Thursday, August 7, 2014
John Britton Funeral Arrangements
Here are the funeral arrangement for John Britton:
Visitation will be held Sunday, August 10, 2014 from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. Houser-Millard Funeral Home, 2613 West Main Street, Jefferson City, Missouri.
Funeral Services will be held Sunday, August 10, 2014 at 3:00 p.m., Houser-Millard Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Riverview Cemetery.
Expressions of sympathy may be made to St. Mary’s Health Center Building Fund, the Salvation Army or your local Humane Society.
Britton Wisdom
You can read a 1996 interview with Britton here. It’s from the Oral History Program of the State Historical Society of Missouri and the Western Historical Manuscript Collection, a Joint Collection of the University of Missouri and the State Historical Society of Missouri.
Here’s one excerpt concerning What It Takes to Be a Lobbyist:
You have to be able to learn quickly and then usually, you have to learn to forget quickly. You have to have patience. You have to take the time to really know what you're talking about. I guess that the euphemistic term is you have to be a “fast study.” You also have to be willing to have the physical strength to talk to l20 people in the House and probably twenty-five in the Senate on any given issue. When you're getting over there at maybe 8:00 in the morning to try to catch somebody before they go into a committee hearing, or you're hanging around there to talk to them until l0:00 or ll:00 at night after they get through with one, you can become disenchanted. You can become tired. So, it requires a tenacity, I guess, and I think it also requires a fundamental belief in what you're doing. You have to have, not only an intellectual grasp of it, but you have to make that emotional commitment that you're willing to do whatever it takes to perform your function. You don't need a degree from Oxford. You don't have to have been a Rhodes Scholar in order to do that.
Veto Session Spreadsheet
With the primaries over, and legislators beginning their caucuses, there’s a handy MOScout Guide to Vetoes in the Special Reports section. Find it here. It’s an excel spreadsheet which lists every bill that Governor Jay Nixon vetoed with links to the bill, and veto letter as well as the vote counts from session, and a listing of which interest groups testified on the bill in committee.
I think you’ll find it’s the perfect starting point to analyze or handicap which bills have the potential to be overridden. Enjoy!
What Happened?
In House 1, I was off in my prediction, totally underestimating Allen Andrews as he powered to a 63% victory in a four-way Republican primary. The answer, according to one observer: Even though he was from the wrong part of the district and outspent, Andrews is just so likable. Also in small towns, successful business owners like Roger Parshall sometimes come off as arrogant and perhaps folks are a little jealous of their success.
And in House 7, even though Rep. Mike Lair won re-election as expected, I had no idea it would be a dead-heat race. Lair took 51.6% of the vote against an unknown Dennis McDonald’s 48.3%. This close call is attributed to McDonald being “more tea party” and also – to Lair’s off-the-cuff comments about common core riling some in his base.
Other Election Results of Note
Rep. Ron Schieber beat Commissioner Jim Plunkett in his Republican primary. With no Dem on the ballot, it means Schieber will become the next Platte County Presiding Commissioner.
Former Rep. Ray Weter won his primary to the Christian County commission.
Different Rex Org Did Better
While Missouri Club for Growth was the highest profile Rex Sinquefield organization in Tuesday’s election battles, political watchers are aware that he has several entities at work. Grow Missouri, which also has received a seven-figure Sinquefield check, did very well on Tuesday. It’s run by the no-drama Aaron Willard.
Grow Missouri sent money to ten representative involved in primaries and nine of them won. The only loser in the batch was Shawn Sisco in House 120, in that odd-bounce situation where he won the special election and narrowly lost the primary. Plus they supported the two winning ballot proposals – Amendment 1 (right to farm) and Amendment 9 (privacy). Here’s the list of legislators in primaries they supported:
House 7 – Rep. Mike Lair
House 14 – Kevin Corlew
House 34 – Rebecca Roeber
House 62 – Rep. Tom Hurst
House 106 – Rep. Chrissy Sommer
House 113 – Dan Shaul
House 120 – Shawn Sisco
House 125 – Rep. Warren Love
House 149 – Don Rone
House 156 – Rep. Jeff Justus
Senate 2 – Bob Onder
Senate 16 – Dan Brown
Amendment 1
Amendment 9
Senate Dems Come Out Blazing
Immediately following the primary election, two Democrats running highly competitive seats in November immediately dove into campaign mode.
Rep. Jeff Roorda release his first television advertisement. It’s an introduction piece that talks about his law enforcement background, and says that his voting record is one of “common sense.” See it here.
Rep. Jill Schupp emailed fundraisers and blasted her Republican opponent… “Ashcroft was the sole candidate endorsed by Missouri Right to Life in a district that wants to advance scientific research to help cure diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. He believes that ‘government needs to get out of the way’, except when it comes to women's decisions about our own health care. Many Republican primary voters agree that he is too conservative for this district and that we need a more moderate, balanced approach. My opponent is the ultimate political insider, running on the coattails of his father, John Ashcroft. His father, who was rated the most conservative Senator in the country while in office. His father, who was named one of the top 50 ‘hired gun’ lobbyists in DC. His father, who was the architect of the largest expansion of federal government executive branch powers since at least World War II. Voters of the 24th District deserve a Senator whose qualifications are stronger than who their parents are.”
Senate 24 Bits
Noting that Jill Schupp’s team had a bunch of poll covered on Tuesday despite having no primary opponent, one observer thinks, “Her ground effort will be tough to match - Republicans are lazy and apathetic when it comes to street level politics.” Hmmm, them’s fightin’ words.
