MOScout Weekender: No ESAs for Smalltown MO - Poll on Charter Expansion - Hallway on Termed Sens - WWTW and more...
No ESAs for Smalltown, MO
Linda Rallo’s Aligned capitol report looks at who would be impacted by Educational Scholarship Accounts passed by the House this week.
In order to gain enough support for passage, the bill sponsor added a rural carve out and made the provisions only apply to counties with a charter form of government OR any city with a population of at least 30,000.
Under the provisions currently in HB 349, families in the following counties and cities would be eligible to reach scholarship funds:
Clay County
Jackson County
Jefferson County
St. Charles County
St. Louis County
Springfield
Columbia
St. Joseph
St. Louis City
Joplin
Jefferson City
Cape Girardeau
[Kansas City]
Those combined counties and cities represent about 55% of the total Missouri population.
Remington/MOScout Poll: Current Issues
Survey conducted February 24 through February 25, 2021. 1,051 likely 2022 General Election voters participated in the survey. Survey weighted to match expected turnout demographics for the 2022 General Election. Margin of Error is +/-3% with a 95% level of confidence. Totals do not always equal 100% due to rounding. Survey conducted by Remington Research Group on behalf of Missouri Scout. See full results here.
Q1: Last year, some Missourians were mistakenly sent more unemployment benefits than they deserved. The state legislature is trying to decide if they should be required to pay back the money. Do you think they should be required to pay back the money?
Yes: 34%
No: 47%
Not sure: 19%
Q2: Right now, charter schools may only operate in St. Louis and Kansas City. The state legislature is considering allowing charters to any county with a population greater than 30,000. Do you think charter schools should be allowed to expand?
Yes: 50%
No: 28%
Not sure: 22%
Q3: In your opinion how would you rate the job that state government has done in distributing COVID vaccines across the state?
Excellent: 11%
Good: 25%
Average: 32%
Poor: 32%
Q4: The state legislature is considering allowing betting on sporting events. It would impose a gambling tax of 9% to be deposited in the Gaming Proceeds for Education Fund. Would you support this?
Yes: 35%
No: 48%
Not sure: 17%
MOScout’s Hallway Index: Special Session
I asked who the lobbying corps to whom they’d want to give a term-limit exemption, of the senators termed in 2022. 23 replies…
RESULTS
1. Dan Hegeman… 34.8%
2. Bob Onder… 4.3%
3. Jeanie Riddle… 8.7%
4. Dave Schatz… 13%
5. Jill Schupp… 26.1%
6. Paul Wieland… 13%
Sample of Comments
· No question it’s Schupp. The Senate is best when the minority understands their role and wields their power well.
· Don’t agree with him on all policies but Dan does things for the right reason
· Onder's politics becoming slightly more pragmatic than ideological.
· Schatz works well with others and is able to keep the cats moving (generally) in the right direction. The one caveat is that I don’t think he’d take another term if it was available!
· Hegeman is a statesman and very knowledgeable, would love to see him serve longer
· While we've been on opposite sides of some things, there is no nicer guy in the building [than Hegeman] - and he's extremely accessible for an Approps chair.
· [Wieland] truly has an ability to navigate difficult issues.
Who Won the Week?
Rob Vescovo – Put his speakership on the line, using his political capital to muster 82 votes for ESAs, and came away with the win.
Louis Riggs – Can’t hurt to be the guy who came through for the speaker when he needed it.
Mary Fox – The head of the state Public Defender Division gives the House Budget Committee the straight honest truth about funding. Backed by court rulings, they might actually get more money from the General Assembly this year.
Teachers, grocery workers, and others – Governor Mike Parson announced that the “Tier 3” vaccination eligibility would begin March 15, letting a whole host of workers get in line for their shots.
Find a downloadable version here.
$5K+ Contributions
American Property Casualty Insurance Association Political Account - $90,728 from American Property Casualty Insurance Association.
Missourians for Research and Innovation - $21,000 from James McDonnell III.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $10,000 from Dealers Interested in Government.
St. Charles County Democratic Central Committee - $10,000 from U.A.W. Region 5 Midwest States C.A.P. Council.
Committee to Elect Robert "Bob" Lee - $7,000 from St. Louis County Black Fire Fighters Association.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Hannah Beers, Doug Crews, and Robert Wayne Cooper.
Sunday: Rep. Steve Butz.