MOScout Daily Update: Special Session Starting Monday? - SBOE Shrugs At Ed Bills - Wesley Bell PAC - Kunce's Online Game - Pensions Lower Assumptions and more....
FRA Update: Special Coming Monday
Word is that the legislature will be reconvening next week for a special session on FRA. It sounds like it will likely begin Monday (June 21).
This comes after a meeting between Republican senators and the governor’s office in which compromise language was largely agreed to.
The language echoes Sen. Paul Wieland’s amendment from regular session. It would prohibit the use of federal Medicaid funds for “any abortifacient drug or device” except in cases of saving the mother’s life. The language explicitly includes the Plan B pill, and IUDs in this category.
· However, this compromise language doesn’t guarantee a gavel-in-gavel-out special session that the governor has seemingly craved.
· Some folks indicated that it may not go far enough for Sen. Bob Onder.
· And it seems to go too far for Senate Democrats. They have repeatedly insisted that contraceptives not be included in any prohibition. Plan B and IUDs fit into their definition of that category. Dems are expected to huddle about this today.
· One source said that the final proposal will include a multiyear renewal for the tax. That could be the carrot to entice Dems to accept the amendment.
SBOE Not Impressed With Legislature
At yesterday’s State Board of Education meeting, after Michael Harris from DESE gave his legislative report which summarized all the legislation passed this year, board member Carol Hallquist said, “I am not trying to place blame on anyone but I don’t think I see anything on that list that will affect student outcomes.” The board was silent with the exception of Board Member Don Claycomb who muttered, “Carol, I agree.”
Wesley Bell PAC
In the large contributions (below) it looks like a PAC for Wesley Bell (see the paperwork here) is starting to rev up.
Bell, the county prosecutor for St. Louis County, is up for re-election in 2022. I haven’t heard yet of a primary challenger yet, but it wouldn’t surprise me.
Changing Assumptions
Pensions and Investments reports, “Missouri Public School and Education Employee Retirement Systems, Jefferson City, lowered its expected rate of return to 7.3%. The retirement system's board approved lowering the expected rate of return from 7.5% at its June 8 board meeting, confirmed Craig Husting, chief investment officer, in an email. The change was recommended by actuary PricewaterhouseCoopers as the result of an actuarial experience study. The study resulted in a new long-term real-return assumption of 5.3%, up from 5.25%, and an inflation assumption lowered to 2% from 2.25%...”
MOSERS similarly started lowering its assumptions years ago to adjust to the enduring low-rate environment. See it here.
“In July 2018 after extensive analysis, the MOSERS Board adopted a plan to phase-in a change in the set of economic assumptions over a three-year period (2018 through 2020 valuations). The scheduled economic assumption changes included price inflation, cost of living adjustments, general wage growth, payroll growth, and the investment return assumption. The nominal investment return assumption decreased from 7.50% to 7.25% in the June 30, 2018 actuarial valuation, then to 7.10% in the June 30, 2019 actuarial valuation, and finally to 6.95% in the June 30, 2020 actuarial valuation.”
Why It Matters
Lowering your assumed rate of return means you have to put more money in to meet your projected obligations.
Kunce Fires Up Online Game
Lucas Kunce, running to be the Democratic candidate for US Senate, got some online mileage out of a recent online video. See it here.
According to the campaign…
· Over $120K raised from over 4,000 donors from Challenge content.
· Over 4.5 million overall organic impressions on Twitter alone for @LucasKunceMO (that number doesn't count direct clips uploaded by NowThis, HuffPo, etc.).
· Grew Twitter following by nearly 3X — now at 24,000 followers.
· The video is now the most-viewed Twitter video of any Dem or GOP campaign in the race, including all campaign launch videos.
What It Means
The first of many possible payoffs. Since entering the race, Team Kunce has worked diligently to build a strong online foundation to not just capitalize, but create moments that expand reach and drive action by delivering content directly to state and national audiences.
COVID Hospitalizations Remain
Month of widespread availability of COVID vaccinations have not eliminated COVID hospitalizations. Instead, they seem to have hit a floor. After plummeting with the introduction of the vaccine in early January, they haven’t significantly deteriorated in the past three month. Yesterday 692 hospitalizations just below the 700-ish range they’ve been in since March. See the data here.
Perhaps this is due to the widespread reopening while vaccinations have sputtered during the past month. As of this morning 36.7% of Missourians have completed their vaccinations. But as far as I can tell something closer to 0% are still wearing masks or social distancing or limiting their time indoors with others.
BJC Employees Required to Vax
Hospital giant BJC Healthcare announced that “consistent with long-standing practices requiring health care workers to be vaccinated against serious infectious diseases for the safety of patients and staff, BJC HealthCare will require COVID-19 vaccination for employees and those who work in BJC facilities beginning in fall 2021. Employees will be required to be fully vaccinated by September 15 in advance of the annual influenza and respiratory illness season, unless granted a medical or religious exception.” See the announcement here.
Meanwhile on the western side of the state, Cox Health CEO Steven Edwards tweeted, “At this point in time we have not made Covid vaccine mandatory for employees. The data has given us confidence in safety and efficacy, but it remains under an emergency use authorization. This gives us pause for several reasons including interpretation of employment law.”
Patch For Derges
Rep. Tricia Derges who faces federal charges shared her optimism on Facebook: GREATEST DAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Another testimony that God answers prayers!
My mentor: PATCH ADAMS CALLED ME TODAY!!!
HE IS COMING IN TO STAND BY ME!!!!
I was speechless! My story will be told: what an amazing man!
He, OF ALL PEOPLE, knows what it is like to have the passion, compassion and determination to provide medical care for those that can't get it by finding ways to make it happen; and has fought against those that will stop at nothing to destroy such a great and worthy mission.
Good can not and will not be destroyed or stopped!
LOVE YOU PATCH!!!!
· Who is Patch Adams? See Wikipedia here.
$5K+ Contributions
We Bellieve PAC LLC - $10,000 from L.I.U.N.A. Local 110 PAC Fund.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Congressman Jason Smith, Sen. Bill White, August Busch III, and Bob Burns.