MOScout Daily Update: Lawsuit Filed Over Redistricting - Winners from Session's First Half - Road Forward for Senate and more...
Dems Sue on Redistricting Impasse
A lawsuit was filed Friday declaring that “because the General Assembly and Governor have failed to enact a new congressional plan and the filing period is now open, this Court should adopt its own constitutional redistricting plan sufficiently in advance of the primary election that protects the rights of Missourians.” See the lawsuit here.
The attorneys on the suit are Elias Law, which has been working with Democrats across the country, and Stinson’s Chuck Hatfield.
What It Means
It should provide incentive for the Senate’s Republican factions to find common ground on the map when they return from Spring Break.
If the courts do seize control of redrawing the congressional map, there’s no chance that Republicans get a “7-1” map, a good chance it’s status quo 6-2 map with CD-2 trending Democratic, and slim chance it’s a 5-3 map.
And
Map chaos is the best hope for the quixotic Dems running in CD-2. Ben Samuels (see his website here) crows that he’s “raised more than $1 million so far in the 2022 cycle.” He holds a big fundraising lead over Rep. Trish Gunby in that primary. But he gets dinged on Twitter for having never voted in Missouri.
First Half Winners
I asked some folks to tell me who they thought “won” the first half of session. Here’s a sample of replies…
Senate Dems – The least number of bills passed by spring break maybe ever in history. For a superminority, what more could be hoped for? Sen. JJ Rizzo has remained logical amid the chaos, teaming with the Republican "Regulars" when it makes sense, and letting Republicans fight amongst themselves.
Speaker Rob Vescovo and Floor Leader Dean Plocher – Despite the nature power shift that occurs between the current Speaker and the Speaker-Elect; Vescovo and Plocher have worked together to quickly pass a congressional map, then worked to get big Republican caucus items like IP reform and Voter ID passed, united a divided caucus to pass TWO ED reform bills and united the caucus to pass the No Patient Left Alone Act AND a bipartisan HR to support Ukraine. All while the Senate was filibustering the journal. Despite their different styles, Vescovo and Plocher showed true leadership to lead a very diverse and depleted – thanks to the Governor – caucus to big wins.
Conservative Caucus – Their tactics mean leadership comes to ask them permission for the Senate to do work.
Sen. Andrew Koenig – Since he's in the CC, he doesn't take bullets from them, but he does not participate in their alternate reality show. He’s the only Republican senator widely respected by both Republican sub-caucuses. It helps that he spends more time on his legislation than on designing trick amendments aimed at revealing the RINOs.
Sen. Sandy Crawford - It’s much too early to speculate [about the Senate’s next floor leader, but] that being said, I would submit that Sen. Sandy Crawford would make a solid floor leader. I will say that I have heard NO intent or rumors of intent from Crawford to run for leadership. However, Crawford, above many others, exhibits the qualities of a solid respected leader. If she doesn’t at least explore the idea, I think it will be to the detriment of the Missouri Senate.
Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder - Asserted herself as the leader of the governing majority, which is maybe now more important than being leader of the fractured majority caucus.
Reps. Bruce DeGroot and Curtis Trent – They’ve become the unlikely criminal justice reform leaders in the House, drawing support from both Sam Lee and pro-choice groups (!) for their prison nursery bill.
Rep. Rasheen Aldridge – Realizing the vote would be close and he may have leverage, Aldridge kept the charter school team from having to add a right-wing red-meat issue (i.e., trans sports, CRT) to the funding equity bill as a ploy for rural votes by instead negotiating with Rep. Richey to instead get a much better deal for SLPS -- a 5 -ear delay and a 2% admin fee saving SLPS roughly $2m/year – and helping bring just enough Dems along.
Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe – He spent the first half of session securing very early 2024 endorsements, raising money for his PAC, and traveling the state. Will it be enough to overcome the Ashcroft name? We'll see.
Rep. Tracy McCreery – No one knows what the 24th is gonna look like...and yet nobody seems to want to tangle with Tracy and her half million bucks.
