MOScout Daily Update: GOP Agenda Chugs On - More on GOP Statewides - Knock Them Doors! - Distracted Drivers and more...

1 Big Thing: Republican Agenda Chugs Along…

We’re about a month into the legislative session with a month to go until Spring Break, and so far there’s been no major disruptions or drama.  The Republican supermajority has avoided the infighting that has characterized recent sessions.

·       There was a near miss between the Senate and the governor’s office over his Transportation Commission appointments. 

·       And yesterday, The Senate averted Sen. Mike Moon tantrum devolving into a filibuster. (No one could tell me why Moon was upset, rumors were that he and Sen. Justin Brown has a dust-up over transgender bills in the Emerging Issues Committee where Brown is chair and Moon is vice-chair.  One source, shrugged that they just don’t get along.)

But still the peace is intact, and the Republican agenda is chugging forward…

·       The Senate is thought to be working behind the scenes to close in on a deal on Sen. Andrew Koenig’s Parents Bill of Rights bill.

·       House Rules Committees yesterday passed out a couple more priority bills: Rep. Lane Roberts’ crime bill, and Rep. Mike Haffner’s anti-China farm land bill.

Wednesday…

·       Senate Floor Leader Cindy O’Laughlin indicated that the Senate will do floor debate after the State of the Judiciary.

·       The House Emerging Issues Committee will hear sports betting bills, another top priority.

More on Possible GOP Statewides

I ran an initial list yesterday of folks who have had their names floated as possible statewide candidates in 2024.  Here’s some feedback I received…

ADDITIONS

·       Folks see Sen. Lincoln Hough as a possible statewide candidate. He’s a strong fundraiser from a good part of the state with money already on-hand ($264,000 in his candidate committee and $148,000 in his PAC).

·       Another possible name is Carrie Almond who apparently was short-listed for the treasurer appointment.  Plus, one source adds, “She could possibly have a good fundraising network due to her involvement with NFRW.”

SUBTRACTIONS

·       Folks see Sen. Jason Bean running for a second term rather than statewide at this time.

·       George Hruza, who lost to Tracy McCreery for Senate 24, is expected to run for Dean Plocher’s seat in 2024 – not statewide.

Knock Them Doors

New York Magazine has an article about Democratic avoided “the Red wave” last fall.  Read it here. 

[A]ccording to Aaron Kleinman, director of research for Future Now (parent organization of The States Project), research privately available to Democratic groups has found that few things have greater potential to change a voter’s allegiance than a personal conversation with the actual candidate. It is impractical to dedicate much of a candidate’s time to personally knocking on doors in an election for a statewide office or even for a House district, but state legislative districts are so small that a sufficiently committed candidate can actually win a meaningful number of votes by hitting doorsteps.

Distracted Driving

Kaiser Health News reports that Missouri is one of two states without a full distracted driver law on the books.  Reps. Jeff Porter and Tony Lovasco, and AAA’s Angela Nelson get quoted. Read it here.

·       Max Herrick pulled over on the interstate near Harrisonville, Missouri, on a spring night in 2020 to offer antifreeze to a woman whose car had overheated... Just moments later, a truck driver trying to text his wife a picture of the hand sanitizer he had purchased swerved onto the shoulder and plowed into the vehicles… Herrick became one of at least 382 people who died in Missouri crashes involving a distracted driver from 2017 through 2021, according to the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety.

FYI

The Senate Transportation Committee will hear bills from Sens. Jason Bean and Greg Razer about distracted on Wednesday (8AM)

Limestoners

Press release: Missouri Limestone Producers Association (MLPA) today announced the launch of its new statewide recruitment campaign, Let’s Rock Missouri, to attract new talent in Missouri’s vital crushed stone industry. “As one of the top-producing limestone states in the country, our industry is a great place to start and grow your career,” said Dan Kleinsorge, MLPA executive director...

Stoners

Press release: On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, marijuana dispensaries sold $12,689,965 worth of product on the opening weekend of adult use sales in Missouri… Out of the $12.7 million in opening weekend sales in Missouri, $4.2 million worth of marijuana was purchased by Missouri medical marijuana patients, while $8.5 million were adult use purchases.

eMailbag

·       Regarding your corporate income tax reader’s comment. There are two states without a corporate income tax. And neither of those states are home to any Fortune 500 companies. Zero.

·       The Chinese balloon wasn’t a spy balloon, it was just getting aerial photos of all the ag land owned by China! 

Help Wanted

WePower seeks Director of Political Strategy.  “Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Director of Political Strategy is an exempt full time employee. The DPS will be responsible for working with WEPOWER’s CEO to cast vision and strategy for developing and supporting aspiring public leaders who identify as Black and Latinx women, launching a membership model, and managing electoral campaigns that advance early childhood and economic policy…”  See the ad here.

New PACs

KC United PAC – Dan Fowler, treasurer.

Common Sense Kansas City PAC – Rob Durbin, treasurer.

NOCO United Professional FF PAC – Andrew Freihoff, treasurer.

Strengthening Education Together – April Smith, treasurer.           

Lobbyists Registrations

Jeff Aboussie added Building Resources.

Heath Clarkston and Doug Nelson added Lathrop GPM LLP, and Local Investment Commission.

James Freeman added Brad Nicholson.

Gamble & Schlemeier added KC Recycle & Waste Solutions.

Scott Penman and Kaycee Nail added Missouri Association of Area Agencies On Aging.

Henrio Thelemaque added NEXGEN Silica.

Eric Rogers added BikewalkKC.

$5K+ Contributions

Firefighters of North County PAC - $7,236 from Blackjack Union Firefighters Fund.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Trish Miller.