Monday, June 30, 2014
Bits… in no particular order…
NYTimes Dings Kansas Tax Cut Plan
This came out on Friday, and got passed around a bit. It’s a New York Times reporter, dismantling the Kansas tax policy. Read it here.
First paragraph: Kansas has a problem. In April and May, the state planned to collect $651 million from personal income tax. But instead, it received only $369 million.
Last paragraph: As revenue comes in over the next few months, Kansas will learn just how big of a tax cut it’s given out in the name of small business, and what it will have to do to the rest of the state budget to make the tax cut affordable.
Eckelkamp Wins Committeewoman Spot
Saturday, the Missouri Republican Party elected Susie Ecklekamp to be their new national committeewoman, taking the spot of Catherine Hanaway who is pursuing the gubernatorial nomination full-time now.
“Annette Read was runner-up to Eckelkamp in the balloting. Out of 63 ballots cast (11 valid proxies and 52 in attendance), Eckelkamp received 46 votes and Read received 17.”
CDT: Bond to be Back
Columbia Daily Tribune’s Rudi Keller reports that Kit Bond will be back in the hallways next year pressing again for Medicaid expansion. Read it here.
Pull Quote: Bond didn’t vote for the Affordable Care Act, passed during the final year of his 24-year tenure in the U.S. Senate. In Missouri, Republican lawmakers eager to show their defiance of the law have put two ballot measures before voters to emphasize that opposition. The term Obamacare was first coined to show contempt for its compulsory provisions.
As more hospitals and health clinics announce job cuts, it will be easier to make the case for expansion, Bond said. And Bond hates to lose. “We are still developing the plan” for a new lobbying effort, he said. “We did not plan to lose but now that we have lost we will make a new plan. We are going to have to make sure we are in good shape when the legislature convenes.”
Tweet of the Morning: Kinder’s Fingers Crossed
@PeterKinder: Fingers crossed today awaiting outcome of the Hobby Lobby case on religious #liberty, confident SCOTUS will repudiate Obama admin #tcot
Tweet of the Weekend: Carter Call Clay a Drug Addict
In the continuing feud between the Carter camp and the Clay camp, former state representative Chris Carter slapped Congressman Lacy Clay on Twitter: @ChrisCarter3: Just seen @LacyClayMO1 on my block, looks like he needs to take a trip back to rehab. Drug addiction is real…
The two are tangling over the House 76 Democratic primary. Rep. Josh Peters is a former Clay staffer running for re-election against Carter’s dad, Chris Carter Sr.
Jones on Slay
Speaker Tim Jones’ statement on the City of St. Louis issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples…
“For Mayor Slay, Judge Murphy, and the others involved to do this is irresponsible. As government employees, they took vows to uphold our constitution and follow our laws without prejudice. It is alarming that they think it is appropriate to willingly violate the Missouri Constitution to send a political message. The appropriate way to push for a change to our constitution is through a legislative joint resolution or an initiative petition, both of which allow the public to have the final say. In doing this, it is clear they are trying to push for a change in law to be mandated by the courts, regardless of what the people of Missouri think.”
It’s an interest statement on a couple levels. First, it avoids makes an argument based on traditional conservative social values, but rather uses constitutional principles to disagree.
And second, he doesn’t have to weigh in. I assumed his plan would be to go underwater for a year or two (conserve his $1 million campaign account) and re-emerge a kinder, gentler conservative in preparation for 2016. He’s been host radio shows lately and doesn’t appear to be going on hiatus.
And
The ACLU sues in Kansas City where same-sex couples were denied marriage licenses. Read it here.
State Revenues
As we near the finish line for the fiscal year, the daily revenue reports show that tax receipts are running about negative 1%. National GDP figures dipped in the first quarter in part because of terrible snowstorms. Still the chatter among the Jeff City politigentsia is that the shifty hand of Nixon might behind the recent decline. Could his team be working to make the numbers look as bad as possible ahead of the veto override fight in September?
