MOScout Daily Update: Fitz Enters Mask Mandate Fight - Long Attacks! - Dinkins Antes $30K - Tate Looks at Senate - New MMJ Subpoenas? and more...
Fitz Hops Into the Mask Rule Action
Missourinet’s Alisa Nelson has the story of State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick joining Attorney General Eric Schmitt in efforts to enforce Judge Daniel Green’s ruling prohibiting local public health mandates. See it here.
· The Missouri State Treasurer’s Office has informed some K-12 school districts that if they want to use a low-interest bond program through the state, they must agree to abide by a recent court ruling about COVID-19 protocols…
· Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick has taken a step through his office to enforce the court ruling. His office has sent letters to a few school districts seeking low-interest bonds through the state.
· Some school districts have bond issues to make upgrades at their schools. Fitzpatrick tells Missourinet through MOHEFA (Missouri Higher Education Facilities Authority), the state and school districts can enter into an agreement in which the state makes payments to bond holders on behalf of the participating school districts. A new layer in that agreement requires school superintendents to sign off on a document saying they are following the court’s order…
· So far, Fitzpatrick says his office has sent the document to Warren County R-3 School District, Lone Jack, North Platte, Affton and Hannibal 60 school district… He says Hannibal, Warren County and North Platte have all signed the documents.
Getting Passed Around: Long Attacks
This Springfield News Leader article was getting passed around. Congressman Billy Long is going on the offense in the US Senate race. It’s an indication to most observers that he needs to do something to jumpstart his campaign.
· "When Schmitt was in the (state) Senate and had a chance to do something about China ... Schmitt worked on two major initiatives that benefited China. One that made us dependent on Chinese imports and one making it easier for Chinese businesses to compete against Missouri businesses by spending $360 million in taxpayer money to build warehouses and sign deals with China."
· Long said the only reason Greitens is running now is to clear his name of that scandal. "(Greitens) problems were not a witch-hunt. They were problems he brought on himself," Long said.
· Long also blasted Hartzler for accepting what he said was over $1 million of farming subsidies after voting in favor of those same subsidies. "How do you vote for a subsidy and then take it yourself if you are one of the richest members of Congress? But that doesn't seem to dissuade her."
And
"I got to see Trump a couple times two weeks ago. The President called me yesterday. I'm in constant contact with him ... Usually I call him, but yesterday he called me, which I saw as a pretty encouraging sign," he said of his prospects for an endorsement.
Trans Student Wins $4M Suit
AP reports that a Blue Springs “school district must pay a transgender student $4 million after it refused to let him use the boys’ restrooms or locker rooms, a Jackson County jury decided…
The student had legally changed his name in 2010 and amended his birth certificate to reflect his new name and gender in 2014, according to the lawsuit. He filed the lawsuit in 2015. Although the state recognized him as a boy, the district denied the student access to the boys’ restrooms and locker rooms at Delta Woods Middle School and the Freshman Center, the lawsuit said...”
Dinkins Antes $30K
In the large contributions (below), Rep. Chris Dinkins put $30,000 into her campaign account. This is likely a precautionary move given the unknowns at play in redistricting. I’m a little surprised we haven’t seen more of it. Incumbents could very easily be drawn into new districts with incumbent or where folks were already planning on running for what they thought was an open seat, etc.
You don’t want to get caught flat footed two months into session when fundraising is harder, and a competitive primary is suddenly looming.
Tate Looks at Senate
Missouri Times reports that Rep. Nate Tate is considering jumping into the Franklin County senate seat following news that Rep. Aaron Griesheimer is no longer a candidate.
· One MOScouter reacts: You've obviously correctly pointed out this is going to be a battleground seat for conservative/regular senators---but I think what makes Tate's entrance more interesting is he is truly less "regular" and more moderate when you look at him compared to the rest of the Republican house caucus members.
· Tate is not the “regular” I heard was going to be recruited as a replacement to Griesheimer. But of course, this race is still very fluid.
Rumors of New Subpoenas
Rumors were circulating again yesterday of a new round of subpoenas from a Cole County grand jury. Folks said that these subpoenas deal with the medical marijuana industry…
MOChamber’s Capitol Insight
The Missouri Chamber of Commerce is prepping its “Capitol Insight conference” on January 4 – the day before session begins.
Among the topics of the day… “Nationally-recognized pollster Pat McFerron will reveal the findings from an unreleased Missouri Chamber poll of Missouri voters on the U.S. Senate race.”
eMailbag on The Eleven
I loved reading about “the 11”. I think the Senate women are the most inspiring thing to come out of the Missouri Capitol all year. What they did on the FRA is the stuff of legends. And they did it for the best interest of Missourians, not politics. I lot of what I read in MO Scout is disappointing and disillusioning. Tale after tale of people putting politics and party over the best interest of our state. The lack of integrity blows my mind. Don’t most of us believe in God? Don’t most us believe in a higher power of some kind that sees everything we do? Good people can disagree on policy, but a lot of what we see is far deeper than policy disagreements. It is a lack of integrity. The Senate women are a brief relief and reminder that all is not lost.
Lobbyists Registrations
Steven Tilley, Brittany Hyatt Robbins, and Christopher Schoeman added Medea.
$5K+ Contributions
Legal Missouri 2022 - $95,000 from National Holdings Inc (Overland Park KS).
Friends For Chris Dodson Dinkins - $30,000 from Chris Dinkins.
JB PAC - $8,000 from MO AC & Mechanical Contractors PAC.
Minchew for Mayor - $10,000 from Kelly Deline.
UAW Region 5 Midwest States Political Action Committee (PAC) (MO) - $6,000 from UAW Region 4 Exchange Account.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Jennifer Durham and Jon Carpenter.
MOScout Schedule
No weekend editions this weekend.