MOScout Daily Update: House Perfects Budget - Gardner Eyes Re-election - Shandwick for Scharf - Lobbyists for Aldridge and more...

Budget Bits

The House perfected the state budget yesterday.  They got a late start and wrapped up around 10:30PM.  A few highlights (or lowlights depending how you view things)…

·       Rep. Doug Richey made hay with the Republicans’ current obsession over DEI adding an amendment to every department’s budget…  “No funds shall be expended for staffing, vendors, consultants, or programs associated with ‘Diversity, Equity, Inclusion,’ or ‘Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging,’ or any other initiative which similarly promotes: 1) the preferential treatment of any individual or group of individuals based upon race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, national origin, or ancestry; 2) the concept that disparities are necessarily tied to oppression; 3) collective guilt ideologies; 4) intersectional or divisive identity activism; or, 5) the limiting of freedom of conscience, thought, or speech. This does not prohibit the department from following federal and state employment and anti-discrimination laws.”

·       Childcare received a reprieve as $78 million in subsidies was added back in – an apparent olive branch to the governor’s office.  That’s one of his biggest priorities, though the I-70 funding, another big Parson legacy project, is still in limbo.

·       Democratic Rep. Deb Lavender narrowly lost an appeal to add $300 million to raise the wages of home care workers for people with disabilities.  Missouri Independent reports that it fell two votes short.

·       Rep. Tony Lovasco made the conservative case against the death penalty.  His amendment failed, but he was joined by 18 other Republicans, including Floor Leader Jon Patterson.  It’s an issue to watch in the future as the next front in criminal justice reform

Driving the Day: No Pay, No Play

Oral arguments before the Missouri Supreme Court this morning (9AM) will look at, among other issues, Missouri’s No Pay, No Play law which says uninsured drivers can’t sue for non-economic damages in an accident.

·       See a Brown & Cruppen explainer of the law here.

·       See the Bridegan v Turntine brief here.

Gardner Aims for Re-election, Not Resignation

Post-Dispatch’s Katie Kull reports that “St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner said Tuesday she will run for reelection next year and is ‘not afraid’ of ongoing efforts by state lawmakers to remove her from office and strip her of her power. A packed sanctuary of supporters at the West Side Missionary Baptist Church on Page Boulevard stood and applauded as Gardner launched into a fiery speech decrying ‘unelected’ Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s lawsuit seeking her removal. Bailey, who took office in January, was appointed by Gov. Mike Parson after Eric Schmitt was elected to the U.S. Senate.”

Shadwick for Scharf

According to a recent fundraising invite, Meredith Gibbons Shadwick has joined Will Scharf’s campaign for attorney general.

Next month’s quarterly filing will probably show more information on who’s hooked up with various campaigns.

·       Shadwick is the daughter of lobbyist Mike Gibbons.  She’s previously fundraised for several Republicans, including Eric Greitens and Eric Schmitt.

What’s Going on in Springfield?

Springfield News Leader reports on an anonymous flier without a “paid for” disclosure circulating ahead of next week’s hot school board election.  Read it here.

·       It also alleges students are exposed to "woke ideology" and "explicit sexual material."

·       The unsigned flyer arrived in neighborhood mailboxes last week in an envelope with no return address. Included in the envelope were official campaign mailers from the two candidates supported by the flyer, Landon McCarter and Chad Rollins… Rollins said the unsigned letter or flyer was also not from his campaign but he knew it had been sent. He did not disclose who sent it.

·       "It was written by a supporter who had reached out to me and wanted to support me in my candidacy and has asked to remain anonymous," he wrote.

Lobbyists Back Aldridge

The campaign of Rep. Rasheen Aldridge, running for St Louis Alderman in next week’s election, has received a boost from lobbyists.

Among the names on his latest filing: Kate Casas ($500), Tricia Workman ($500), Nexus Group ($500), Garrett Webb ($250), Dave Sweeney ($250), and HBS MO State PAC ($250).

Shrooms to House Floor

Rep. Dan Houx’s HB 1154 is expected to come to the House floor for debate today.  It would allow the use of psychedelics for therapy in limited settings.

·       It earlier passed out of the Veterans Committee with a unanimous bipartisan 11-0 vote.

Missouri Agrees Files 4 More IPs

Missouri Agrees filed 4 more initiative petitions yesterday.  That brings their total of IPs filed to 19.  They appear to trying to find the right combination of reforms and “ballot candy” to bring before the voters in 2024.

·       Missouri Agrees is backing approval voting which splits Republicans as some think it will help elect better politicians and others are weary that it will create a path for more moderates to win.

eMailbag on Ballot Candy

Citizenship as a requirement for voting is already in the constitution. Missouri cities cannot allow non-citizens to register. HJR43 is illusory.

Lobbyists Registrations

Ron Berry added Empower Missouri (formerly Mo Association For Social Welfare).

Jake Silverman added Primary Marking System, Inc.

$5K+ Contributions

Spirit of Missouri - $62,500 from RightCHOICE Managed Care, Inc.

UAW Region 4 Midwest States PAC (MO) - $12,000 from Midwest State Cap Exchange.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Rep. Kemp Strickler, Will Scharf, Sean Grove, Zachary Brunnert, Nathan Beard, Ellen Brandom, and Neal C. St. Onge.