MOScout Daily Update: Penman Expands to DC - Talboy Joins Rouse - Hobbs to Gov's Team - Springfield Regs - Banks as Red Flag Spotters? and more...
Leadership Optimistic
Folks were tight-lipped following the leadership powwow to plot the course for the goevrnor’s special session, only to say that there was “nothing groundbreaking.”
However, one source indicated that the two chambers were closer to a deal, and there’s optimism that things will jiggle into place in time to start the special session next week when legislators return for Veto Session.
We’ll see…
Penman Expands to DC
The Penman Group (see their website here) is expanding its portfolio of services to include lobbying in the nation’s capital. Kaycee Nail spends most of her year in DC outside of the legislative session.
· Last week, the Missouri Coalition of Domestic and Sexual Violence announced they have hired the Penman Group to partner with them in Washington DC.
· They’ve been engaging in the federal space on 911 issues and will be officially partnering with FosterAdopt Connect which serves both Missouri and Kansas as well.
· They see an opportunity to give a DC presence to MO organizations that might not otherwise have the resources to engage in federal issues.
Talboy, Coulter Join Rouse
In the lobbyist registrations (below) former Rep. Mike Talboy and Mark Coulter have joined Rouse Frets White Goss Gentile Rhodes, PC (see their website here).
· Talboy was Minority Leader in the House. After term limits ended his tenure, he joined Burns & McDonnell as their director of government relations.
· Coulter was previously General Counsel for the Port Authority of Kansas City.
· In their bios, both list government affairs among their practice areas.
Hobbs To 2nd Floor
On LinkedIn, Tyler Hobbs announced that he’s joined the governor’s office. He’ll be serving as “Senior Policy Advisor.”
· He was previously legislative director for the Department of Public Safety and before that he was district director for Congressman Billy Long.
Senate Dems Signal New Offense
Majority Forward, the Senate Dems’ campaign arm, unveiled a web video yesterday on Twitter taking aim at the state of affairs in Missouri. See it here.
It says Missouri is “in crisis,” and runs through a series of issues including student debt and education costs, and extreme abortion restrictions lacking exceptions for rape. It calls the Senate Democrats the “last line of defense,” and closes with the tagline: “Enough is enough.”
· It’s a bit of a wire-act for Senate Dems. On the one hand, they rightfully want to raise money among their constituents for their advocacy in Jefferson City. On the other, their recent success in stopping legislation has been as much about deliberately not becoming a force that unifies the Senate Republicans as it has been about standing up to Republicans.
Springfield To Cut Regs
Springfield News Leader reports that “Springfield city government is scrambling to adhere to a new state law sharply curtailing city authority to regulate home-based businesses.”
· According to the law, Springfield and other municipalities will only be allowed to oversee narrowly tailored health and safety regulations in home-based businesses. These include fire codes, building codes, health/sanitation, traffic control/transportation, pollution, hazardous waste, and noise.
· According to city staff at the meeting, many of the city's regulations go beyond what state law now allows and many of the city's statutes will need to be replaced.
Situational Awareness: Banks As Red Flag Spotters?
Here’s an intriguing idea to identify potential mass shooters, though I could see conservatives trembling that Big Tech or Big Money is trying to take away their 2A rights...
From New York Times’ Andrew Sorkin:
· In 2018, after the Parkland shooting, I wrote a series of articles about how credit card companies and banks played a critical role in financing mass shootings — and how they could help prevent these murders, but have thus far decided to look the other way. A majority of shooters use credit and debit cards to acquire their guns, ammunition and body armor — and the companies behind those card networks have a unique vantage point to spot suspicious buying patterns before law enforcement, families or just about anyone else.
· I proposed that banks and credit card companies create a new “merchant category code” for gun-related transactions at stores that sell firearms, which would allow them to flag suspicious activity. After all, banks are legally obligated to scrub transactions to help identify domestic terrorism. Oddly enough, while the financial industry uses distinct codes for dozens of different types of merchants, there are none for gun stores.
· Now, a financial firm — Amalgamated Bank — has been working behind the scenes to make the idea a reality. The bank, with the help of the advocacy group Guns Down America, recently reapplied to I.S.O., the standards agency, to create a new set of merchant category codes for gun sales.
Jefferson and High Open House
Jefferson and High (see their website here), the co-working space just catty-corner from the capitol, will host a Veto Session Open House. All day Tuesday (Noon – 7PM) they’ll be giving tours.
$5K+ Contributions
Uniting Missouri PAC (pro-Parson) - $10,000 from Matthew Wolk.
Uniting Missouri PAC - $10,000 from Missouri AG PAC.
Uniting Missouri PAC - $10,000 from Missouri C PAC.
Uniting Missouri PAC - $10,000 from Missouri Growth PAC.
HealthPAC - $12,500 from Committee For Quality Healthcare.
A Better Missouri Political Action Committee - $60,000 from Anheuser-Busch Cos.
Lobbyist Registrations
Mike Talboy and Mark Coulter added Rouse Frets White Goss Gentile Rhodes, PC.
Richard McIntosh and Jerry Hobbs added National Parents Organization of Missouri.
Steven Tilley, Thomas Robbins, and Brittany Hyatt Robbins deleted Independence Power & Light.
Eapen Thampy deleted RadianceSTL.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Emily Weber, Rex Sinquefield, Sheila Solon, and Kathlyn Fares.