House Democratic Primary Guide
In the Special Reports this morning is the Democratic House Primary Guide. Find it here. Same format as the Republican House Guide from Friday. Fewer Democratic primaries means it’s only 44 pages long. Like the Republican Guide it will be revised as new information comes available, and final forecast of winners will be made soon after the July quarters are released.
And
I made the first revision to the Republican Primary Guide, a correction to House 43 where I bungled on the information of one of the candidates.
Last Day of the Quarter
Beware, beware… It’s the last day of the fundraising quarter…
New Stenger Ad
The new Steve Stenger ad follow the pattern of his first two ads, both hitting Charlie Dooley while offering himself as the antidote. See it here.
“When women arrive at a county shelter it’s because they have nowhere else to go. Buzz Westfall was taking everybody. But Charlie Dooley started turning away families, sending them back into harm’s way. Steve Stenger passed an ordinance requiring the county to accept every abused woman and her children. I can’t thank Steve Stenger enough. What he did is a life-saver.”
Senate 2 Bits
In the large contributions below, Vicki Schneider pulls in $10K from CHIPP. CHIPP is the carpenters’ union PAC – “Carpenters Helping in the Political Process.” She and Rep. Chuck Gatschenberger has wooed labor support with varying degrees of success.
Bob Onder meanwhile announced via email that he’d received Missouri Right to Life’s “sole endorsement” in the race.
This round goes to Onder…
And
I’m seeing more MRL endorsements across social media. The group hasn’t released their full list yet publicly as the letters are still in the process.
Help Wanted
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City seeks Legal Counsel. “The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City seeks an attorney to serve as legal counsel. This is a generalist position within a small team of attorneys. Together, the attorneys advise on all types of legal issues affecting the Bank, including banking law, employment law, contracts, and compliance matters.” See the ad here.
$5K+ Contributions
Committee to Elect Cynthia Black - $6,000 from Cynthia Black.
Committee to Elect Lauren Arthur - $10,000 from Clint Zweifel for Missouri.
Connect KC - $25,000 from Herzog Contracting Corporation.
Connect KC - $25,000 from Burns & McDonnell.
Friends of Rick Stream - $15,000 from David Spence.
Friends of Tom Schweich - $10,000 from Parson for State Senate.
McCaslin for Auditor - $50,000 from Carol McCaslin.
Missouri Farmers Care – $20,000 from Missouri Farm Bureaus Fund to Protect Farming and Ranching.
Missouri Farmers Care – $10,000 from Missouri Pork PAC.
Missouri Farmers Care – $15,000 from Missouri Pork PAC.
Missouri Farmers Care – $10,000 from FCS Financial.
Missouri Farmers Care – $40,000 from Missouri Corn Growers Association.
Missourians for Koster - $10,000 from Skilled Healthcare LLC.
Missourians for Koster - $10,000 from Burns & McDonnell.
Missourians for Koster - $10,000 from Missouri Health Care Association PAC.
Missourians for Safe Transportation & New Jobs Inc - $100,000 from International Union of Operating Engineers.
Missourians for Safe Transportation & New Jobs Inc - $50,000 from APAC Kansas Inc.
Missourians for Safe Transportation & New Jobs Inc - $25,000 from APAC Kansas Inc.
Missourians for Safe Transportation & New Jobs Inc - $50,000 from Herzog Contacting Corp.
Protect the Harvest PAC – Missouri - $11,176 from Protect the Harvest.
Missourians for Koster - $10,000 from Bill Foster.
Committee to Elect Vicki A Schneider for State Senate - $20,000 from CHIPP.
MO FOP PAC - $10,000 from Missouri Fraternal Order of Police.
Missouri for Koster - $25,000 from Davis, Bethune & Jones LLC.
Missouri for Koster - $25,000 from Gardner Capital Inc.
Happy Birthday
Happy birthday to former state senator Pat Dougherty (66).