Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Bad Boy Roe
The Houston Chronicle reports on “Bad Boy” Jeff Roe who “thrives in the school of hard hits.” See it here.
Pull Quote: With an open, self-effacing manner, Roe talks easily of the data analytics, focus groups, and computer dial testing that underlie the creative content of his campaign messages. He aims for micro-goals like this: Keep a piece of campaign literature in a targeted voter's hands for 48 seconds or more – instead of the industry average of 24 seconds – before it goes in the trash… Politics is not for the faint of heart, and the attention-grabbing ads flowing from Roe's research can be tough. Wherever Roe has trekked in politics, controversy has never been far away. That history of aggressive tactics came to haunt Roe in February, just as he was settling into his new digs in Houston. Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich, a GOP candidate for governor, shot himself in his St. Louis home in the midst of a feud with Missouri Republican Party Chairman John Hancock.
Amid accusations that Hancock was behind a politically motivated "whisper campaign" about Schweich's Jewish roots, Roe entered the picture with an unrelated radio ad criticizing Schweich as weak and ineffective… Although a subsequent police investigation attributed Schweich's death to a long history of mental anguish, in Missouri political circles he became the poster child for the excesses of negative attack ads….
Missouri Presidential Scholars
White House Press Release: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the
51st class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, recognizing 141 high school seniors for their accomplishments in academics or the arts.
The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, appointed by President Obama, selects honored scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals…
MO - Columbia - Michele X. Yang, Columbia-Rock Bridge Senior High School, Columbia,
MO. Most influential teacher: Kathryn Fishman-Weaver, Columbia, MO.
MO - Saint Louis - Ryan C. Thornton, John Burroughs School, St. Louis, MO. Most
influential teacher: Sandra Mueller, St. Charles, MO.
eMailbag: On Hostile Environment
Former Legislator: A sexual harassment policy is just an artifact framed on a wall if you don't train on it and show evidence of having expectations around it and enforcing it. While I was a House member, the only training I received on this policy was the Minority Caucus having us read it and sign something saying we'd read it one time. With turnover, that's obviously not enough…
Current Hallway Denizen: It’s gotten worse!...
From Twitter: Hey @missouriscout - for your next poll, ask women working in the #moleg abt their experiences there. Include an open-ended response part.
eMailbag: On Patrick Werner Against Transport Funding
Staffer: Don't forget he worked for Todd Akin. They aren't always the most rational or mainstream thinker.
Lobbyist: I wonder if Patrick still thinks cars are at 1970 prices.
Dems Talk Against TANF Cuts
The Senate overrode Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of the welfare reform bill despite Democrats standing and talking against the cuts for hours. With overrides there’s no amendment process and therefore there’s no end game for a filibuster; it’s a dead end proposition. See Virginia Young’s article here.
Schupp Fundy Blast
File under "never let a crisis go to waste." Here’s the email blast from the MO Democratic Party signed by Sen. Jill Schupp during her filibuster…
HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. Last week Governor Nixon vetoed a bill passed by the MO GOP that would revoke vital assistance for an estimated 6,400 needy children in Missouri. Right now, Republicans in the Senate are debating to override that decision and take food off the plate of kids who need it most in our state.
Our Party needs you to donate $25 now to take back the veto!....
House Approves Bonding Plan
The House passed the bonding plan. KC Star has the story here. They note that there’s a Friday deadline for this bill and differences between the House and Senate. Read it here.
The Talk
Maybe we won’t see a Sen. Bob Dixon candidacy for governor after all. The Sen. Mike Parson supporters think the two may come to some understanding in which Dixon would find a different statewide slot for his ambitions. We’ll see….
State Revenues Solid
The press release: “State Budget Director Linda Luebbering announced today that 2015 fiscal year-to-date net general revenue collections increased 7.7 percent compared to 2014, from $6.70 billion last year to $7.22 billion this year.
Net general revenue collections for April 2015 increased by 11.9 percent compared to those for April 2014, from $1.13 billion to $1.26 billion.
Individual income tax collections increased 8.5 percent for the year, from $5.31 billion last year to $5.76 billion this year; increased 15.4 percent for the month.
Sales and use tax collections increased 2.4 percent for the year, from $1.61 billion last year to $1.65 billion this year; decreased 9.7 percent for the month….”
New Federal Joint Fundraising Committee
From Politico’s Influence… NEW JOINT FUNDRAISING COMMITTEES… McCaskill Senate Fund (McCaskill for Missouri, Missourians for Accountability and Change)…
Today’s Events
From Mary Scruggs’ indispensable events calendar:
Minority Leader Jake Hummel Reception – 903 W. High, Gateway Government Relations – 5PM or upon adjmt.
Rep. Mark Parkinson Reception – HRCC Office, 305 Jefferson – JC – 5:30PM or upon adjmt.
Majority Caucus End-of-Session Party – Capital Ritz – 5:30PM.
Lobbyists Registrations
Katherine Casas and David Jackson added Track Group, and Freedom Monitoring Solutions LLC.
Trent Ford added Holcim Inc.
Eric Rogers added BikeWalkLC.
$5K+ Contributions
MO Democratic State Committee - $18,000 from Democratic Governors Association.
Greitens for Missouri - $10,000 from Michael Leffell.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to John Hickey, Michael Hafner, and former Rep. David Day (52).