Monday, November 28, 2016
Turkey and rumors…. Turkey and rumors….
Rumorville: MDFB Special Meeting?
Among the more interesting tidbits from this long weekend is a rumor that the Missouri Development Finance Board is planning an “emergency meeting” to consider extra credits for the envisioned St. Louis soccer stadium.
We’ll see soon – the source says the special meeting would happen within a week or so – if there’s truth to this.
Perhaps a special meeting would help those who have lined up votes among the current members, but worry that the governor will want to re-review things, and hold up their plan?
Yet why couldn’t it wait until their next regularly scheduled meeting on December 20?
Rumorville: Schaefer for Something?
I had guessed that Kurt Schaefer would go make some money as a lawyer following his defeat in the attorney general primary. And maybe he will. But a few people saying otherwise. The only problem is: they’re saying the same thing. Both have him serving in the Greitens Administration. But one person said Schaefer for Director of OA, while another for Director of DNR. We’ll see…
Rumorville: GOP State Chair
In the elbowing to take the place of John Hancock… one MOScout tipster writes that Todd Graves (see bio here) is the choice of the Greitens camp to be the next state chair. Others mentioned are Dave Spence and Nick Meyers.
Rumorville: Hanaway Hustling?
This rumor is so ridiculous I’m not sure I should put it out there. But one source – who’s usually spot on for what it’s worth – says that Catherine Hanaway is styling herself as a consultant who can get tort reform done.
That seems silly because all she’d have to do is nothing.
Governor-elect Eric Greitens has declared it a priority. The Republican legislature has voted for it in the past. Heck, the bill is even written already. Just pass the bill you passed last year, but this time the governor signs it instead of vetoes it. Who needs a consultant for that?
Rumorville: Lucas for Interior… Parson to DC?
President-elect Donald Trump is filling his cabinet with gazillionaires. So the rumor that Forrest Lucas is in the running for Secretary of the Interior makes some sense. Lucas is said to be one of LG-elect Mike Parson’s best pals.
One MOScouter says that if Lucas lands the spot “there's a good chance Parson becomes Deputy Secretary or at least an Undersecretary…” A different reader says that Parson wouldn’t abdicate. “Maybe if he lost, but not now that he has won.”
We’ll see….
Driving the Day: Mayoral Filing Opens
This morning filing opens for St. Louis City’s mayoral election. Here’s who’s declared: Jeffrey Boyd, Antonio French, Bill Haas, Tishaura Jones, Lyda Krewson, Jimmie Matthews, Jamilah Nasheed, and Lewis Reed.
Now, we’ll see who shows on the first day…. And who’s all there in the end.
French’s aldermanic seat is up for election on the same cycle. He’s young with plenty of time to make a mayoral run in the future. It’s possible he looks at the field – heavy on African Americans and short on whites – and decides to stay put.
Meanwhile Haas and Matthews are not considered to be impact players in the electoral equations.
Clearing Out the In-Box: Hawley for Senate?
From last Monday’s Mark Reardon show (see it here) Budget Chair Scott Fitzpatrick talks about the state’s revenue situation (around the 9:30 mark). As interesting as Fitzy’s take on the numbers are, what’s more interesting is when Josh Hawley joins Reardon (around the 19-minute mark). Reardon asks Hawley if there’s a chance he’d run for Senate in 2018 (a rumor I’ve heard from Republicans) and he DOESN’T SAY NO….
Schaaf Proposes Publicly Funded Campaign
In an op/ed (see it here) Sen. Rob Schaaf proposes a kind of public funding for Missouri political campaigns.
He says he will pre-file a bill on Friday that will “let each Missourian subtract up to $100 per year from their state income taxes, letting them claim a dollar-per-dollar credit for donations to county-level party committees and to candidates for state representative, state senator and statewide office. In effect, it would let each Missourian take control of the first $100 of their own taxes and allocate those dollars to political campaigns of their choice… More generally, it would decentralize the funding of political campaigns, diluting the influence of big-money special interests and making government more accountable to the people. Such a system has worked in other states, and it would work here. If this bill were passed, imagine how it would change the way that candidates run for office. No longer would they need to spend so much time attending special-interest fundraisers or calling the rich and powerful to ask for money. Instead, to win their races, they would need to mount broad-based grassroots campaigns, appealing to small donors for support. They would have more reason to mobilize volunteers, go door-to-door, and even hold fundraisers in middle- and working-class homes…”
ALEC Week Coming
America Legislative Exchange Council is have their States and Nation Policy Summit this week in Washington DC. Legislators (and leg-elects) expected to attend: Sens. Bill Eigel, Ed Emery, Andrew Koenig, Doug Libla, and Wayne Wallingford. Reps. Kurt Bahr, Jason Chipman, Bruce DeGroot, Shamed Dogan, Tila Hubrecht, Justin Hill, Mike Kelley, Donna Lechtenegger, and Patricia Pike. The Missouri State Night Dinner on Thursday will take place in the Trump Hotel….
