Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Jones to Pelopidas
Former speaker Tim Jones has joined Pelopidas LCC, the firm run by Travis Brown. Jones is the Director of Political Communications.
Pelopidas has two main divisions: the Gate Way Group, a lobbying firm, and First Rule, a media firm.
Jones has not registered as a lobbyist.
GMO
“Get Mark Out!” That’s the cry from conservatives who fear a split in Senate 23. Rep. Anne Zerr’s moderate focus on economic issues and sympathy to pro-labor forces are making conservatives nervous that she has a path to win. That path, according to conservatives, is built by Rep. Mark Parkinson’s candidacy. Though Parkinson is conservative, they question if he has the wherewithal to beat Zerr one-on-one. And if he’s in with another conservative, he might drain off enough votes to still insure her victory.
We’re a how this year away from the primary, so we’ll see how this goes down.
eMailbag: Reader Response to Nixon Vs HR Commission
Reader 1: Not to be overly cynical here, but it seems fitting that the governor is now entangled in a law suit grappling with the exact policy defect that would have been cured had he not twice vetoed a bill precisely aimed at fixing this very issue. Namely the employment law reform package that would have changed Missouri's law to mirror Title VII of the 1964 HRA. You made the bed gov, enjoy…
Reader 2: Whoever decided to file this suit does not know or ignores what a right-to-sue letter means. It means that the complainant has filed her claim with the commission, as the law requires if she is going to pursue a remedy under the EEO law, and the commission has decided not to take the case and seek administrative or judicial relief. The letter takes no position on whether or not the complainant has a legitimate complaint.
The right-to-sue letter is indispensable for an agency to keep its docket current, because the commission must pursue or get rid of cases before they go stale, and at the level of funding the legislature and governor provide, there is no way the commission can assess the validity of every complaint filed.
Coming Today…
The press advisory… “Major Endorsement Announcement…
On Wednesday, June 10, Senator Mike Parson – a Republican candidate for the office of Governor – will be making an endorsement announcement at the Common Pleas Courthouse in Cape Girardeau. Information is as follows. The event is open to all who wish to attend… 11:30AM…”
And
In the large contributions (below) Bill Danforth gives money to Mike Parson. He joins his brother, Jack, who previously donated.
McCaskill Hearts Microbreweries
Her press release: McCaskill is supporting the Small BREW Act, which would affect thousands of small and independent craft breweries that make up 11 percent of the U.S. beer market. Missouri is home to a growing craft brewing industry, with nearly 50 new craft breweries in the state opening their doors in only the last five years.
The Small BREW Act is supported by the Missouri Small Brewers Guild, which includes
more than 60 Missouri breweries… The legislation aims to soften the production cliff that is a barrier to small breweries’ growth by lowering the excise tax on the first 60,000 barrels of beer produced from $7 to $3.50 per barrel, and creating a new lower rate of $16/barrel for production exceeding 60,000 barrels up to two million barrels. With the lower tax, these small brewers can expand their operations and grow jobs in Missouri.
Bits
LG Peter Kinder’s How a Spent my Summer essay will be about to work. Here’s a NewsMax story which quotes Kinder saying he’s devoting his “entire summer” to the issue.
The St. Louis Young Republicans have formed a PAC. See the paperwork here.
And the recall effort against Ferguson mayor James Knowles apparently comes up short on valid signatures. See it here.
Lobbyists Registrations
Randy Scherr added American Progressive Bag Alliance.
Charles Skoda deleted Noranda Aluminum.
Nike Thompson deleted Families and Friends Organized to Reform Juvenile Justice, and Campaign for Youth Justice.
$5K+ Contributions
Stand Up Missouri - $17,500 from Brundage Management Company.
Stand Up Missouri - $23,500 from Security Group Inc.
Citizens to Elect Mike Kehoe - $12,500 from Dealers Interested in Government.
UAW Region 5 Midwest State Political Action Committee PAC - $6,000 from UAW Region 5.
Parson for Governor - $15,000 from William Danforth.