MOScout Daily Update: More on House and Senate Assignments - No Urban Issues Committee - Dem Anger on Price Debate and more...

Senate Committee Chairs

The Senate announced its committee chairs – in line with what I wrote yesterday.  See all the committee assignment here.

Because no freshmen were assigned chairmanships, it’s interesting to see on which committees they landed vice-chairmanships.

·         Jason Bean – Agriculture. And Transportation.

·         Rick Brattin – Education.

·         Elaine Gannon - Seniors, Families, Veterans and Military Affairs.

·         Mike Moon - Small Business and Industry.

·         Holly Rehder – General Laws.

·         Karla Eslinger – didn’t get a vice chairmanship.  But she did get something no other Republican freshman got: a seat on Appropriations.

Meanwhile

Sen. Jill Schupp will chair the Progress and Development Committee, the committee reserved for Democrats to run.  Sen. Brian Williams is vice-chair.

And

Sen. Barbara Washington was the only Democratic freshman to score a seat on Approps.

Senate Education Committee

Sen. Elaine Gannon was assigned to the Senate’s Education Committee.  She’ll likely oppose much of Chair Cindy O’Laughlin’s reform agenda.  If Gannon votes with Dems in that committee, O’Laughlin will still have a 5-4 majority.  So, O’Laughlin will have to triple-check that all her folks are present when exec-ing the tough stuff.

More on New House Chairs

One MOScouter notes that Rep. Dirk Deaton “gets the nod for Vice Chair of Budget and the all-important Subcommittee on Health, MH & SS.”

Other Sub-Committee Chairs

·         Rep. Rusty Black – Subcommittee on Appropriations – Education.

·         Rep. Scott Cupps – Subcommittee on Appropriations - Agriculture, Conservation, Natural Resources, and Economic Development.

·         Rep. Brad Hudson – Subcommittee on Appropriations - General Administration.

·         Rep. Sara Walsh – Subcommittee on Appropriations - Public Safety, Corrections, Transportation and Revenue.

House Freshmen Vice-Chairs

A couple Republican freshmen received a big vote of confidence from the speaker and were named vice-chairs…

·         Rep. Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway – Standing Committee on Health and Mental Health Policy.

·         Rep. Kurtis Gregory – Standing Committee on Workforce Development.

·         Rep. Alex Riley – Standing Committee on General Laws.

·         Rep. Travis Smith – Special Committee on Tourism.

Finally

I heard from a few folk surprised that Rep. Jon Patterson wasn’t among the sophomore chairing a committee.  He did chair Special Committee on Disease Control and Prevention last year.  That was a mid-session creation as the coronavirus became a worry.

Patterson may still end up with a chairmanship; it’s undetermined.  I’m told there’s caution in the speaker’s office because Patterson is believed to be running for floor leader.  They don’t want to be seen helping one person over another.  Rep. Mike Haffner is also mentioned running for that position.

Black Caucus on No Urban Issues Committee

Press release: Missouri Legislative Black Caucus (MLBC) Chair Ashley Bland Manlove, D-Kansas City, released the following statement Wednesday.  “The Missouri Legislative Black Caucus is disappointed with Speaker Vescovo’s decision to discontinue the Urban Issues Committee from last session. For years, the Missouri House has recognized the distinct problems affecting our state’s urban areas, specifically our urban centers of Kansas City and St. Louis. As those urban centers are predominantly occupied by Black citizens and represented by Black legislators, this committee has also served an important purpose to ensure policy concerns unique and specific to the Black community could be heard and debated.

“Speaker Vescovo created the Rural Development Committee, which will likely offer the same consideration to rural districts and areas as the Urban Issues Committee has for urban areas in the past. We acknowledge the importance of such a committee and welcome it to the House, but the MLBC is stunned that a longer standing committee that also focuses on the important regional needs of a specific ecosystem in our state was not included in this session’s committee list.

“In cutting this committee, Speaker Vescovo also effectively cuts the number of Black chairs in the House in half for the next two years, as only Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin, will now lead a committee. Every member of the MLBC represents an urban area, and for too long in the past our voices have been neglected, ignored, and silenced. Our caucus refuses to be silenced on the issues that matter to us, and we formally request the Urban Issues Committee be re-instated.”

