Friday, September 16, 2016
Election Day
Yup, it’s primary Election Day II in House 78 where polls for the Penny Hubbard – Bruce Franks rematch have just opened…
Nixon Withholds More
Post-Dispatch reports: Gov. Jay Nixon is making good on his threat to slash more money from the state budget after Missouri lawmakers overrode his vetoes on bills that give tax breaks to so-called “special interests.” See it here.
The governor’s press release
"I've always been extremely clear to legislators that the tax breaks they pass must be accounted for, either in the budget they pass or in the action that I must take later," Gov. Nixon said. "These bills must be accounted for, in order to balance the budget, so today I ordered immediate cuts to the state budget - $51.5 million as a result of Senate Bill 641 and $5.7 million as a result of Senate Bill 1025. Make no mistake - these cuts are solely the responsibility of legislators who voted to enact the special interest tax breaks. When they decide to spend money on tax breaks, that money has to come from other places."
The cuts include:
$20 million from general revenue for the new MO Moves program, under MoDOT;
$16.5 million for school transportation;
$6 million for the school foundation formula;
$4.5 million for the University of Missouri Applied Learning Center;
$2.9 million for Deferred Biodiesel Subsidies Transfer
$2 million from an increase for Port Authority Capital Improvements;
$1,875,000 for Glass Hall at Missouri State University;
$1,085,250 for new Dairy Revitalization funding.
Senate GOP Grumbles
“The effects of the bills overridden won't be felt for months if not years down the road. Missouri's most overridden governor in history combined is using our veto session successes as a smokescreen to blur the real problem - the out-of-control growth in entitlement programs, especially Medicaid...” Senate Leader Ron Richard.
“Another issue that could be affecting the budget is not knowing the increased cost of the severed EngagePoint contract. The contract with this health care policy modernization consultant ended early and now is tied up in litigation…” Appropriations Chairman Sen. Kurt Schaefer.
“Budgets are about priorities, and this governor has proven time and time again he cares more about entitlement programs, such as Medicaid, than programs that will help our schools, local transportation, and our state's number one industry agriculture. Missouri's economy is not growing…” Majority Floor Leader Mike Kehoe.
Rowden Gets MO Chamber Endorsement
This morning at 10AM Rep. Caleb Rowden will win MO Chamber’s “Man in the Arena” award, and with it their endorsement for the Senate 19 race.
“During the 2016 Legislative Session, Rowden stood strong against a worrisome proposal, Senate Joint Resolution 39, which the Chamber believes would have given employees legal standing to refuse to do their jobs,” said Missouri Chamber President and CEO Dan Mehan. “Rowden cast a difficult, but important, vote to put a halt to the measure’s progress. With a 100 percent Missouri Chamber vote rating, Rep. Rowden shows unwavering support for job creation. He has championed numerous economic development initiatives in the past and we know that he will continue to be a strong vote for our economy as a Missouri senator.”
New Kander Ad
Kander released a new ad which drew wide attention. It shows him assembling a military weapon while blindfolded, and speaking about his opponent misrepresenting his position on guns. See it here.
Reaction
Democrat: What I like most about this group of Democrat military veteran candidates is they are don't sit there and just take a punch.
Republican: Has to be a category for best political gun ad of the cycle; Kander just won it.
Lobbyist: In an era of great TV ads, this is one of the best.
Kander Bits
A poll released today by Emerson College shows Jason Kander ahead of
Senator Blunt in a head-to-head contest. Jason leads Senator Blunt in the poll with
a two-point edge, 42% to 40%. See the full poll results here.
It’s a 600 sample, which gets about a +/-4%. And there are a few oddities to it. It has Roy Blunt with higher favorable than unfavorable, which I haven’t seen before. Meanwhile Kander’s unfavorable are higher than his favorable. It weighted slightly more to Dems than I usually do: Dems 38%, GOP 35%, Independent 27%. And the poll has Donald Trump leading Hillary Clinton in Missouri by 13….
VoteVets PAC, which I mentioned started an ad buy yesterday, said it’s “a $400,000 broadcast and cable buy, today, featuring an Iraq War Veteran standing up for Democratic candidate for Senator, Jason Kander, while calling into question Roy Blunt's sketchy record on his own draft record, and record on veterans' issues.”
End Citizens United PAC is buying ad time. (See their website here.) Here’s an ad contract. Note the handwritten notation that the ad is “Anti-Blunt.”
Roll Call changes the senate race rating from “Republican Favored” to “Lean Republican.” See it here.
