MOScout Daily Update: A Game of Chicken Where No One Minds Losing - Nebraska Bad for Greitens? - New Uniting MO Ad - Broadband $$$ and more...
Where We Are
Three days left. By my count there are ten (10) Truly Agreed and Finally Passed bills on the governor’s desk – that doesn’t include the appropriation bills and Senate Concurrent Resolutions.
· Joining that list yesterday was HB 1720. Kurt Erickson wrote an explainer on it here.
The Senate avoided a meltdown yesterday, but there were tremors indicating a full-scale earthquake could erupt at any moment.
· Sen. Bob Onder and Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder tangled over her bill for sexual assault victims.
· Sen. Bill Eigel and Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin had a tense exchange over the House amendments added to her education bill.
IP Reform was expected to hit the floor yesterday, but it was pushed off. So, I’d guess to look for that to dominate today.
Meanwhile, the congressional map may detonate the final days of session.
Onder, in an inquiry yesterday with Sen. Bill White, declared: “This is session is over when the maps come up.”
The second House map will get a hearing in the Senate Redistricting Committee today (Noon), and could be on the floor in the afternoon. Or perhaps they’ll wait until tomorrow for a final push on that front.
Among lobbyists the consensus seems to be that we won’t have three full final days. The thinking…
The Conservative Caucus thinks the Senate blowing up will make Floor Leader Caleb Rowden look ineffective.
Rowden thinks the Senate blowing up will prove that the CC are legislative terrorists.
And of course, Dems don’t mind the Senate blowing up because they don’t want Republicans passing anything else.
· It’s like a game of chicken where no one minds losing…
eMailbag on Map
At a certain point, doesn't Ann Wagner bear some blame for not shoring up MO-02 for Rs? Shouldn't her influence extend to Jeff City? She's allegedly the most powerful Republican elected from the St. Louis area. Sure doesn't feel like it in this redistricting process.
Nebraska Bad News for Greitens?
It’s easy to get whipsawed with each new election happening across the nation and how it might play into the Trump mentality for endorsing in Missouri, but…
Nebraska’s results last night look like bad news for Eric Greitens, as Trump’s candidate, dogged by sexual harassment accusations, lost.
From Politico’s Playbook: The Nebraska race showed the limits of trying to turn serious allegations of misconduct into an attack on the press that rallies conservatives… Trump stood by Herbster despite the revelations in mid-April, reported by the Nebraska Examiner, that a number of women, including a sitting state senator, accused Herbster of groping or inappropriately touching them… Herbster denied the allegations, and Ricketts and others condemned him. But instead of stepping aside, Herbster ran a TV ad comparing himself to Supreme Court Justices CLARENCE THOMAS and BRETT KAVANAUGH. Trump rallied for Herbster in the runup to the primary…
Uniting Missouri PAC
It’s surprising to see Mike Parson’s PAC still active. He’s term limited. Yet here’s a new ad that “will air on cable and broadcast television, as well as online.”
Gov Parson: “As a former sheriff, it alarms me to see some of the attitudes towards those who’ve taken an oath to defend our communities and keep us safe. We must learn from the failed policies in other cities and states to never allow anti-law enforcement measures to take hold in this state. We must work to strengthen our communities by supporting our men and women in law enforcement. In Missouri, we defend law enforcement, not defund them.”
Uniting Missouri had $259,135 on-hand as of their April filing. They raised $57K that quarter.
· One lobbyist thinks the ad is an attempt to build Parson’s legacy.
MMJ Biz Is Good
Press release: Buoyed by a one-day record on the 4/20 holiday, the Missouri medical cannabis industry once again broke a monthly mark in April with nearly $37 million in retail sales. Cumulative program sales sit at $335.8 million since the first dispensary opened in mid-October 2020 — nearly half of which has been generated in the past six months. With average daily sales now above $1 million, annual revenue is on pace to exceed $360 million for 2022.
· In the large contributions (below), marijuana industry players contributed another $850K to the effort to make marijuana legal in Missouri.
And
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft reports that the marijuana legalization campaign dropped off 731 boxes of signatures for their petition. And the ranked voting campaign dropped off far fewer boxes, 192. “Once scanned, signature pages will be submitted to local election authorities for signature verification…
The secretary of state has two weeks to provide the applicable signature pages to local election authorities for validation. Local election officials must provide the certified number of valid signatures to the secretary of state by July 26, 2022.”
On the Move
Empower Missouri welcomed Amber Foster-Hobart as its new Communications Director. See it here.
Schlafly Family Squabble
On the docket Missouri Supreme Court’s oral arguments docket this morning (9AM) is Bruce S. Schlafly v. Anne S. Cori. Continuing fall-out from the family feud that erupted after Phyllis Schlafly’s death.
Broadband $$$ in Budget
News Tribune points out that budget passed by the legislature is “millions short of the governor's recommendations.”
See it here.
The budget includes roughly $372 million for broadband internet development and programs -- nearly $100 million lower than a plan proposed by Parson…
Compared to Parson's proposal, the Legislature's budget includes $10 million less for broadband towers, $25.5 million less for rural telehealth access, $7 million less for broadband grants and $1 million less for the Public Safety Broadband Network at the Capitol Complex…
eMailbag on The Trigger That Doesn’t
Passing a resolution that says: "Hey, remember what section 288.017 says? This is your notice that it still says it." won't trigger anything. The General Assembly will have to pass another resolution when a SCOTUS opinion is issued (and still be beaten to the punch, because a gubernatorial proclamation and AGO are easier to issue).
New Committees
Jackson County Young Democrats was formed. It’s a PAC. Its treasurer is Sagi Rudnick.
Jefferson County Conservatives PAC was formed. Its treasurer is David Senkel.
Better Days PAC was formed. It’s supporting Rita Days. It’s treasurer is Cornell Young.
Lobbyists Registrations
Eapen Thampy added Rocky Kingree; and deleted CanaMO Solutions LLC, and The Blue Line.
$5K+ Contributions
All IN For Park Hill School District - $15,000 from MyGrid Technologies, Inc.
All IN For Park Hill School District - $5,600 from Creative Entourage.
Legal Missouri 2022 - $100,000 from Agri-Genesis LLC.
Legal Missouri 2022 - $400,000 from Good Day Farm Missouri LLC.
Legal Missouri 2022 - $350,000 from Good Day Farm Missouri LLC.
Jackson County 4 Kids - $10,000 from Synergy Services.
Jackson County 4 Kids - $10,000 from Hope House Inc.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Sen. Greg Razer, Leslie Korte, and Jerryl Christmas.