MOScout Weekender: State Approval Numbers - Bond's 2020 Weighting - Price to Dep. Treas and more...
Mark Your Calendar
Governor Mike Parson will deliver the 2019 State of the State Address… Wednesday, January 16 at 3PM….
Price to Deputy Treasurer
In Help Wanted (below) the House is seeking a new Director of Appropriations. That’s because Mike Price has been tapped to be Scott Fitzpatrick’s deputy treasurer. One building denizen laments, “It’s a devastating loss for the House.”
Bell’s Tenure Might Not Be Drama Free
Talk about a bungled roll-out… KSDK reports: The new prosecuting attorney for St. Louis County, Wesley Bell, made headlines this week by announcing sweeping new policy changes. One of them was a directive to attorneys in his office that on an interim basis, they are no longer allowed to criminally prosecute the failure to pay child support…. But now, 5 On Your Side has uncovered that one of Bell's senior level staff members failed to financially support his children over a period of at least 10 years. Court records show that Tim Swope, Bell's new Director of Operations, owes his ex-wife nearly $19,000 in back due child support and medical expenses…
MOScout Poll: Approval Numbers
Starting the new year with a straightforward ho-hum approvals poll. See the full results here.
Survey conducted January 2 through January 3, 2019. 812 likely 2020 General Election voters participated in the survey. Survey weighted to match expected turnout demographics for the 2020 General Election. Margin of Error is +/-3.4%.
Q: Do you think Missouri is heading in the right direction or do you think it is going off on the wrong track?
Right direction: 36%
Wrong track: 40%
Not sure: 24%
Q: Do you approve or disapprove of the job Mike Parson is doing as Governor?
Approve: 43%
Disapprove: 27%
Not sure: 30%
Q: Do you approve or disapprove of the job Mike Kehoe is doing as Lieutenant Governor?
Approve: 27%
Disapprove: 22%
Not sure: 51%
Q: Do you approve or disapprove of the job Eric Schmitt is doing, formerly as State Treasurer and now as Attorney General?
Approve: 29%
Disapprove: 24%
Not sure: 47%
Q: Do you approve or disapprove of the job Jay Ashcroft is doing as Secretary of State?
Approve: 43%
Disapprove: 30%
Not sure: 27%
But
Poll watchers will be most interested to see Titus Bond’s initial partisan weighting for Missouri’s 2020 statewide races… It’s GOP +9. Of course that may change if Trump craters or Dems nominate a communist (two real possibilities btw).
PARTY ID %
Republican 41%
Democrat 32%
Non-Partisan 27%
MOScout’s Hallway Index: What threatens this session?
I asked the MOScout hallway dwellers to tell me what worried them as the greatest threat to a productive legislative session. A few folks told me that I missed the most obvious answer: Republican dissidents in the Senate gumming up that chamber.
RESULTS
1. House-Senate Infighting… 11.5%
2. Second Floor-Third Floor Infighting… 7.7%
3. Inexperienced Legislators… 15.3%
4. Redistricting Plan Blow-up… 34.6%
5. Something else… 30.7%
Sample of Comments
“Senators who were on the losing side of leadership elections blowing up the process to exert their will.”
“The fallout in the Senate from leadership races… Will it mirror the Mayer days? Only time will tell…”
“Republican factions in the Senate…”
Who Won the Week?
WWTW will return next week.
eMailbag: MOScouter Roars
AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Are you freaking kidding me? Nicole Galloway “with young kids at home…”. Josh Hawley has two young kids, Jay Ascroft has FOUR young kids, Eric Schmitt has young kids, Scott Sifton (who is not married) also has young kids, Scott Fitzpatrick has twin toddlers, Eric Greitens had two young kids and never ever one time did you or anyone else mention this as a reason that they couldn’t, shouldn’t or wouldn’t reach for the top job. That’s freaking ridiculous.
Help Wanted
House seeks Director of Appropriations. “Successful candidates must have an advanced knowledge of the principles, practices, and current theories of budget administration with special reference to governmental procedures, practices and objectives; considerable knowledge of management and governmental accounting principles and practices in order to recommend budgetary savings; and the ability to provide leadership and supervision to professional, technical and related program staff. Position also requires the ability to establish and maintain harmonious working relationships, the ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, considerable knowledge of personal computers, the ability to multitask effectively and meet tight deadlines under pressure, and the willingness to work extremely long hours as necessary to fulfill the obligations of the position…” See it here.
Office of Administration seeks Budgeting and Planning Analyst. “Work involves researching, analyzing, and making recommendations concerning various complex issues related to assignment… Analyzing and examining budget requests from state agencies for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with procedures and regulations… Developing recommendations for agency program funding and preparing justifications for each recommendation… Reviewing programs of various state departments in terms of program priorities, expenditures of funds, and coordination of services… Tracking appropriation and policy legislation concerning assigned agencies…” See it here.
Lobbyist Registrations
Thomas Robbins added Missouri Insurance Coalition.
Brad Brown deleted Missouri-American Water Company.
Sheila Holm deleted AARP Missouri.
Mary Strate deleted Missouri Beer Wholesalers Association.
Daniel Simon deleted Brown Willbrand PC.
Julia Gonzales deleted Amplify Education Inc.
John Graham deleted Greenwich Biosciences Inc.
Bo Moore and Philip Simon deleted Connectsouth, International Gaming Technology, CorrectLife, NRDC Action Fund Inc., and Community Education Centers.
Carla Capps deleted Cognosante LLC.
Williams Waller deleted ArchCity Defenders.
Gary Wiegert deleted Coalition for Life St. Louis
Alexandra Dominguez deleted Excellence In Education National, Inc., D/b/a Excellence In Education In Action.
$5K+ Contributions
Nexus PAC - $25,000 from RightCHOICE Managed Care Inc.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $10,000 from Isle of Capri Casino Boonville.