Auditor Action
The press release: Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway released the following statement after Lawrence County Prosecutor Don Trotter filed felony stealing charges against six former board members and employees of the Buck Prairie Special Road District. The charges are the result of concerns uncovered in an audit that identified $65,000 dollars in inappropriate spending and payments made from district accounts.
"People are just plain fed up with public officials who abuse their power and take advantage of their positions to benefit themselves instead of the citizens they serve. My audit raised serious concerns with the management of the Buck Prairie Special Road District and these charges highlight the seriousness of their actions, and show how audits get results. My office worked with Lawrence County Prosecuting Attorney Don Trotter, and we appreciate his dedication to justice. When those in positions of public trust abuse their power, they must be held accountable."
See the August 2016 audit here.
Bits
It looks like the John Brunner-Michael Goguen lawsuit has been reassigned to (former Sen.) Judge Ted House.
The Missouri Citizens’ Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials will meet today at 10:30AM in the Harry S Truman Building. Earlier this month Governor Jay Nixon made appointments to the commission. See it here.
The 2016 Missouri Christmas trees will arrive at the Governor’s Mansion today… “The outside tree is a 30-foot eastern red cedar donated by Bud Perrin, of Independence, from his yard. The trees for the inside of the mansion are all white pines from Pea Ridge Forest, a Christmas tree farm and wholesale nursery near Hermann. There will be an 18-foot tree for the staircase, a 10-foot tree for the back porch, and six 7-foot trees throughout the first floor of the Mansion. The annual lighting of the tree will take place at 6:15 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2….”
In keeping with the theme of lefties filing initiative petitions before Jason Kander leaves office, Sean Soendker Nicholson filed another eight IPs dealing with campaign finance reform and redistricting reform. See them here.
eMailbag on Peak Sinquefield
An uninterested party: I think it’s fair to point out some of the victories Rex Sinquefield has had over the last decade… First, Ignited regional/national discussions on state income tax reform that led to successful reforms in OK, KS, TN and the first MO state income tax cut in 100 years.
Second, Successful ballot IP in 2010 to force a local sunset vote on the STL & KC Earnings Tax every five years, as it previously was set to continue indefinitely without voter approval.
Third, Local control of the STL Police through statewide IP in 2012.
Fourth, he played a pivotal role in countless State Senate and State Rep elections, ranging from Todd Richardson's first primary to Jamilah Nasheed's three-way primary for Senate… Not to mention a significant amount given to HRCC that helped secure veto proof majorities.
Fifth, two education reform bills passed by the legislature in 2014 and 2015. While vetoed by Nixon, it still marks first education reform bills passed by legislature in recent memory…
I just wanted to point out that I think Rex has moved the ball on tough issues considering the circumstances with a Democrat Governor in office for eight of the nine years he's been active in
MO politics….
An interested party: MO Club for Growth played in 17 races for the 2016 general. I believe won 15 of them… [Also] Greitens has declared education reform is a priority for him. That is Rex's other signature issue. Several reform bills (which have already passed but been vetoed) could very well become law in 2017. That would be yet another historic victory.
And
Rex Sinquefield was playing in Kentucky this cycle. See it here. Who knew…
$5K+ Contributions
Nicole Galloway for Missouri - $50,000 from CHIPP Political Account.
Nicole Galloway - $10,000 from Pipe Fitters Local Union.
Greitens for Missouri - $10,000 from Cerner Corporation.
Greitens for Missouri - $7,500 from Rockwood Management Corporation.
Friends of Tom Oldenburg - $7,500 from Rosalita’s Cantina Management Group LLC.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Jeff Messenger and former Rep. Ed Schieffer.