MOScout Daily Update: Parson for Fitz - Redistricting Chatter - Dunn to Depart - Rizzo Defends Schatz - Mess on Vax Mandates and more....
Parson For Fitz
Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick has landed a big endorsement in his bid to become state auditor: Governor Mike Parson will be a special guest at his fundraiser next month in St. Louis County.
The September 28 fundy (right at the quarter’s end) will be hosted by Beau and Suzy Brauer at the exclusive Log Cabin Club.
Parson appointed Fitzpatrick to his job as treasurer so it’s not a huge surprise that he has the governor’s backing. But it’s also true that no one would have blamed the governor for sidestepping the race and staying neutral in a Republican primary.
Team Fitz is working to present Fitz as the “strong consensus” candidate. This helps with that effort.
Redistricting Talk
With the release of the data last week, here’s some chatter to keep an eye on…
· 7-1 congressional map. There seems to be top-down pressure for Republicans to go for a 7-1 map. Missouri GOPers I talk to would be content with 6 very safe Republican districts. But politics is not an enterprise where you leave real estate uncontested. And perhaps with Congress in play this cycle, there’s some urgency among national Republicans to grab every seat possible.
· Bush Alternative? I’ve heard from two Republicans separately floating the notion that map-drawers will explore the possibility of making Congresswoman Cori Bush’s re-election a little harder, with an eye toward aiding a different Democrat. I doubt this comes to fruition, but it’s something folks want to look at. While they agree that she is a great foil for Republicans – she’s perfect for their message that Dems are out-of-touch with most Missourians – these two sources have insisted it’d be better for Missouri to have someone different representing the state. One mentioned her decrying military funding seemingly indifferent to the impact such largess has on the state.
Dunn To Depart
The great Chris Dunn is said to be leaving the House staff. Dunn, chief of staff for Cody Smith’s House budget team, has been in the building over a decade serving in a number of capacities – including staffing former Sen. Rob Schaaf.
But it’s been his unflappable, ever-knowledgeable presence in the budget process that has earned him the greatest respect. He’s demonstrated openness and a lack of gamesmanship, as well as a seemingly endless patience to explain the quirks of the budget to any interested party.
I’m told that Dunn is leaving to be closer to his family. He’s taking a job at Missouri Western State University; he’ll be chief of staff to the president.
There’s no obvious person to fill Dunn’s huge shoes. The job requires a grasp of the budget, but also the right temperament and demeanor to keep the budget train chugging through thick and thin.
Rizzo Defends Schatz
Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo took to twitter to defend Sen. Dave Schatz in the face of the Franklin County Republican Central Committee’s resolution rebuking the pro tem over his gas tax legislation.
Rizzo was a voracious critic of Schatz during session, question his leadership skills and railing against his inability to honor agreements. Yet here he was denouncing the efforts of state senate candidate Ben Brown to “cancel” Schatz.
· It tweets could also be a shrewd play by Rizzo to throw a log on the Republican schism fire, and keep it burning a little longer.
A Different Time
Tony Messenger recalls Republicans taking a different approach to public health not too many years ago. See it here.
· Eric Schmitt was for vaccine mandates before he was against them. As a state senator just a few years ago, Schmitt, who is now running for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, took the exact opposite view. In fact, so did the entire Republican caucus in the Missouri Senate.
· It was 2014, and many state legislatures across the country were concerned about outbreaks of meningitis on college campuses. A couple of college kids had died from such outbreaks. There were only 371 cases of meningococcal disease in 2019, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in part because of what legislatures did in Missouri and elsewhere in 2014. That year, the Missouri Legislature passed a meningitis vaccine mandate for all college students in Missouri who planned to live on campus. The issue was so important that the language ended up being attached to multiple bills, such as Senate Bill 754 and Senate Bill 716. Some of the bills passed unanimously.
· Schmitt, a state senator, voted for the vaccine mandate. So did Gov. Mike Parson, then a senator, and Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, who was also in the Senate at the time. Every Democrat voted for the vaccine mandate. Every Republican voted for the vaccine mandate. It was a different time…
Gates PAC Fined
The Missouri Ethics Commission fined Aspen Gates and America Forward PAC $50,105 for various violations. See the order here.
Most violations were failure to file reports on time and properly, but there was the big no-no: personal use of campaign funds.
“Respondents made thirty-four purchases, totaling $2,952.35, that were for personal use. This included purchases for electric utilities, credit card payments, event tickets, grooming and veterinary services, pet supplies, and various sports, shoe, and clothing purchases…”
Help Wanted
The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis seeks an Advocacy Director. The primary responsibility of the Advocacy Director is to support the advancement of an advocacy agenda set by students and for students. Most of all, the Advocacy Director must possess a passion for the potential in young leaders and know how to support that potential at every turn… Successful candidates will understand the work because they have lived it themselves. A master’s degree in a related field is preferable, as is experience in both leadership and management positions. The work requires facility with technology, social media, visual data depiction, and presentation. It is essential that the Advocacy Director be a clear and effective communicator, in speaking and writing.
See the ad here.
$5K+ Contributions
Page PAC - $15,000 from ASAPAC MO Federal Committee.
POL PAC - $9,000 from H&R Block.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, Rep. Rudy Veit, Sue Meredith, and Randy Wright.