MOScout Daily Update: Senate TAFPs 3 Bills - Budget Heads to Conference - Wagner for Leadership Post? - Gas Tax Doesn't Hurt Pols and more...
Tale of Two Chambers
The House adjourned relatively early after third reading some House bills, while the Senate worked pass midnight slogging through stalls and snags.
The Senate spent a lot of time on House Bill 1083 (et al). This is the fix for folks who were overpaid unemployment benefits by the government during the pandemic. The Senate substitute added a provision to cut the number of weeks of benefits available to Missourians. That sparked resistance which held up the bill. It was laid over without resolution.
Still the Senate managed to Truly Agree and Finally Pass three bills before the night was over.
Sen. Elaine Gannon’s SB 71, dealing with protective orders.
Sen. Lincoln Hough’s SB 176 which covers delivery robots.
Sen. Justin Brown’s SB 49, dealing with watercraft registration.
And
The budget conference committees are expected to start tomorrow after adjournment when the Senate names their conferees.
ESAs in Other States
Still no movement on the education reform front. One MOScouter notes that “post-COVID, there are 3 states that have added Education Savings Accounts to options for families in 2021: Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia…
Kentucky: Education Opportunity Accounts Program
• Nation’s first tax-credit ESA
• Eligibility: 175% FRL / 323.75% FPL (about $86K for a family of four)
• ESA value: about $4,600
• Funding: $25 million in tax credits
Indiana: Education Scholarships Accounts Program
• Eligibility: special needs plus 300% FRL / 555% FPL ($147K for a family of four)
• ESA value: 90% of state portion (about $4,500)
• Funding: $10 million total
West Virginia: Hope Scholarship Program
• Most expansive educational choice program in the nation
• Eligibility: All ”switchers” or students entering kindergarten
• ESA value: about $4,600
• Funding: Formula funded (all eligible students funded)
Pumping Vaccine Demand
With demand for the COVID vaccine in Missouri already falling off even though only 29% have completed their vaccination, perhaps it’s time to inject some urgency into the campaign.
Axios reports that Colorado “is using tried-and-true get-out-the-vote tactics to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates across the state.” Read it here.
· About 33% of Colorado's population is fully immunized, state data shows, and 45% has received at least one dose.
· Healthier Colorado, an advocacy organization with experience managing ballot initiatives, developed the vaccine turnout campaign and partnered with Gov. Jared Polis' administration.
· The nonprofit tapped its political data firm to pull phone numbers for populations who lived near vaccine clinics or those who matched hesitant groups identified by polling data, such as conservatives and rural residents.
· Trained AmeriCorps volunteers worked phone banks, making calls and sending text messages to help people get vaccine appointments and provide transportation if needed.
· Phone bank volunteers had scripts to address questions about the vaccine and counter misinformation.
Dems New Dark Money Sugar Daddy
New York Times reports on Hansjörg Wyss…
· He is not as well known as wealthy liberal patrons like George Soros or Tom Steyer. His political activism is channeled through a daisy chain of opaque organizations that mask the ultimate recipients of his money. But the Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss has quietly become one of the most important donors to left-leaning advocacy groups and an increasingly influential force among Democrats.
· Newly obtained tax filings show that two of Mr. Wyss’s organizations, a foundation and a nonprofit fund, donated $208 million from 2016 through early last year to three other nonprofit funds that doled out money to a wide array of groups that backed progressive causes and helped Democrats in their efforts to win the White House and control of Congress last year.
· Beneficiaries of his organizations’ direct giving included prominent groups such as the Center for American Progress and Priorities USA…
Wagner for Conference Chair?
Axios reports that House Republicans in DC are considering ousting Congresswoman Liz Cheney. And Congresswoman Ann Wagner is on the short list to replace her a Conference Chair. Read it here.
eMailbag on Gas Tax Question
For those that claim that if you vote yes on a gas tax that you will draw a primary opponent and possibly lose, they need to take a look at the actual statistics. See it here. Nationally, in the 2020 elections, 99 percent of lawmakers who voted yes on increased revenues for transportation won their primary. And looking at their general election races, 97% won their race. Missouri has a Governor who went out and campaigned for increased transportation funding and he won election by 17 points. Sure didn’t hurt him here in Missouri.
Gubby Appts
Governor Mike Parson made a couple appointments yesterday…
· Jill C. Irvin to the Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board.
· Michelle Luster to the Board of Cosmetology and Barber.
· Dale Hardy Roberts to the State Board of Mediation.
MEC Opinion
The Missouri Ethics Commission issued a new opinion. See it here. The one-year revolving door prohibition in Section 105.454.1(5), RSMo, only applies to officials and employees serving in executive or administrative capacities. A city clerk in a fourth-class city does not serve in an executive or administrative capacity, but an alderman in a fourth-class city does.
New Committees
Missouri Veterans Political Action Committee was formed. Its treasurer is Alicia M Murray.
Lobbyists Registrations
Travis Brown deleted Amazon.com Services LLC.
Shanon Hawk added Ashley Energy LLC.
Mike White added Rouse Frets White Goss Gentile Rhodes, P.C.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Jason Kander (the big 4-0), and Ryan Clearwater.