MOScout Daily Update: Scoop: Rowden Eyes SOS 2024 - Why Eigel Doesn't Pivot - Other 2024 Names - What Spy Balloon Means for Farm Land Bill and more...

Scoop: Rowden Eyes Statewide

Senate Pro Tem Caleb Rowden is talking to donors about a possible 2024 statewide bid. Rowden is said to be eying the secretary of state position.

·       Rowden flirted with a congressional run in 2020, but ultimately decided that he wasn’t passionate about going to DC.

·       Rowden’s campaign committee only has $84,000, and his PAC has around $48,000; but Rowden is a proven fundraiser.

·       Speaker Dean Plocher has been mentioned as a possible SOS candidate as well, but he could shift to LG if Rowden pulled the trigger

And

Ahead of this weekend’s Lincoln Days there are a bunch of names being floated for statewide office.  We’ll see who starts showing signs of being serious (raising money, attending out of the way gatherings).  Folks to watch…

·       Sen. Jason Bean

·       Sen. Denny Hoskins

·       Former state senate candidate George Hruza

·       Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer

·       Rep. Michael O’ Donnell

·       Speaker Dean Plocher

·       Sen. Holly Rehder

·       Greene County Commissioner John Russell

·       Rep. Adam Schwadron

·       Budget Chair Cody Smith

Meanwhile Eigel…

I had assumed that Sen. Bill Eigel, after exploring the governor’s bid, would pivot to a down-ballot statewide race.  However, I heard from two building denizens who shake their head and tell me they don’t see that happening.

They think Eigel, often frustrated by the difficulty in achieving public policy change, wouldn’t run for a “do-nothing” position.  He’ll either run for governor where he can have a big impact or he won’t run at all.

And

Just a reminder about how early we are in this gubernatorial race…  Here’s a MOScout/Remington poll from February 2016.  It shows how much can change in a statewide race between the initial name ID and once folks start following a race.  Right now, we’re a year earlier in the cycle than this poll was in 2016.

February 28, 2016

Q: The candidates in the Republican primary election for Missouri Governor are Catherine Hanaway, Peter Kinder, John Brunner and Eric Greitens. If the election were held today, for whom would you vote?

Peter Kinder: 28%

Catherine Hanaway: 15%

John Brunner: 12%

Eric Greitens: 6%

Undecided: 39%

China Spy Balloon JCity Impact?

Rep. Mike Haffner’s bill to limit foreign ownership of Missouri’s farmland will be heard in a Rules Committee this afternoon.  It would prevent China from buying any more agricultural land in Missouri.

·       Farm Bureau is in favor of the bill, but Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Missouri Realtors testified in opposition.

·       The bill passed out of committee with bipartisan unanimity.

·       One House source thinks the China Spy Balloon incident will give this bill even more lift.

Driving the Day: MODoT Hearing

The Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight meets today (1PM) to receive an annual report from Missouri Department of Transportation Director Patrick McKenna.

It could be a venue for legislative grumbling about important department and its director.  We’ll see…

1 Big Thing: Bong in Boliver

Marijuana is now legal in Missouri, and the Springfield News Leader reports that the second largest bong in the United States is in Governor Mike Parson’s hometown of Bolivar. Read about it here.  

·       Standing 11 feet tall and weighing 150 pounds, the bong is known as "The Reactor."

·       The bong is housed at Weedman and Glassman, a wholesale tobacco product distributor in Bolivar. [Joesph] Spina co-owns Weedman and Glassman with his business partner Jasen Trackey, but the two prefer to be called Morty Glassman and Rick Weedman.

Gubby Appts

Governor Mike Parson announced the appointment Carl W. Yates III as Associate Circuit Judge for the 23rd Judicial Circuit.

eMailbag

If we only eliminate the State Corp tax, which is already lower than virtually every other state, and has no affect on LLC’s, Sole proprietors, Partnerships and Sub S corps…….. businesses will come flooding into MO?

Lobbyists Registrations

Kyler Blodgett added PeopleForBikes Coalition.

Nexus added GoGuardian.                        

Susan Beth Griffith added Certified Alternative Medicine Providers, LLC.

James Harris added Contemporary Productions.

Mark Rhoads added JLC Services, Inc.        

Strategic Capitol Consulting added 8X LLC.

Frederic Mathes Steinbach, and Benjamin Douglas Singer added Show Me Integrity Education Fund.

Anthony Willingham added Electrify America.     

Andy Arnold deleted Iowa 80 Group Inc, and Barkley Inc.            

$5K+ Contributions

Missouri Forward PAC (pro-Rowden) - $10,000 from J & J Ventures Gaming of Missouri.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rep. Doyle Justus.