Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Hanaway Rolls Out
After the weekend’s stutter-step start, Catherine Hanaway went into full roll-out mode doing interviews with the major media outlets yesterday announcing her candidacy for governor in 2016. Read it here.
One difficulty of an announcement thirty-four months before an election is sounding like there’s a reason behind running other than ambition. Hanaway gamely played the evergreen “jobs” issue. But it’s why, for example, Chris Koster is obviously running for governor, yet won’t announce until a reasonable time.
Pull Quote: “It really came down to a sense that the state just can't stay on its current course," Hanaway said in an interview with the Post-Dispatch today. Missouri's economy, she argued, “is stuck in neutral.” She cited specifically lax job growth in the state, which she said points to a need for changes in the legal, tax and labor systems. Hanaway's announcement isn't a complete surprise, as she's been publicly mulling a run since last year. But it's another indication that the 2016 elections are being preceded by what is likely the longest campaign season in Missouri history, starting more than two years out.
But a potential battle with Koster isn't the first one Hanaway is likely to face. Her candidacy sets up a potentially fractious in-party fight with Schweich, the state auditor and likely 2016 candidate…
Hanaway was elected to the Missouri House in 1998 from suburban St. Louis. She rose to lead the GOP in the House, presided over the Republican House takeover in the 2002 elections, and was then chosen as the first female House speaker. Hanaway, 50, of St. Louis County, ran for secretary of state in 2004 and narrowly lost to Democrat Robin Carnahan…
Tweet of the Day
@jackcardetti: Hanaway didn't "narrowly" lose SOS race. She lost by 124,780 votes when every GOP above her on the ticket won, including Bush by 7.2%.
Why Medicaid Expansion Isn’t Dead
Yesterday I wrote that by letting the question of Medicaid expansion come to a vote in the Senate (and get trounced) it signaled the deathkneal of that issue for the session. Here’s the alternative opinion – which makes some sense: Senate Republicans are now on record voting against a straight Medicaid expansion aka Obamacare. Now they are free to develop their own approach, a Missouri Plan if you will. This one could be loaded with reforms based on conservative or free market principles, and yet still provide health coverage to the working poor.
In other words, Yes we voted against Obamacare, but we have our own solution…
Rumorville: English to Get Primary?
It’s said that Rep. Keith English may be facing a primary opponent. But unlike the earlier talk that it would be a pro-choice opponent to punish English for his pro-life voting, this has to do with the County Executive race. In other words, race.
Both Charlie Dooley’s and Steve Stenger’s folks looking at turnout models. So the talk is that English will be seeing an African American opponent this summer…
Dungan to MO Children’s Leadership Council
Judy Dungan has joined the Missouri Children’s Leadership Council as the Director of Policy. She was previously Director of Public Policy for Cardinal Glennon, and before that St. Louis District Director for Kit Bond.
Missouri Children’s Leadership Council “promotes the well-being of children, youth, and families in the state of Missouri by effectively advocating for their needs and interests.” See the website here.
Labor Watch
A Detroit Free Press article is being passed. It indicates the extraordinary desire on the part of Tennessee Republicans to keep their state economic development free from organized labor. Read it here.
Pull Quote: The crusade by anti-union forces in Tennessee, including the state’s governor and senior senator, is as much a fight with Volkswagen management as with the UAW. Not only are Republican legislators accusing Volkswagen of backing the UAW, some of their leaders on Monday threatened to withhold tax incentives for future expansion of the three-year-old assembly plant in Chattanooga if workers vote this week to join the UAW….
The company plans to expand in Chattanooga or at a Mexican plant to produce a midsize SUV. Overall, Volkswagen intends to invest about $7 billion in North America over the next five years to achieve a goal of selling more than 1 million Volkswagen and Audi vehicles in the U.S. by 2018…
David Smith, a spokesman for Haslam, said the governor believes it will become more difficult for Tennessee to recruit new manufacturers to the state if the Volkswagen workers are represented by the UAW…
Fundraising Calendar
Today’s fundraising events from Mary Scruggs’ indispensable events calendar:
Missouri Independent Bankers Assn. Legislative Reception – Bone’s Banquet Room, Jefferson City, Noon - 3pm.
Rep. Stan Cox Reception – Madison’s Café, Jefferson City, 5 – 6:30pm.
Sen. Dan Brown Reception – Capitol City CORK, Jefferson City, 6 - 7pm.
$5K+ Contributions
Missourians for Safe Transportation & New Jobs Inc. - $10,000 from Missouri Construction Industry Advancement Fund.
Lobbyist Registrations
From the Gate Way Group website:
Margaret Boyko added Lisa Nelson.
Jeffery N Brooks and Jorgen Schlemeier added City of Chesterfield.
Judith Dungan added Missouri Children’s Leadership Council.
Kyna Iman added Missouri Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds, and Corporate Security Advisors Association.
Palmer R "Nick" Nichols II and Jennifer Sanders added Missouri Hospital Association.
Lynne M Schlosser added Show Me Cannabis.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to former Reps. Steve Brown (47), and Don Wells (64).