America.
$5K+ Contributions
Committee for Accountable Government in Missouri - $1,000,000 from David Humphreys.
Greitens for Missouri - $5,200 from Gordon Kinne.
Greitens for Missouri - $50,000 from FTL Capital LLC.
Midwest Region Laborers’ Political League Education Fund - $7,563 from Laborers Supplemental Dues Fund.
Citizens for Stephen Webber - $9,000 from Missouri State Democratic Committee.
Citizens for Stephen Webber - $21,000 from Friends for Gina Walsh.
Citizens for Stephen Webber - $50,000 from CHIPP Political Account.
Citizens for Stephen Webber - $7,500 from David Lockard.
Koster for Missouri - $500,000 from AFSCME.
With Robin Smith in 2016 Committee - $10,000 from August Busch.
Raise Your Hand for Kids - $120,594 from RAI Services Company.
Koster for Missouri - $20,000 from Signature Medical Group.
Teresa Hensley for Missouri - $25,000 from Western Missouri and Kansas Laborers District Council PAC.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to Rep. Anne Zerr, former Rep. Ray Slava, and House 112 candidate Robert Butler.
Saturday: Rep. Tom Flanigan, Scott Swain, and Kit Crancer.
Sunday: Rep. Shamed Dogan, former Speaker John Diehl, and Percy Green II.
MOScout News
No “Weekly Poll” this week, but it will return in September and run through the election.