MOScout Daily Update: House Delays Budget Vote - Can Parson Be a Crisis Gov? - MMJ Grand Jury - Biden Sweeps and more....
House To Wait on Budget
Here’s an email sent yesterday from House Floor Leader Rob Vescovo…
Good Evening Members,
I would like to share some important information with you regarding our schedule for this week.
As planned, session will begin at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. However, after discussion with the Budget Chair, we have decided not to take up the FY21 budget this week. This decision was made based on the information we currently have, as well as other factors that cannot be foreseen at this time. Our primary goal is to maintain an amendable budget so that we can account for potential fluctuation in revenue and address any new needs facing Missouri. Instead, the priority for tomorrow will be to perfect and third read the supplemental budget, HB2014. This bill contains emergency funds to help our state mitigate the spread and impact of COVID 19. In addition, please be prepared to debate House bills with senate amendments, HB 2456, and HCS HB 2725.
In an effort to follow the CDC’s guidelines on large gatherings, our hope is that we can limit the number of members on the floor. We encourage you to listen to the debate from your office and come to the chamber during roll call votes. We will hold the board open long enough for you to make it to the chamber.
After we finish our work tomorrow, we will adjourn for our scheduled spring break. We will continue to evaluate the situation and will keep you informed on any decisions regarding when we will return to the Capitol to continue our legislative work. As you know, our goal is to have a budget to the Senate in a time frame that will allow for its passage before the constitutional deadline. Our hope is to ensure the well-being of all members and staff and allow for us to return to the Capitol in time to complete the budget…
Behind the Change?
While the stated reason for the delay was the uncertainty in revenue forecasting brought on by the coronoavirus, others in the building suspected there might be more to it. “[I think they may be] worried the Senate will send them a budget back and [adjourn] and they will have to take it…”
Can Parson Be a Crisis Gov?
Governor Mike Parson held his first “daily press briefing” on the coronavirus yesterday. But there’s a growing concern that the governor temperamentally mismatched for this crisis.
At his presser, he said this wasn’t going away in a week or two. But yesterday’s belated closing of casinos was just that – closed for the next 12 days.
Post-Dispatch columnist Tony Messenger describes his “bed side manner” as inadequate when there’s a clamoring for action.
On Twitter a lot of small business angst in Missouri, looking for help from state government. For example…
· 5 Star
Parson can wait out the next few months with his current “projecting figurehead calm” approach or he can go bold, particularly with action to lessen the economic impact…
· In New York, a suspension of state debt collection.
· In Kansas, freezing mortgage foreclosures and rent evictions.
Is Parson capable of being a crisis governor?
Readers on Parson
· Just thought you should know that even more surprising is how little the OA and Governor have been slow to give state workers information on what they should be doing and how to protect the public and themselves.....never mind lack of information for prison officers…
· Parsons has set himself up to get pounded on this. Galloway tweets what a responsible governor should do, and two days later he does it. So many decisions he should have made about a week ago…and he’s still not making them. Also, he shouldn’t be traveling to meetings when he can do so by conference call or video conferencing.
Don’t Underestimate the Economic Fallout Coming
A lot of parts of the economy are getting pinched or about to get pinched in a big way.
· Here’s the “Google Trends” on the term “apply for unemployment” in case there was any doubt about the economic impact the coronavirus is having.
· During a meeting with Republican senators on Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the virus could raise the U.S. jobless rate to 20% if the government did not intervene, ABC News has confirmed. A senior administration official and one senior aide for a GOP senator told ABC News that Mnuchin made the comments while laying out a potential scenario without government intervention. See it here.
Biden Sweeps
Joe Biden won the three Democratic primaries last night, making his nomination increasingly inevitable.
MMJ Grand Jury?
KCStar’s Jason Hancock keeps digging… A federal grand jury late last year demanded the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services turn over all records pertaining to medical marijuana license applications of four individuals, according to a subpoena obtained by The Star.
All four names were redacted by the department in The Star’s copy of the document. The first page of the subpoena requests that the department not publicly disclose the names because “it would be harmful to our investigation should these subjects be notified in any way of this request.”
eMailbag: Silver Lining
A silver lining for the “pause” on legislative session…it gives the new GovWatch time to catch up and get their $#*T together!
New Candidate Filings
Mitchell Kohlberg filed to run in Senate 1 as a Republican. This sets up a primary with David Lenihan. The winner will face Democratic Rep. Doug Beck.
Brenda McKinney filed to run for House 158 as a Democrat. Scott Cupps is running for Republicans.
Lobbyist Registrations
Nexus Group added Valley Minerals LLC.
John Phillips Dunn added Missouri Dairy Association.
Mark “Sox” Levison added Airport Tax Council LLC / Airport Taxi Consortium.
Jasmine Wells deleted Anthem, Inc. and Its Affiliates.
$5K+Contributions
KCFOP PAC - $6,130 from Kansas City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 99.
Uniting Missouri PAC - $15,000 from Retina Contracting Inc.
Missourians for a New Approach - $25,000 from Focus Partners, LLC.
Midwest Region Laborers' Political League Education Fund - $5,734 from Laborers Supplemental Dues Fund.
MO Opportunity PAC - $10,000 from Dennis M Jones Jr FBO Dennis M Jones Jr.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Francis Slay and Tod Martin.