MOScout Daily Update: Hemphill Launches Firm - New Rowden Ad - More Hot House Seats - Watson Death Investigated - Defund Issue in House 135 and more...
Meet D Hemphill Consulting
Deanna Hemphill announced she’s launching D Hemphill Consulting LLC. The new firm will provide local and state lobbying.
Hemphill is a respected veteran in the hallways. She’s been in the building since 2006 when she started her career with Mike Winter. In 2013, she moved over to Pelopidas’ Gate Way Group.
Over those 14 years, she built a network of relationships throughout state government and lobbied on a wide range of diverse issues including education, telecommunications, healthcare, appropriations, as well as regulatory matters.
With Pelopidas’ surprise closure last month, Hemphill – like the others there – faced the decision whether to join another team, seek an in-house position or start her own firm. She’s decided to take the plunge and hang out a shingle.
Other Competitive House Races
I wrote yesterday about some areas of the state where it’s possible for Dems to pick up House seats. Here are couple more which may be in play…
· House 10 – St. Joe – Rep. Bill Falkner is running for re-election. But it meets the threshold of a 40%+ vote for Hillary Clinton, and it’s a targeted race according to the House Dems website.
· House 13 – Parkville – Vic Allred dropped out after filing closed, and Republicans choose Sean Pouche, son of a former state representative to take his spot. It’s a swing district that now an open seat.
· House 31 – Blue Springs – Rep. Dan Stacey might be more conservative than his district, and Dems like their chances for candidate Rhonda Dolan to pull off an upset.
Defund Issue in House 135
The League of Women Voters recently held a Zoom candidate forum for House 135. Rep. Steve Helms is running for re-election. See it here. Dems have targeted the district as one to flip. The forum included Helms, Democratic candidate Betsy Fogle and Green Party candidate Vicke Kepling.
At one point, candidates were allowed to ask a question of their opponents. Helms asked where they stood on the “defund police” issue.
Fogle said that the phrase defunding police could be a “trigger for some people” and said she supports “correctly resource our police officers.”
New Rowden Ad
Sen. Caleb Rowden tweeted out his latest TV ad. See it here. It features his wife extolling his work as a states senator.
Rowden’s tweet: PS...it's not as easy as one might think to get your wife's endorsement!
Politico Guru Moves CD-2 to Toss-Up
Politico reports…. “THE UNDERTOLD STORY in Washington right now is how KEVIN MCCARTHY’S House Republican minority is likely to thin quite significantly after this election. STEVE SHEPARD, our election guru, has moved a few Republican incumbents’ seats toward Democrats in his forecast: Reps. ANNE WAGNER in the St. Louis burbs, JIM HAGEDORN in Minnesota and STEVE CHABOT in the Cincinnati area….”
Watson’s Death Investigated
KSDK reports that John Watson’s death is being investigated for foul play. See it here.
Initially, the death of long-time public servant and St Charles County attorney John Watson was called an accident. But sources familiar with the case tell 5 On Your Side that it’s now being investigated as a homicide.
Lake St. Louis police were called to his home at about 1:15 p.m. Aug. 28 where they found the 60-year-old dead at the bottom of some stairs…
“It was a tragic event that caught everybody by surprise,” [St. Charles County Prosecutor Tim] Lohmar said. “Initially it was reported as an accidental death, but once the officers got on the scene to secure the scene, they began asking questions and it wasn’t long after that that the circumstances were suspicious, and that led to a much more in-depth investigation, which is still ongoing.
“The crime scene evidence appears to be inconsistent with an accidental death and that’s a big piece of what the detectives were looking at initially. Perhaps the autopsy and the Medical Examiner’s report will help us answer some of those questions.”
Watson is survived by his wife of 29 years and three daughters, according to his obituary.
At least one family member has retained a prominent criminal defense attorney, who did not return a call for comment. No one has been charged….
State Seeks Vendors for New “Check-in” Apps
Missouri seeks QVL for Smartphone Mobile Application Monitoring Services. See it here.
In FY-20 HB 5 was established for a pilot program to monitor individuals subject to pre-conviction or post-conviction supervision through a check-in system that the supervising agency or circuit can access through a secure web-based platform…
While there is no guaranteed use of smartphone mobile application check-in solution by state agencies or others, potential users may include the Missouri Department of Corrections, the Missouri Courts System, and Missouri City and County local law enforcement entities/jail systems. Possible scenarios for which services may be used include but are not limited to:
a. The Missouri Courts System may use services as an alternative to sending non-violent individuals awaiting trial to Missouri city or county jails as a means to save state revenue reimbursements;
b. Missouri state prisons and city or county jails may use services for non-violent individuals to ease overcrowding concerns such as during the COVID-19 pandemic;
c. The Department of Corrections, Division of Probation and Parole may use services for an alternative to in-person meetings with parole officers and parolees to minimize COVID-19 exposure and to reduce expenditures….
Back to Black
The Axios article that Leon Black “deeply regrets” his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein brought back memories of his “involvement to Noranda.
One building denizen writes: Any of those who lobbied in the state’s capitol from about 2013 through 2018 [will remember] when Leon Black and Apollo owned and controlled Noranda Aluminum. Noranda was a large employer in one of the most impoverished parts of Missouri. But, while Black as handing with and trading at least $75M with Jeffery Espstien, and purchasing art with tens of millions, he was also running Noranda into the ground, and left it for dead. It’s a tragic reminder of zero sum politics, which was Noranda’s game…it may turn out 'zero sum' for Mr. Black at the end of the day.
New Committees
Taking KC Back was formed. It’s a PAC. Its treasurer is Heather Haberle.
Lobbyists Registrations
Alex Eaton, Rebecca Lohmann, and Jasmine Wells added Commonwealth Missouri LLC, and BetMGM, LLC.
Chad Marlow added American Civil Liberties Union, Inc.
$5K+ Contributions
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $25,000 from Believe in Life and Liberty.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $25,000 from Onder for Missouri.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $10,000 from Sater for Senate.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $10,000 from AGC of MO PAC.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $10,000 from Missouri Health Plan Association PAC.
CLEAN Missouri - $5,200 from Service Employees International Union (Washington DC).
HealthPAC - $6,100 from HCA Missouri Good Government Fund.
Pfizer Missouri Political Action Committee - Federal Committee - $8,959 from Pfizer Inc PAC.
Jackson County Republican Club - $6,785 from Daniel Hertzog.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Hardy Billington, Larry Pleus, Linda Black, and John Mayfield.