Meanwhile Jack Spooner graciously sent out a press release endorsing Jay Ashcroft.
Battleground: House 112
Rob Vescovo squeaked through his Republican primary in House 112. He won by eight (8) votes. Assuming the recount holds up, he’ll be in the hot seat in November. Vescovo is a vocally pro-right to work candidate. Democrats would like to re-take that seat (it’s currently held by Rep. Paul Wieland), and they’ll certainly get help from organized labor. The Democratic candidate is Robert Butler.
Schlemeier Retires
Long-time lobbyist Terry Schlemeier is retiring as evidenced by his de-registering in the lobbyist changes (below). Terry is pops to Jorgen Schlemeier of Gamble and Schlemeier.
SBOE
The State Board of Education hurriedly reclassified the Normandy School District as their previous non-classification appeared to put the district in all sorts of trouble as it wouldn’t qualify for various programs according to current statutes. To hear them tell it, it was all mis-understanding, a “clerical error.” Read it here.
Normandy is now has “accreditation as a state oversight district.” Got it?
Meet the New Temporiti?
Here’s a thought being whispered: Jane Dueker to take a spot in the new Steve Stenger administration? Crazier things have been whispered…
Dogan Concedes…
Shamed Dogan sent the wrong email the day after winning his three-way primary…
After a hard-fought primary, I fell just short of winning the election last night. I called State Rep.-Elect Carol Veillette last night to congratulate her on a well-deserved victory and I wish her all the best. While this defeat hurts, I want to take the time to THANK YOU for the volunteer work, contributions, and encouragement of my family and friends! I couldn't have done as well as I did without you. I still have plenty of work to accomplish as a Ballwin Alderman, not to mention in my day job working for Washington University. Although I wasn't successful in this electon, I do plan to continue doing everything I can to support conservative causes and to help strengthen my community.
From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for all of your support.
Shamed
Followed a few minutes later by….
I haven't even been sworn in and I've committed my first gaffe. I drafted emails for whether I won or lost, and instead of deleting the "loss" email it accidentally got sent to you. (In case you didn't see the earlier one--I won with 50% of the vote) I apologize for the mistake and for any confusion! This is the last email from me today--I promise!!
Shamed
Harris: I’m The Best
From an email blast…
The J. Harris Company Boasts Best Win Percentage in Missouri Primaries
In last night’s elections, 13 of 15 candidates targeted by The J. Harris Company’s efforts were victorious. James Harris, principal of The J. Harris Company, congratulated its candidates on winning their respective races.
“I am proud of our firm’s 87% win rate in last night’s primary, including victories all across Missouri, and I want to congratulate all of these candidates on their victories,” said James Harris. “We were also involved in a Congressional race in Kansas’ 1st District, and our loss there was disappointing, but I am proud that we were able to get within 10 percent of an incumbent while being outspent eight to one. This shows that voters want new choices.”
Lynn Messer Still Missing
Follow the Facebook page here. The latest post suggests that Lynn Messer, wife of lobbyists Kerry Messer, may have had a reaction to pain pills causing confusion or paranoia. They are still organizing daily search parties.
eMailbag on MCFG’s Losses
Maybe Club for Growth was the Noranda of 2014? In 2012 Noranda organized independent expenditures in an attempt to win three senate races. They spent nearly $500K against Nasheed, Cunningham and Emery and lost all three. This cycle Club for Growth tried to unseat four incumbent house seats spending nearly a million bucks...and lost all four. Legislators need to take note that their job is to learn and understand POLICY, and stop listening to special interests that threaten to 'take them out'. These special interests will come and go...but their constituents, good policy and this great state will live on...and how much did Noranda spend on primaries this cycle? Zero!
eMailbag on Luetky’s Fundy
Lobbyist: I find it very hard that the Speaker of the House would waste his time doing a funder in Missouri without checking first to see if his guy was sticking around. Or maybe it’s to help urge him to stay?
Legislator: If you are going to run in a Republican primary you probably shouldn’t bring Boehner at all.
Fundraising Calendar
Today’s fundraising events from Mary Scruggs’ indispensable events calendar:
August 7-9: HRCC Summer Caucus – Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza.
Lobbyist Registrations
From the Gate Way Group website:
Michael Michelson added Moberly Surgery Center.
Terry Schlemeier deleted Four Seasons Resort, Wine Institute, AmerenUE, Central Missouri Development Council, Missouri Flagship Council, Distilled Spirits Council of the US, MEM – MO Employers Mutual, NECA, and the City of Columbia.
$5K+ Contributions
Protect the Harvest PAC –Missouri - $14,200 from Protect the Harvest.
Ameren Missouri Political Action Committee - $57,500 from Ameren Missouri.
Lewis & Clark Ozarks Mountain Forum - $25,000 from Gerald Cook.
Lewis & Clark Ozarks Mountain Forum - $15,000 from Neal Ethridge.
Committee to Elect Vicki Schneider for State Senate - $15,000 from CHIPP Political Account.
Missourians for Safe Transportation & New Jobs Inc - $7,500 from Parsons.
Property Casualty Insurers Association of America Political Account - $59,287 from Property Casualty Insurers Association of America Political Account.
Happy Birthday
Happy birthdays to former Rep. Mike Dethrow (62), Paul Meinsen, and Don Suggs.