Monday, November 25, 2013
Chasing Boeing
Post-Dispatch reports that the two floor leaders (Sen. Ron Richard and Rep. John Diehl) are ready to go for a special session to put an offer together for Boeing. Read it here.
Next step – something from Boeing at indicates that their timeline necessitates a special session, because otherwise we’re just seven weeks away from the start of the legislative session anyway. It’s thought that Nixon administration wants a special session to freeze out the evitable amendments that would load up an economic development bill during regular session.
So
Do other tax credit pursuers get feisty and fight this? You can list the number of Eco Devo interests that have been waiting in line for years… Data centers, MOSIRA, angel investors, land assemblage… they sat on their hands last year for the sporting events tax credits to be passed clean, and now they’ll get passed over by a Boeing special session….
Finally
As Boeing flies around the country soliciting these bids, will it build enough pressure on their home state machinists to cave? Some think we’re the chump here. We’re the unwitting participants in a bluff against those Washington State local machinists union. We’ll see…
MEC Fines Engelbach, Hardin, Others
The Missouri Ethics Commission fined George Engelbach, his wife Janet Engelbach, Leslie Hanson, and William Hardin. They were fined $3,400 for concealing the identity of source of contributions, and $100 for improper “paid for” disclosure.
William Hardin is a familiar name to those who swim among the campaign finance reports. He was the treasurer for the Majority Fund for several years. The Majority Fund was the old campaign committee of the Republican senators. See his Linkedin profile here.
More Here?
From the MEC report:
“Prior to the August 2012 election, Respondent Janet Engelbach approached a third party about creating mailers to support incumbent members of the Jefferson County Republican Central Committee.
“The third party then contacted Respondent Hardin, the treasurer of Respondent Voters for Good Government, about creating those mailers…
“Respondent Hardin and the third party agreed that the third party would raise the funds to pay for the mailers, provide those funds to Voters for Good Government, and that Voters for Good Government would report itself as the source for the expenditure of the mailers…”
Let the guessing game begin about who the “third party” is….
Republicans for Dooley
St. Louis Beacon reports that Republicans – led by former speaker Steve Tilley – are bucking up to help embattled Democratic St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley. Literally, with a fundraiser. Read it here.
Pull Quote: “Tilley acknowledged that the (fundraiser) also sends signals that ‘a lot of us on the Republican side think Charlie’s done a good job, and…there’s no need to go out and find somebody to run against him.’ Three months before filing begins, no big-name Republican has yet to announce plans to challenge Dooley, who has been in office since late 2003.”
What It Means
It’s just insane. It’sRepublicans best chance to stave off Democratic dominance in the largest county in the state by finessing an upset in the County Executive office with a wounded incumbent, bitter Democratic primary and low-turn-out election, and yet… Republican are apparently punting this cycle, patting Tony Pousosa on the back, and accepting their continued decline in St. Louis County.
And
Steve Stenger re-launched his campaign website. See it here.
Tuition Raise
The growling “Grrrr” comes from HB 253 supporters who read late last week that the University of Missouri Board of Curators voted on a 1.7% tuition rise for the next year. (Read it here). After Governor Nixon made the argument that the tax cut bill would starve education of resources and force tuition hikes, they thought this year might be flat. The sarcastic text: “Good thing we sustained the veto....”
Appointment Bits
Dr. Joe Parks was named director of MO HealthNet Division by Governor Jay Nixon.
Phil Hess was appointed to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District by Governor Jay Nixon.
eMailbag: On Nicastro
“Tensions between Commissioner Chris Nicastro and the higher education community are also at an all-time high. The general perception is that DESE listens but doesn’t hear. My money’s on her holding on to her job, though. She works for a board, not the governor, and she appears to have her board convinced that she’s doing the hard work necessary to improve education in Missouri – and that everyone who disagrees with her is just an anti-progress hater…”
Lobbyist Registrations
From the Pelopidas website:
Michael R Gibbons and Tricia Workman added Poet LLC.
$5K+Contributions
Citizens for Steve Stenger - $5,100 from Daniel Devereux.
Missourians for Koster - $25,000 from Brown & Crouppen PC.
Missourians for Koster - $25,000 from Holman Schiavone LLC.
A Better Missouri With Governor Jay Nixon - $10,000 from Burns & McDonnell.
House Republican Campaign Committee Inc - $15,000 from August Busch
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to former Rep. Bill Deeken (74), Willis Jones (the big 4-0), and Team Diehl’s Joe Lakin.