MOScout Daily Update: House Refers Special Session Bills - Revenues Remain Strong - KC Pols Point Fingers - More on STL ECE Tax and more...
House Sends Special Session Bills to Committees
The House referred its special session bills, breaking up the Senate’s omnibus SB1 into individual bills as they announced they would. Find them here.
· HB11 (Schroer) to General Laws - Modifies the offense of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree.
· HB12 (Schroer) to Special Committee on Criminal Justice - Modifies provisions relating to the certification of juveniles for trial as adults.
· HB16 ( Schroer) to General Laws - Changes the offense of unlawful transfer of weapons to include a class E felony for knowingly transferring a firearm to a minor.
· HB2 (Hovis) to Judiciary - Modifies provisions relating to criminal actions.
· HB46 (Hicks) to Judiciary - Provides that the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department cannot impose a residency requirement on law enforcement officers more stringent than a one-hour response time.
· HB66 (Patterson) to Judiciary - Creates the "Pretrial Witness Protection Services Fund"
Of Note
· It would appear that at least for now the House is taking a wait-and-see approach to the AG jurisdiction provision. They may decide to wait for the Senate act to what if anything can be passed out of that chamber on the topic before expending their own political capital.
· Two building denizens have referred to the ill-fated 2011 special session on Aerotropolis, one calling it Erictropolis. “He ruined that special and now he’s messing up this one.”
· Also referred was HR6640, sponsored by Rep. Peter Merideth which amends House Rules to require members, staff and guests to wear masks while in the capitol.
And
All this plays is open to debate. I have some folks who think that the mechanics of special session are a “inside-the-bubble” affair, and as long as crime – and the special session on crime – is the topic generating headlines it’s good for Parson.
Others think it’s becoming a distraction from the issue more on voters’ minds: COVID. Missouri’s positivity rate yesterday was up to 11.5%, and hospitalization remain at an elevated level, with the virus continuing to spread across the rural counties.
Revenues Remain Strong
State tax receipts in August have shown a strong start. So far, the state is running $738 million ahead of last year.
Of course, a large chunk of that is due to the tax filing date being pushed from last fiscal year into this one. Can it continue as the government’s extraordinary pandemic payments dwindle? We’ll see….
Silvey, Rizzo Tweet TagTeam Lucas
Getting passed around yesterday were twitter threads of Public Service Chairman (and former state senator) Ryan Silvey, and Minority Leader John Rizzo pushing back against KC Mayor Quinton Lucas’ criticism of the now-dead SB1.
· The PSC gig hasn’t diminished Silvey’s joy of stirring things up. See his kick-off thread here.
More on STL County’s ECE Tax
A couple of problems with the eco devo early childhood sales tax....
· First, it sounds like the MNEA is not on board. The KC Pre-K failed 66-34% because the education community opposed the measure. It's unclear which ed groups are for and against the proposal.
· Second, there could be a lack of accountability. State statute requires that local economic development tax boards file annual reports with the Joint Committee on Economic Development, showing how they spent the revenue and describing program progress. That committee no longer exists, and it's hard to determine if cities have reports on file. The St. Louis County early childhood tax could quickly turn into an $80M slush fund.
eMailbag: Wagner Still Grassrootin’ It
From a rep: That line about Congresswoman Wagner is bulls**t. She knocked doors for me. Not the photo op ten doors…
New Committees
Serve Missouri PAC was formed. Its treasurer is Sam Gladney.
Dennis 'Michael' M Dedic formed a candidate committee (Committee to Elect Michael Dedic) to run for St. Louis County Exectuive as a write-in candidate.
Lobbyists Registrations
Jake Silverman added Commercial Energy Consultants, LLC.
$5K+ Contributions
Keep Government Accountable - $50,000 from CWA COPE MISSOURI.
House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $10,000 from Evergy Metro Inc.
Teamsters Local Union No 688 Political Action Committee - $9,703 from DRIVE Committee (Washington DC).
Missouri AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education - $5,811 from Missouri State AFL-CIO.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays Aaron Baker and Ed Wildberger.