MOScout Daily Update: GOP Court Fight: Fitz Sues Jay! - Cannon, Russell in CD-7? - CRT Debate Begins - 3rd Wave Could Wallop Rural MO and more...

Fitzpatrick Sues Ashcroft

In a remarkable legal fight over ballot language, State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick filed suit yesterday against Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft. 

It’s surprising to see two statewide Republicans take up battle in the courts over something which seemingly could have been easily solved between the two offices.

See the suit here.

Fitz’ filing takes issue with the language on Amendment 1.  See it here. 

·         The suit claims that the use of the word “override” is inflammatory.

·         And that the statement that the amendment will “grant the General Assembly statutory authority to invest state funds” is false.

·         The suit offers what it claims would be fair language.

FYI

Chuck Hatfield is the attorney representing Fitzpatrick.

More on CD-7: Cannon Buzz

With Congressman Billy Long’s entry into the US Senate race now sounding nearly certain, there’s more talk about who might run to replace him.  Yesterday I ran a list of potential candidates for CD-7.  Here’s some feedback I received…

John Russell should be viewed as a serious contender. “Has deep family ties to GOP, has served as Greene Co commissioner, and does not have a voting record.”

And, drawing buzz from multiple readers is Joelle Cannon.

·         “A former district director for Senator Blunt, the Joplin native also spent a decade fighting to cut federal spending…”

·         “If she gets in, she will probably win… part of Blunt crew, worked her ass off all over the area, only woman, Plus no record….winner.”

Will Rural MO Feel 3rd Wave Soon?

It seems like only a matter of time until the “delta variant” which has hit Southwest Missouri migrates across the state.

·         Rural Missouri appears to be most vulnerable with its low vaccination rates.  See a map of map by vaccinations here.  There are many rural counties where less than 1 out of 4 people have been vaccinated.

·         NPR reports that the delta variant is “about 225% faster than the original version of the virus… On average, people infected with the delta variant had about 1,000 times more copies of the virus in their respiratory tracts than those infected with the original strain of the coronavirus, the study reported.”

·         On a per capita basis, many rural Missouri counties had already suffered higher death rates from COVID than their more urban counterparts.  See state data here. This next phase could farther that trend.

CRT Hearing

Missouri Independent reports on yesterday’s legislative hearing on Critical Race Theory being taught in Missouri classrooms.  Rep. Doug Richey, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Education, led the charge that CRT was harmful for Missouri students.  Read the article here.

The article notes that Governor Mike Parson weighed in the issue on Twitter.

Critical Race Theory (CRT) has no business being taught in Missouri classrooms — but the vast majority of our schools are not doing that. Missouri schools are teaching diversity, equity, and inclusion to help prepare our students for life and for the workforce by allowing them to better understand and respect each other’s differences. However, we do NOT need the extreme teachings of CRT in order to accomplish that goal. I believe in local control and our state has a long history of valuing local control, and that is why local schools districts have statutory authority over curriculum. Individual schools receive direct input from teachers & parents and know best how to address these topics.

While the statement clearly says he opposes CRT, some conservatives likely won’t be thrilled with his position.  One GOP insider texted: I suspect conservatives will flip out over the Governor’s statement... Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has become the public face of CRT…

Waiting on Williams Replacement

Post-Dispatch writes about the ongoing search for a new DHSS director.  Read it here.

·         With Missouri continuing to top the national charts in new cases of COVID-19, Gov. Mike Parson’s administration says he’s narrowed down his choice for a new state health chief.

·         The job, previously held by Dr. Randall Williams, has been open since April, but the hiring process for a replacement has been slow amid a new surge in the pandemic.

·         Parson, who has faced criticism in recent weeks as coronavirus cases began refilling hospitals, initially said he wanted to have a new director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services in place by mid-June.  The target date was then moved to mid-July.

·         Since Williams was asked to resign after a sometimes rocky four years as head of the health agency, Parson deputy chief of staff Robert Knodell has served as the interim director of DHSS.

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Birthdays

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