MOScout Daily Update: Wayfair on the Week's Agenda - Kidd Eyes Senate - House Conservation Tonight - Hawley Media Bits and more...

The Week Ahead

It should be a very full week in the building as the legislature tries to wrap up loose ends before next week’s Spring Break.

Look for late nights in both chambers on multiple days this week.

The House is expected to focus on Wayfair sales tax, and initiative petition reform.

On the Senate side, the three items on the calendar that could see attention are education, gas tax and Wayfair.

·         One House source, perhaps weary after their tight ESA vote, says, “It is a waste of time for the Senate to prioritize sending over an education bill to the House.  The Senate should focus their time on the House bill - even if they make changes.”

We’ll see…

House Conservation Hearing

Monday’s marquee event will be the House Conservation and Natural Resources Committee (5:30PM). Last week, Speaker Rob Vescovo doubled the size of the committee apparently to supply enough votes to pass out Rep. Chris Dinkins’ HJR 55.  See a Post-Dispatch article here.

HJR 55 would make members of the Conservation Commission elected.

·         One lobbyist, without a dog in the fight, explains that the long simmering tension between the commission and the legislature is finally coming to a boil.  “It’s never been one issue it’s been the cumulative issues... game farms, feral hogs, conservation land purchases, and in general doing things that seem entirely reasonable but aren’t supported by the people who fund programs.”

Read the testimony to the committee on the issue here.

Kidd Eyes Senate

Rep. Bill Kidd has filed paperwork (see it here) to seek Senate 11 in 2024.  That’s a ways off, and its past redistricting.  The actual shape and locations of districts won’t be known until late this year or even early next year.

But it signals his intention and Dems would be wise to be begin their preparations.

Senate 11 is currently held by Minority Leader John Rizzo.  He’s termed, so it will be an open seat in 2024.

Hawley in Spotlight

Senator Josh Hawley is getting some media attention.

·         NYTimes publishes a long profile piece.  See it here.  It includes cameos from a number of Missouri players: Dan Mehan, James Harris and Gregg Keller.  Worth the read.

·         Axios reports that Hawley is becoming a “GOP cash cow.”  See it here.  “Digital fundraising appeals sent by the National Republican Senatorial Committee under Hawley's name raised more money in February than those of any other senator except NRSC Chairman Rick Scott… Hawley's personal fundraising also has spiked, according to data provided by a source close to his campaign. From Jan. 1 through March 5, Hawley's campaign brought in more than $1.5 million from nearly 28,000 donors, the vast majority of whom had never given to him before. That's more than 12 times what Hawley raised during the first quarter of 2020…”

What Up With MedEx Funding?

Following up an article from MOIndy questioning why Medicaid expansion funding was in a separate budget bill, here’s one explanation (from a House GOPer): My guess...which is a guess...is the House won’t fund it and then the Senate will and we take the Senate’s changes that way House members can say they voted against funding it before we do…

Johnson Antes $100K

For those who keep an eye on the $5K+ Contributions, this morning there’s a cool $100K going into the Committee to Elect Dwayne Johnson.  No, The Rock is not getting involved in Missouri politics.

Rather this Dwayne Johnson is a lawyer (see his bio here) who’s running for Associate Circuit Judges in the 11th Judicial Circuit Court of St. Charles County.

According to this article four judges on that circuit have announced their retirement.

Judge Terry Cundiff, Division 6

Judge Elizabeth Swann, Division 9

Judge Norman Steimel, Division 10

Judge Philip Ohlms, Division 11

Lobbyists Registrations

Gary Wheeler added Missouri Soybean Association.

Jason Zamkus added Missouri Agribusiness Association.  

Vicki Leuther added Concerned Women for America of Missouri.

Jeffrey Aboussie added TSI Global.

Mark Kaiser added Osuka America Pharmaceutical Inc.

Jewell Patek added Progrexion ASG, Ygrene Energy Fund, Lexington Law, International Legal Finance Association, and Solid Foundations of Grundy County LLC; and deleted Curative.

Joshua Klarich deleted The Daily Hybrid LLC.

Sharon Geuea Jones deleted Independent Colleges & Universities of Missouri.

Richard McIntosh added National Steamboat Museum; and deleted Intralot Inc., Kronos Incorporated, BMC Software, River City Construction, Sage Wightman/Clark School Partners, VMware, Transformation Consultants LLC, Medical Specialties of Louisiana, The J Harris Company LLC, and Pure Storage

Richard McIntosh and Franc Flotron deleted Red Cloud Digital LLC, Solstice Advisors LLC, Missouri Association of Health Plans.

Richard McIntosh, Bill Stouffer, Fran Flotron, John Gaskin, and David McCracken deleted 81 Logistics Group, REP WR Holdings LLC, Respond AI.

Richard McIntosh, Bill Stouffer, Fran Flotron, and David McCracken deleted InVivo Reclamation BioServices Inc., and Rockwood Management Corporation.

Richard McIntosh, Bill Stouffer, Fran Flotron deleted HDI Solutions LLC.

Richard McIntosh and Bill Stouffer deleted HDI Solutions LLC

Richard McIntosh and John Gaskin deleted VRA Formulations, and ADX LLC

Richard McIntosh, John Gaskin, and David McCracken deleted Missouri Soybean Association.

Richard McIntosh and David McCracken deleted Mediware Information Systems Inc., Delta Innovative Services Inc., St. Louis Blues, and Anthem, Inc. and Its Affiliates.

Richard McIntosh, Franc Flotron and David McCracken deleted Thompson Center For Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Great Circle, Breathable Baby LLC.

$5K+ Contributions

Citizens for Wagner - $,8550 from Tamarah Wagner.

Committee to Elect Dwayne Johnson - $100,000 from Dwayne Johnson.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to David Steelman.