MOScout Daily Update: Crime Takes Center Stage - Realtor $$$ - Politico on Schmitt - KC Airport Fight and more...
1 Big Thing: STL Crime Takes Center Stage
The legislature is focusing on St. Louis City crime…
· Yesterday the Senate Transportation Committee heard Sen. Nick Schroer’s SB 78 which would have the state take over St. Louis City’s police department. (See Missouri Independent’s article here.)
· Today, the House Crime Prevention and Public Safety Committee will hear Rep. Lane Roberts’ HB 301 which would have the governor appoint a prosecutor to take over St. Louis City’s circuit attorney’s job.
One MOScouter says that “Chief Robert Tracy was very well-received by senators of both parties in both testimony and walk-arounds as he described his strategies that worked in Wilmington and his plans for St. Louis.”
Tracy might get a benefit of doubt from senators, and a feeling they should let him have a chance to address the situation. But I’m not sure Circuit Attorney Kim Gardener will get the same latitude.
We’ll see…
Politico on Schmitt Push
Politico reports on Senator Eric Schmitt’s push to land a spot on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Read it here.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is home to some of the most contentious fights in Congress, overseeing Supreme Court confirmations and holding jurisdiction over tough political issues like immigration and abortion. It’s a particularly coveted panel for future presidential hopefuls, as its work attracts a media spotlight.
More on Realtor$$
I wrote yesterday about the politically power Missouri Realtors, and cited the large cash on-hand balance of their Missouri PAC. One source says that they also have an “Issues Fund” they can tap – and that pot of money is overflowing… $5+ million!
Getting Passed Around: KC Airport Fight
A couple folks sent me this KCStar article about a legal fight between two KC heavies: Husch Blackwell and Burn & McDonnell…
· In a private, binding arbitration dispute undisclosed until now, Burns & McDonnell claimed that the actions of Husch Blackwell attorney Charles Renner — whom the city hired as outside counsel to represent it during the airport selection process — caused the engineering firm to lose out…
· The panel of arbitrators — judges, essentially — appointed to hear the case came to a unanimous ruling in favor of Burns & McDonnell. The $62 million Husch Blackwell has been ordered to pay is equivalent to the fee Burns & McDonnell would have received had it won the airport contract…
· Both firms are headquartered in Kansas City. Husch Blackwell is the third-largest law firm in the city, employing approximately 150 attorneys in the area. Burns & McDonnell is one of Kansas City’s largest private employers; roughly half of its 10,000 employees are based locally.
Children Advocates Cheer Parson
Governor Mike Parson is getting a lot of love from various child advocates for his inclusion of some significant line items in his budget. The two big ones: $56 million to expand access to early childhood education, and $78 million in child care subsidies.
See a video of advocates thanking the governor here.
eMailbag on Senate 15
Mark Harder getting in the race is great news for David Gregory. Hardee’s not well known and the more unknowns the better for a politically experienced campaigner like Gregory….
Legislative Appts
Speaker Dean Plocher made appointments to Joint Committees…
· Joint Committee on Capitol Security: Reps. Lane Roberts and Jerome Barnes.
· Joint Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Awareness: Rep. Lane Roberts
· Joint Committee on Education: Reps. Mike Haffner and Brad Pollitt.
· Joint Committee on Government Accountability: Reps. Jim Murphy and Doug Richey.
· Joint Committee on the Justice System: Reps. Robert Sauls, Lane Roberts, and Rudy Veit.
· Joint Committee on Legislative Research: Rep. Scott Cupps.
· Joint Committee on Public Assistance: Reps. Hannah Kelly and Peter Merideth.
· Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement: Richard West.
· Joint Committee on Tax Policy: Rep. Ben Baker.
· Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight: Rep. Don Mayhew.
· Missouri Works Job Training Joint Legislative Oversight Committee: Rep. Willard Haley, Louis Riggs, and Bridget Walsh Moore.
Minority Leader John Rizzo made appointments…
· Joint Committee on Tax Policy: Sen. Steven Roberts.
· Missouri HealthNet Oversight Committee: Sen. Tracy McCreery.
· Computer Science Education Task Force: Sen. John Rizzo.
President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden made appointments…
· Children's Trust Fund Board: Sen. Barbara Washington.
· Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment: Sen. Brian Williams.
· Joint Committee on Education: Sen. Greg Razer
· Joint Committee on Public Assistance: Sens. Lauren Arthur, Mary Elizabeth Coleman, Lincoln Hough, and Jill Carter.
· Cyber Crime Investigation Fund Panel: Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman.
· Joint Committee on Government Accountability: Sens. Ben Brown, and Nick Schroer.
· Joint Committee on Legislative Research: Sen. Ben Brown.
· Joint Committee on Tax Policy: Sens. Denny Hoskins, and Travis Fitzwater.
· Joint Committee on Rural Economic Development: Sen. Rusty Black.
· State Records Commission: Sen. Curtis Trent.
· Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention: Sens. Rusty Black, and Nick Schroer.
And
· Sen. Travis Fitzwater is now the co-chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight.
· Sen. Karla Eslinger resigned from the Joint Committee on Public Assistance.
Lobbyists Registrations
Andy Blunt added Republic Service, Inc.
Richard McIntosh and John Gaskin added Doorway Housing.
Richard McIntosh added WellSky Corporation.
Shawn Rhoads added Sexton Auctioneers.
Brittany Hyatt Robbins and Christopher Schoeman deleted Wireless Infrastructure Association.
Brittany Hyatt Robbins deleted Ernst & Young LLP.
Noel Torpey deleted Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Steve Jackson deleted National Council of Jewish Women.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to Ken Franklin.