Friday, June 6, 2014
Nixon’s Legacy?
Virginia Young has a great piece this morning about the many vacancies on board and commissions, and the impact they are having. She reports 1,200 seats either vacant or being served by someone whose term is expired. Read it here.
Pull Quote: Throughout state government, more than 1,200 seats are either vacant or held by people whose terms have expired. Some of the empty seats are on obscure boards, like the Advisory Committee for Clinical Perfusionists. But others involve panels that wield considerable power…
In an audit in January, State Auditor Tom Schweich, a Republican, said that five of the 37 regulatory and advisory boards under the Division of Professional Registration had trouble assembling quorums because of vacancies.
More recently, the Public Defender Commission couldn't conduct business, said Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield. He said the panel changed its bylaws to allow a mere two people to constitute a quorum. The seven-member commission has five vacancies and one member serving an expired term…
All five of the Missouri Lottery commissioners' terms expired between 2010 and 2012.
Six of the seven spots on the Mental Health Commission are either vacant or filled by people serving expired terms. Two seats that are vacant are reserved for physicians.
The Missouri Housing Development Commission, which awards hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits, is supposed to have six members appointed by the governor but has only four. The four appointees are Democrats; the two vacant slots, by law, should be filled by Republicans.
With two years left, will Governor Jay Nixon’s lasting legacy be leaving lots of vacancies for his successor to fill?
Stenger on TV
It looks like the bulk of St. Louis Councilman Steve Stenger’s initial ad buy (see FCC filing here) is going to the NBC local affiliate KSDK.
One observer notes that the IBEW is in the middle of a campaign for union-friendly folks to stop watching it (see their website here).
But another political veteran looks past that potential labor faux pas, and viewing the Stenger ads predicts that “Charlie Dooley will have to come up on the air.”
Not Scientific, But Interesting
The St. Louis Business Journal web poll this week asks whether Missourians should approve the sales tax increase for transportation. This morning with 1125 votes cast, it was 45%-55% against… despite some effort among supporters to juice the results…
> From: "AGC St. Louis" <contactus@agcstl.org>
> Subject: We Need Your Positive Vote
>
>
> Problem viewing this email? Click here for our online version. | Send a friend
>
>
>
>
> WE NEED YOUR POSITIVE VOTE
> The St. Louis Business Journal is running a poll regarding the Transportation
Sales Tax issue that will be on the August ballot. This is not a scientific poll,
but your positive vote could impact the perception of this issue to other voters
as they formulate their opinion. We encourage you to take 5 seconds and vote in
this poll.
>
> Should voters pass a 3/4-cent sales tax to pay for roads projects?
>
> VOTE HERE
>
Sam Page Returns
Former Rep. Sam Page emails supporters about his new bid…
To my friends and supporters:
It has been a little while since I last wrote. We have some catching up to do. Please bear with me.
After a decade in elected office and public service, I returned to my medical practice in 2010, and I had the opportunity to spend much more time with my family. I have enjoyed it a great deal… But an opportunity to serve my community has again presented…
The vacancy was created almost 2 months ago. We lost a great public servant when my good friend Kathleen Kelly Burkett passed away on April 6. State and county law requires the office to be filled by a special election…
Kathy encouraged me to run for her office when her term expired in 2016, and when she fell ill she encouraged me to run if she could not complete her term.
The Democratic Committee members of the 2nd District selected me as their candidate. I have accepted the nomination for St. Louis County 2nd District Councilman and I will vigorously campaign for the office.
I am asking you to stand with me again and return me to public service…
Bits
Rep. Jeremy LaFaver’s twitterfeed brings attention to a Huffington Post essay on the potential dangers of using “ride sharing” apps. See it here. It cites several incidents of Uber drivers not be properly screened or trained to provide safe rides, making the case for extending the regulatory framework into the new “sharing economy.”
Shamed Dogan, Republican House candidate in District 98 (Scharnhorst district) announced a fundraiser later this month at the home of Show Me Institute analyst David Stokes.
St. Louisan Kevin O’Malley was nominated to be the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. See it here.
Lumpe Passes
St. Louis Post Dispatch obituary here.
Sheila Lumpe grew up the daughter of missionaries and staunch Republicans. She became a Democrat and, for 17 years, represented University City’s diverse population in the Missouri House.
She was one of a handful of women in the Legislature when first elected in 1980. She was liberal but well-liked by those who weren’t. She fought, sometimes successfully, for women’s rights and equal pay, and unsuccessfully to bring universal health care to all Missourians.
After retiring from the Legislature in 1997 due to term limits (which she had voted against) the governor named her the state’s chief utilities regulator and she served six years on the Public Service Commission.
Ms. Lumpe died Wednesday (June 4, 2014) at her home in the University Heights subdivision. She was 79.
Fundraising Calendar
Today’s fundraising events from Mary Scruggs’ indispensable events calendar:
June 7 – Sen. Ron Richard Reception, Joplin.
Lobbyist Registrations
From the Gate Way Group website:
Ann Bickel deleted Shawk Consulting LLC, and EAB & Company LLC.
Jim Lembke deleted Progressive Resources, Jim Lembke, and Liberty Ink LLC.
George L Oestreich deleted APS Healthcare Bethesda Inc.
Henry R Setser deleted University of Central Missouri.
$5K+ Contributions
Friends of Tom Schweich - $10,000 from Evelyn Williams.
MO Democratic State Committee - $5,557 from UGas Inc.
Montee for Missouri - $500,000 from Susan Montee.
Montee for Missouri - $500,000 from Montee for Missouri.
Notes on Money
It looks like Montee is shifting her old $500K to herself from her old committee to her new committee. Can’t tell for sure from this, but that’d be my guess.
Happy Birthday
Happy birthday to former Rep. Connie Cierpiot.
Saturday: former Rep. Trent Skaggs (41), and Tom VanSaghi (46).
Sunday: Super-lobbyist Tricia Workman (42), photog Suzy Gorman (52), former alderwoman Kaci Starr Triplett.