MOScout Weekender: New Poll on Ballot Questions - Hallway Likes Fitzwater - Who Won the Week and more...
Remington/MOScout Poll: Ballot Questions
Survey conducted September 7 through September 8, 2022. 1,117 likely 2022 General Election voters participated in the survey. Survey weighted to match expected turnout demographics for the 2022 General Election. Margin of Error is +/-2.8% with a 95% level of confidence. Totals do not always equal 100% due to rounding. Survey conducted by Remington Research Group on behalf of Missouri Scout. See full results here.
I will read you a handful of proposed amendments that will appear on the November ballot. After hearing each amendment, please indicate if you will vote yes or if you will vote no.
Q1: Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to remove state prohibitions on purchasing, possessing, consuming, and selling marijuana for personal use for adults over the age of twenty-one; impose a six percent tax on the retail price of marijuana to benefit various programs, and allow persons with certain marijuana-related non-violent offenses to have records expunged.
Yes: 43%
No: 47%
Not sure: 10%
Q2: Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to authorize laws that increase minimum funding for a police force established by a state board of police commissioners to ensure such police force has additional resources to serve its communities?
Yes: 64%
No: 20%
Not sure: 16%
Q3: Shall the Missouri National Guard currently under the Missouri Department of Public Safety be its own department, which shall be required to protect the constitutional rights and civil liberties of Missourians?
Yes: 52%
No: 22%
Not sure: 26%
Q4: Shall there be a convention to revise and amend the Constitution?
Yes: 19%
No: 43%
Not sure: 38%
MOScout’s Hallway Index: Incoming GOP Senators
I asked lobbyists, which “incoming Republican Senator most likely to make the biggest impact in the Senate.” 18 replies…
RESULTS
1. Rusty Black… 0%
2. Ben Brown… 5.6%
3. Jill Carter… 5.6%
4. Mary Elizabeth Coleman… 11%
5. Travis Fitzwater… 50%
6. Nick Schroer… 5.6%
7. Curtis Trent… 22.2%
Sample of Comments
· [Trent]Has the ability to build consensus which is a lost art in the Senate.
· Hard not to go with the guy that has the most experience in the building (Fitzwater)…but Ben Brown/Jill Carter could either have a heck of an impact (not in a good way) if they fill the Onder role and/or become a Moon disciple.
· Focusing on the positive, instead of drama or social media attention grabs- Fitzwater will look for ways to move his legislative agenda forward. He'll maintain good relationships with colleagues and have some "real life" wins for Missourians.
· [Fitzwater] Quiet competence, and tough as nails.
· [Fitzwater] I'm answering this long-term, not short-term.
· Curtis is viewed as a thought leader, and though he is conservative he works the issues he is passionate about to find compromise and get them across the finish line.
· [MEC]Another strong-willed woman in the Senate with good policy chops who folks generally like. Senate’s first female ProTem?
· I expect Nick to be his own person, but to be vocal on the floor for a freshman. Will be interesting to see what battles he picks.
· I chose Mary Elizabeth because I think she will be a really unique and talented Senator. However, I think it will be all of them collectively. This may be the strongest freshman senate class in a long-time. Most of these folks have worked together for a long-time in the House and seem to have the ability to change the tone and tenor of the Chamber, if they want to.
Who Won the Week?
Dean Plocher – It’s the honeymoon period for the incoming speaker, and it shows on his busy Veto Session fundraising calendar. Everybody wants a piece of him.
Penman Group – Announces expansion into federal lobbying.
Jon Dolan – The colorful former state senator is back in Missouri, heading up the solar industry’s association.
Taylor Burks – Shows his class by joining a host committee for a fundraiser for his former opponent in CD-4.
Find a downloadable version here.
$5K+ Contributions
Believe in Life and Liberty - BILL PAC - $10,000 from Missouri Growth PAC.
Believe in Life and Liberty - BILL PAC - $20,000 from Missouri AG PAC.
Jackson County 4 Kids - $75,000 from Health Forward Foundation.
eMailbag
On a possible Eigel 2024 gubernatorial bid: I would say most republicans are not worried about Eigel and Ashcroft splitting the vote. They would be happy about Eigel and Ashcroft splitting the vote and helping Kehoe become Gov.
On new tax cut: I’ve never heard anyone complain that their state income taxes are too high.
On childcare: Agree that businesses would cheer the state seriously looking at the cost of childcare and pre-K education – solves both short-term workforce issues (keeping working parents, esp. women, in the workforce) and improves long-term workforce readiness (kids, especially in underserved areas, would be much better prepared for kindergarten). Have you looked at the cost of high-quality childcare lately? It’s about the same as in-state college tuition, which parents typically save for 18 years to pay for and even then sometimes can’t afford. Is it any wonder that workers at the beginning and middle of their career can’t afford childcare, especially if they have more than one kid?
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Erika Leonard, Ian Dunlap, Jill Kline, and Tom Madden.
Sunday: TJ Berry, and A.J. Bockelman.