MOScout Daily Update: Senate Chairmanships - Webber Announces - Smith Gets W&M Gavel - Legislators Heart Kehoe? - Schatz for PSC? and more...

Senate Committee Chairs Announced

Senate committee chairs were announced.  Here’s the list…

Agriculture: Jason Bean

Appropriations: Lincoln Hough
Commerce: Mike Cierpiot

Economic Development and Tax Policy: Denny Hoskins

Education: Andrew Koenig

Emerging Issues: Justin Brown
Fiscal Oversight: Holly Rehder

General Laws: Mike Bernskoetter

Government Accountability: Karla Eslinger

Health & Welfare: Mary Elizabeth Coleman

Insurance & Banking: Sandy Crawford

Judiciary: Tony Luetkemeyer

Local Government: Elaine Gannon

Transportation & Public Safety: Travis Fitzwater

Veterans & Pensions: Bill Eigel

Here’s what pops out at me…

·       Freshmen Gavels. Sens. Mary Elizabeth Coleman and Travis Fitzwater get big votes of confidence from Pro Tem Caleb Rowden.  It will throw both in the thick of advancing some of the GOP’s top priorities.  Post-partum Medicaid coverage will presumably go through Coleman’s Health & Welfare.  And Fitzwater will have to navigate public safety legislation – likely one of the session’s hotspots.

·       Upperclassmen dissed. On the flip-side, Sens. Mike Moon and Rick Brattin are without chairmanships.  Moon was probably the lead practitioner of wasting Senate time when he felt offended (overalls, anyone?) last session.  Does this mean we’ll see more of that in 2023?

·       No Approps Successor. Rowden, by putting Luetkemeyer as vice-chair of Appropriations, has left the next pro tem to decide who will take the gavel after Hough’s four years.  He could have appointed a freshmen to that spot creating a path for a likely heir to the gavel.  But as it is the next pro-tem will potential appoint a new vice-chair and create a succession plan.  If Sen. Holly Rehder runs for another term, her position as chair of Fiscal Oversight will make her a prime contender.

·       Reformer at Ed Chair.  As expected, Sen. Andrew Koenig took over Education with Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin vacating to become floor leader.  He’s a hard-core reformer, but also has shown a willingness to compromise and negotiation to get bills over the finish line.

·       GA’s Larger Portfolio. Government Accountability’s domain now includes the old Professional Registrations Committee, so Sen. Karla Eslinger’s spot there makes sense.

·       Emerging Issues and General Laws.  By adding Emerging Issues (chaired by Sen. Justin Brown) Rowden now has two catch-all committees (together with General Laws chaired by Sen. Mike Bernskoetter) for the purposes of assigning bills which don’t easily fit into a category or which he wants to receive special attention.  As we get bill referrals this week, I bet some of the session’s hot-button issues find their ways to one of these committees.

Driving the Day: SBOE

The State Board of Education meets today (8:30).  On the agenda…

·       See the bills they’re watching this session here.

·       Report from the Office of Childhood (see it here).

·       And, maybe most interesting, a report on  might be the report on teacher workforce (see it here). “Missouri has a teacher workforce of approximately 70,000 teachers.”

Kehoe Hosts Legislators

Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe hosted over 100 Republican representatives and senators last night in Jefferson City for a welcome reception.

·       One Kehoe-ite: “The amount of legislators in attendance speaks volumes to the respect for Kehoe within the building and indicative of the relationships he has built by working alongside many of them to pass high-priority bills. I would anticipate many of them publicly endorsing Kehoe for Governor in the near future…”

Republican House Caucus

One source says the best comment during the House Republicans’ Caucus meeting about the change in rules came from Rep. Jeff Knight.  He quoted Teddy Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” speech… “It is the doer of deeds who actually counts in the battle for life, and not the man who looks on and says how the fight ought to be fought without himself sharing the stress and the danger.” 

·       It captures the absurdity of listening to folks who have never served a day in the legislature, yet seem to think they’re some kind of experts in the legislative process.

Webber Announces

Former Rep. Stephen Webber announced yesterday that he is running for Senate 19

“Missouri Democrats haven’t won a State Senate seat outside of the STL/KC region since 2006. In 2024 that changes.  I’m running for the new Boone County Senate seat…”

·       . This follows my report over the weekend that a PAC had formed to support his candidacy.  As I wrote: Senate 19 has been redrawn into a safe Democratic district.  The new 19th voted for Biden over Trump by 54.9% to 42.4% in 2020.

·       Webber, with his relationships and experience, is front-runner for the Democratic nomination – regardless of who else gets in.

Smith Gets Ways and Means Gavel

I don’t really follow federal politics as I try to stay focused on state politics, but there was a lot of excitement buzzing around about Congressman Jason Smith winning the Chairmanship of the Ways & Means Committee.  A few texts I received…

·       This is YUGE for Missouri. Jason will in effect be a third US Senator for Missouri.

·       With Sen. Roy Blunt retiring it’s a big deal.  Sen. Eric Schmitt will be a work horse replacing Blunt but it takes a little time.  So good to have Jason Smith chairing arguably the most influential committee in the house.  Also, Sam Graves chair of transportation and infrastructure.  MO in good shape!

Chatter: Another PSC Name?

A couple of folks mentioned recently-termed-Sen. Dave Schatz as another possibility for one the Public Service Commission openings this year.

We’ll see…

eMailbag on Kunce

Kunce can raise a billion and lose in 2024 surrounded by hard Left apparatchik like that.

Lobbyists Registrations

Zach Brunnert added RAYUS Radiology.

Jonathan Dalton and Shanon Hawk added Missouri Bankers Association.

Rockne Miller added Presidio Environmental, LLC.

Jeanette “JMO” Mott Oxford added Paraquad.

Gary Parenteau added Dexcom. 

Jorgen Schlemeier, David Jackson and Sarah Schlemeier added Petland, Inc, and Downstream Casino Resort.

Strategic Capitol Consulting added Midwest Roots.

Jim Foley, Chris Liese, Tony Dugger, Neal English, and Andrew Foley deleted MCTA – The Missouri Internet & Television Association.

Noel Torpey deleted Rockwood Management Corporation.

$5K+ Contributions

MO Chamber PAC - $7,000 from AT&T.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Roy Blunt, Trevor Fox, Carmen Schulze, Jaci Winship, and Randy Jotte.