MOScout Daily Update: GOP Fraying? - House Passport Ban Covers Businesses - Brown's 1st Quarter - Greitens to the Rescue - Hawley's Haul and more....

In my mind this morning, the Nietzschean aphorism: Under peaceful conditions, a warlike mind sets upon itself.   (Can we get a shout-out for the philosophy majors in the building?)  Could it be that the Republicans, having beaten Missouri Democrats into submission, now are fighting their ideological battle more and more within their own party?

GOP Fraying?

The Senate’s Monday night session started with optimism and ended in acrimony.

The Senate zipped through a few bills and then Pro Tem Dave Schatz’ mechanical licensing bill came up.  He joked that if he and chief critic, Sen. Doug Beck, could come to a compromise, they could “knock it out and all go down to Paddys.”

That didn’t happen. Rather debate continued for hours.  Finally, a quorum call by Sen. Steven Roberts demonstrated that the Senate had generally lost interest in the topic as Republicans struggled to muster 18 senators to the chamber.

The Senate then proceeded to Sen. Dan Hegeman’s FRA bill.  This is one of several thorny issues the Senate faces in its final weeks.  Sen. Paul Wieland expressed his continued dismay with leadership, taking issue specifically that Hegeman didn’t meet with him to discuss this.  Sen. Bob Onder joined the party, with some fist-shaking rhetoric, even getting gaveled for saying “damn” on the Senate floor.

The bill was laid over again, with Senate congeniality seemingly shredded.

Hegeman and Wieland will “pow wow” this morning, hopefully defusing the situation, but one Senate insider warns that the Senate GOP caucus could be on the brink of a “war.”

In the wake of last night’s shenanigans in the Missouri Senate, one thing seems to be certain — the Conservative Caucus might have awakened a sleeping giant in the Majority Floor Leader Caleb Rowden. Rowden has received some criticism from “normal” caucus members for working too hard to appease conservative members who were never truly a part of the team…. In the war between the conservatives and the “regular” GOP members, Rowden seemed to be the last guy willing to stand between Eigel and crew and total and complete war. After last night, it seems increasingly likely Rowden may not only be on the other side, but may be the one lobbing the bombs.

• Rowden was described as being furious with how the evening unfolded and “supremely disappointed” with the tactics used by some GOP members.

What It Means

One lobbyist, who long ago was a staffer, texted me: This is the most dysfunctional I’ve seen the GOP in my career.

I’m not sure about that; it could just have been a bad night. However, there’s definitely a case to be made that the GOP is facing several ruptures. In addition to the possible looming Senate civil war…

·         Governor Mike Parson and Speaker Rob Vescovo early session shouting match over where the SOTS should be, resulting in the governor’s infamous letter.

·         Greitens loyalists among Party rank-and-file propelling him to top of US Senate polls, despite establishment disdain.

·         Republican mega-donors from a decade ago largely sidelined (Humphreys stepping back, Sinquefield reorienting, Herzog deceased.).

US Senate Watch

Right-wing news service NewsMax reports that Eric Greitens “sprang into action to help save the life of a man who collapsed near the Navy SEAL at Mar-a-Lago’s beach club on Saturday afternoon.”  The account reads almost like a press release with repetitious references to his being a SEAL.

·         "After you have all of that training, it does all come right back to you," he said, recounting his instinctual response to the beach club emergency. "As soon as he was down, I was moving in that direction. I started doing an assessment of what was happening in terms of his breathing and his airway."

·         "It was humbling to witness what appeared to be the life-saving actions of Eric Greitens," said a witness who was having lunch at a nearby table. "His Navy SEAL training was obvious; he responded immediately – without hesitation – to defuse the health crisis."

House “Passport” Bill Covers Private Businesses

The House adopted a ban on so-called “vaccine passports” yesterday.  An amendment from Rep. Adam Schnelting added it to Rep. Jeff Knight’s HB 589.  Whereas the Senate ban on “passports” only prohibited governments from instituting them, the House version covers private businesses as well.

I would imagine some conservative Republicans (as well as Democrats) in the Senate will have a problem with something this broad.

Missouri business entities are prohibited from requiring patrons or customers to provide any documentation certifying COVID-19 vaccination or post-transmission recovery to gain access to, entry upon, or service from the business entity.

We’ll see…

Brown’s First Quarter

Tipster says that “Ben Brown will report over $25,000 raised this quarter in his campaign for State Senate.  Having announced his candidacy just last month, that's a great quarter for a first time candidate with less than 30 days to raise…

·         Some of the names conservatives will recognize among his list of supporters are Eureka Mayor Sean Flower, Senator Cindy O'Laughlin, Gary Grewe, and Mark McCloskey.

·         Tomorrow, the Missouri Restaurant Association will be hosting a fundraiser for Brown on behalf of their members.  The host committee includes: Dan Bippen, Mike Hyde, John Wright, Kirk Syberg, Neil Struharik, Bart Saracino, and Stephen Savage. 

·         In the invite for the event MRA said to their statewide membership "Benjamin Brown stood up for the industry.  It’s our turn to stand up for him!"

Brown running to replace termed Senate Pro Tem Dave Schatz.  He owns Satchmo's Bar and Grill and was an outspoken critic of County Executive Sam Page’s COVID restrictions.

Hawley’s Gangbusters Fundraising.

Politico reports on Senator Josh Hawley’s strong fundraising.  See it here.

·         Sen. Josh Hawley raised more than $3 million during the first three months of the year, underscoring how the Missouri Republican converted his high-profile opposition to the certification of the 2020 election into big fundraising support.

·         The freshman senator drew widespread attention for leading the Jan. 6 effort to block the acceptance of the Electoral College results, a controversial stand that liberals and some Republicans claim undermined faith in the political system. But he won plaudits from loyalists of former President Donald Trump, who opened their wallets.

·         Hawley received more than 57,000 donations during the first quarter, according to a person familiar with the totals. He managed to raise nearly $600,000 during the 2 1/2 weeks following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, despite temporarily halting his fundraising outreach.

·         It represents a massive increase for Hawley. By comparison, he raised just $43,000 during the first quarter of the last election cycle, immediately after taking office.

Appts

Speaker Rob Vescovo appointed Rep. Rusty Black to the Career Technical Education Advisory Committee.

Committees

Bootheel Plus Democratic Rally Committee was formed.  It’s a PAC.  Its treasurer is Jerry T Howard.

Lobbyists Registrations

Jim Gwinner added Appriss Inc.     

Irl Scissors added Recovery Lighthouse, Inc.

Mike Gibbons and Tricia Workman deleted SLCC, LLC

$5K+ Contributions

A Better Missouri Political Action Committee - $7,000 from Anheuser-Busch Cos. One

MO State Teachers Assoc Legislative Impact Co - $7,500 from Central Region Teachers Association Inc.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Rep. Craig Fishel, Clem Smith, and Mark Reardon.