Price Censure Debate

Yesterday the House was dominated by debate on Rep. Wiley Price’s ethics complaint.  Even a few senators were in the gallery watching.

House Republicans caucused about the complaint before session, apparently deciding to put forth an expulsion penalty.   That motion, while garnering a majority of House members, did not muster the two-thirds necessary.  At which time the House voted for the previously outlined punishment of censure and a fine.

Elad Gross, a die-hard Democrat, expressed on Twitter what I heard from a lot of Dems, total bafflement. “Today, the Missouri House debated whether to expel a Democrat from office for perjury and obstructing an investigation into an inappropriate relationship with an intern and making serious threats against his legislative assistant.  Democrats wrongfully protected their own.”

Sample of Texts I Received From Democrats

·         I don't say this lightly but what the f does a censure do – they should have removed Price... If it was just the sex with intern maybe not. But [to] lie about it and intimidate witnesses. I am pretty comfortable in saying that almost all – not all – of the assistants agree with me. And most pretty strongly.

·         Disappointed in a lot of Dems today. He should have been expelled for lying to the Committee let alone sexual harassment. We’ve lost the high ground on Roeber and people will just roll their eyes when [they] lecture everyone about women’s voices being heard. It’s not a good vote morally or in the end...politically

·         For what we it’s worth- watching the house debate today was the most embarrassed I’ve ever been to be a Missouri Democrat. It was morally bankrupt, mind-bendingly hypocritical and political malpractice.

·         I cannot believe the House Dems have the gall to call for anyone’s resignation, let alone a non-binding partisan stunt after what went down today.

And

Speaker Rob Vescovo sent this Minority Leader Crystal Quade…

This letter is to inform you that, in accordance with the rules and policies of the House and the censure motion approved by the body today, Rep. Wiley Price will be relocated from his current office in the 105 office complex to a temporary space in House Hearing Room 2. 

He will remain in this space until such time as your caucus assigns him an appropriate office location that provides a safe working environment for all House employees.  As Speaker I take my duty of protecting House employees seriously.

Moving on Speaker’s Priority

Today, the House Rules – Legislative Oversight will hear the adoption support bills passed out of Families and Children Committee earlier this week.

Saw This One Coming…

Post-Dispatch reports on a state representative testing positive for COVID already with others in quarantine.  See it here.  I have on good sourcing at least one more state rep is positive and quarantining as well.

This could be a normal occurrence this session, and it appears the legislature is adopting a “show must go on” attitude for now.

But Didn’t See This One Coming…

Prostitution becomes an issue St. Louis City mayoral campaign.  Post-Dispatch reports that “City Treasurer Tishaura Jones’ advocacy of decriminalizing prostitution has spurred disagreement from two of her March 2 mayoral primary foes, Aldermanic President Lewis Reed and utility executive Andrew Jones.

Jones, in a lengthy platform released on her campaign website last week, said she wants to ‘destigmatize and decriminalize sex work.’ Her campaign political director, Matt Rauschenbach, said decriminalization refers to prostitution. He said that means the accused aren’t arrested, charged or fined but are connected with resources for employment, housing and drug addiction treatment.

Reed and Andrew Jones both oppose decriminalizing prostitution…”

New Committees

Kyle Haubrich formed a candidate committee (Haubrich for Missouri) to run for House 113 as a Republican in 2022.  That’s Rep. Dan Shaul’s current district; he’s termed.  Of course, lines will change due to redistricting.  Victory’s Brett Dinkins is listed as his campaign manager on the MEC paperwork.

Lobbyists Registrations

Jay Hahn added VRBO.

Kathryn Harness added Promotional Services Inc; and deleted Missouri Amusement Machine Operators Association.

Caroline Hoover added Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. and Its Affiliates, Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association, and Francis EV Charging; and deleted Rave Wireless Inc. DBA Rave Mobile Safety, RevaPay, Sentinel Robotic Solutions, MCTA – The Missouri Internet & Television Association, and Missouri Association of Municipal Utilities.

Gamble & Schlemeier deleted Missouri Cable Telecommunications Association.

$5K+ Contributions

Midwest Region Laborers' Political League Education Fund - $7,615 from Laborers Supplemental Dues Fund.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Sen. Mike Cierpoit and Margaret Donnelly.