MOScout Daily Update: Marijuana IP Good for Dems? - Senate Rift Deepens - Wood OK With FBI Raid - Riedel Accepts Loss and more...
Marijuana IP Certified
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft announced that the initiative petition asking Missouri voters to legal marijuana had gathered enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot. See the certification here.
· The Dem’s US Senate candidate, Trudy Busch Valentine, quickly endorsed the measure. “This November, I will be voting yes to legalize the adult use of recreational marijuana in Missouri… this ballot measure, if approved, will automatically expunge many non-violent marijuana-related offenses. This will go a long way toward addressing deep racial disparities in our criminal justice system. We know in Missouri that Black people are arrested for marijuana possession at a higher rate than white people, even though they're using at similar rates.”
· Minority Leader Crystal Quade and other Dems think the IP will help turnout in November. Quade’s tweet: They took away our right to choose. Recreational marijuana is on the ballot. Redistricting gives us 8 new competitive seats. Biden Admin is killing it. 2022 is looking pretty alright.
Senate Bottleneck Again?
The air is thick with pessimism about next session, even though we’re still five months away. The interview from Sen. Mike Cierpiot – which I wrote about yesterday – is a strong indication that the rifts have widened even from last session. Cierpiot is one of the more mild-mannered reasonable folks in the Senate. If he’s fed up, he’s not alone.
· Meanwhile, here’s push-back from one Conservative Caucus support: “Instead of declaring they are going to continue to wage war and waste another year, I have a better idea for Rowden, Cierpiot and the rest of bunch…how about they all just start voting Republican?”
Are there ideological differences between the Regular Republicans and the Conservative Caucus – by a matter of emphasis yes, but not really in terms of where they want to take the state. At this point the main thing seems to be that they really just don’t like each other personally. And that’s what will make the Senate so toxic again.
· Next month we’ll get a session preview as we watch the Senate reconvene for Veto Session (and likely a tax cut special session).
More GOPers Denounce FBI
Top Missouri Republicans criticized the FBI’s raid of Donald Trump’s home…
· US Senate candidate Eric Schmitt tweets: When I’m in the Senate I’ll take a wrecking ball to this overtly political DOJ and the Administrative State.
· US Senator Josh Hawley fundraising appeal: Democrats use the Department of Justice as their own political police force, and will sic the DOJ on ANYONE who they view as a threat… [such as] last night's unprecedented and reckless raid of Mar-a-Lago…
· Governor Mike Parson tweets: The unsupported and hostile targeting of a former President by the FBI and DOJ detaches them from their independent and nonpartisan law enforcement duty. Political motivation and gamesmanship destroy public trust in our justice system…
Meanwhile, Jack Danforth’s Independent candidate, John Wood, zigs against the Republicans’ Trump-devotion-zag… “The rule of law applies to everyone. No one is above the law. Viciously attacking the FBI and DOJ undermines trust in these public servants. Missouri deserves leaders who will put an end to vicious partisan politics.”
What It Means
Dems attempt to put the US Senate seat in play rely on Wood splicing off Republican voters from Eric Schmitt in November – but not ones that would have cross party-lines due to their revulsion at the hopelessly-devoted-to-Trump cult that’s gripped the GOP.
Reidel Accepts Election
Scott Riedel – who lost to Sen. Mike Bernskoetter last week – posts on Facebook that he has accepted the election results after some initial misgivings…
I have been silent since the election for a reason. Late on the night of the election, it was brought to my attention that fraud had occurred skewing the election numbers. With a number of people assisting, I hunted out the alleged “whistle blower,” who was valid, but who would not come forward nor has yet come forward. We followed his alleged numbers. I worked and investigated the numbers, one night, for over 6 hours working with a number of women. It was an up and down night for us especially when we thought we found the numbers, but later realized they were 2 different counties. When all we found were “dead ends” I gave the investigation over to 2 experts. I received their conclusion today. With the numbers they had, different from my own, which I scrutinized theirs as well, their is no conclusive evidence of fraud. I believe the “whistle blower” who was viewing 5 screens on election night (one per county) got his numbers mixed up and cried fowl. We surely got our counties mixed up as well so I can sympathize. I believe its best to say I validly lost. I don’t like to lose, no one does, I usually win at everything I do. But God gave me His answer and I accept it…
Lobbyists Registrations
Jacqueline Bardgett and Chris Roepe added Missouri Primary Care Association.
John Bardgett, Mark Habbas, and Chris Roepe added FiscalNote Inc.
$5K+ Contributions
Missouri United (pro-Plocher) - $10,000 from Xcaliber International LTD LLC.
Jackson County 4 Kids - $15,000 from Every Childs Hope.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Cheryl Lynne Dozier, Gary Nodler, Mindy Mazur, and Jerry Hobbs.