Friday, June 21, 2013
Zellers to Join Denton
Andy Zellers will start a new job as an Associate in the Dentons’ Energy practice. He was former chairman Kevin Gunn’s chief of staff at the Public Service Commission and served as the Department of Revenue’s legislative liaison before that.
Zellers will join two other former PSC chairmen, Karl Zobrist and Kelvin Simmons, in Dentons’ Kansas City office.
Zajac Leaves Advantage Capital
The St. Louis Business Journal reports that “Scott Zajac is out at Advantage Capital Partners and has formed a new investment firm called IronRock Capital Partners.” Read it here. The article says that the new firm will raised between $150 and $200 million to invest.
Today’s House Leadership Bits
Riddle In for Pro Tem
As expected Rep. Jeanie Riddle will run for speaker pro tem. She tells The Missouri Times this; read it here. She’ll face Rep. Denny Hoskins.
When I wrote about this earlier this month I mentioned the possible game of musical committee chairs. “If Riddle wins, that will set in motion a series of committee chair dominoes. Taking her spot as chair of Rules would be – according to these rumors – Rep. Caleb Jones. Then Rep. Todd Richardson would succeed Jones as chair of General Laws.”
Fallert for County Clerk
Former state representative Joe Fallert has started a committee to run for St. Genevieve County Clerk. That election is next year. Fallert, a Democrat, ran unsuccessfully for state senate last year, losing by 7 points to Gary Romine.
Newman for House 125?
Ethan Newman filed a committee to run for House 125 as a Republican. The current incumbent, Warren Love, was elected last year, prevailing in a three-way primary with 40% of the vote. There was no Democratic candidate. It’s a heavy Republican district. Ethan Newman’s LinkedIn profile (see it here) says that he interned in the Missouri State’s Attorney Office in 2009, and graduated from Evangel University last year with a bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences.
McCaskill’s Happy Flight?
The Wall Street Journal reports this morning, “The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to relax the ban on using some types of personal-electronic devices at low altitudes, according to industry officials and draft recommendations prepared by a high-level advisory panel to the agency. For passengers, the new rules would likely mean an end to familiar admonitions to turn off and stow all electronic devices. Cellphone calls are expected to remain off limits. The draft report reflects a consensus that the existing rules, essentially unchanged since the 1960s, have been overtaken by dramatic changes in technology and passenger expectations.”
Sen. Claire McCaskill has been pushing for the update to FAA regs for some time.
House Medicaid Committees
Speaker Tim Jones created two interim committees yesterday to focus on Medicaid expansion/transformation.
The Citizens and Legislators Working Group on Medicaid Eligibility and Reform will be chaired by Rep. Noel Torpey. “They will be tasked with traveling to different regions of Missouri to collect testimony and research that will then be used by the House Interim Committee on Medicaid Transformation. A unique feature of the work group will be that the citizen members will be based on nomination made by the public. This will allow for an honest, engaging discussion on an area that needs massive transformation to help our citizens most in need.”
The House Interim Committee on Medicaid Transformation – chaired by Rep. Jay Barnes – will “will take the recommendations and data gathered by the working group and form it into effective policy solutions and future legislation.”
Jones’ statement: “My goal for these two groups is to gather honest data and knowledge on the subject and create a reasonable and effective solution so that we can finally fix a broken system which has let down so many. While we need to provide a safety net for our neediest citizens, it must be done in a cost effective way for the taxpayer and provide quality care for those needing it.”
And One Last Bit
The Kansas City Star reports on Congressman Emanuel Cleaver’s outstanding debt from a car wash gone bad… $1.3 million. See it here.
$5K+Contributions
Friends of Judge Stacey Lett - $5,500 from Stacey Lett.
Committee to Elect Ron Richard - $8,000 from Leggett and Platt.
Dooley for St. Louis County - $10,000 from William Stephen Martiz.
Dooley for St. Louis County - $10,000 from Ameren Missouri.
Lobbyist Registrations
From the Pelopidas website:
David Fernandez deleted Altria Client Services Inc.
Lea Crusey deleted Students First.