MOScout Daily Update: Hawley's Big Welfare Plan - Corona Updates - Early Quarters and more...
Hawley Proposes Robust Safety Net
US Senator Josh Hawley called for a bold and aggressive welfare program. See it here.
Here is what I propose: Because the government has taken the step of closing the economy to protect public health, Congress should in turn protect every single job in this country for the duration of this crisis. And Congress should help our businesses rehire every worker who has already lost a job because of the coronavirus.
Beginning immediately, the federal government should cover 80 percent of wages for workers at any U.S. business, up to the national median wage, until this emergency is over. Further, it should offer businesses a bonus for rehiring workers laid off over the past month….
Finally, in an effort to protect our small businesses from a feeding frenzy by bigger firms, Congress must crack down on crisis profiteering by Wall Street. Strong antitrust enforcement and stiffer corporate transparency rules will help to ensure that, when our economy gets moving, we don’t have a wave of mergers and liquidations that set our workers back yet again.
What It Means
Hawley continues to be a thought leader in the Republican Party, sketching the contours of the party after President Donald Trump’s tenure has ended.
· Trump has moved The Grand Old Party away from conservativism (family values, free markets) toward nationalist populism (“America First”).
· Hawley has seized the populist part of this agenda to propose measures which would normally be abhorrent to free market Republicans (government mandated screen time limits, capital flow restrictions, and now a massive welfare program).
· But this may well be the future of the Republican Party. And in the present crisis it resonates with a shell-shocked electorate.
Early April Quarters
Expectations are low for the April fundraising quarters due to be filed this Wednesday. Here are a few committees who filed over the weekend…
Labor organizations are still showing strong fundraising, though it won’t be surprising to see these totals drop as the economic contraction hits.
Carpenters Help in the Political Process (CHIPP) raised $496,853 and has $1.8 million on-hand.
Eastern Missouri Laborers Educational & Benevolent Fund raised $85,430 and has $1.2 million on-hand.
Western Missouri & Kansas Laborer's District Council raised $37,855 and has $312,982 on-hand.
International Union of Operating Engineers Political & Educational Fund raised $37,500 and has $204,167 on-hand.
The Good Folks For Cookson raised $50,100 ($50K of that was a loan to himself) and has$70,600 on-hand.
Friends Of Mark Ellebracht raised $3,900 and has $23,619 on-hand.
The pro-Lauren Arthur True North PAC raised $61,500 and has $78,159 on-hand.
The pro-Robert Ross Team Robert PAC raised $3,500 and has $47,134 on-hand.
Supreme Court in the Time of Corona
Tomorrow morning the Missouri Supreme Court will conduct oral arguments for a case. “Due to concerns regarding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), this argument will be conducted remotely. While specific plans remain subject to change, the Court expects to have the chief justice in the courtroom, facing a screen through which the attorneys will participate remotely via videoconference, with the other six judges participating remotely via teleconference. Although no video of the argument will be available, the Court will provide audio of the arguments, both live and archived, as is its standard practice…”
Greitens Split
Former governor Eric Greitens and his wife Sheena said that they were divorcing. The announcement came heading into the holiday weekend via identical messages posted to their twitter accounts. See it here.
Political folks have previously speculated about the future of the couple as they have been registered to vote at separate residences.
See the Post-Dispatch article here.
Evergy Bidders
Utility Dive reports that Ameren is among those “interested in acquiring” Evergy. See it here.
NextEra Energy's internal evaluations of a potential acquisition of Evergy are in their preliminary stages…. NextEra did not respond to requests for comment. On Jan. 21, Guggenheim Securities reported NextEra and Ameren were clear candidates for a merger with Evergy, with Exelon as a "potentially dark horse."
Ameren, NextEra and others "could make the math work under the 'Combination' path pitched by activists," Guggenheim analyst Shahrir Pourreza wrote in the note, according to S&P Global… Ameren, based in St. Louis, has experience working with regulators in Missouri, who also have jurisdiction over Evergy. In addition, Evergy has recently contracted for renewable energy from the generation arms of AEP and NextEra…
Corona Update
· Governor Mike Parson signed the supplemental budget, and also announced “that all Missouri public and charter school buildings will remain closed through the remainder of the academic year.”
· Missouri Hospital Association has an informative one-page “Situational Awareness” update on COVID-19. See it here.
· An update to the widely followed IMHE model now has Missouri peaking later this month, and the projected number of deaths climbing above 1,000. See it here.
New Committees
Eric Wulff formed a candidate committee (WulffForMissouri.com) to run for Senate 23 as a Republican.
Jeff Parnell formed a candidate committee (Citizens For Jeff Parnell) to run for House 140 as a Republican.
Mike Lind formed an exemption committee to run for House 155 as a Democrat.
Lobbyists Registrations
James Foley added Schneider Electric Buildings Americas, Inc.
$5K+Contributions
Keep Government Accountable - $25,000 from Missouri State Council of Machinists PAC.
Page PAC - $10,000 from August A Busch III.
Missourians for Healthcare - $12,705 from The Fairness Project.
New Approach PAC - $10,000 from New Approach PAC.
The Good Government Committee - $10,000 from 417 PAC.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Craig Fishel, Clem Smith, and Mark Reardon.