Thursday, January 18, 2018
Eggleston Donates Kidney in Life-Saving Swap
On Rep. J Eggleston’s Facebook (see it here): Some of you have known my wife Cathie has been suffering from kidney failure for few years. If you didn't know, you do now. In a few minutes, I will be going into surgery to donate one of my kidneys for Cathie. Because we do not have compatible blood types, I cannot donate directly to her. So my kidney will be immediately put on ice and flown to Michigan for someone who needs a kidney there. That recipient has a friend who will donate a kidney, which will be given to a recipient somewhere else in America (we don't know where), and that recipient has a friend who will donate a kidney for Cathie. Cathie will go into surgery this afternoon and have the new kidney implanted. I'm a bit nervous about it all, since it is not everyday I have one of my organs removed. But it feels special to be a part of improving three people's lives, including the woman I love. Wish us luck!
Q&A #1: Why Isn’t Greitens’ Apology Working?
Short answer: He’s apologizing for the wrong thing.
In Jefferson City the governor’s apologies for his affair have fallen flat. The reason is because he focuses on the affair as if it was a one-time moral failing. Folks I talk to are focused on his hypocrisy which has been a years-long moral failing.
Over and over people mention the speeches he gave and the statements he issued decrying how terrible everyone else was. Yes there’s a moral failing in being unfaithful to your spouse, but people talk about the deeper moral failing to the community. Yes it’s wrong to lie to your wife. But folks want an apology for lying about himself, and lying about everyone else. They want an acknowledgment that by-and-large legislators aren’t corrupt, that most lobbyists are basically small business owners honorably working for their clients, and that state employees work their tail off for low pay and don’t deserve to be demonized as a bloated bureaucracy.
A apology of character would admit that he knew he wasn’t living up to the standard he was holding everyone else to, and that he accused others of being morally corrupt just to serve to his selfish ambition.
Hawley Dings Stenger on Sunshine
Post-Dispatch reports: St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger’s staff routinely violates a state law designed to guarantee public access to government records, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday by Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley… The suit was filed Wednesday in St. Louis County Circuit Court. It seeks an injunction to force Stenger’s office to follow the law. It also asks the court to assess civil penalties of up to $1,000 for each knowing violation and $5,000 for each purposeful violation, or further relief as the court finds appropriate.
Milton Starts Firm
St. Louis Business Journal reports that “Mark Milton, a former Department of Justice tax division trial lawyer, has left Husch Blackwell to start his own St. Louis-based tax resolution firm, MCM Law.” See it here.
Milton is treasurer for several PACS: Next Gen GOP PAC, CL PAC, Growth and Investment for Missouri PAC, and Franklin County Leadership PAC.
Gladney Strong Start
Sam Gladney, running as a Democrat in House 87 where Rep. Stacy Newman is termed. It’s a civically engaged district which will probably give rise to a Dem primary. But Gladney – who considered a congressional run last year before backing off – has a good fundraising start. Last quarter he raised $26K and now has $42K on-hand.
Opioid Toll in MO
Missourinet reports on the toll that the opioid crisis is taking on Missouri. See it here.
Pull Quote: The Missouri Hospital Association says the total economic cost of Missouri’s opioid epidemic was $12.6 billion in 2016. Hospital Association vice president Mat Reidhead says that was more than four percent of the state’s total GDP in 2016… Reidhead tells Missourinet there were 921 Missouri opioid overdose deaths in 2016, adding that the economic cost of those 921 opioid overdose deaths was estimated at $12.1 billion.
And
Press release: U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill and a group of colleagues are urging the Administration to renew its declaration of the ongoing opioid epidemic as a public health emergency, and to work with them to adequately fund prevention and treatment efforts. The current declaration expires on January 23.
New Committees
Missouri Leads was formed. Its treasurer is Matthew Patterson. It’s a campaign committee to support an initiative petition.
Shall Missouri Law Be Amended To Create A Long-Term Capital Gains And Qualified Dividends Tax At A Rate That Could Be 15.8% Or Higher Based On Federal Law, Determined By Each Taxpayer's Federal Tax Bracket, But Exempts Taxpayers With Family Income Less Than 110% Of Poverty Threshold, Which May Be Used To Fund A Renewable Energy Program For Improving Energy Efficiency In Buildings, Constructing And Installing Renewable Energy Sources, Updating Infrastructure, And Planting Trees On Public Lands; And All Funds Generated By The Program Will Be Used As Decided By The Legislature?
Citizens for Ash Grove Schools was formed. Its to support a tax increase. See the paperwork here.
Lobbyists Registrations
Matthew Ross Patton added Lyft Inc.
Lonnie Haefner deleted L.E. Haefner Enterprises Inc.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Reps. Shawn Rhoads and Bill Lant, Carl Bearden, and Robert Knodell.
