MOScout Daily Update: Senate PQs Jurisdiction - Galloway Outraises Parson - RGA Adds $2.5M - Parson To Face COVID Questions Today and more...

Senate PQs Jurisdiction

After hours of a Democratic filibuster, the Senate’s Republican majority used the PQ to push through the controversial provision giving Attorney General Eric Schmitt some jurisdiction in St. Louis City murder cases.

I was surprised by the willingness of the GOP majority to employ the procedure. 

·         It’s contrary to the spirit that Floor Leader Caleb Rowden have been promoting during their tenure.

·         This issue hardly seems, unlike anti-abortion legislation for example, like a core issue worth the potential backlash.

Signing the PQ: Brown, Burlison, Crawford, Cunningham, Eigel, Emery, Hegeman, Hoskins, Koenig, Luetkemeyer,  O’Laughlin, Onder, Riddle, Sater, Schatz, Wallingford, White, and Wieland.

Feelings about the use of the PQ will be split.

Some feel that PQs are less egregious during special session, but others – like this eMailer – will view the maneuver as wounding to the chamber… “Senator Ron Richard built the coffin, and today's Senate put the final nail in the coffin. RIP Missouri Senate. You are now truly the ‘Upper House.’”

Meanwhile, from the House side, one source wonders whether after all this drama there’s support for measure among House leadership. “The Senate should be considering what they did to S.B. 782 before they make such a drastic move...the Speaker still has the power to protect his member and nothing to lose being termed out.”

Could this be Haahr’s revenge? 

Galloway Outraises Parson Again

Auditor Nicole Galloway’s candidate committee continues to raise money at a faster clip than Governor Mike Parson’s committee.

Today is the deadline for 30-Day After reports covering the period between July 24 and August 29.

Parson filed his report yesterday showing $533K raised.

Galloway will file hers today showing that she raised double that amount… $1.1 million.

Team Galloway crows…

·         In a sign of the campaign’s digital strength, $714,437 from more than 12,000 donors was raised online

·         56 percent of donors (6,912) were first-time contributors to the Galloway campaign

·         95 percent of donors (11,692) made a grassroots contribution (under $250)

·         Nearly 90 percent of donors (10,689) are from Missouri

·         The campaign also added more than 68,000 individuals to its email list

Of course these candidate committees are now being eclipsed by third party PAC dollars flooding the state…

RGA Ups Investment in Gov’s Race

Following the announcement that the Democratic Governors Association placed a $5 million ad buy in Missouri, the Republican Governors Association responded yesterday by adding $2.5 million to their Missouri PAC.

The Talk

·         Republican: “Galloway may be DGA’s top priority given the map and where they have viable candidates / competitive races.”  This jives with the mighty Jason Rosenbaum’s take: Unsurprising that both the DGA and RGA are spending $$$ in MO. The only other options to direct that cash are Montana and North Carolina.

·         While the RGA has sent their money to Uniting Missouri to spend in Missouri, the DGA is directing their own funds.  One observer: RGA transferred money into an entity with Missouri consultants to push the Governor’s narrative.  For the DGA, they stood up their own entity…  which one you think has been more successful in Missouri traditionally?

Parson to Talk Saliva Test

Media Advisory: On Thursday, September 3, at 12:40 p.m. Governor Mike Parson will hold a press conference at Washington University School of Medicine to discuss the new saliva-based COVID-19 test recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Governor Parson will meet with Washington University School of Medicine representatives before the press conference…

And

At the press event, Parson will likely face many questions over his handling of the coronavirus crisis.  In particular two recent revelations…

·         Reports (see PD article here) that the Parson administration has spent nearly a million dollar on a consultant.  As one reader writes: To do what? Not like they were paying half a million to epidemiologists or experts in disease outbreak...

·         And the recent report that the Trump administration recommended statewide mask order – a fact that Parson administration buried.

Lingering Recession?

In contrast to the relatively rosy scenario that St. Louis Fed President James Bullard has outlined, many economists are forecasting a turbulent future for the economy.  Axios reports on the possibility of a “recession within a recession.”  See it here.

Economists are warning that the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic is now creating another recession: mass job losses, business failures and declines in spending even in industries not directly impacted by the virus.

What It Means

This is a huge unknown for the next governor.  The economy impacts almost every other policy area.  A bad economy just makes every area harder to deal with.

Shikles Leaves Gov’s Office

On Twitter John Shikles, policy counsel and director of census operations for the governor, announced: I am very proud to announce that I will be returning to litigation and trial practice with Carson & Coil, in Jeff City and Columbia, starting next week. Tomorrow will be my last day in the Governor’s Office. I’m looking forward to doing what I do best again! #moleg #MOGov

New Committees

Berry Victory PAC was formed.  It’s to support Paul Berry.  Its treasurer is Derrick Good.

Sonya Anderson formed a candidate committee (Sonya Murray Anderson for Missouri) to run for statewide office in 2024.

STL Democratic Coalition was formed.  It’s a PAC.  Its treasurer is Tammy O'Donnell.

Shared Roots PAC was formed.  Its treasurer is Dana Sandweiss.

$5K+ Contributions

Republican Governors Association - Missouri 2020 - $2,500,000 from Republican Governors Association.

A Stronger Missouri - $525,000 from Democratic Governors Association – Missouri.

Uniting Missouri PAC - $20,000 from Andrew Taylor.

Uniting Missouri PAC - $20,000 from Barbara Taylor.

Safer Families for Missouri - $15,000 from Strong Garner Bauer.

Clay County Democratic Central Committee - $25,000 from U.A.W. Regtion 5 Midwest States C.A.P. Council.

HealthPAC - $7,300 from Committee for Quality Healthcare.

Scism For Senate - $14,000 from William K Scism.

CWA-COPE Political Contributions Federal Committee - $50,000 from Communications Workers of America- COPE PCC.

Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors Missouri RPAC - $8,654 from Missouri Realtors PAC, Inc.

Lobbyists Registrations

David Sweeney and Sonette Magnus added Outworx Group.

Jay Hahn and Stephen Nittler added Naha Health LLC.

Alexander Curchin deleted Home State Health Plan.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Warren Wood.

MOScout Schedule

I’m taking a long weekend.  No Weekend editions, and taking Monday (Labor Day) off.