MOScout Daily Update: ESA in Senate Ed - COVID Liability in Sen Judiciary - Guns in Sen Gen Laws - COVID Reminder and more...

Let’s Look Out For Each Other

With last week’s COVID outbreak in the House, I wanted to start this week with a quick recitation of things we all know are true.

·         We all want to be safe and healthy – and more importantly, we want to keep our families safe and healthy.

·         Wearing a face mask is primarily about protecting those around you.  It offers the wearer some protection, but much more protection for others.

·         Masks are not panaceas.  They help.  But transmission can still happen.  That’s why we try to social distance as well, and also try to avoid crowded indoors spaces.  We do it all because we’re trying to protect those who are vulnerable.  We’re trying to keep our families safe.

·         Even if you do it all this, you may still get COVID.  There’s no shame in that.  LET PEOPLE KNOW.  Then they can assess their risk, and decide if they should get tested. If you don’t let people know, you’re putting their families at greater risk.

·         Remember: although you may feel healthy, you may be carrying COVID.  Asymptomatic people are contagious.

·         We’re in this together.  Let’s look out for each other.

Senate Hearing This Weeks

While the House pauses, the Senate will plow ahead with important hearings…

Education – Today 1:30PM

Chair Cindy O’Laughlin’s first hearing brings the heat right off the bat… educational scholarship tax credits.  Liberals deride these as stealth vouchers.  One lobbyist says that Republican Sen. Elaine Gannon will likely be a Yes vote for O’Laughlin when charter school legislation comes before the committee.  But on today’s ESA items (SB 23 and SB 25), look for her to join with the Dems in opposition.

·         Ahead of this hearing a poll was making the rounds yesterday.  See it here.  Q12. On average, Missouri taxpayers spend more than $11,000 per student on K-12 education each year. Would you support or oppose giving families a portion of those funds to use for home, virtual, or private education?  A majority (51%) of Missourians said yes.

Also, on the agenda: O’Laughlin’s SB 55 would require districts to allow homeschool children participation in all their activities.

Judiciary – Today 1:30PM

Chair Tony Luetkemeyer’s first hearing will pick up where special session left off… with COVID liability legislation.  Luetky’s SB 51 and Sen. Bill White’s SB 42 will be heard.

Also, up will be SB 52 which would create new limits to discovery and depositions.

General Laws – Today 2PM

The first bill in Chair Bill Eigel’s committee is a gun bill from Sen. Eric Burlison.  If you thought Missouri had already passed every gun freedom provision they could, you may be right.  This bill, SB 39, would keep Missouri’s guns free if the federal government engaged in some 2A overreach.

And Coming Tomorrow…

·         In Appropriations, Sen. Dan Hegeman will put forth SB 1.  This is the annual FRA reimbursement.  It’s the money we draw down from the feds using a special hospitals tax.  It’s critical to keeping our Medicaid program solvent.  Hegeman’s bill would renew the tax for two years.  However, some senators see this as their yearly chance to poke the hospitals with some pointed questions, so they might prefer just the annual renewal in the end.  We’ll see.

·         Also tomorrow, Sen. Bob Onder’s Health Committee will hear a slew of bills aimed at reining in the ability of localities to implement “lockdowns” or restrict commerce and behavior.  This is the backlash that’s been brewing during COVID.  In addition to Onder’s own bill on the topic, five other Republican senators (Sens. Brattin, Cierpiot, Hoskins, Koenig, and O’Laughlin) have different versions they’ve filed.  We’ll see if Onder combines some number of these together or how they settle on the best vehicle.

Dem Senate Candidate?

On the internets, Dems have a candidate to run against Senator Roy Blunt in 2022.  Lucas Kunce.  All I know about him is from the world wide web.  See his website here.

·         So far, former Sen. Scott Sifton is the only traditional (experience etc) Dem I’ve heard mentioned for this race.

Panel Announced

The panel of nominees to fill the vacancy on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern

District was announced.  The nominees are Thomas C. Clark II, Darrell E. Missey, and Eric S. Peterson.

Gubby Appt

Governor Mike Parson appointed the Honorable W. Ann Hansbrough as Circuit Judge for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. She fills the Circuit Judge vacancy created by the term expiration of the Honorable James W. Van Amburg.

Help Wanted

UMSL Seeks Director of Charter Schools Partnership.  “The University of Missouri St. Louis is the university sponsor for seven charter schools in St. Louis. The Executive Director creates and directs all systems related to the compliance, support, and evaluation of those schools and the operation of those schools… Minimum Salary $62,000/annual…”

Lobbyists Registrations

David Barklage added US Term Limits, and The Opportunity Trust.

Scott Dieckhaus added US Term Limits, and Arnold & Associates.

Philip Scaglia added Heartland Policy Advisors LLC.

Caroline Hoover added Friends of the Zoo Inc, of Kansas City Missouri.

Gamble & Schlemeier added Southern Jackson County Fire Protection District; and deleted Prairie Township Fire Protection District

Scott “Wes” Swain added American Clean Power Association; and deleted Tiger Fiber, American Wind Energy Association, Strategic Capitol Consulting LLC, and Gamma HealthCare.

Jewell Patek deleted Northern Roots, SHI International Corporation, and NIC Inc.

$5K+ Contributions

Friends Of Alan Green - $11,045 from Friends Of Alan Green.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Michael Butler, Scott Faughn, and Michele Kratky.