MOScout Daily Update: Ashcroft Runs Hard Right - Leonard to MARF - Piper 2024? - Pre-Filing Watch - Transit Talk and more...
Blunt and Ashcroft Split Over Gay Marriage
Senator Roy Blunt (who served as president of Southwest Baptist University in the 90s) voted to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, hours after Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft sent a public letter asking him to vote No. See the letter here.
From Ashcroft’s zinging letter: “Like the vast majority of Missourians, I believe marriage is the exclusive, lifelong, conjugal union between one man and one woman, and any departure from that design hurts the indispensable goal of having every child raised in a stable home by a mother and a father. This legislation is clearly an attack on traditional marriage and undermines the family – the foundation of any civilized society’s success…”
Missouri amended its constitution in 2004 (by a vote of 70%-30%) to say that a “marriage shall exist only between a man and a woman.” In 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled that such provisions violated the US Constitution.
In the decades since that 2004 vote, Americans have grown to embrace gay marriage. Ashcroft, not so much. Gallup polling…
What It Means
· Coming on the heels of Ashcroft’s campaign to overrule librarians’ book selection and placement in public libraries, Ashcroft is running hard right on social issues.
· While the GOP is in a bit of disarray on economic issues (half-abandoning the old country club free market positions for a new anti-elite, populist message), social issues still look like a safe bet.
· He faces Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe and Sen. Bill Eigel in the Republican primary for governor in 2024.
Leonard to MARF
Erika Leonard, long-time lobbyist with Bardgett & Associates, is the new CEO of MARF (Missouri Association of Rehabilitation Facilities). MARF providers serve people with disabilities through many aspects including: Residential Services, In-home Supports, Day Programs, Individual Supported Living (ISL), Group Homes, Community Access Training, Skills Training, Job Development, Supported Employment, and Sheltered Employment. See their website here.
She will also continue to represent Susan G. Komen in Missouri.
From her note to clients and colleagues: The past seventeen years with Bardgett & Associates as a contract lobbyist have meant the world to me. Mr. John Bardgett has taught me everything I know about the Government Relations Consulting industry, including how to be a great employee, team player, commit to the client’s legislative priorities, and never let anyone stand in my way. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working alongside wonderful people fighting for many great causes. I will be forever grateful for each of you that believed in me and allowed me to represent you in the Missouri State Capitol. It has been my honor.
Driving Tomorrow: Pre-Filing
I’ll miss the start of pre-filing (see MOScout schedule below), but honestly, it’s not that exciting. Here’s what to watch for…
· On the House side, Speaker Dean Plocher has signaled that addressing public safety will be one of his top priorities. If we see something pre-filed, it’ll likely be in the form of a vehicle as the details gets fleshed out. Also, looks for a skew of initiative petition reform bills.
· On the Senate side, senators pre-file their bills in batches of three by order of seniority. Sens. Denny Hoskins, Andrew Koenig, and Bill Eigel are all near the top of the seniority list. That means we’ll see (now disbanded) Conservative Caucus bills in the pole positions on the Senate calendar: first up, probably first referred, and back out to the floor. Hoskins will presumably put his sports betting bill in his batch.
Piper for Statewide?
Is there a future for Jess Piper on the Dems’ 2024 statewide ballot? Piper caused a bit of a stir among some Democratic circles for her spirited race in House 1. She raised a quarter of a million dollars, most of it online. However, she was running in a district Donald Trump won by 50 points. And when results came back on Election Night, Piper lost – by 50 points. The needle didn’t move at all.
Still one Dem source thinks there’s obvious raw political talent, and instead of a throwaway race, Dems would benefit by putting her in a race which plays to her strengths.
“Jess was never supposed to run in HD 1, she was going to run for State Auditor. Jess had been gaining respect in Democratic circles for years before 2022. She was a surrogate and supporter of Nicole Galloway in 2020. People saw she could message and would work hard. She was recruited to run for Auditor by various party stalwarts and was committed to the statewide run. Two women on the top of the ticket with different backgrounds. And someone in Jess who could message and speak to people the party has lost.”
There was a feeling among others Dems, however, that it was important that an African American be on the statewide ticket for Dems as they represent a critical constituency of the MO Democratic Party.
But could Dems recruit Piper for one of the statewide races in 2024? Here’s the case for her…
· Incredibly effective at bringing in small dollar donors.
· Money raised and spent on a statewide race could benefit help down ballot Dems.
· Proven ability to create buzz, garner attention necessary for statewide race.
Transit Talk
Governing looks at Kansas City’s decision to eliminate fares on their mass transit system. Read it here.
· Six years after it opened, the Kansas City Streetcar is undergoing two route expansions that will triple its total reach. And the city’s entire transit system has eliminated fares — at least partly because the Streetcar, fundamentally a different type of service than a metropolitan transit system, did it first…
· The program is set to sunset at the end of 2023, but local officials are preparing to make it permanent. They say it’s been a success on nearly all the measures they care about…
Wall Street Journal reports on the prospects for building out the charging station infrastructure for electric vehicles. Read it here.
· The network’s build-out has a chicken-or-egg quality: EV advocates say many drivers will only be comfortable purchasing vehicles if rapid charging is as easy as using a pump at a gas station. Yet businesses interested in offering charging say they can’t make money until more EVs are on the road.
· To overcome “range anxiety”—the fear that EV drivers will run out of power while traveling long distances—industry experts say the U.S. needs plentiful fast chargers. Fast charging can take 20 minutes to an hour depending on the vehicle.
· There are more than 145,000 places to refuel a gas-powered vehicle. So far, the U.S. has 11,600 points where any EV can charge quickly, according to the research group Atlas Public Policy.
Lobbyists Registrations
James Harris added Do No Harm.
$5K+ Contributions
American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $10,000 from Pearl Motor Company.
American Dream PAC - $10,000 from Truck Centers Inc.
American Dream PAC - $10,000 from MAC Benefits Advisor Company.
American Dream PAC - $20,000 from Robert Blitz.
American Dream PAC - $25,000 from Nadir Djavaherian.
Missouri Federation for Children PAC - $15,000 from American Federation for Children.
Living Well PAC - $15,000 from Walgreen Co.
UAW Region 4 Midwest States PAC (MO) - $6,000 from UAW Region 4 Exchange Account.
Believe in Life and Liberty - BILL PAC (pro-Eigel) - $10,000 from Show Me State Gaming LLC.
Believe in Life and Liberty - BILL PAC - $15,000 from MO Republican Attorneys for Civil Justice PAC.
Believe in Life and Liberty - BILL PAC - $7,500 from Paladin PAC.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Alison Gee, Lara Granich, and Josh Schisler.
Thursday: Charlie Dooley, Mark McCloskey, Joe Knodell, Elizabeth Zerr, Stacy Steen, Ryan Stauffer, and Frank Plescia.
Friday: Brent Hemphill, Jeanne Sinquefield, Theckla Spainhower, and Stephen Bough.
Saturday: Jill Ott.
Sunday: Jennifer Florida, and Sean Gagen.
MOScout Schedule
I’ll off for a 20th anniversary trip with my wife. Back on Sunday. You may get a “week ahead” text Sunday night (if you’ve opted in for texts. If you haven’t before and want to now, email your cell phone # to dave@moscout.com), or you might not hear from me until Monday morning. We’ll see….