MOScout Daily Update: What Good Is An Ethics Commission Without Commissioners? - Rex Op/Ed - Moody Outlook - Fitz Gets Cattlemen and more...

Just a couple quick Friday nuggets…

Impotent MEC

If you’re going to scam the campaign finance laws, now’s the time to do it!  The Missouri Ethics Commission is unable to take action against misdeeds because with only two commissioners they can’t muster a quorum.

A recent complaint against Randall Minchew, who Tuesday lost his bid to be mayor of Columbia, was left without action by the commission because they can’t act.

·         The cynic might think that after his PAC has been twice fined by the commission, Governor Mike Parson is in no hurry to restore the board to its function.

Budget Talk

The budget move to the Senate side now with four weeks remaining until the constitutional deadline for passage.

·         Peter Merideth, ranking Minority member on the House Budget Committee, praised the budget that the House passed this week, but bemoaned that they left so much cash sitting unused in their coffers.  See his remarks here.  He notes that education transportation remains under-funded, a chronic deficiency in Missouri budgets.  And he believes that the Senate will not be reluctant to find others uses for the money.

·         In fact, I will be surprised if there isn’t talk in the Senate of using some of the surplus for a tax cut.  An op/ed by Rex Sinquefield (see it here) sets the stage for this debate.  This is a golden opportunity for Missouri to accelerate a multi-year series of miniscule income tax cuts first put into place in 2014. The state’s individual income tax stands today at 5.4%. It will drop to 5.3% this year, and it is scheduled to fall to 4.8% in 2028. In putting the $600 million to use for a tax cut, the Legislature could drop the rate to 4.8% during fiscal 2023 — getting to a significantly lower tax rate almost immediately, while committing to the discipline of staying within the pre-pandemic spending level for several years…

·         Meanwhile budget-watcher Jim Moody, in his March overview (see it here), notes that “collections thus far in Fiscal Year 2022 are extraordinary, with both sales tax and income tax up double digits.”  And while he warns that “recession risk is inching toward 50%. Various opinions of when,” he also acknowledges that “cash balances in the Treasury are at levels that are beyond comprehension. There is plenty of cash to cushion a downturn.”

Fitz Gets Cattlemen

Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick, running for auditor, touts his endorsement from the Missouri Cattlemen Association on Twitter.

“Fitzpatrick has a long history of holding government accountable and working alongside farm and ranch families”

Previewing the Weekender

Coming tomorrow… poll on Senate 10 Republican primary, where the Hallway sees congressional redistricting headed and more…

Scoville Passes

Vernon Scoville, a judge and former state representative, passed away this week.  From his obituary: Vernon worked as an Associate Circuit Court Judge for the State of Missouri for 22 years before his retirement in 2013. He was also a Missouri State Representative for 10 years. Vernon was a Freemason at East Gate Lodge #630. He enjoyed following politics, playing with his dog Rubi Rose, and tinkering around the home… His family will receive friends and family from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Friday, April 8, 2022 at Meyers Funeral Chapel, 1600 W. Main St., Blue Springs, MO.

New Candidate Filing

Today is the final day for filing in those districts where someone withdrew in the last days of regular filing.

Kyle Luzynski filed to run as a Democrat in House 88 (Eureka).

$5K+ Contributions

Better Elections - $25,000 from David Kemper.

Citizens for Marler (running in Republican primary House 119, Franklin County) - $10,000 from Marty Marler.

Credit Union Political Action Committee of Missouri - $10,000 from Community America Credit Union.

Citizens to Elect Merrell Hansen (running for Chesterfield City Council) - $8,000 from Merrell Hansen.

Lobbyists Registrations

Ken Eaton added Missouri Association of School Administrators, and Missouri Council of School Administrators.

Richard McIntosh added KPMG LLP.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Ron Leone, Mike Sutherland, PJ White, and Mike Thomson.