Monday, May 14, 2012
Final Week
There aren’t a lot of “big” issues outstanding.
Unlike the previous few sessions, there was never any charge at tax credit reform (or an economic development bill).
When Ameren announced their intention to pursue the federal grant for small modular nuclear generators, the utilities issues of ESP and renewables were sidelined.
Most education reform has been slowly been stumbling to slow death, but when a judge overturned the Turner case, it seems to undermine any previous sense of urgency. With no Turner fix, there’s really no carrot to address the foundation formula.
Organized labor has amazingly escaped largely unscathed as “right to work,” and prevailing wage are luffing in the wind.
Virginia Young writes in today’s Post-Dispatch that workers comp may find a new compromise acceptable to the second floor. Read it Here.
This all means a lack of drama and showdown that’s been center ring in past sessions. There’s really no big bills to hold hostage or horse trade around.
Floor leaders are kings in the final week. A glance at the calendars…
Bills in Conference - 7
SB 564-Brown (motorcycle stuff)
SB 568-Parson (omnibus motor vehicle bill?)
SB 569-Kraus (fewer election dates and other elections stuff)
SB 611-Lembke (red light tweaks and other transportation stuff)
SB 719-Kehoe (transportation stuff)
HB 1073 & HCS for HB 1477-Sater (Missouri Grain Dealer Law)
HB 1135- Jason Smith (150) (periodic review of Code of Regulations)
Requests to Recede or Grant Conference - 10
SB 455-Pearce (coordinating board of education, lot of amendments added).
SB 467-Munzlinger (Missouri Accountability Portal).
SB 470-Dixon (another transportation omnibus).
SB 498-Munzlinger and Justus (once the center of the quagmire, maybe now just an uncontroversial bill dealing with re-sale shops).
SB 566-Brown (animal vaccination)
SB 578-Parson (transportation stuff, had Rush Bust amendment added).
SB 628-Schaefer (omnibus judiciary).
SB 635-Pearce (definition of private roads).
SB 715-Kraus (waive militia age requirement, had casino money amendment added).
SB 736-Engler (local St. Francois issue that had Arch tax amendment added).
Senate Formal Calendar
Third Read Senate Bills – 1 (Sen. Kevin Engler’s shipwreck prescription drug monitoring bill – SB 710)
Senate Bill for Perfection – 4
Third Read House Bills – 38
Senate Informal Calendar
Third Read Senate Bills – 2 (including Sen. Jane Cunningham’s stalled SB 806 education bill.)
Senate Bills for Perfection – 60
Third Read House Bills - 19
Senate Bills with House Amendments - 4
House Calendar
House Bills for Perfection – 33
House Bills for Perfection (Informal Calendar) – 3
House Bills for Third Reading – 3
House Bills for Third Reading (Informal Calendar) – 2
Senate Bills for Third Reading – 26
House Bills with Senate Amendments - 10
Looking toward Football Season
The Post-Dispatch ran an article yesterday which declared that Mizzou fans and alums better be ready to step up their game as a result of the conference change. Read it Here
Pull Quote: “But MU would have been 13th in annual giving to athletics among SEC schools last year, according to information provided by the SEC to Mizzou for its 2012 TSF Donor Guide Book. MU brought in $7.65 million in donations last year. The top six SEC schools brought in more than $20 million each. Confirmed by a Florida spokesman, Florida was the leader at $37.3 million.”
A MOScout reader offers this tutorial… “Some things are going to have to change at M.U. to be considered a full-fledged member of the SEC:
“(1) SEC fans travel. They will get in their car and drive 1,000 miles from 'Bama, Georgia or wherever to watch their team play. And not just one of them. Get ready because a team like 'Bama or Auburn may send 10,000 fans to Faurot field. That's good news for Columbia, but bad news if the Kroenkes are the only ones showing up for the away games.
“(2) In the South, football games aren't just football games, they're social events spread throughout the entire season. It's not uncommon to find people tailgating off the good China. You only have to go to one SEC home game to realize people get dressed up to go to football
games. So, lose the cut-offs and t-shirts at football games. Get used to women wearing dresses to games and men wearing collared shirts and ties. Yes, even the college kids.
“(3) Third, get your checkbook out because it costs a lot more money to play in the big leagues. Right now, lots of people make 4-figure donations to get good seats. Get ready to hit 5-figure donations in the near future.”
Bits
St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bill McClellan says that the Republican majority’s fondness for rightward social issues is hurting Missouri’s ability to recruit for “new economy” jobs. Consider it a Richard Florida-lite argument. Read it Here.
A judge dismissed Molina’s lawsuit last week. Read it Here. From the opinion: “At no point in this process have Plaintiffs even acknowledged the disingenuous nature of their claims of acting as a ‘taxpayer’ as opposed to a disgruntled losing bidder…”
Senator Claire McCaskill up on all three GOP Senate candidates? Pollster says she leads Steelman (45-36), Brunner (46-38) and Akin (44-39). Read it Here.
Lobbyists’ Principals Changes
From the Pelopidas website:
Jane Dueker added Home State Health Plan.
Kent Gaines added Flotron & McIntosh LLC.
$5K+ Contributions
Committee to Elect Ron Richard – $10,000 from Ethelmae Humphreys.
Missourians for Responsible Lending - $11,439 from Missouri Jobs with Justice.
Give Misssourians a Raise - $11,439 from Missouri Jobs with Justice.
Copenhaver for Representative - $6,000 from Nancy Copenhaver.
Citizens for Our Library and Our Community - $7,500 from Centene Management Co.
Jay Nixon for Missouri - $10,000 from The Boeing Company.
Clean Water STL - $75,000 from Covidien.