MOScout Daily Update: Senate Slogs Through Budget - Kehoe PAC Hits Ashcroft - Parson Floats Trans Special Session - AFP To Rate Open Enrollment Vote and more...
Senate Slogs Through Budget
The Senate got a later start than I thought they would and then found itself mired for hours in the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Belonging) debate. It finally finished up passing the budget around 3:30AM this morning.
· Everyone’s headed to sleep. Morning hearings for the Senate have been canceled.
· Gubernatorial Appointments will take place at 2PM (Jeanne Sinquefield, wife to uber-donor Rex Sinquefield, is up for a spot on the University of Missouri Board of Curators).
· The Senate is set to reconvene at 3PM (I’ll be surprised if they’re in by 3:30…).
Sen. Denny Hoskins offered the DEI amendments. The first was ruled out of order, based on previous Missouri Supreme Court ruling. His second, simpler, amendment was narrowly defeated. Post-Dispatch’s Kurt Erickson writes about the DEI debate and other budget matters here.
· Meanwhile, today’s top headline in the Columbia Daily Tribune… “the city hired its first-ever diversity, equity and inclusion officer.”
But the main question for hallway-walkers is whether there’ll be lingering, and damaging, resentment between the factions within the Senate. And my guess is: Yes, there will be, but not really anymore than was already present.
And
Sen. Rick Brattin tried again to kill the south Kansas City landfill. This time (the third time he’s tried?), he tried with an amendment to DNR’s budget. His amendment failed 15-15. At some point, you risk a backlash with your colleagues if you keep throwing the same issue in their lap.
Kehoe PAC Draws First Blood
The pro-Mike Kehoe American Dream PAC released its first ad. It’s an attack ad, saying that Jay Ashcroft is soft on the issue of foreign ownership of Missouri land. See it here.
The ad cites Ashcroft’s testimony for Sen. Jason Bean’s SB 55, which aimed to reduce the threshold of land foreigners could own.
· We’re about 15 months away from the gubernatorial primary.
· The PAC has plenty of money, $2.5 million, so they’re going to start deploying it and narrowing the gap.
Other Lines
I’m actually surprised they’re starting with an issue ad. I had thought Kehoe’s first attack would be more to undermine the Ashcroft name as embodied by Jay Ashcroft. Two lines of attack suggested to me…
· Quotes and clips from John Ashcroft contrasted with quotes and clips from Jay Ashcroft to show the discontinuity.
· A contrast piece between the upbringings of Kehoe and Ashcroft, along the lines of self-made man and silver-spoon privilege.
Parson Speaks
Excerpts from Governor Mike Parson’s interview on the Pete Mundo’s radio show. Listen to it here.
· On KCStar: Kansas City Star is always just a liberal socialist agenda against people like me. And just because of who I am. One as a conservative, one as a Christian follower. That people like that just drive them crazy. And it’s unfortunate…
· On Missouri Gun Laws: This is not a gun issue. You can talk that all day long and I get the talking points on both sides. But the reality is you’ve got a society right now in some areas, especially these bigger cities, that you’ve got juveniles, young people out there, just absolutely on the loose committing crimes and everything. That’s not got anything to do with guns. It’s called law and order. And we’ve got to figure out how to control that. And what are we willing to do…
· Legislative Priorities: I-70 corridor (“one thing that really changes the needle in our state”), Childcare situation (“It’s not that I want to give anyone a handout… but, I’ll give you a hand-up all day long.”).
· Special Session for Trans Issues?: I don’t think there’s any question the legislators need to take action… And look we’re going to address that issue before this year’s out. I mean if they don’t get those two bills across the finish line by the end of session then we’re going to stay right there until we address those issues… We just can’t allow some of the agenda you see people today saying some 10-year old can make decisions…
Bailey Exits Case
Post-Dispatch and Missouri Independent report on Attorney General Andrew Bailey hiring outside counsel to take over a case dealing with grey machines after taking campaign contributions from those companies.
Post-Dispatch: Lawyers working for Attorney General Andrew Bailey withdrew last week from a lawsuit lodged against Missouri by a politically connected company that has flooded the state with unregulated slot machines. The action follows tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to a political action committee supporting Bailey from committees that have received contributions from the plaintiffs in the case.
Missouri Independent: Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office withdrew last week from a Cole County lawsuit accusing the Missouri State Highway Patrol of harassment and a “concerted campaign of threats” against companies that profit from video games offering cash prizes. Bailey, who is seeking a full term in office in 2024, has in recent months accepted large campaign contributions from political action committees linked to Steve Tilley, lobbyist for the two companies that brought the lawsuit against the state — Torch Electronics and Warrenton Oil.
AFP Open Enrollment Rated Vote
From: Jeremy Cady
Date: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 2:59 PM
Subject: AFP-MO Key Vote Alert: Vote YES on HB 253 - Open Enrollment
On behalf of thousands of Americans for Prosperity advocates in Missouri, I urge you to vote YES on HB 253. We may record this vote in our 2023 session legislative scorecard.
HB 253 establishes an Open Enrollment Program in Missouri, which allows any student beginning kindergarten or already enrolled in a public school to attend a participating public school in any nonresident district.
Anti-IP Reform Presser
Press advisory: Conservatives Against Corruption Coalition will call on Republican State Senators to defend Missouri’s ballot initiative process and reject any legislation that undermines the century-old Constitutional freedom at a 10:30AM press conference in the capitol today.
· Conservatives Against Corruption Coalition (see their website here) includes former Rep. Carl Bearden, former Sen. Rob Schaaf, and non-lobbyist Ron Calzone.
New Committees
Ray Reed formed a candidate committee to run for House 83 in 2024 as a Democrat. This is Rep. Sarah Unsicker’s seat. She’s term limited. Reed ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in Ann Wagner’s congressional district last year, getting 15% against Trish Gunby.
$5K+ Contributions
Missouri American Water Company Employees Political Action Committee - $10,000 from JH Berra Construction Co., Inc.
AGC of MO PAC - $5,800 from Collins & Hermann, Inc.
Lobbyists Registrations
Scott Swain and Andy Blunt added My Missouri.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Caleb Arthur, and George Hruza.