MOScout Daily Update: Schmitt Officially Enters - Tea Leaves in Tweets - FRA Stalls - O'Laughlin Seeks Consensus and more...

Schmitt Enters Senate Race

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt officially entered the US Senate race this morning.  See Schmitt’s website here.

Highlights from the announcement…

Schmitt keeps seat safe, does a Greitens nomination?

·         “We also need a leader who can hold this Senate seat in firm Republican hands without giving Democrats any chance to take this seat back.  Republicans won the last two U.S. Senate seats in Missouri by approximately 3 percent and 6 percent.”

Schmitt touts his federal lawsuits

·         “I fought alongside President Trump in defending election integrity… As Attorney General, I’ve already sued the Biden administration and I’m going to keep suing Joe Biden to protect all Missourians when necessary…”

And he mentions his family, something Greitens doesn’t do.

·         He and his wife, Jaime, are the proud parents of Stephen, Sophia and Olivia.

What It Means

This was already baked into the cake.  The undecided candidates will influence the contours of this race. 

·         One reader: “[Ann] Wagner would take significantly more votes from Schmitt relative to Greitens because of the STL connection [whereas Jason] Smith and [Vicky] Hartzler are out state.”

·         Another reader: “Am I alone in my thinking that John Brunner is the candidate who can actually do the most to keep Greitens out/beat Greitens? Brunner would be the lone candidate who can still claim to be the only non-politician. He’d grab a good deal of former Greitens voters who were let down by Greitens personal failures.”

Tea Leaves in Tweets

A new pastime for journos and politicos: finding tea leaves in tweets to decipher if someone ‘s going to join the US Senate race…

·         Ann Wagner – Throws a tweet-slug at Republican punching bag Obamacare.  See it here.

·         John Brunner – makes a trip to DC.  Asks if Rand Paul “needs another freedom fighter.”  See it here.

·         Tim Garrison – the former US Attorney is headlining a Lincoln Days in Pulaski County.  See it here.

Driving the Day: House Hearing on DSS

The Special Committee on Government Oversight will hold a hearing (Noon) on “the operations, funding, and claim handling of the Department of Social Services.”

Acting Director Jennifer Tidball will present, and face questions.  As I wrote yesterday, some of the House’s concerns about the department have led to specific cuts in this year’s budget proposal.

FRA Renewal Stalls

The Senate began debate on SB 1, the renewal of the FRA tax.  It’s a tax on Missouri hospitals which draws down matching federal funds and helps keeps the state’s Medicaid program solvent.

Sen. Paul Wieland attached an amendment which added to prohibited family planning services “Any drug or device approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration that may cause the destruction of, or prevent the implantation of, an unborn child, as defined in section 188.015.”

This would seem to be targeting the “Plan B” pills.

Approps Chair Dan Hegeman and Vice-Chair Lincoln Hough voted with Democrats against the amendment, apparently believing it was a bill-killer.

After the amendment passed, the bill was immediately placed on the informal calendar.

O’Laughlin Seeks Consensus

One lobbyist notes that Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin is “honestly is trying to build consensus and is coming into her own in her role as chair” of the Education Committee.

Yesterday two bills passed out of committee with 9-0 votes and O’Laughlin afterwards thanked some of the education establishment for voting for her bill.

Although there are clear policy disagreements, O’Laughlin has earned respect through hard work and non-stoop traveling and visits to schools across the state.

And maybe it helps that she has a counterpoint in Sen. Andrew Koenig who sometimes can’t help himself from berating witnesses?

Trans in MN

Worth reading as the legislature considers legislation in this area…  AP reports that a Minnesota school district is settling a lawsuit with a transgender student for $300,000.  See it here.   The Anoka-Hennepin School District also agreed to make several policy changes, including a rule that allows every student to use all facilities consistent with their gender identity, along with a complaint procedure and prohibition on reprisals. Training on the policies will be provided for school board members, staff and students. The student swam for Coon Rapids High School in 2015-16 and had used the boys’ locker room for much of that season, his attorneys said. That February, the school board stepped in and told the student he would be disciplined if he continued to use the locker room.  The move led to bullying and threats against the student and his family, the lawsuit said…

eMailbag on Kehoe Announcement

There’s a lot of political risk being undertaken by officially announcing for Governor several years early, and only two and a half months after being sworn into office. Seems like a Hail Mary.

Lobbyists Registrations

Jerry Hobbs added yes. every kid., Inc.

Ryan Rowden added Symmetry Energy Solutions, LLC.

Tony Dugger added Delta Dental of Missouri.

$5K+ Contributions

McCulloch for Judge - $25,000 from Trisha McCulloch.

MILA PAC - $5,400 from Security Finance of Missouri, LLC.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Mike Gibbons, Chris Liese, Kelly Schultz, Matt Bain, and Tony Wyche.