MOScout Daily Update: Hot July Revenues - Richey Works the Speaker Bid - Quade Works the Abortion Issues and more...
MOScout Schedule
Taking a post-election break. Off for the weekend. Today is just cleaning out the in-box. See you Monday…
Hot July Revenue
The new fiscal year started off with white hot state tax receipts. State Budget Director Dan Haug announced today that 2023 fiscal year-to-date net general revenue collections increased 38.3 percent compared to July 2021, from $701.3 million last year to $970.3 million this year.
· It was driven by a 43% increase in individual income tax collections.
· Governor Mike Parson still hasn’t officially made his call for a special session to enact a permanent, broad-based tax cut. But the expectation is that it will run concurrent with the constitutionally mandated Veto Session (September 14). These big revenue numbers reinforce his argument that the state can afford it.
Richey Continues Speakership Campaign
After announcing earlier this summer that he plans to seek the House speakership (in January 2025. It’s called planning y’all), a tipster sends in this nugget yesterday: Representative Richey had to get-together today with several candidates and incumbent state representatives at the Elms in his hometown of Excelsior Springs. There were 17 candidates and incumbents including Representatives Patterson and Haefner in attendance. Richey hosted the event in a way that certainly gave the impression he is a serious candidate for leadership.
Abortion Politics
Post-Dispatch reports on Minority Leader Crystal Quade seizing the abortion issue. Read it here. A top Democratic state lawmaker from Republican-led Missouri on Wednesday wrote to the Democratic Illinois and Kansas governors asking for help paying for abortions for out-of-state Medicaid patients… Her request came after Democratic President Joe Biden signed an executive order Wednesday aimed in part at making it easier for women seeking abortions to travel between states to obtain access to the procedure. The directives will allow states that have not outlawed abortion to apply for Medicaid waivers that would help them treat women who’ve traveled from out of state. The waivers only apply in cases of rape, incest and medical emergencies.
· One Dem: This is someone who is getting ready to run for Governor. And this is very smart…
· NYTimes analysis suggests that Missouri would have voted 57% in favor of the Kansas-style abortion rights petition.
More Election Bits
· In addition to the list of candidates that Missouri For Children PAC supported, there were two more: Rep. Curtis Trent in Senate 20, and Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick in his auditor’s race.
· Carpenters PAC had a tough night in state senate races. Their scorecard showed losses in Senate 2, 20, 22, and 26.
· One MOScouter write: “Good comeback for [David] Barklage. Helped with the anti-Greitens effort, and he won two open Senate races (20 and 22).”
· Open Secrets reports on “pop-up PACs,” citing Missouri as an example of the practice. Read it here. By launching a so-called “pop-up” super PAC right before an election, political actors can spend now and disclose later – leaving voters in the dark about who is seeking to sway their election until after the polls. Conservative Americans PAC, not to be confused with the Conservative American PAC, spent $1.7 million attacking three GOP House candidates in Missouri – $718,000 attacking Missouri state Sen. Rick Brattin in the 4th District and $956,000 opposing state Sens. Eric Burlison and Mike Moon in the 7th District.
Judge Wannabes
The Appellate Judicial Commission announced the following applicants for the vacancy on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, created by the August 2, 2022, retirement of Judge Colleen Dolan: Thomas C. Albus, Shane K. Blank, Timothy M. Etzkorn, Peter W. Gullborg, Kathleen S. Hamilton, Renée D. Hardin-Tammons, Joseph B. Kloecker Jr., Ellen S. Levy, Jeffery T. McPherson, Rebeca M. Navarro-McKelvey, Susan M. Petersen, David E. Roland, David R. Truman, Grant W. Wobig, and Michael S. Wright.
The commission is expected to conduct interviews beginning at 1 p.m. Wednesday, September 7 and 8:30 a.m. Thursday, September 8…
MEC Rolls Out New LLC Law
The Missouri Ethics Commission is prepping for the implementation of a new law covering LLCs making campaign contributions. See it here.
$5K+ Contributions
UFCW Active Ballot Club-Missouri Federal Committee - $25,000 from United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Active Ballot Club.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Judge George Draper III.
Saturday: Mark Milton, Jack Bondon, Bryan Stevenson, Bob Nance, and Rachael Dunn.
Sunday: Carol Kehoe, Rep. Kurtis Gregory, Don Suggs, Vic Allred, and Mike Dethrow.