Friday, Feburary 11, 2011
Parade of Bits – No Chewing Necessary, Just Swallow Them Whole
Legislature: Reading Time 15 Seconds
Yesterday 87 House bills were referred to committee. See Them Here.
Next week look for the House version of MOSIRA to be heard in committee Tuesday and then everyone will head “straight to the Country Club to celebrate at the annual MOBio dinner…”
Next week in the Senate, Photo ID will get floor time. Dems have been careful picking their battles, will they pick this one?
Local Control. Reading Time: 45 Seconds
Governor Jay Nixon says he’s against local control of the St. Louis police department. See It Here. Fall-out ensues…
Instant retread of last May’s Police Board meeting in which a call from Jefferson City pressured a board member to vote out the sitting president. Remember it Here.
Democratic Rep. Jamiliah Nasheed dashes off an email to House Republicans (and LG Peter Kinder) writing, “Let’s make Nixon a one-term governor…”
But Nixon’s fear and trembling might actually ease the bill’s chances in the Senate, as the calculations have begun: how many St. Louis City votes would a Nixon veto send into the Kinder column? Is it 1,000 or 10,000?
Miscellaneous: Reading Time 30 Seconds
Marble Hill License Office back in play after the agent’s state contract is cancelled. Read it Here.
Kevin Gunn was appointed the new Chair of the Public Service Commission.
Here is the text to Chief Justice Price’s “State of the Judiciary” speech.
Auditor Tom Schweich gets overwhelmed by unknowns and can’t find the ballpark to estimate the impact the Fair Tax proposal. Read his office’s statement Here. The Fair Tax capped at 7% is a “starve the beast” proposal. No harm in saying that. It’s a tried and true conservative method for reining in government spending. But Schweich has to duty to say it.
Relationships: Reading Time 20 Seconds
Friction reported between Health and Senior Services director Margaret Donnelly and the office of Governor Jay Nixon.
Reps. Caleb Jones and Todd Richardson are “joined at the hip.” But the Freshmen House Republicans haven’t formed their usual pecking order yet. They’re “not unified nor are there little cliques because they did not have benefit of freshman tour.”
Personal: Reading Time 10 Seconds
Speaker Steve Tilley’s brother underwent heart surgery yesterday. Former rep and anesthesiologist Sam Page was in the OR.
Condolences to Sen. Brian Munzlinger on the passing of his father.
And the usual bits….
Lobbyist Principal Changes
From the Pelopidas website:
Jim Cooper added Perdue Pharma.
Kathryn Ann Harness added Harness & Associates LLC; and deleted Clay County.
Luann Madsen and Phil Wright deleted Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Missouri Workforce Housing Association, and Jim Russell and Associates.
$5k+ Contributions
Mike Burke for Mayor - $50,000 from Michael Burke.
Citizens for a Stronger St. Louis - $10,000 from Edward Jones
MO Democratic State Committee - $10,000 from Citizens for a Stronger St. Louis.
Birthdays
Today Rep. Don Wells turns 61, and former state representative Steve Brown turns 44.
Missouri Watchdog’s Brian Hook celebrates the big 4-0 on Sunday.