MOScout Daily Update: Senate Pass IP Reform, But... - Sauls for Senate 11 - House Defeats Gun Amendment and more...

Quick Friday update…

Senate Passes IP Reform, But…

The Senate quickly passed a resolution to ask voters to approve changes to the initiative petition process.  Democrats stood aside and let the measure pass after a compromise was hammered out.

·       The threshold for passage of constitutional amendments would rise to 57%.

·       The general assembly would be prohibited for five years from making changes to statutory laws enacted by IP.

Initially this appeared to be good news for Republicans.  They’d achieved one of their top goals for the session, and they’d cleared one of the potential legislative quagmires ahead of the final two-week sprint.

But that relief has given way to grumbling on the House side.

The Missouri Independent reports that “after the vote, Sam Licklider, lobbyist for the Realtors, said if the Senate version appears on a ballot, the Realtors will oppose it. ‘I am disappointed that the Senate elected to go with a piece of legislation that may be constitutionally suspect and hope that cooler heads will prevail,’ Licklider said.”  They’d wanted the threshold to be 54%

The Realtors have a fearsome volunteer army and political war-chest.  One lobbyist shook his head: Opponents to the proposal will now have a potent message (taking away your voice), and the means to spread that message.

·       That seems to be weighing on House Republicans; they don’t want to put something before voters that’s a loser.

·       But Republicans face a “frogs in the wheelbarrow” problem as some on the right want a more restrictive, and therefore harder to pass, measure.  Sen. Jill Carter, for example, proposed tightening the resolution to require that an IP vote win in rural areas of Missouri to pass.

BOTTOM LINE: IP reform ain’t done yet.

Gun Divide

The House passed SB 222 yesterday after adding a bunch of amendments.  One of the amendments that failed was proposed by Rep. Peter Merideth which would have allowed “any county or municipality in the state may by rule, regulation, order, or ordinance prohibit all children under eighteen years of age from carrying a firearm on public property.” It lost on a party line vote.

Earlier this year MOScout polling showed broad support for this idea.

Q1: Should it be illegal for an unaccompanied minor to possess a firearm on public property?

Yes, it should be illegal: 73%

No, it should not be illegal: 16%

Not sure: 11%

Sauls in Senate 11

Democratic Rep. Robert Sauls has announced he’s running for Senate 11.  It’s current held by Sen. John Rizzo.  He’s term-limited.  But due to redistricting the now Democratic district is now Republican-leaning.

·       Sauls has avoided knee-jerk liberal reactions and an ultra-progressive voting record.  But it will still be an uphill battle.

·       Donald Trump won the district by 11 points in 2020.

Sports Betting Statement

Statement from Sports Betting Alliance as the NFL Draft kicks off in Kansas City: The NFL draft in Kansas City tonight is putting a spotlight on Missourit's inability to pass sports betting despite the issue's overwhelming popularity.  Sports betting is legal in nearly every other adjacent state -- generating real revenue for those states and giving fans the chance to legally bet on their favorite teams. But year after year, despite overwhelming statewide support, fans are left behind as legislation hits the same political roadblocks in Jefferson City. Instead of using safe and regulated platforms, Missouri fans are forced to travel across state lines to bet on their home teams or use illegal and unsafe offshore betting websites. This means millions in lost revenue for the state and loss of potential funding for important projects and programs.  The Senate should pass SB 30 and end this standstill, once and for all.

Machettea Tragedy

Denver Police confirmed the shooting death in that city of Macy Machetta, 20-year-old daughter of long-time Missouri journalist Jessica Machetta, who now teaches in Denver. Jessica worked in Senate Communications in the early 2000's, along with years at Missourinet, KMOX and KTRS radio and Missouri Lawyers Weekly. She is well-known and remembered in Jefferson City, where she got her start in broadcasting at Lincoln University's KJLU. Authorities say Macy was slain by her estranged boyfriend in a vehicle outside her apartment, then he killed himself. Jessica has been joined in Denver by supportive family and close friends, who have established a fundraiser to help the family. Please keep Jessica and her family in your thoughts.

$5K+ Contributions

Credit Union Political Action Committee of Missouri - $10,000 from CommunityAmerica Credit Union.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Reps. Ashley Bland Manlove, David Casteel, and Adam Schnelting, Tina Shannon, and Brian Yates.