MOScout Daily Update: Plocher's Pantry - Hewkin Hits Henderson - Ratliff Exits HRCC and more...

Plochers’ Pantry

Missouri Independent reports on Speaker Dean Plocher’s renovations.  Read it here.

·       For four years, state Rep. Mike Stephens occupied prime real estate on the third floor of the Missouri Capitol. His office in room 306B certainly wasn’t the biggest in the space-starved statehouse, where staff often work out of musty, windowless rooms, and many lawmakers are stacked on top of each other in non-ADA compliant mezzanines. But Stephens’ office was steps away from the House chamber…

·       But in late 2022, he got word he’d be moving down the hall.

·       House Speaker Dean Plocher took over that space and converted it into what has been jokingly referred to as his “butler’s pantry,” a makeshift storage room stocked with liquor, beer, wine and soda to complement the supply in his office.

·       The move was part of a $60,000 renovation of Plocher’s office in late 2022 and early 2023, paid for with public funds by the House. Half the costs stemmed from expenses resulting from repairs to walls, baseboards and ceilings in the speaker’s office.

·       The other half, according to records obtained by The Independent through Missouri’s Sunshine Law, went towards new furnishings — to the tune of about $29,000, including $8,600 for a black leather sofa and armchairs, $2,500 for a new walnut table, $2,500 for a refrigerator with an ice maker, $5,000 for a custom cabinet to hold the refrigerator and $385 for two walnut trash can bins.

What It Means

Not a lot.  Plocher’s LG bid was already going to be sunk by a 30-second double dipping ad.  Now if his opponents need a second nail, they can add $60,000 taxpayer-funded renovations.

Hewkin Hits Henderson

The Senate 3 Republican primary is going to be a slugfest.  Immediately after Rep. Mike Henderson announced, John Hewkin threw the first punch.  See it here.

Today Representative Mike Henderson declared his candidacy for the state senate in the upcoming Republican primary. This did not come as a surprise as I have been told by numerous folks throughout the district that the plan was for Senator Gannon to announce she would not run shortly before filing to help give her hand picked successor, Representative Henderson, the best chance at securing the nomination.  Gannon is right to believe that electing Henderson would essentially be four more years of Gannon’s liberal leadership.  It is vital for voters to examine the records of those seeking public office, especially in Missouri where now many Democrats run as Republicans knowing that is the only way they can get elected in certain parts of the state like ours. Representative Henderson's voting history raises concerns about his commitment to conservative principles.

·       Hewkin was willing to challenge an incumbent so throwing a few punches based on voting record has been something he was prepared to do. Expect him to aggressively target Henderson's record throughout the entirety of the campaign.

Ratliff Exits HRCC

Word is that Jonathan Ratliff is leaving the House Republican Campaign Committee where he’s been executive director for several cycles.

In some respects, it’s a thankless job as Republicans have become accustomed to winning Election Nights even as their supermajorities have stretched into swing and even Democratic districts.  In 2022, House Republicans lost 4 seats. But it’s worth understanding that Republicans won all the districts that Trump won in 2020.  The battleground districts were all in Biden-won districts. 

·       Ratliff’s departure comes soon after HRCC’s political director Chase Campbell left to join the Winton Policy Group.  Campbell was seen as a potential successor to Ratliff.

Lobbyists Registrations

Guillermo Villa Trueba added Missouri Catholic Conference.

$5K+ Contributions

Gromowsky for Prosecutor - $15,000 from Wagstaff & Cartmell.

Osage River Gaming and Convention - $37,500 from RIS, Inc.

House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $10,000 from HCA Missouri Good Government Fund.

Liberty and Justice PAC (pro-Bailey) - $20,000 from Reynolds Services Company (Winston-Salem, NC).

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Sen. Andrew Koeing, Rep. Barry Hovis, Don Rone, Virginia Young, John Combest, Duane Lester, and Brendan Lind.

Friday: Shannon Cooper, and Casey Burns.

Saturday: Paul Wieland, Lindell Shumake, Caitlin Whaley, and Joe Palm.

Sunday: John Cauthorn.

Christmas: David Christian.

Tuesday: Sen. Tracy McCreery, Todd Richardson, Ben Travlos, Jacob Scott, Stanley Cox, and Allison Onder.

MOScout Schedule

I’m off for a loooooong weekend.  I’ll be off through Tuesday, December 26.  See you Wednesday morning bright and early!