MOScout Daily Update: Parson Gives Noon Deadline - Restrictions List - COVID Cases Rise - Emery Files Paperwork and more....

Parson Gives Noon Deadline

Governor Mike Parson set a high noon deadline for an FRA agreement today.  In a press conference yesterday, he reiterated that he will implement massive budget restrictions absent an agreement.

I would bet that a compromise is reached.  We’ll see.  There’s been a flurry of activity from legislative leaders.  The driving impulse is to give everyone something they can claim as a win while still preserving federal compliance.  While other senators might have meandered into this territory without an exit strategy, I’m guessing Sen. Bob Onder sees the only way out is compromise.

The other path would have been to play chicken and force the issue.  That could have brought a clean FRA bill to the governor’s desk weeks/months ago.  That path has had two flaws: Dave Schatz and Mike Parson. 

·         Schatz, apparently still enthralled with the prospect of higher office, is seemingly loathe to reverse his end-of-session vote to support the Onder amendment.

·         Parson yesterday looked as impotent as I have seen a governor look – worse than Nixon during Ferguson.  He’s the titular head of the party with supermajorities in the legislature and he spent his time at the podium explaining why it’s not his fault that legislation to draw down a billion dollars in federal money – something other states have no problem doing – hasn’t happened.

12:01

One lobbyist wondered if Team Parson had thought through the noon deadline.  “If GA blows thru the deadline then what is the next plan?”

It’s not clear that there is a Plan B yet.  Instead, the deadline is designed to rally lobbyists to pressure legislators to come to a compromise.  Something the governor has been incapable of doing.

The list of folks with something to lose is substantial.  See the restrictions list here.  But one potential implication…

·         Tax cuts – one lobbyist thought this would scuttle the expected trigger for the next tax cut.

Emery Files Paperwork

Former Sen. Ed Emery filed federal paperwork, creating a committee to raise money for his congressional campaign.   Mrs. Valinda Freed is the treasurer of Friends of Ed Emery.  See it here.

McCloskey Host of CREDO

Mark McCloskey continues to up his profile in conservative circles.  He’s on the steering committee of the CREDO St. Louis (see the website here) 25th celebration next month.  See the invite here.

COVID Cases Continue

Kansas City Star reports that “Missouri has the highest rate of new COVID-19 infections in the country, according to a New York Times analysis. Over the past 14 days, most states have seen the number of cases decline, but Missouri had a 72% increase. There are several counties that are experiencing a rise in cases, said Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Missouri counties account for 13 of the top 25 counties in the U.S. with the highest rate of new cases, The Times reported. Most were in rural areas although Joplin was included in that list. Cox said the department is encouraging vaccination…”

·         While COVID deaths have plummeted to approximately one a day, hospitals remain burdened.  They’re still reporting 700-ish hospitalizations from COVID.  This morning that number was 736.

·         37.9% of Missourians are now fully vaccinated.

Court Rules on College Athletes $$$

Wall Street Journal reports that the Supreme Court “in a unanimous opinion by Justice Neil Gorsuch, upheld lower court rulings that said the NCAA unlawfully limited schools from competing for player talent by offering better benefits, to the detriment of college athletes. The decision doesn’t open up a world of unlimited pay for college athletes, an issue that wasn’t before the court. Instead, the justices said the NCAA must allow colleges to recruit athletes by offering them additional compensation and benefits, as long as they are tied to education… The court’s decision comes at a pivotal moment in the broader fight over athletes’ ability to be paid for their participation in the college-sports juggernaut.”

·         Missouri passed a bill last session which allowed student athletes to receive compensation.

New Committees

Jim the Wonder Dog PAC was formed.  Amber Watson is the treasurer.

Mike Tsichlis formed an exploratory committee to run for House 96 as a Republican.  This is Rep. David Gregory’s seat; he’s running for auditor.  Christy Watz is the treasurer.

$5K+ Contributions

Committee to Protect the Road to Missouri's Future - $15,000 from Associated General Contractors of Missouri.

Lobbyists Registrations

Jay Hahn added Hodgkins and Associates LLC, and Worldwide Environmental Products Inc; and deleted Steven R Carroll & Associates.                

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rep. Chad Perkins, Margo McNeil, and Ann Auer.