MOScout Daily Update: Blunt Pans Danforth Plan - Hough, Cierpiot Get Primaries - Senate Passes Supp Budget - Derges Blocked from Filing and more...

Blunt Pans Danforth Plan

Post Dispatch reports that Senator Roy “[Blunt] also rejected an effort by former Sen. John Danforth, R-Missouri, to recruit a center-right Republican to run as an independent for the Senate seat.”

What It Means

There a lot of skepticism about Danforth’s plan to run and win the US Senate race with a “third-way” candidate. 

·         A lot of folks think that even with “substantial funding” you’ll only get single digits – unless you recruit a bona fide celebrity.

·         Other folks think if you’re moderately successful, you’d siphon off enough votes to let a Democratic squirrel into the seat.

·         I haven’t talked to anyone in the building who thinks it’s a good, workable idea.

Senate Passes a Bill!

Pro Tem Dave Schatz and recalcitrant Sen. Mike Moon made amends.  They started the day on the outs, with Moon once against filibustering any business in rebellion against his being taken off committees.  But this little cold war which has frozen the Senate for a week thawed after the two met in private. 

When the Senate returned from recess, they each displayed humility – Schatz apologizing for handling the situation poorly, Moon once again expressing regret that his wardrobe choice had been inappropriate for the Senate.

The Senate then took up the supplemental budget.  An amendment from Sen. Jill Schupp to restore funding to Planned Parenthood was defeated on party lines.  And the budget was passed with a bipartisan vote; the seven Conservative Caucus members voted against, presumably because it included funding for Medicaid Expansion.

What It Means

·         I don’t want to pee on the parade, but the Schatz-Moon drama was really just a comedic sub-plot in this drama.  The real rift within the Senate remains: the Conservative Caucus aiming at Senate leadership.  And while there’s apparently more optimism on coming to an agreement on the congressional map, that underlying divide could erupt again at any time.

·         The House sent more bills to the Senate yesterday: anti-COVID mandates, modest deregulation of physical therapy.  There’s a healthy pipeline of House bills sitting in the Senate, and no Senate bills in the House.

·         The calendar: 10 active weeks left in the legislative session.  Spring Break starts in two weeks.  The eight weeks after that break.

More Filing Bits

For the next month, new candidate filings will be listed at the end of each report with the large contributions, lobbyists registrations and birthdays.

·         Springfield News-Leader reports on Lincoln Hough getting a primary.  Springfield City Council member Angela Romine filed to run in Senate 30.  Read it here.  He hasn’t actually filed yet. It’s a tricky swing district.  Hough has to consider his more moderate constituents in order keep a Democratic opponent at bay, yet it looks like he’s getting a right-side challenge.

·         Folks are watching Sen. Steve Roberts to see if he jumps into the CD-1 primary to take on Congresswoman Cori Bush.  One reader opines that the fact that Roberts can run without giving up his Senate seat may prove irresistible, “The free pass is almost always catnip for a politician.”  We’ll see…

·         Post-Dispatch reports that the Missouri Republican Party is blocking Rep. Tricia Derges from filing for re-election, saying the federal indictment is a dealbreaker.  Read it here.  That’s a safe Republican seat, by the way.

·         One reader notes that there could be an increase in the number of women serving in the Senate next year.  There are four women filed in districts currently held by men.  None has an easy path (Coleman is in a spirited primary, and Pollock, Romine and Jill Carter are taking on incumbents), so we’ll see…

And

In St. Louis City one reader laments that Republican Committeewoman Taunia Mason will be first on the ballot in the upcoming (April 19) special election for alderman.  The Democratic nominee, Mike Gras, was slow to file, giving up that spot.  Gras is of course the favorite. But it’ll be a low turnout election and without partisan designations, it could be interesting….

Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Two Years Later?

William “Buddy” Hardin is running for state representative in House 106.  He has been the treasurer for Voters for Good Government PAC which was involved in Republican primaries in past cycles.  I’m told that some folks who had oodles of money used against them “haven’t forgotten.”  They’ll be taking an interest in the race.

Dems don’t have a candidate yet, but an ugly Republican primary could put this St. Charles district into the “interesting” column.  It’s the old Tom Hannegan district.

