MOScout Daily Update: Graham Testifies on Intern Bill - Onder Makes Pro-Life Case Against MedEx - Sifton Raises $300K - Sheena to Speak? and more...

Graham Testifies On Fitz’ Intern Bill

The House Administration and Accounts Committee held a hearing on HB 1183 yesterday.  The bill, sponsored by Rep. Travis Fitzwater, would allow lawmakers to be considered employers of unpaid interns, and therefore held liable for sexual harassment.

Katie Graham testified on the bill.  She was a capitol intern in 2015.  Speaker John Diehl’s interactions with her ultimately resulted in his resignation.  See her testimony here.

I got the privilege to serve here as an intern in 2015… I experienced such harassment while I was here...  Quite frankly we’re about six seven years too late.  But I feel like this bill is the logical next step to add unpaid interns under the same protections as paid employees…

US Senate Watch

We’ll see if this comes to pass… but rumors are that Eric Greitens’ ex-wife, Sheena Greitens, will be doing an interview next week to “tell the truth” about him.

One lobbyist mentioned to me a couple weeks ago that this is a potential inflection point in the public’s perception of Greitens.  “I think the #1 factor will be if/when Sheena engages…”

We’ll see…

Onder Highlights Pro-Life Fight

Sen. Bob Onder is running Facebook ads of his fiery speech at the end of the Senate’s long night Monday.  He was talking about efforts to strip Sen. Paul Wieland’s amendment from the FRA tax renewal.  See it here.

This is a dirty trick… I think it’s a betrayal of the pro-life movement. I think it’s a sign that we in the state of Missouri are afraid to confront the tyrants that now control the executive branch in Washington DC and those who probably plan on getting rid of the Hyde Amendment, probably plan on forcing taxpayers to fund abortions very shortly.

That is why we shouldn’t expand Medicaid by the way…  Medicaid expansion expands Medicaid to able bodied working age adults and when you combine that getting rid of the Hyde Amendment it means Missouri taxpayers will be forced to fund abortion.  We will be forced to fund abortion on demand if this body expands Medicaid. So I hope all the hospital lobbyists are happy about the cheap little trick we pulled this evening…

Meanwhile

Greater St. Louis Inc, the St. Louis business umbrella group, called on the legislature to implement Medicaid expansion.  See it here.

Dear Missouri Legislators,

Greater St. Louis, Inc. and the undersigned respectfully urge you and your colleagues to fully implement Medicaid expansion in Missouri in Fiscal Year 2022. As business leaders, we believe that Medicaid expansion is one of the best economic investments Missouri can make this year…

Brown Announcement

Ben Brown, a Republican running to replace Sen. Dave Schatz in Franklin County, unveiled an announcement video.  See it here.

He’s running on a platform of fighting back against government overreach, citing the experience of his own restaurant.

Sifton Announces $300K

Former Sen. Scott Sifton announced on Twitter that he’d raised $300K for this US Senate bid.  That’s about the same amount that his rival, Democratic upstart Lucas Kunce, raised in the quarter.

This might be a dog fight.

Husch Helps STL County Council

St. Louis Business Journal reports that “St. Louis County has been billed nearly $128,000 for legal work tied to a leadership fight, newly released records show. Husch Blackwell billed the government for work done Feb. 10 to March 2, according to records released by Tom Sullivan, a government watchdog. The Clayton law firm represented a County Council majority of four members who had been sued by two other members — and a top official in St. Louis County Executive Sam Page's administration — in a fight over who would lead the body as chair this year…”

FYI

Husch is headed by former speaker Catherine Hanaway.

Notes from the Diamond

For those trolling a Rob Vescovo – Dean Plocher rift, take note: The floor leader’s softball team beat the speaker’s team last night in the charity softball tournament, 5-4.

·         And Pro Tem Dave Schatz’ team brought home the trophy.

Congratulations

To Missouri AFL-CIO’s Greta Bax on passing the bar.

Appts

Speaker Rob Vescovo removed Rep. Michael O’Donnell from the Health and Mental Health Policy Committee.

New Committees

Brian Adler formed a candidate committee (Committee to Elect Brian Adler) to run for House 77 as a Democrat.  The incumbent, Kimberly-Ann Collins, is in her first term.

Lobbyists Registrations

Matthew Dennis Alsager added KPMG LLP, and The Polaris Strategies Group, LC.

Garrett Webb added Veterans Community Project.

$5K+ Contributions

Missouri AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education - $6,488 from Missouri AFL-CIO.

Electrical Workers Voluntary Political Education & Legislative Funds Missouri - $28,047 from IBEW Local One.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Leonard Hughes, Ira Anders, Scott Muschany, and David Wood.