MOScout Daily Update: Green on JeffCity "Fascists" - Mosley, Brattin and Local Control - Sifton in 2024? - Quiet SOS Race - Baby Pics and more...

Green Decries “Fascist” JeffCity

St. Louis Business Journal’s Jacob Kirn reports that St. Louis Board President Megan Green threw some punches at Jefferson City in her inaugural address yesterday.  Read it here.

[Green] denounced a proposal to strip local control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, with a state Senate vote possible soon. But she also mentioned a possible ban on certain transgender health care procedures and the state House's move to defund libraries. "This isn't governance — it's fascism," Green said to applause at a City Hall ceremony. "It's anti-freedom of speech. It's anti-public safety. And it's antithetical to the principles on which this country was founded."

What It Means

The adversarial relationship between the state legislature and St. Louis continues.  St. Louis bristles at the intrusion of state government in areas from gun control to healthcare to how to deal with crime. 

There’s seemingly no détente occurring.  And there’s no reason for St. Louisans to think next session will be any different than this session.

Who’s Local? Who’s Control?

Sen. Angela Mosley’s SB 148 about street light maintenance districts brought questioning about the need for such districts from Sen. Rick Brattin.  Mosley basically told him to mind his own business.  Listen here.

Mosely: Do you represent a district in St. Louis County?.. Is your district in St. Louis County?

Brattin: It’s not. No. I’m just trying to wrap my head around why there’s an elected body and why we’re moving elections…

Mosely: I think you should wrap around what happens in your district. I’m just trying to help a district in mine.  I think you should help yours.  If you don’t see the need in yours, then that’s good.

Much as the first, item about St. Louis “bristling” at JeffCity “fascism,” the episode was a reminder that local control is a shape-shifting argument depending on the issue.  Brattin had previously invoked the notion when sparring with Sen. Nick Schoer over the landfill issue this session.  And when Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer came to Brattin’s defense declaring that senators should respect each other’s districts, Sen. Karla May asked why he was poking his nose in St. Louis City’s affairs when it comes to Kim Gardner.

SOS $$$

Not a lot of money action in the Republican primary for secretary of state.

Shane Schoeller raised the most, but it was a pretty muted effort.  Meanwhile Sens. Denny Hoskins and Caleb Rowden didn’t do any fundraising.

·       Hoskins raised $0, and has $96,539 on-hand.

·       Rowden raised $2,500, and has $81,483 on-hand.

·       Schoeller raised $33,475, and has $28,369 on-hand.

Also

·       Hoskins’ Old Drum Conservative PAC has $107K on-hand.

·       Rowdens’ Missouri Forward PAC has $112K on-hand.

Eyes on Senate 23

It was a fundraising draw in Senate 23 this last quarter, though Rep. Phil Christofanelli maintains an early lead over Rep. Adam Schnelting.

·       Christofanelli raised $18,401; spent $6,823; and has $161,424 on-hand.                                                            

·       Schnelting raised $16,670; spent $2,948; and has $58,027 on-hand.           

Federal Electeds With MO Money

When state electeds make it to DC, they sometimes still have some money left in their previous state campaign committee that they couldn’t use in their federal campaign.

What will come of these funds?  It’s unlikely they’re returned to donors.  Usually, they dwindle away through a combination of charitable donations and contributions to political allies.

Here are a few committees with funds sitting around…

·       Schmitt For Missouri: $128,984 cash on-hand.

·       Friends Of Eric Burlison: $407,123 cash on-hand.

Meanwhile

Former Sen. Scott Sifton’s committee (Scott Sifton For Missouri) still has $272,018 sitting in its bank account.  One lobbyist tells me Sifton might make a return, as a possible down-ballot statewide Democrat in 2024.

We’ll see…

KC Star: Parson Mum on Yarl

KCStar reports that “despite a growing chorus of elected officials who have condemned the shooting of Ralph Yarl, a Black 16-year-old Kansas City student, Missouri’s top statewide official has remained silent. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican whose term ends in 2025, has made no public statements about the shooting of Yarl, who was shot by a white man in the Northland on Thursday after ringing the doorbell at the wrong house while picking up his brothers. The Republican governor’s office has not responded to two emails from The Star over two days asking to weigh in on the shooting…”

“It is telling that the President of the United States can make time for a phone call to the family but our governor has yet to release a statement,” said state Rep. Maggie Nurrenbern

Baby Pics

State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick shows off Henry Thomas Fitzpatrick…

Lobbyist Sarah Wood Martin had a helper in the halls, William Roark Hummel…

Gubby Appts

Governor Mike Parson made two more appointments…

Garrett Jackson to the Missouri Western State University Board of Governors.

Nia C. Walker to the Lincoln University Board of Curators.

New Committees

Bryant Wolfin formed a candidate committee to run for House 145.  This is termed Rep. Rick Francis’ district (Ste. Genevieve).  Wolfin ran unsuccessfully against Rep. Dale Wright in 2020 (House 116). He garnered 41%.

Lobbyists Registrations

Nia Ray added Cigna Corporate Services LLC.

Ron Berry added Missouri Alliance For Animal Legislation, and Strategic Capitol Consulting LLC.

Gamble & Schlemeier deleted Milliman Inc., and Capitol Bridge LLC.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Jean Peters Baker, Bill Stouffer, Sylvester Taylor, and Bert Atkins.