Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Election Day
The marquee race – obviously – is the Monarch Fire District. This is former senator Jane Cunningham and former representative Cole McNary running against each other. Firefighters’ union is in heavy for McNary; Cunningham is framing the race as taxpayers versus union. See their candidate debate here.
In House 157 Republican Mike Moon and Democrat Charlie Dake face off to fill the vacancy created when Don Ruzicka took the Board of Parole appointment from Governor Jay Nixon.
The court-redistricting plan lists House 157 as a 31.6% DPI (Democratic Performance Index). Even in the odd bounces which can occur in special elections, it’d be a major upset if Dake won. That’s several points to the right of where the old House 132 was when Dake won a special election in 2006.
Prop P is on the ballot in St. Louis City and St. Louis County. This would increase the sales tax to enhance the Arch grounds.
And
Josh Peters will replace Chris Carter in House 76. See it here.
Why Rebman Left?
CDT’s Rudi Keller reports on the back story behind Larry Rebman’s exit from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations… See it here.
Pull Quote: “A state merit employee's claim that she was fired improperly might explain the decision last month by Gov. Jay Nixon to move Missouri Labor Department Director Larry Rebman to a job without administrative responsibility and to quietly fire former state Rep. Gracia Backer, sources inside and outside the agency said.
“Cindy Guthrie of Jefferson City was chief of the Employer Contributions Section and a 31-year veteran of the Division of Employment Security when she was fired in early February by Rebman.”
Where We Are
Short week… things start a little late today, coming back from Easter break. Wednesday’s a full day and then Thursday’s the usual one foot out the door. And after this week, only six more…..
Senate Hearings of Interest
Small Business Committee, Tuesday 2PM, SCR2
SB 458 (Mike Kehoe) reduces the maximum state unemployment benefit duration to 10 weeks from 20 weeks.
Judiciary Committee, Tuesday upon adjournment, Senate Lounge
SB 443 (Ryan Silvey) allows certain local city hospitals to become nonprofit corporations upon a vote of the people or the adoption of a resolution by the hospital's board of trustees
Economic Development Committee, Wednesday Noon, Senate Lounge
SB 264 (Tom Dempsey) allows owners of property in a residential subdivision to file a petition seeking to have their subdivision excluded from a fire protection district.
Education Committee, Wednesday 1:30PM, Senate Lounge
SB 344 (Mike Parson) requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to issue an annual report card for each public school that rates the school with a grade of A, B, C, D, or F.
SB 408 (Ed Emery) includes most of the reformers’ agenda: A to F, teacher tenure, and teacher and principal evaluations.
Ways and Means Committee, Thursday 8:30AM, SCR1
SB 415 (Bob Dixon) allows Greene County or any city within the county to impose a sales tax, upon voter approval, to fund early childhood education.
SB 398 (Jason Holsman) extends the expiration of an income tax deduction for energy efficiency audits and projects to December 31, 2019.
House Hearings of Interest
Lots of activity this week. Major Senate bills – Kraus’ tax cut and Brown’s paycheck protection get hearings. Barnes will exec his healthcare bill. Caleb Jones is in two hot spots – the franchise bill and the eternal midwifery debate…
General Laws Committee, Tuesday 1PM, HR4
HB 759 (Caleb Jones) - modifies what is a considered to be a franchise between alcohol wholesalers and suppliers.
Ways and Means Committee, Tuesday 12:30PM, HR6
SS#2 SCS SBs 26, 11 & 31 – Will Kraus’ tax change.
HB 500 (Margo McNeil) - Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement.
Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, Wednesday 8AM, HR6
HB 396 (Michele Kratky) requires the special administrative board of the St. Louis City Transitional School District to develop and submit to the voters of the district a plan to divide the district into four subdistricts.
Government Oversight and Accountability Committee, Wednesday 4PM, HR1
Executive Session will be held on HB 700 – (Jay O. Barnes) Medicaid transformation bill.
Health Insurance Committee, Wednesday 12PM, HR5
HB 308 (Caleb Jones) – Midwifery Malpractice Insurance – Requires persons certified and providing homebirth services to provide proof of malpractice insurance coverage prior to the provision of services
Workforce Development Committee, Wednesday 8AM, HR5
SS SCS SB 29 – Dan Brown’s paycheck protection.
