Tuesday, August 9, 2016
IP Day
The Missouri Secretary of State is set to announce today which initiative petitions reached the threshold number of signatures to appear on the ballot in November.
Medical Marijuana Heads to Court
Ahead of this announcement, the medical marijuana campaign sent out a press release…
We announced today that we will go to court this month to overturn invalidated signatures, so that our medical marijuana measure can appear on the November ballot in Missouri. Multiple ballot initiative campaigns have successfully gone through this effort to get back on the ballot over the last decade in Missouri.
An initial review of signature totals from the six congressional districts we collected this Spring shows that the campaign currently has more than enough valid signatures in every district, except for Missouri’s second congressional district. In that district, which is made up of parts of Jefferson, St. Charles and St. Louis counties, local election authorities invalidated approximately 10,700 signatures, leaving the campaign roughly 2,200 short of the 32,337 signatures required in that district. We don’t believe the local election authorities in this district unnecessarily invalidated these signatures out of malice, but rather the errors were made by overworked staff and temporary employees that are brought in to handle the validation process for this year’s five initiative petitions….
Taxpayer Protection Feels Good About Their Numbers
Source from their campaign… Ballot numbers will be announced by the SOS for initiatives that received enough valid signatures of registered Missouri voters to qualify for the ballot. Missourians for Fair Taxation submitted more than 300,000 signatures and we are confident of making the ballot… Our campaign website and other campaign materials will be updated with the new amendment number…
Raise Your Hand Plans Press Conference
Also confident on their numbers is the Raise Your Hand cigarette tax increase. They have a presser planned for 2PM. “Speakers Include: Reverend Starsky Wilson, Ferguson Commission and Deaconess Foundation; Maxine Clark, Founder, Build-A-Bear Workshop; State Senator Jamilah Nasheed; Sarah Christman, Executive Director of the Soulard School; Jane Dueker, Raise Your Hand for Kids…”
And
One good source thinks that the Convenience Stores’ cig tax increase will also make the necessary number to be on the ballot. The conventional wisdom had been that they weren’t as serious about collecting signatures for their IP as keeping RYH4K off the ballot. We’ll see….
MO Budget Project on More Restrictions
I missed this last week before the election…
As you know, decreased revenue in the month of June prompted the Governor to restrict state spending for critical services including for early education, schools, programs for Missourians with disabilities and more. But the ramifications of decreased revenue may not end there:
Because of the FY 2016 general revenue shortfall, revenue needs to grow about 6.5 percent in the new budget year in order to fully fund the FY 2017 state budget approved by lawmakers. The amount of needed growth is far above the budgeted projection of 4.1 percent.
If state revenue grows at the lower, projected rate of 4.1 percent, Missouri will face a $216 million budget shortfall for the current fiscal year.
Should the legislature choose to override the Governor’s vetoes of further tax reductions passed in the 2016 legislative session, the budget will be further strained….
Follow-Up on House Leadership Races
There are four representative vying to be the new Republican Caucus Chair: Elaine Gannon, Mike Kelley, Glen Kolkmeyer, and Becky Ruth.
And the Whip race is between Reps. Jason Chipman, Charlie Davis, and Steve Lynch.
Meanwhile, one rep says that while Rep. Delus Johnson is “expected” to run for pro tem (against Reps. Elijah Haahr and Joe Don McGaugh), he has not made a formal announcement. Some think he may decide to stay in the whip race….
Follow-Up on Koster’s Farm Bureau Speech
One of the more interesting points in Koster’s Farm Bureau speech is in the question and answer periods where he dismantles the notion that the state transportation funding needs can be solved by rooting out waste in the Department of Transportation. He called that sort of solution “cotton candy policy,” which might taste good during a campaign speech but quickly dissolves upon contact.
Follow-Up LG GOP Race
Among the missteps that the Bev Randles campaign made in their defeat to Sen. Mike Parson appears to have been inadequate opposition research. One source says that they must not have dug deeply enough into Parson’s legislative record to uncover the killer hit on him… Obamacare.
