MOScout Daily Update: PDMP Perfected by House - House Caucuses - Bloomberg Coalition - Hoberock Appted and more....

PDMP Gets Initial Approval in House

Rep. Holly Rehder stood for hours on the House floor yesterday, explaining defending and debating her signature issue – prescription drug monitoring program.

For conservatives this has become a divisive topic.  The creation of a database – however well-intentioned - is seen by them as an unholy expansion of government.

Ultimately the proposal (HB 1693) was perfected 95-56.  Rep. Justin Hill unsuccessfully attempted to add a sunset clause which would be triggered in two years “if the number of overdose deaths in the state increase by 5% after the passage of this act.”  That amendment failed 65-84.

And

One eagle-eyed observer noted that Rehder’s primary opponent, Rep. Kathy Swan, voted against the bill.  Could it be a prelude to running to Rehder’s right on the issue in August?

Bloomberg Coalition Coming?

The Bloomberg folks are starting to make their push in Missouri.  In addition to the ubiquitous advertising, one reader tips “a diverse group of Clergy from Kansas City and St. Louis will be endorsing the candidate Mike Bloomberg for President for the March 10 primary in Missouri.   The announcement [may come] at a prayer breakfast the Bloomberg campaign is having next Wednesday in St. Louis… [also look for endorsements from] a number of Democratic leaders.”

And

I got my first invite to a Bloomberg event.  It’s a week from Monday.  No contribution is requested.  It’s just a come-and-learn event.  See it here.

House Caucuses

The House has many informal caucuses, but has also approved official caucuses.  See the list of official House caucuses here.

Unlike some caucuses in which membership is open, the House Conservative Caucus (see their approval document here) apparently uses a vote scoring system to determine whether a legislator is indeed conservatives.  This has created two classes of Conservative Caucus members – voting members whose scores were adequate and non-voting members who didn’t meet the threshold.  There are several folks who are considered very conservative in the building who didn’t make the cut. It seems that the GM incentives were a mark against them.

Meanwhile an alternative conservative caucus of sorts has arisen. It’s the Lincoln Conservatives. (See their approval document here). They have more of a big-tent approach.  The chair of the Lincoln Conservatives Caucus is Rep. David Evans, and the vice-chairs are Reps. Karla Eslinger, Brenda Shields and Rudy Veit.

ROMO (Reminder of the Obvious): The most powerful caucus in the House remains… the Leadership Caucus….

What Does Libla Want?

The past few days Sen. Doug Libla has started the Senate session complaining about the scoring process of the medical marijuana licenses.

For sure, there have been news reports of oddities – multiple applications with substantially similar answers being scored differently, for example.

But what remedy can the Senate offer?  Is Libla desiring that the Senate begin an investigation as the House has with its Government Oversight Committee?  It would seem any entity that feels wronged is now headed to the Administrative Hearing Commission.

One building denizen shrugged when I asked this question: I think he just wants to talk about it…

Hoberock Among Latest Gubby Appts

Governor Mike Parson announced eight appointments to various boards and commissions.  Republican donor Gregory Hoberock, of Washington, was appointed to the University of Missouri Board of Curators.  Hoberock already serves on the Board of Regents of State Technical College of Missouri.

Other appointments were:

·         Neal Bredehoeft, of Alma, was appointed to the Clean Water Commission.

·         John Clark Hemeyer, of Ralls County, was appointed to the State Lottery Commission.

·         Lydia Hurst, of Tarkio, was appointed to the Northwest Missouri State University Board of Regents.

·         Rick Kegler, of Ballwin, was appointed to the Drug Utilization Review Board.

·         Dr. Lisa J. Pierce, of Fulton, was appointed to the Drug Utilization Review Board.

·         Dr. Laura A. Rauscher, of Foristell, was appointed to the Committee for Professional Counselors.

·         Robin Wenneker, of Columbia, was appointed to the University of Missouri Board of Curators.

Hog Debate Rages

Springfield News-Leader reports on the ongoing debate about how to deal with the feral hog infestation.  See it here.

When Mike Bodenchuk, who oversees efforts to eliminate the destructive pigs in Texas, took the microphone, he didn’t mince words: “You can’t hunt your way out of this problem.”  Bodenchuk said he knows that because Texas tried it. State officials there allowed private citizens to hunt, which he said encouraged an industry to bloom with an export market to boot, and the hog population exploded….

At least a couple of lawmakers weren’t sure about that after the hearing, though.

Despite Bodenchuk and Nolte testifying that trapping alone had eradicated entire populations in areas of other states, Rep. Scott Cupps, R-Shell Knob, wasn’t convinced.

He said he would know because trapping can't kill all the hogs on his farm in Barry County.

“These hogs become trap shy after two or three hits of the trap,” he said, “and the only way to clean up the remaining pigs is to seek them out and shoot them.”

Lobbyist Registrations

Gamble & Schlemeier added Empower Missouri.

David Sweeney and Sonette Magnus added HOK.

$5K+ Contributions

Keep Government Accountable - $25,000 from Sheet Metal Workers Union Local No 2 Legislative Action Committee.

Missourians for a New Approach - $14,865 from New Approach PAC.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Jay Nixon and Rep. Steven Roberts.