Where to Fight Voter ID
Post-Dispatch susses out the widespread argument among Democrats that voter ID can be defeated more easily in court than at the ballot box. See it here.
Pull Quote: A federal appeals court struck down North Carolina’s voter identification law in July, ruling that the measure targeted “African-Americans with almost surgical precision.” The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against reinstating it the following month.
A U.S. district judge threw out part of Wisconsin’s 2011 voter ID law, ruling that “a preoccupation with mostly phantom election fraud leads to real incidents of disenfranchisement which undermine rather than enhance confidence in elections.”
On similar grounds, a federal appeals court tossed Texas’ voter ID law on July 20.
Carnahan Decries “Meals for Deals”
Russ Carnahan’s campaign email blast targets Mike Parson’s lobbyist ties…
Recently, a Post-Dispatch story revealed that the Missouri State Senate keeps a slush fund of lobbyist contributions, which it uses to pay for lavish dinners… This practice and our broken system of unlimited lobbyist gifts need to end. Mike Parson has been the second-highest recipient lobbyist gifts -- he’s taken nearly $46,000 from lobbyists, and voted against banning their gifts last year. Parson is treating public service like an ATM and does not want to change it….
And
The MEC lobbyists database only goes back to 2004, the year Carnahan left the Missouri legislature. That year it shows he only took $103.68 from lobbyists…
Auditor Action
Auditor Nicole Galloway released an audit of Carter County. The audit received an overall performance rating of good, and showed marked improvement over the county's most recent audit, which was completed in 2012 and earned a poor performance rating. "This is how audits are supposed to work. When issues are identified it's up to county leaders to take action, and that's exactly what we see here," Auditor Galloway said. "While the audit did identify some additional areas for improvement, the county has been responsive and has already taken steps to correct some items addressed in the report."
Bits
Missouri House Republicans’ Conservative Caucus elected their new officers: Rep. Paul Curtman is chairman, Rep. Rick Brattin is vice-chair, and Rep. Jared Taylor is secretary.
The Greitens campaign opens a Chris Koster Store. See it here.
Meanwhile a Democrat laments… “Greitens $10k from CV Starr...Google it. Run by the former head of AIG who is facing fraud charges in NY. Guy talks about corruption but takes $ from anyone...”
eMailbag: Next for Gun Rights in Legislature?
What's next?... Put guns on campus, guns on public transit, and restore gun rights to felons…
New Bid
The Missouri Department of Economic Development, Division of Workforce Development (DWD) is seeking a web-based employer/job seeker matching tool that incorporates a behavioral assessment to enhance and improve the way Missouri Job Centers match job seekers with hiring employers, resulting in more satisfied customers, decreasing the length of unemployment and increasing placement retention rates. A behavioral assessment-based job matching tool will allow the Missouri Job Center staff to more thoroughly screen job candidates to find the right fit for a job opening and rely less on inconsistent personal judgment. This assessment would be utilized in conjunction with skill-based assessments to ensure job candidates have the skills, interests and personality to be successful at a particular job.
Today’s Events
Powered by Mary Scruggs’ indispensable events calendar:
Saturday: Rep. Bryan Spencer Shoot & Auction – VFW – Wentzville – 1PM.
Saturday: Teresa Hensley – Mizzou Tailgate, Lot A – 4PM.
Changes in Lobbyist Registrations
Caitlin Kerber deleted Midwest Foster Care and Adoption Association.
$5K+ Contributions
New Approach Missouri - $15,000 from Luke Sinquefield.
New Approach PAC - $20,000 from New Approach PAC.
Parson for Missouri - $10,000 from Trailiner Corp.
Scott Sifton for Missouri - $6,000 from Supporters of Health Research & Treatments.
Koster for Missouri - $100,000 from United Food and Commercial Workers Union.
Citizens for Stephen Webber - $5,001 from The Missouri School Administrators PAC.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $12,500 from Friends of Mike Cunningham.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $12,500 from Friends of Mike Cunningham.
Koster for Missouri - $10,000 from C H Parsons.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Joan Bray, Nicole Brown, and Jim Kottmeyer.
Saturday: Sen. Mike Parson, Rep. Tom McDonald, Bill Webster and Margaret Kelly.
Sunday: Former Reps. Chris Carter and Don Calloway.
Congratulations
To Rep. John Rizzo and wife Lindsay on the birth of Ella Lane Rizzo (7 pounds, 9 ounces, and 19 inches long).