Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Why GOP Should be Wary of RTW
Following up on yesterday’s blurb about the calculations with overriding right to work, another Republican offers a different take on the situation.
If Republicans override RTW, they will be irreparably driving union members back into the Democratic camp from which they’ve been slowly migrating during the past few cycle.
The growth of the House Republican majority have been in part because the party had found candidates to run and win in labor-heavy districts and offer traditional Democratic union members a reason to vote Republican.
A RTW override would blow apart this new Missouri Republican coalition that has enabled House Republicans to build their majority from the 90-ish members to its historic high.
FrontGrillGate? Call It What You Want. It’s A Mess
Rep. Dave Hinson apologized to a judge for proclaiming his innocence in the press, and reaffirmed his DWI guilty plea.
This news came along with a whole bundle of revelations about the episode. See Alex Stuckey’s article here. See Summer Ballentine’s article here.
It’s kind of impossible to read Hinson’s previous interview with Missouri Times now as anything other than a patchwork of half and quarter-truths to blame “dirty politics” rather than his “birthday celebration” for his DWI.
From Stuckey’s report: [Hinson] claims he reported it to Capitol Police the next day. The report paints a very different picture of the incident, however… Hinson never actually reported the incident, which caused $1,100 worth of damage to the state vehicle and ripped the front grill off his Ford, according to the report. Rather, he received a message that his car had been involved in a hit-and-run… The front grill of Hinson’s car was on the ground. Police officers later found the vehicle on Clay Street and towed it, according to the report.
The morning of Feb. 3, Hinson told police officers he had not been driving the car that night, but wasn’t sure who had been. A group of people had gone to Columbia to celebrate Hinson’s birthday and had left his car at the Capitol, the report states. “I was too impaired so that’s why, we went out for my birthday. So, happy birthday to me,” Hinson said in a transcript of a phone call to Capitol Police.
Hinson told police that Rep. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, drove him home that night. The two share an apartment, though it is not on Clay Street. Hough would later say he never drove Hinson home, according to the report.
By that afternoon, Hinson had changed his story… He told officers that he was operating the vehicle when the accident occurred and that his vehicle, traveling about 10 to 15 mph, slid on a patch of ice, the report states. The police report notes there was no ice on the road leading into the garage or in the area of the damaged vehicle that night…
Hinson told police he had driven to a friend’s home and stayed there. Though his description of the friend’s house was similar to Clay Street, where his vehicle was found, Hinson couldn’t remember the friend’s name or the name of the street…
What’s Next?
How does Speaker Todd Richardson deal with this? If he lets it slide, it means that nothing has changed in the capitol culture. And nothing will.
Englund’s Re-Announcement Email
As classily as possible, Vicki Englund announces she’s back to the House race…
As you may have heard, Senator Sifton has decided to run for reelection to his Senate seat. So today I announce my campaign for re-election to Missouri's 94th House District. There is no heavy heart, there is no feeling of disappointment, and no doubt in this announcement. We need strong voices in South County - the stakes are way too high this time. I am happy to look to Senator Sifton for his leadership and continued efforts to do what's right for the Democratic Party. His commitment to Missouri's Democratic Party is, and has always been, truly inspiring. My goal is to continue to work hard and take the 94th District back for the Democratic Party, where it belongs.
House 89 Special Election Talk
In the race to replace John Diehl, there appear to be three serious candidates: Cole McNary, Dean Plocher, and David Wasinger.
Wasinger is the husband of St. Louis County Councilwoman Colleen Wasinger. Interestingly the Blue Book listed Wasinger as a Democrat during his time on the University of Missouri Board of Curators.
Team Plocher sent out an invite for an August 27 reception supporting his candidacy. On the host committee: Reps. Sue Allen, Cloria Brown, Andrew Koenig, Mike Leara, former Sens. Jane Cunningham, John Lamping, Jim Lembke, and former Reps. Allen Icet and Rick Stream.
And
Pine Lawn, where Plocher serves as a municipal judge, can’t stay out of the news. Now comes accusations that a Pine Lawn lieutenant conspired to arrest a mayoral candidate…. See it here.
Ferguson At One-Year
New York Times front page today looks at the one-year anniversary of the Ferguson crisis. See it here.
Pull Quote: As it prepares to mark a year since Mr. Brown’s death this Sunday, Ferguson, a mostly black community of 21,000 in the patchwork of suburbs north of St. Louis, remains very much a halting work in progress. In recent months, it has taken steps toward repairing racial scars, rebuilding its battered commercial areas and diversifying its once white-dominated government. Yet like so much that was exposed a year ago, Ferguson remains divided — this time between those who think its progress is real, and those who believe that little beyond the superficial has changed.
Bits
State revenues dipped 1.2% in the first month of the fiscal year. A modest increase (+5.1%) in individual income tax receipts was offset by a surge (+42.2%) in refunds.
Kevin Garner, who lost in a primary last cycle to Rep. Lauren Arthur, announced that he “accepted the Communication Director position at Progress Missouri.”
St. Louis City’s bond issue received 61%, short of the required 2/3 needed for passage. See it here.
Francis Howell School District’s proposed tax increase went down in flames garnering only 34% of the vote. See it here.
eMailbag on Schaaf’s Senate Vision
The traditional Republicans can be skeptical about the Rob Schaaf email but he isn't off base when he says that is the way the Senate functioned for years. I believe Schaaf is not alone. Everyone knows that Schaaf is an outlier but on this issue he does have support from at least 5 or 6 Republican senators…
eMailbag on Senate 1
I agree with you that Scott Sifton is a better candidate than Vicki Englund for Democrats to hold that seat. However, I think Marsha Haefner is a MUCH better candidate on the GOP side than Jim Lembke ever was, and I think the race is a toss up, rather than a lock for Sifton to hold the seat.
Lobbyists Registrations
Michael Winter added Educationplus; and deleted Allied Waste.
$5K+ Contributions
Parson for Governor - $10,000 from NP Assisted Health Fund.
Citizens for Vicki Lorenz Englund - $5,001 from Barry Aycock.
MO Republican Party - $10,000 from Enterprise Holdings Inc.
Citizens for Stephen Webber - $5,001 from Barry Aycock.
New Approach Missouri - $5,600 from Show-Me Cannabis Inc.
House Republican Campaign Committee Inc – $10,000 from Missorui Society of Anesthesiologists.
House Republican Campaign Committee Inc - $10,000 from Blue Cross & Blue Shield.
House Republican Campaign Committee Inc – $14,000 from Fitzpatrick for House.
House Republican Campaign Committee Inc - $11,000 from Citizens to Elect Tom Flanigan.
House Republican Campaign Committee Inc – $15,000 from Enterprise Holdings Inc PAC.
House Republican Campaign Committee Inc - $5,001 from Friends of Caleb Jones.
House Republican Campaign Committee Inc – $15,000 from Dealers Interested In Government.
House Republican Campaign Committee Inc - $15,000 from The Doe Run Company.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to St. Louis Republican Committeeman Michael Chance.