Thursday, March 3, 2011
Engler: James Harris is a Liar
Last night at the end of a filibuster of the SB8 (Workers’ Compensation), Sen. Kevin Engler let loose on consultant James Harris. Engler said that Harris “is a liar.” At which Sen. Brian Nieves added that Harris is a “political mercenary,” “a tool,” “has no principles” and “one of life’s big losers.”
Specifically what set Engler off was this tweet:
JamesMNHarris James Harris
No one should be surprised that Kevin #Engler joined MATA and is filibustering against workers comp reform (SB8). He loves MATA $$$.
Engler and Harris have a history dating back at least to Harris’ effort to change the court plan. According to Engler, Harris bad-mouthed him to Republican donors when the Senate failed to pass the court plan. Harris ultimately led an initiative petition on the issue which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, but failed to come anywhere near the correct number of signatures. That debacle gave birth to the instant classic – “Never before have so few been paid so much for so little.”
Aside from the spectacle of it, here are a few thoughts:
First, social media continues to reshape the political dialogue. Harris has a paltry 200-something followers on twitter, but when reporter Tony Messenger re-tweeted his message, Engler saw it and was infuriated. The story then, written by Messenger, wasn’t about Engler and Sen. Jason Crowell’s substantive criticisms of the legislation, part of Fix the Six and passed by the House. It was about personalities, but the public policy politics.
Second, Harris is damaged goods at this point. Aside from a miserable 2010 – failed signature collection, stomped in Senate 26 race – there are now a clutch of senators who tag Harris with the worst label possible in the Building: can’t be trusted. He can rebuild. And term limits will be his best friend. But the price of his bomb-throwings is now evident.
Third, Engler is a free man. As Pro Tem he’d have bitten his tongue and played politic. But that man on the Senate floor last night is the portrait of a termed limited senator who’s not in caucus leadership. He’s going to do, and say, exactly as he wants for the next two years.
Crowell: Rob Mayer is Not Applying Senate Rules Fairly
Near the beginning of the SB8 debate Sen. Jason Crowell, who is also opposed to the bill, sought a point of order. Pro Tem Rob Mayer ruled that it was not well-taken. Crowell then pointedly repeated an accusation which has been leveled this session: that Mayer is tilting his rulings according to his legislative agenda. Crowell remarked that to get favorable point of order rulings you have to be working on the “Fix the Six” bills.
So Close, So Far
But in the cross-currents of Senate alliances, Crowell remains standing staunchly with Mayer on the issue of utilities being able to recoup their permit process costs for a new nuclear power plant.
Earlier in the week, Crowell, Mayer and former senator Joan Bray held a press conference and unveiled their version of what acceptable legislation would be. The chief difference is funding for the Office of Public Counsel.
(One lobbyist joked that the presence of Bray probably helped pick up a few more Republicans senators. She’s just been gone a year, but is remembered as the liberal standard-bearer and some Republicans might figure if she’s against this, I should be for it.)
On the surface, the gap between the two sides couldn’t be smaller. Funding for the OPC is miniscule compared to the promised multi-billion capital project of a new nuclear plant.
But beneath the surface the gap is wide and deep. And it’s full of mistrust and suspicion. Specifically, the utilities believe that increasing the OPC funding – and paying for the increase with an assessment – is a poison pill. They note Nixon is proposing an increase in OPC funding in his budget which should be sufficient. The prospect of a line-item on customer bills will be viewed as a tax by Republicans and kill the bill.
Pro-nuke folks swarmed the hallway yesterday and met with Mayer. They were attempting to wrangle a commitment that he would refer SB321 to Sen. Brad Lager’s Commerce Committee, a more favorable environment than Crowell’s Emerging Issues. Mayer did not make that commitment. And indeed one observer says that it’s highly likely that every bill dealing with this issue will go to Crowell’s committee.
Mayer stopped referring bills at SB 320, just before he’d have referred SB321. But that action may come today before the weekend break.
So Far
On the Prop B puppy mills legislation, there doesn’t appear to be much compromise coming either.
Advocates for Prop B decry the current measures that would “gut” the recent voter approved initiative. Still Republicans seem to be closing ranks behind the Sen. Mike Parsons’ version. He has credibility in both the House and the Senate.
In another foreboding omen, James Harris (see above) registered as the lobbyist for the Humane Society…
Rick Knows Something About Redistricting
One reader sends in this history of two of the Democratic nominees for the House Reapportionment Commission:
Rick Dorsey served in the House 1991-1992. He had the unfortunate distinction of running against an incumbent state representative in three consecutive elections. In 1988 he ran against Jean Mathews, a Republican from Florissant who was her era’s Jane Cunningham. Dorsey made a decent showing but lost. In 1990 he ran against Mathews again, this time he won.
To show their gratitude for his herculean feat of knocking off a “celebrity” Republican incumbent, the Democrats signed off on a redistricting plan in 1991 that put him in the same district as fellow Democrat incumbent Mary Hagan-Harrell. Dorsey lost that primary in 1992;
so Rick knows something about redistricting…
And
Jo Ann Karll also served in the Missouri House in the early 1990s from northwestern part of Jefferson County, then served as Director of the Division of Workers’ Compensation in the Carnahan Administration.
Lobbyist Principal Changes
From the Pelopidas website:
Jerry W Burch added City of Nevada.
Scott Penman added National Popular Vote Initiative.
Mary Schantz added KC Regional Home Care Assn.
Chris Sutherland added The Rhoads Company.
Janette M Lohman deleted Missouri Historic Preservation & Economic Development Coalition; Missouri Citizens for the Arts; and IBM Corporation.
Todd Smith deleted Geodecisions.
$5k+ Contributions
Friends of Peter Kinder - $10,000 from William McGinnis Checkerboard Square.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to lobbyist Heath Clarkson.