Democrats – Because moderate Republicans are finally realizing that it’s not the Dems that are the crazy ones in the building.
Senate Rules – Who has gotten more attention than the rules and archaic traditions of the upper chamber?
Overalls – As it turns out, Yes you can make denim overalls dominate a news cycle or two… Sen. Mike Moon had his grandkids serve as Pages of the Day…wearing overalls in one of the great Senate trolling moments of our time.
Way Forward for the Senate
It sounds like there was some detente going on last week to work through the impasses that vexed the Senate.
· Sens. Rick Brattin and Holly Thompson Rehder met to discuss how to move Thompson Rehder’s bill forward.
· Brattin will likely be meeting with Democratic Sens. Lauren Arthur and Jill Schupp to scout out compromise language on Brattin’s agenda (no adult literature in schools).
· Look to Sens. Sandy Crawford, Andrew Koenig, and Cindy O’Laughlin as the “bridge senators” to help the Republican Conservative Caucus and Regular Republicans find common ground.
· After Spring break, the Senate will try to wrap up some unfinished business (Rehder sexual assault bill, Gannon postpartum bill, White child protection bill) as well as see if there’s appetite to tackle one of the priorities sent over by the House. And of course, one more run at the map at some point.
And
Take a couple minutes and read Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin’s column in which she argues for courtesy and compromise as the cornerstones of the Senate . Read it here. [In today’s environment, someone might call her a RINO for such talk!]
RIP Cora Faith Walker
Missouri’s political world was rocked Friday afternoon as word spread of the sudden death of former Rep. Cora Faith Walker.
From the St. Louis American: Cora Faith Walker, an attorney from Ferguson, Missouri, and policy chief for The St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, has died at age 37. The cause of death has not been announced. A member of the inaugural Masters of Public Health class at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University, talented Walker would go on to serve Ferguson, District 74, in the Missouri House of Representatives beginning in January 2017. She resigned in July 2019 and began working for Page’s administration…
Walker was honored by the Missouri Primary Care Association with a 2018 Champion of Community Health Centers Award for her work as a legislator on health care issues. She was also cited for leading efforts in the 2018 legislative session to extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum moms who are in need of substance use disorder services and for working with a group of legislators to find a bipartisan solution that was eventually signed into law to help fight the opioid epidemic in Missouri…
During the 2018 legislative session, Walker worked assiduously to secure passage of legislation that created the Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Families Board. Her legislation was incorporated into SB 819, which was signed into law. Beyond Housing during their 24:1 Initiative event that year honored Walker for her efforts to promote the use of trauma-informed treatment programs…
The community mourns the tragic loss of this young servant leader at the helm of legislation and policy to better the lives of Black people, women and the most vulnerable throughout St. Louis.
Help Wanted
Ameren seeks Director of Federal Legislative Affairs. “The Director of Federal Legislative Affairs is responsible for leading Ameren's federal government affairs efforts to influence (lobby for) legislative outcomes consistent with business objectives. Primary responsibilities are to provide leadership in the areas of legislative strategy development and implementation. Build, maintain and foster strong relationships with Ameren leaders and stakeholders including elected officials, staff, trade organization representatives, community leaders, etc…” See the ad here.
$5K+ Contributions
Better Elections - $800,000 from Article IV.
Together KC - $10,000 from Kansas city Care Clinic.
Legal Missouri 2022 - $25,000 from OXG LLC.
Legal Missouri 2022 - $10,000 from Nirvana Bliss II LLC.
Together KC - $20,000 from Black & Veatch Holding Company.
Lobbyists Registrations
Christopher Scott Hammann added Great State Strategies LLC.
Robert Shockey added Missouri Police Chiefs Association.
Jean Evans deleted Vincere Health, Knack, and Script.
Mitch Davis deleted all his clients.
Joshua Klarich deleted Fair Maps Missouri, and Our Missouri.
Matthew Roney deleted Corecivic, Inc.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Jason Klindt, Ryan DeBoef, Mark Bruns, and Sara Howard.