MOScout Daily Update: Parson Lagging or Leading? - Top Priorities for Shorten Session - MEC Bits and more...
Parson Lagging Instead of Leading?
Getting passed around yesterday was this chart showing the various state-level responses. Missouri hasn’t been as aggressive as other states. That worries politicians of both parties. They fear that the relatively low number of current cases has lulled the Parson administration into a dangerous complacency.
· One Republican venting yesterday: I’m getting texts every hour from people pissed about something they aren’t doing. I understand this is a crazy situation — but at the end of the day, we know where most of this is headed, so why not get in front of it and make the world think you are leading instead of following…
· A Democrat echoes the sentiment: If it wasn’t for [St. Louis Mayor] Lyda [Krewson] and [Kansas City Mayor] Quinton [Lucas], it would be a grave situation.
· One person I spoke to blames President Donald Trump’s initial reaction for the lackluster start from the second floor. These days Republicans follow the president. When Trump says we’re at 15 cases headed to 0, what Republican governor is going to contradict him?
Parson Roadshow
Tuesday, March 17 –
10:00 - 10:45 a.m - Governor Parson to hold COVID-19 briefing with Kirksville leadership
1:00 - 1:30 p.m - COVID-19 briefing with Hannibal leadership
2:45 - 3:30 p.m - COVID-19 briefing with Columbia leadership
Wednesday, March 18 –
10:55 - 11:40 a.m - COVID-19 briefing with Poplar Bluff leadership
2:00 - 2:45 p.m - COVID-19 briefing with Hayti leadership
4:00 - 4:45 p.m - COVID-19 briefing with Cape Girardeau leadership
Thursday, March 19 -
4:30 - 5:15 p.m - COVID-19 briefing with Joplin leadership
But
Will any new action result from these briefings?
CoronaSession
As folks imagine how the next few months will play out, it seems increasingly unlikely that the full legislature will return on schedule after Spring Break.
If we get a truncated session with the legislature returning for a lightning round sometime in late April, there will only be capacity for items of the highest priority or measures already queued up for final approval.
What’s most important?
· Budget – constitutional requirement
· FRA – the tax draw matching dollars that are essential for Missouri’s health systems.
· PDMP – after struggling for years to accomplish this, I think they’ll do everything possible to get it across the finish line.
· CLEANER – it was a top priority coming in, but there feels like less urgency now. We’ll see.
Also likely depending on time and political will…
· SB 523 expanding controlled substances list.
· The Senate’s punitive damages bill. But it hasn’t been referred to a House committee yet.
· Gas infrastructure replacement fix.
More Talk
· We’ll see an impact on the April fundraising quarter… The next two weeks we’d usually have a calendar full of events and big closing events. That’s all off now. It’s a phone game to grab those checks. It plays to the favor of incumbents – and self-funders.
· Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman’s bill to deal with public meetings during the lockdown zipped along. It even won praise from Democratic AG candidate Elad Gross.
· Post-Dispatch reports on the confusion and uncertainty among election officials about how best to prepare/handle the April 7 municipal elections. See it here.
C-Virus A Hit To Greitens Comeback?
MOScouter: Coronavirus has screwed up Eric Greitens’ plans to promote his delusional “total exoneration” narrative. After Monday, there are 11 working days left to file for governor (filing deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 31st). With quarantine periods lasting 14 days or more, COVID-19 is the societal preoccupation/zeitgeist.
Greitens hoped for a no-questions-asked wet kiss rally with veterans on Saturday in Poplar Bluff. It was, appropriately for public health, cancelled. A good move since many veterans may be in higher-risk groups. That leaves Greitens losing steam in keeping up suspense that he might file against his successor and fellow Republican, Mike Parson. Media focus is on COVID-19. So media focus is on the actual leaders, such as Parson, who as governor can command media attention. As Michael Dukakis found when he famously rode in a tank in his 1988 campaign, it’s hard to look like a commander-in-chief when you are not the actual commander-in-chief…
MEC Bits
· The Missouri Ethics Commission dismissed a complaint against Ward Franz because it was “moot” after he resigned his position. See it here. The complaint that was filed with the Commission alleged that Mr. Franz violated the employee code of conduct established by Governor’s Executive Order 18-10... The remedy for violations of Executive Order 18-10 is “disciplinary action including, but not limited to, termination of employment.” The complaint seeks to apply the Executive Order to these facts despite the fact that Mr. Franz has resigned.From the facts presented, the Commission dismissed the complaint because the matter is moot.
· The Missouri Ethics Commission issued an advisory opinion about conflicts of interest. The conflict of interest provisions in Sections 105.452-105.464, RSMo, do not necessarily prevent an elected official from participating in matters that do not provide a specific monetary benefit; however, the official may choose to abstain and/or disclose the interest in the matter in order to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. See it here.
New Filings
Ann L Zimpfer filed to run in House 95 as a Democrat. She’ll face Republican Rep. Michael A. O'Donnell.
Jessica DeVoto filed to run in House 104 as a Democrat. She’ll face Republican Rep. Adam Schnelting. See her website here.
New Committees
Democratic Governors Association - Missouri was formed. It’s a Federal PAC. Its treasurer is Sarah Starnes.
Democratic Action - Missouri was formed. It’s a Federal PAC. Its treasurer is Sarah Starnes.
Jackie 'SKIP' D Johnson Sr formed a candidate committee (J Johnson for State Rep) to run for House 153 as a Republican.
Lobbyist Registrations
Jeffrey Altmann added Citizen Voters; and deleted Vicente Sederberg LLC, and Revival 98.
James Harris added QuikTrip Corporation, and Banner Public Affairs.
Doug Stone added 1200 Main/South Loop CID.
John Arthur Young added Missouri-American Water Company; and deleted Fountain Lakes Commerce Center North CID.
$5K+Contributions
STL Approves - $6,000 from Show-Me Integrity.
Missourians for Healthcare - $12,500 from Community Treatment Inc.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Joe Maxwell, Patrick Lynn, Tom Self, and Earl Simms.