MOScout Daily Update: Senate's Special Schedule - More Issues for Next Session - New ED at PSRS - House Leader LegDir Job and more...

Senate Schedule

Senate Floor Leader Caleb Rowden sent a note to senators outlining the tentative Senate schedule for next week…

SCHEDULE UPDATE -- plan as of now is to have Approps committee and Gubernatorial Appts next Tuesday (Dec 1st) in the afternoon, gavel in at 4p for quick in and out to read in special session Approps bill, and then come in next Wednesday (Dec 2nd) at 10a to get the budget bill passed. I know some of you will not be able to attend. That would be our only obligations next week in the building. I am continuing to compile schedules to figure it out if and when there is a path before January on COVID liability….

And

The timeline obstacle for COVID liability is that December is cut short by the holidays, and it’s expected that there will have to be some real debate on the issue.  Dems bristle at the idea of statutory immunity for negligent business owners.  And even some Republicans have concerns.  In other words it’s not expected to be an in-and-out affair.

More Issues for Next Session

I wrote last week about some of the issues which will take center stage in next year’s legislative session: redistricting, Medicaid expansion, pushback against local authority’s emergency powers, and education reform.  Here are some others I heard mentioned as I spoke to folks…

·         Abortion – Pretty much every year the Republican supermajority advances a new pro-life bill.  Some have told me that after Sen. Andrew Koenig’s bill last year, there’s not much more that can be done.  Still, look for Sen. Eric Burlison to re-file his "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act."

·         Wayfair – Every year everyone wants it, but it still hasn’t happened.  Expanding the sales tax to cover all online purchases would level the playing field between bricks-and-mortar Main Street business and their ethernet competitors.  But complications abound.  For example, some want to use the new revenue stream for localities to offset cable franchise fee cuts.

·         Infrastructure and workforce development – I haven’t heard any specific proposals yet.  But it was one of the governor’s mantras for a year before COVID, so presumably it’ll be on the agenda somewhere.

·         Labor reform – Two years having passed since the voters overturned the legislature’s right to work law, some Republicans are talking about labor reform again.  Perhaps we’ll see another run at prevailing wage, or one mentioned allowing right to work to be implemented on a county by county basis.

New ED at PSRS/PEERS

Dearld Snider has been named executive director of the Public School and Education Employee Retirement Systems of Missouri (PSRS/PEERS) effective December 1, 2020. Snider, who currently serves as PSRS/PEERS’ assistant executive director, operations, replaces M. Steve Yoakum, who will retire December 1 after 22 years in the position. Upon Yoakum’s announcement to retire, the PSRS/PEERS Board of Trustees retained EFL Associates to assist in the national search for a new executive director… Snider has been with PSRS/PEERS since January 2006, serving as director of member services prior to being named assistant executive director, operations. As assistant executive director, Snider's primary responsibilities include day-to-day system operations and acting in an advisory capacity to the PSRS/PEERS executive director and Board of Trustees.   See the press release here.

Help Wanted

House Floor Leader seeks Legislative Director. “The Legislative Director, together with the Majority Floor Leader’s staff, will advise the Majority Floor Leader on all legislative areas.  The position assists the Majority Floor Leader in managing the legislative schedule and floor debate procedures. The selected candidate must be available to work extremely long hours during the legislative session from January through May….  $32,000-$42,000 annually; starting salary commensurate with applicable education, experience and budget…”  See it here.

Lobbyists Registrations

Shanon Hawk added Missouri Association of County Auditors.

Jeffrey Altmann deleted CoreMedia.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Sen. Bill Eigel, Ryan Nonnemaker, and Dennis Wood.

MOScout Schedule

Quickie update tomorrow and then I’m taking a long weekend off for Thanksgiving.