MOScout Daily Update: Kolky Gets PSC - Graves Delayed - More US Senate Talk - March Revenues - US Atty Short List? and more....

Kolky Gets PSC

Governor Mike Parson appointed former Rep. Glen Kolkmeyer to the Public Service Commission. 

This came as a surprise, to me.  There were many names mentioned as possible commissioners in the past six months (Mike Cunningham, Doug Libla, Rocky Miller, Kathy Swan, Aaron Willard), but I never once heard Kolky as a possibility.

·         One insider: “Previous party chair Kay Hoflander is super close to Glen… I’m guessing she pushed it.”

·         Another: Kolky “is a really good guy. Happy for him.”

Next Eastern MO US Attorney

St. Louis Business Journal reports on folks “being considered for the top federal prosecutor job in St. Louis under the new Biden administration, according to people familiar with the matter, who stressed that the list is preliminary and that more candidates could be vetted.”

Named in the article…

·         Rich Finneran

·         Gabe Gore

·         Kevin Gunn

·         Reggie Harris

Daily Senate Watch (and Dominoes)

·         Assuming Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler is as set to enter the race as everyone thinks, one building denizen fingers Ryan Johnson as possible candidate for her congressional seat.  Johnson “is a county commissioner in Cass County and a veteran…”

·         Rudi Keller interviewed Senate Pro Tem Dave Schatz about his considerations for joining the US Senate field.  See it here.

·         One reader thinks if Congresswoman Ann Wagner does jump in, we’ll see her opponents take some shots at her husband to paint her as a creature of “the swamp.” “She has a unique problem in that her spouse is a lobbyist.  Hard to imagine that Wagner isn’t attacked in this campaign in TV ads on those grounds.”

Trump Watch

So much attention in handicapping this race seems to depend on the “if and when” of a President Donald Trump endorsement. 

·         Here’s an interesting read from Politico about “Trumpland’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ chaos. Within Trump’s orbit, former aides and advisers have been squabbling for direct access to the former president as they filter in and out of Mar-a-Lago. Privately, they have accused others of overstating that access in order to score House and Senate clients. There have been whisper campaigns that some former staffers are misleading potential campaigns by telling them that, if hired, their candidate would have a better chance of securing Trump’s endorsement.

·         One Republican sees the hypothetical Trump endorsement headed toward a couple different candidates – but definitely not to Wagner or Eric Greitens.   He observes that endorsements are easier to stop than to make happen.  And Senator Josh Hawley – who has both the motive and capacity to kneecap Greitens – would stop any Trump endorsement of the former governor.

Graves Delayed

A bipartisan Senate filibuster prevented approval of Todd Graves’ nomination to the University of Missouri Board of Curators yesterday.

The nomination was tabled after hours of debate, but Senate Pro Tem Dave Schatz indicated he planned to bring the nomination back to the floor next week. That’s surprising because there’s no shortage of qualified folks willing to serve in that role who wouldn’t carry all the baggage Graves brings.

And

Graves promised during the nomination hearing that his firm would have no financial relationship at all with the University.  That should comfort anyone who runs an MEC expenditure search.  His law firm has billed hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past few years to various political committees.  Many were funded by non-profits, making it difficult, and sometimes impossible, to determine the source of funds.  

Vote Count

If I had to guess at the Senate vote count for Graves right now, I’d bet on a 18-14 split in favor of approval.  But I have question marks, and folks I think are persuadable that could take Graves’ supporters below 17.

Revenues Solid in March

Net general revenues fell in March due to an extraordinary rise in refunds compared to a year earlier.  But the underlying sales tax receipts and individual income tax receipts were solid, rising 7% and 16% respectively for the month.

Fiscal-year-to-date, state revenues are still running a billion dollars ahead of last year.

Ed Reform Clock Ticking

Another week passed without the Senate pushing their education reform bill across the finish line.  Six weeks left…

Lobbyists Registrations

Richard McIntosh, David McCracken, and John Gaskin added National Law Enforcement Training Center.

John Cozad added CNS Corporation; and deleted Powell Gardens.

Douglas Davis added Lon Chuck W. Jackson II.

$5K+ Contributions

Missouri Democratic State Committee - $7,900 from Stacy Schusterman.

Gateway to Progress PAC (pro-Cara Spencer) - $19,500 from Anna McKelvey.

Gateway to Progress PAC (pro-Cara Spencer) - $10,000 from Daniel Ludeman.

Missourians for Higher Education - $14,000 from Evergy Metro, Inc.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Wes Sutton, Winston Calvert, and Tony Monetti.

Saturday: Dusty Schnieders, Charles Portwood, Ron Schieber, and Eapen Thampy.

Sunday: Jessica Petrie, Theresa Garza, and Matt Villa.

MOScout Schedule

It’s Easter weekend.  The legislature is off on Monday, so I’m going to take my final long weekend of the session.  No Weekender or Sunday6, and no Monday update.  See you Tuesday…