Friday, August 14, 2015
Stadium Lawsuit News
Post-Dispatch’s David Hunn reports that “a Cole County judge on Thursday removed Gov. Jay Nixon from a lawsuit seeking to block state spending on a new football stadium in St. Louis… Beetem’s decision clears yet another barrier in Nixon’s effort to build a new downtown football stadium in St. Louis and keep the Rams from leaving for Los Angeles. Attorneys, however, disagreed on exactly how large the barrier was, and how successfully it had been breached…”
For stadium supporters the more problematic news was deeper in the article…
“But it doesn’t matter if the lawsuit proceeds or not,” [Rob] Schaaf said. If Schaaf sees a state budget with stadium money included, he said, he’ll filibuster. “I will fight it tooth and nail when it comes to making the payments on those bonds. I’ll do everything in my power to keep that money out of the budget. And I’ll do it three years in a row,” he said.
And this sentiment has backers in the House as well who would similarly fight to use the budget to prevent money from going to a stadium without voter approval. The question then will be whether Senate and House Republican leaders would expend political capital on the issue when their caucuses appear to be against the proposal.
Randles Appeals
Republican lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Bev Randles’ email blast notes the entrance of Sen. Mike Parson into the race… “It's an important month for our campaign as new opposition has entered the Lieutenant Governor's race… At this critical time, will you help us meet our August fundraising goal and enter the month of September with a depth of support that can be seen and heard all across Missouri?..”
One of the downsides of taking the early million dollars from Rex Sinquefield is the understandable reluctance of regular Republican donors to cough up more dough. They just figure that Rex will cover this race.
Moy to Senate
Anne Marie Moy is the new communications director for the Senate. AP has the story. See it here. Pull Quote: Moy worked last year on an unsuccessful Sinquefield-financed ballot initiative that would have curbed tenure protections for public school teachers and linked their salaries to their job performance. She previously worked on Sinqufield-backed initiatives to cut income taxes, require public votes on earnings taxes in St. Louis and Kansas City and end state oversight of the St. Louis police force.
I won’t be surprised if this increases the general Rex paranoia. Because Sinquefield has put so much money all over the place, it’s easy to see connections where they may or may not be.
Clay County GOP for RTW
“The Clay County Republican Central Committee passed a resolution last night calling for the override of Right to Work. This might reinforce or show Republican lawmakers that the base supports Right to Work. About a month ago the Missouri Republican State Committee passed a similar resolution supporting the override.”
Bits
Politico’s Influence lists new federal lobbying terminations. Mentioned yesterday… Spectrum Consulting Group, LLC: County of Cole, Missouri (Q3 Termination (no activity)).
KC Star’s Barb Shelly calls Sen. Kurt Schaefer the “scariest person in politics.” Boo! See it here.
Empower Missouri’s 114th Annual Conference will be October 22-23 in Columbia, MO. The theme is “Poverty and Inequality: Separating Fact from Fiction.” See more info here.
The Kansas City Business Journal profiles former Senate Pro Tem Charlie Shields. See it here. “One of the reasons I enjoyed the Legislature was the fascinating, really smart people you get to work with. It’s the same exact thing in health care.”
Missouri Hospital Association’s Rob Monsees plays in band. See the profile (picture of Monsees with sax in hand) here.
And this reminds me to share that I too am in a band. Here is my new CD. Reader: “I like STL Voodoo… some of those songs I have to believe stem from a session in the Vegas of MO – Jefferson City…”
eMailbag: on Term Limits and Ethics
Prohibit legislators from talking about any future employment? There are terms limits in MO. We automatically get fired after 8 years. "Run for office! Make a difference! And then when you're done, you'll be viewed as corrupt and unable to get another job!" Don't like legislators working after they are done in office? Don't have term limits.
$5K+ Contributions
Unite Here Tip Missouri State and Local Fund - $10,000 from Unite Here.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $10,000 from Express Scripts Inc.
House Republican Campaign Committee Inc - $10,000 from Express Scripts Inc.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to former Sen. John Loudon (48), and Nancy Cross.
Saturday: former Rep. Pat Yaeger (73).
Sunday: Rep. Sue Meredith (69).