MOScout Daily Update: ESAs TAFPed - Barklage Indicted - NIL Adopted in House - Parson Withdraws Noms and more...

ESAs TAFPed

In a major victory for school choice advocates, Rep. Phil Christofanelli’s HB 349 passed the Senate yesterday and was Truly Agreed and Finally Passed.  It heads to Governor Mike Parson’s desk.

The bill creates a tax credit program to help pay for qualifying students’ tuition to private schools.  Opponents have called the plan a “voucher” and insisted it will be detrimental to public schools.

The actual vote was anticlimactic.  Unlike earlier education reform packages, there was no filibuster.  And the vote wasn’t even very close.  It passed 20-13. 

If I’d have been betting on votes, I’d have had both Sens. Jason Bean and Justin Brown in the No column.  Instead, they were both Aye. 

One indication for their position came from Bean’s quick inquiry of Floor Leader Caleb Rowden.  Rowden noted that Bean’s district likely wouldn’t see any ESAs because of the population threshold in the bill.  But Bean’s district would likely benefit from the increased transportation funding required to trigger the ESA program.  In other words, the bill was crafted to minimize opposition from rural Republicans.

Republicans voting with the ten Democrats were: Sens. Sandy Crawford, Karla Eslinger, Lincoln Hough.  Sen. Elaine Gannon was absent; I assume she would have been a No vote as well.

Why No Long Filibuster?

The most common explanation for the lack of a filibuster was that opponents were complacent in their vote count; they thought they didn’t have to stand; they could just vote it down.

But one rumor is that Dems received assurances in return for sitting: voter ID wouldn’t be pursued this final week.

That deal would make sense for Dems, though it might miff some Republicans as that’s a red meat issue for their base.

And

A lot of praise for the win was directed at lobbyist Kate Casas. “She is unrelenting on checking and rechecking her whips.”

Barklage Indicted

David Barklage, a veteran political operative in the Missouri, was indicted yesterday for failing to fully report his income on tax returns.

See the Post-Dispatch story here.  “Barklage failed to report $443,633 in income from 2012-2014, the indictment says, meaning he failed to pay $151,843 in taxes for those years.”

What It Means

There was a lot of talk yesterday.  Barklage, having been intimately involved with scores of Missouri politicians and campaign, is presumed to know “the dirt” on anyone and everyone in Republican circles.  The chatter was that the Feds would use this indictment to “squeeze” him and folks “won’t be sleeping well tonight.”

That’s not my view. 

·         I spoke to a range of folks yesterday, including tax attorneys, to suss out the various scenarios.  As best I can tell, the filing of the indictment means that there aren’t any “bigger fish” being hooked here.

·         Barklage released a statement saying he will plead not guilty.  The consensus, in conversations with attorneys, is that this will ultimately be changed to a guilty plea and less severe sentence.

We’ll see…

And

From one Republican player…

David Barklage has spent his entire career helping other people get through some of the toughest moments of their lives. Campaigns are hard. Political crisis can feel all consuming. David has helped hundreds of people (if not more), from both parties, through some of the toughest campaigns and crises that any of us can imagine. If this situation happened to any one of David’s friends or clients he would be the first to rush into the fire to help.

My bet is that the real adults in Missouri politics remember that David was there for them and they rush into the fire for him now.

Name, Image and Likeness (NIL)

Rep. Nick Schroer successfully placed a NIL amendment on Sen. Eric Burlison’s SB 330 yesterday.  The amendment was adopted by a 124-23 margin.  It says: No postsecondary educational institution shall uphold any rule, requirement, standard, or other limitation that prevents a student of that institution from fully participating in intercollegiate athletics without penalty and earning compensation as a result of the use of the student's name, image, likeness rights, or athletic reputation.

·         Catalyst represents the National Collegiate Players Association.

·         Reps. Schroer, Wes Rogers, Kurtis Gregroy, Mary Elizabeth Coleman, Hannah Kelly and Travis Fitzwater were vocal supporters during the debate.

·         The action came on the same week as a visit to the building by Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz.

TAFPed

Yesterday’s Truly Agreed and Finally Passed bills…

·         Rep. Phil Chistofanelli’s HB 349, establishing ESAs.

·         Rep. Derek Grier’s HB 476, license reciprocity.

·         Rep. Jason Chipman, HB 685, dealing with elected officials.

Parson Withdraws Noms

To the Senate of the 101st General Assembly of the State of Missouri:

I hereby withdraw from your consideration the following appointments:

Carrie Gallagher Crompton, Democrat, 1722 Nicholson Place, Saint Louis, Saint Louis City, Missouri 63104, as a member of the Missouri Community Service Commission, for a term ending December 15, 2021, and until her successor is duly appointed and qualified; vice, Reena Hajat Carroll, resigned.

Keith A. Holloway, Republican, 2514 Saddle Ridge Lane, Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri 63701, as a member of the University of Missouri Board of Curators, for a term ending January 1, 2025, and until his successor is duly appointed and qualified; vice, David L. Steelman, term expired.

Respectfully submitted,

Michael L. Parson

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer, Scott Sifton, Stuart Murray, and Don Phillips.