It happened back in 2011. Republican Chris Molendorp sponsored HB 609 to set up the Show-Me Insurance Exchange. It wasn’t considered controversial passing the House 157-0 (winning support from stalwart anti-Obamacare foes like Tim Jones). But when it came to the Senate Jane Cunningham railed that this was helping the Obama administration implement the ACA, and she rallied conservatives against it. Parson had voted for the bill in the Senate committee. Although the bill never passed (Cunningham and others ultimately killed the bill), and many Republicans voted for it, it still could have been spun into a devastating ad in the Republican primary – if the Randles team had known it was there.
Follow-Up on Koster Administration Planning
One name mentioned as a possible Republican that could give a Chris Koster administration some bipartisan flavor is Sen. Ryan Silvey. This source thought the Office of Administration would be a good fit for Silvey. Who knows…
And
From one lobbyist: It’s interesting that for a while now we have heard about Republicans being recruited to work for Chris Koster. When are Republicans going to be recruited to work for Eric Greitens?
Bits
File under Rumorville: one source says that Governor Jay Nixon is looking at St. Louis as the place to make his residence after his term is up….
MOScout Reader: Someone is polling the US Senate race… I was asked the usual questions – party, view, likely to vote, presidential choice, favorables on Kander and Trump, race, education. It was a live poll and it was awful - the woman had a very thick accent and struggled to say names correctly.
Governor Jay Nixon appointed former Rep. Margaret Donnelly as Circuit Judge for the 21st Circuit, which covers St. Louis County. The position became vacant through the appointment of the Honorable Colleen Dolan to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District….
Corn Growers Follow Farm Bureau…. Today, the Missouri Corn Growers Association (MCGA) endorsed Chris Koster for Governor. The MCGA cited Chris’s exemplary record of support for the state’s number one industry, including his strong support of the Missouri Right-to-Farm amendment and standing up to federal regulators impacting Missouri’s agricultural economy. MCGA President Morris Heitman called Koster’s support of agriculture and farm families “unquestionable.”
Phyllis Schlafly loses suit against her nephew, brewer/attorney Tom Schlafly. See it here.
From my LinkedIn feed: Ed Martin has added a skill: Politics
Today’s Events
From Mary Scruggs’ indispensable events calendar:
Rep. Chuck Basye Meet & Greet – Andrews & Kirby – Higbee – 5:30PM.
Lobbyists Registrations
Michael Winter added Davita Healthcare Partners Inc.
Kimberly Preston added Excellence in Education National Inc DBA Excellence in Education in Action.
Charles “Andy” Arnold deleted Bus Shield LLC, Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, Brightergy, and Glazer’s Family of Companies.
Thomas Smith deleted Capital Business Development Associates.
Craig Felzien deleted Majestic Consulting.
Cecilia Jones deleted Concerned Women for America of Missouri.
$5K+ Contributions
Koster for Missouri - $10,000 from United Steelworkers District 11.
Koster for Missouri - $10,000 from Richard DeStefane.
ElectGregMueller.Com - $15,000 from Michael Nooney.
Greitens for Missouri - $6,000 from John Danforth.
New Approach Missouri - $80,500 from Drug Policy Action.
Greitens for Missouri - $75,000 from Drury Development Corporation.
Greitens for Missouri - $100,000 from HTH Companies Inc.
Greitens for Missouri - $10,000 from HCW Development Company LLC.
Hawley for Missouri - $10,000 from Drury Development Corporation.
Teresa Hensley for Missouri - $10,000 from UFCW Local 655.
Teresa Hensley for Missouri - $5,001 from Barry Aycock.
Teresa Hensley for Missouri - $10,000 from Ironworkers Political Education Fund.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Lyndall Fraker, former Rep. Brian Baker, Winston Apple, and Christopher Till.