MOScout Daily Update: Brunnert to CDI - Filing Day - Diesel Retailers Oppose Mandate - Ashcroft Announces and more...
Brunnert to CDI
After nearly a decade and a half at Flotron & McIntosh, Zach Brunnert will be relocating to Minneapolis with Center for Diagnostic Imaging (CDI) to serve as Director of State Legislative Policy. Brunnert will be representing CDI’s interests in state legislatures throughout the country.
Brunnert joins Kit Crancer at CDI as Kit steps into the role of Vice President of Public Policy and Executive Director the CDI Quality Institute. In this new post, Crancer will oversee both federal and state advocacy as well as CDI’s quality program.
The pair will make a potent and dynamic team that will continue to expand CDI’s scope of influence across the country while protecting and enhancing the organization’s commitment to quality care.
CDI is represented by David Jackson here in Missouri.
Filing Day: What To Watch For
Candidate filing opens today. Here are a few things to watch….
· Senate 3 – Does Rep. Dale Wright file? He put $100K into his candidate committee, but has been quiet.
· Senate 17 – Do Republicans have anyone to run against Sen. Lauren Arthur?
· Senate 23 – There’s sporadically been rumors of a primary against Sen. Bill Eigel. Any truth to those rumors?
· Senate 25 – Will Rep. Andrew McDaniel jump into this race and make it a four-way primary?
· House Dems – Two years ago they seemingly covered the state recruiting candidates in districts which had previously been left uncontested. Will they continue with that strategy, or will we see a narrower field of challengers?
And
Several observers think that the incoming Republican House candidates may determine the House Floor Leader race. Perhaps with that in mind, hustling Rep. Curtis Trent hosted a “Candidate Pre-Filing Party” last night that I’m told was “very well attended throughout the evening.”
Tonight
House Dems will host a fundraiser / meet the candidates tonight at Millbottom (400 West Main) from 5-7PM. $50 minimum donation.
Williams Not Running For STL Executive – As Of Today
The mighty Jason Rosenbaum interviews Sen. Brian Williams. See it here.
Mighty ‘Baum: I’m just going to ask you directly: are you thinking of running for St. Louis County Executive?
Williams: Well I’ll tell you this - when I ran for state senate, it was a job I was excited to run for. I let all the candidates and clearly the public know that was my intention. I have not done that for County Executive. If anything ever changed that would be the first thing I would do, notify the public as well as the candidates. As of today, I’m proud to be serving in the Missouri Senate…
Ashcroft Announcement
A video from Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s speech at Lincoln Days announced his re-election bid. See it here.
He touts Missouri’s “smooth and secure elections, not like Iowa,” and notes that “for the first time ever the secretary of state’s office is requiring receipts for all election reimbursements. Think about that. They’ve never done that. Because it isn’t the government’s money, it’s yours!”
Diesel Retailers Push Back on Bio Mandate
In a letter being sent to legislators, diesel fuel retailers are opposing legislation which would mandate biodiesel.
We strongly urge you to oppose legislation that would mandate biodiesel be blended into every gallon of diesel fuel sold in Missouri (SB 568/HB 1858). Although all of our companies support biodiesel incentive programs, this legislation disregards our businesses and our customers. If passed, it will inhibit our ability to continue creating jobs in our communities…
Our singular objective as retailers is to sell legal products that our customers want to buy. When it comes to diesel fuel, our customers choose the lowest-cost option because fuel is trucking companies’ second-largest expense. When biodiesel incentive programs are structured such that biodiesel is priced competitively with diesel fuel, it becomes more economical for retailers to sell and consumers to buy biodiesel. We and our customers support these types of programs…
A biodiesel mandate, on the other hand, will dramatically increase retail fuel prices, and redirect commerce outside of Missouri and into neighboring states that do not have a biodiesel mandate (and thus will have lower retail diesel prices)….
Casey’s Retail Company
Deluxe Truck Stop
Fast Lane Convenience Store
Joplin 44 Petro
Kum & Go, L.C.
Love’s Family of Companies
Murphy USA Inc.
Oak Grove 70 Petro
Petro Stopping Centers
The Pilot Company
Travel Centers of America
Goof on CD-2
My apologies for transposing the Wagner-Schupp numbers when writing about the CD-2 poll yesterday. As one reader cheerfully noted: “Didn’t misspell anything in that section though…”
New Committees
Arnie Dienoff formed a candidate committee ("6-Million Missourians For DIENOFF") to run for lieutenant governor as a Republican.
Protect Missouri Freedom was formed. Its treasurer is Scott Intagliata. Its deputy treasurer is Mike Pridmore.
Change STL PAC was formed. Its treasurer is William “Bill” Ravensberg.
Lobbyist Registrations
Amy Blunt added Lockton Inc.
Jessica Crews added Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Jarah Lorielle Hauger added John Deere.
Ryan Johnson added Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
LuAnn Madsen and Michael Reid added Independent Colleges & Universities of Missouri.
Eric Wareham added Western Equipment Dealers Association.
Michael Winter added The Giddens Group.
$5K+ Contributions
Health Care Issues Committee of the Missouri Hospital Association - $15,510 from Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center.
Friends of Keen - $20,000 from Jamie Keen. (Keen is running for Auditor of Franklin County as a Republican.)
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to former Sen. Rob Mayer, and Jaime Ordway.