Thursday, April 2, 2015
Senate Approves Tax Amnesty
The Senate approved Rep. Tom Flanigan’s Tax Amnesty bill, HB 384. While legislation will add to state revenue, it’s been controversial in the past as some see it as “rewarding the cheaters.”
Sen. Rob Schaaf amended Flanigan’s bill to send the proceeds to an earmarks fund for dental services instead of general revenue.
Sen. Will Kraus added in a provision to establish an “Office of Taxpayer Advocate” within the Department of Revenue to provide “independent assistance to taxpayers.”
Stream for Auditor?
Spotted in the building yesterday?? Former Rep. Rick Stream… scuttlebutt from one lobbyist was that Stream had sent in his resume to be considered for the State Auditor position, and was following up in person with the governor’s office….
Team Schweich Divided Over Committee $$$?
Meanwhile in the large contributions below, you’ll see that Friends of Tom Schweich sent $10K to Friends of Thomas Long.
Long had contributed that same amount to Schweich at the end of January, so this appears to be a simple refund.
But we haven’t seen other refund checks in the large contributions. Rumors are that Schweich treasurer Joe Passanise favors giving the money in support of a John Brunner candidacy. Brunner would surely be amiable to that. Though with the ability to self-fund, his interest might be as much in keeping the dough out of a hands of his potential rivals.
Others in the Schweich camp like Sen. Mike Parson, and Eric Greitens. As far as I hear, there is no clear consensus among Team Schweich. However with Passanise as treasurer, he ultimately will be responsible for the decision.
In the halls most people I talk to think there’s no contest what should be done in this extraordinary case of the candidate being dead with no clear successor: offer the money back to the donors; first-come, first-serve.
And
One funny tongue-in-cheek proposal (aka Schweich’s revenge): offer the money to the state party on the condition that John Hancock promise to leave the state…
Quarter End…
We still might see a few checks trickle in that were sent before the deadline, but here’s a tally of this quarter large contributions to gubernatorial candidates…
Catherine Hanaway - $20,000
Eric Greitens – $454,502
Chris Koster - $578,750 (Note this is only the last three months, but since Koster didn’t file a January report, his number will be higher than this).
House Eyes Outsourcing Mail
From the RFP: The Missouri House of Representatives is evaluating proposals for the outsourcing of its printing and mail service operations. For this purpose, the Missouri House has developed this Request for Proposal (RFP) to provide Print Service providers the background information required for a successful bid. This information will assist bidders in understanding the requirements necessary to provide print and mailing functions and meet all deadlines as they occur. Specifically, the goal the Missouri House of Representatives hopes to achieve with this RFP is:
Decrease costs without sacrificing quality
Maintain or improve service
Increase capacity without increasing costs
Partner with a company who continually explores new opportunities and options for the Missouri House to consider that improves production, services and at the same time saves money
Steward Running Hard in Town and Country
World Wide Technology Chairman David Steward recently penned a letter of support for his daughter-in-law Mary Steward, who’s running to unseat long-time incumbent Fred Meyland-Smith for a spot of the Town & Country Board of Alderman. See her website here.
In an election that typically turns out 300 hundred or so voters, the 8-Day Report shows Steward has out spent her opponent 9-1 and has Taylor Krewson, daughter of St. Louis Alderwoman Lyda Krewson and former Francis Slay campaign staffer, working for her.
The senior Steward stated “resident views and feedback on large monetary expenditures must be sought before proposals are brought before the board of alderman.” The phrase of needing feedback before “large monetary expenditures” brought eye-rolls from one observer who noted that World Wide Technology has collected hundreds of millions of dollars in state contracts over the past 15 years.
Johnson Responds to Rehder
Ryan Johnson, executive director of Missouri Freedom, replies to Rep. Holly Rehder’s cticisim of their poll: We stand by our poll in that the methodology and weighting are sound and in the sense that the average citizen recovering from back surgery or a child dealing with anxiety would be caught up in the database as Holly's bill stands. In that sense our poll is in keeping with the spirit of the bill. I don't think that there is a sufficient reason to second-guess the poll's veracity or make accusations.
I hold her in the highest respect and would note that she scored a 95% with Missouri Alliance For Freedom in 2014. This may well be the only issue we disagree on. Having said that, her bill faces an uphill battle in the Senate so it will be interesting to see how the House responds to what the Senate has sent them. Especially when 53% of Missourians don't support the concept of PDMP.
And
Jamie Allman looks at the issue here.
Lobbyist Registrations
Aaron March added The Lamar Company, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kissick Construction Co., Northpointe Development LLC, Red Development LLC, BBJV LLC, Master Realty Properties Inc., Briarcliff Realty Company, Pursell Holdings LLC, MD Management, Damon Pursell Construction Company, Real Properties Holding LLC, Y Bannister Two LLC, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, 1200 Main/South Loop TDD, Brad Nicholson, Briarcliff Development Company, Corridor Properties LLC, MRP Freighthouse LP, Pursell Mid-City Development LLC, Price Brothers Management, Hunt Midwest Real Estate, Executive Hills, The RH Johnson Company, and Lidia’s Freighthouse LLC; and deleted The Village Gardens, Meyer Companies, Corridor Propertis LLC, Ella Bay LLC, CBK Properties II LLC, The Roasterie, Double Eagle LLC, Lidias Freighthouse LLC, and Meyer Brothers/BBJV LLC.
Raymond Wagner Jr. added Enterprise Holdings, Associated Industries of Missouri, and Raymond Wagner Jr..
Sagar Shah added Uber Technologies Inc.
Sarah Wood Martin added Missourians for A Balanced Energy Future.
Parker Bena added Turning Point Ministries.
James Atkins added Husch Blackwell LLP, and National Association of Professional Employer Organizations, Uber Technologies Inc., and Consumer Healthcare Products Association.
John E Scott deleted Harris-Stowe State College, and John E Scott.
$5K+ Contributions
One Springfield - $6,867 from HRC.
Citizens for Jake Zimmerman - $25,000 from Stuart Zimmerman.
Citizens for Jake Zimmerman - $25,000 from Susan Zimmerman.
Van Hooser for Springfield - $8,000 from Springfield Good Government Committee.
Friends of Thomas Long - $10,000 from Friends of Tom Schweich.
Compton for Council - $9,600 from Springfield Good Government Committee.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to Winston Calvert.