New Carpenters’ Committee

Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council Missouri-Kansas Area Political Action Committee was formed.  This looks like an alternative PAC to the current one: CHIPP (Carpenters Help In the Political Process).  They share the same address.  But this PAC lists a different treasurer and its officers are located in Chicago. 

The Carpenters’ union underwent a leadership change amid allegations of misdeeds.  This looks like a consequence. 

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the CHIPP money ($2.1 million) migrate over to this new PAC.

McAnuagh Passes

A lobbyist sent me a note that Nancie McAnaugh passed away.

“Nancie was a great lady and was the COO of Leading Age Missouri, which is the association of the not-for-profit long term care facilities across the state. She was also the deputy director of DHSS back in 2005 and Director of Senior Services and Regulation for DHSS in 2004… we lost a good one today.”

Gubby Appts

Governor Mike Parson sent the following appointments to the Senate for confirmation…

·         Abigail Bidwell, Democrat, Adair County, as a member of the Missouri Community Service Commission.

·         Thomas L. Brown, Clay County, as a member of the Clay County Board of Election.

·         Mike Keeven, Franklin County, as a member of the Well Installation Board.

·         Samantha Ferguson Knight, Democrat, Saint Louis City, as a member of the Missouri Community Service Commission.

·         Katy McCutcheon, Madison County, as a member of the Coroner Standards and Training.

·         Mark Pierce, Independent, Buchanan County, as a member of the Clean Water Commission.

·         Robin L. Smith, Republican, Cape Girardeau County, as a member of the Missouri Community Service Commission.

·         Michael P. Taylor, Webster County, as a member of the Coroner Standards and Training Commission.

eMailbag on Danforth Plan

I know I’m a few days late with this hot take, but I’m not going to hold my breath on anyone Danforth decides to back. His track record with candidates shows he’s always focused on Ivy League credentials and pedigrees like Clarence Thomas and Josh Hawley. He personifies the “elites” the R base rallied against, and while he once had a Republican organization to prop up his ruling class, the moderate worker-bee folks within the apparatus got run out long ago. He could have started looking for those moderates 20 years ago when they actually existed in the party, but it’s too bad they didn’t have his preferred background.

eMailbag on RINO

RINO might be the political word of the year in MO politics. But I disagree with some of what you said. Take Caleb Rowden, no one said a RINO can’t win Republican elections, be elected to leadership by other moderates, or can’t raise lots of money… “RINO” Is about policy—and Rowden has voted for Medicaid expansion, the gas tax, against 7-1… It’s not “jumping the shark” to say he’s out of step with a LOT of Republicans.

New Candidate Filings

Joe Nicola filed to run in Senate 8 as a Republican.  That creates a primary for Sen. Mike Cierpiot.

Incumbent Reps. Jeff Coleman (House 32), Rasheen Aldridge Jr. (House 78) and LaKeySha Bosley (House 79) filed to run for re-election.

David Casteel withdrew his filing for House 111, and filed for House 97.  He’s running as a Republican.

Gary Bonacker filed to run in House 111 as a Republican.

Tara Peters filed to run in House 122 as a Republican.

$5K+ Contributions

Legal Missouri 2022 - $20,000 from Midwest Roots LLC.

UAW Region 5 Midwest States Political Action Committee (PAC) (MO) - $6,000 from UAW Region 4 Exchange Account.

Lobbyists Registrations

Heath Clarkston, Doug Nelson, and Kurt Schaefer added DirecTV, LLC.

Cassandra Grewing added BJC Healthcare Systems.

Tracy King, Brittany Robbins, Thomas Robbins, and Chris Schoeman added Ernst & Young LLP, and BRB DB Holdings Inc.
Steven Tilley added BRB DB Holdings Inc.

Brittany Robbins added Green Farms Missouri, LLC.

David McCracken deleted Missouri Cattlemens Association.

John Gaskin deleted ICSolutions, and City of Richmond Heights.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rep. Peter Merideth, Jolie Justus, Tracy King, Rich Chrismer, Sonya Anderson, and Stephen Conway.