Retirement Committee, Thursday 9AM, HR1
Public school retirement system changes. HB 737 (Mike Leara): St. Louis City; HB 861 (Myron Neth) Kansas City; HB 782 (Bryan Spencer) Missouri.
Bits
Congressman Todd Akin gave a nice parting gift to his staffers. A 90% bump in their pay. See it here.
Rep. Marsha Haefner draws no fine just a reprimand from the Missouri Ethics Commission for a missing disclaimer on a newspaper ad. See the order here.
Governor Jay Nixon is in Wentzville today to talk about…. Medicaid expansion of course.
Help Wanted
Seeking To Hire Social Media Specialist. An innovative national housing alliance that is launching its online presence is seeking to hire an individual with one-two years of social media experience to work with a group of senior strategists as we hold events nationwide. Campaign experience a plus. Contract payment of $1,500.00 a month. No P.R. firms please. Interested applicants please send credentials to elconsulting@outlook.com.
eMailbag: Conservatives Doing More Than MOScout Credits
“You have taken some unnecessary jabs at conservatives in the past two weeks. Perhaps what you’re used to seeing is acting out in very public forms, which produced certain results (mostly obstruction), but with substantive results too (such as saving Missouri businesses tens of millions of dollars in unemployment insurance costs with the 2011 filibuster during Senate floor debate over the budget).
“However, I would say that several conservative members of the legislature are working in a unified and unprecedented fashion, with some good results. As of this week, ISRS legislation is dead. Medicaid expansion is also dying. I predict that one or both of the infrastructure plans will die too (Kehoe’s transportation sales tax or the Schaefer/Kelly bonding bill).
“While the conservative forces at work are fluid (the members change depending on the issue), nonetheless they are working. And behind the scenes, they are even working in good cooperation between the House and Senate. Conservative forces are not dead, they are simply working in less destructive, less public fashion.”
Lobbyist Registrations
From the Pelopidas website:
Rodney R Hubbard added Collaborative for a Low Cost Digital Future, and Glazier’s Family of Companies.
Nicholas G Frey deleted R. H. Montgomery Properties Inc.
John A Pelzer deleted Stern Brother & Co.
Teresa Blair added Amgen.
Andrew B Blunt and Jay Reichard added Exelon Generation Company LLC.
Phil LeVota added The City of North Kansas City, Shook Hardy Bacon LLP, and JM Datacenters Inc.
Michael Kopp deleted Fidelity Investments Institutional Services Company Inc.
J Michael Ponder deleted University of Missouri Board of Curators.
James E Farrell added City of North Kansas City.
Doyle Childers and Richard McIntosh added The Doe Run Company.
Nancy Giddens, Shannon Cooper and Jessica Land added Carpenters’ District Council of Greater St. Louis and Vicinity.
Daryl D. Duwe added USAGAIN.
Brent Hemphill, Kristian Starner, and Mark J Rhoads added Major Brands Premium Beverage Distributors.
Jeffery N Brooks deleted St. Louis Sports Commission.
Darren LaSorte deleted National Rifle Association of America.
$5K+ Contributions
MO Republican Party - $10,000 from Anheuser Busch Companies.
Citizens for Michelle Walker - $7,849 from Citizens for Michelle Walker.
Missourians for Koster - $25,000 from Michael Ketchmark.
Missourians for Koster - $10,000 from Stephen Gorny.
Missourians for Koster - $25,000 from Langdon & Emison.
Missourians for Koster - $25,000 from Kenneth McClain.
Continue to Care Committee - $10,000 from Samuel U Rodgers Health Center Disbursement Fund.
Continue to Care Committee - $10,000 from Kansas City Southern RWY.
Sanders for Jackson County - $10,000 from Burns & McDonnell.
Birthdays
Happy original birthday to Benjamin George Roepe, 8 lbs, 10 oz.; 21.5 in. born over the weekend to FERAF’s Chris Roepe and wife Lindsay.