MOScout Daily Update: Moon Eats a Senate Day - Exclusive: Poll STL CA - HJR43 Conference: 57% and more...
4 Days Left
Yesterday Sen. Mike Moon gave an emotional explanation his absence last week. He went to visit his ailing dad.
Then soon afterward, he stood to object that SB 45. This was the extension of Medicaid benefits for postpartum care. Moon wanted a change in definition about when life began. But the Senate approved the conference committee report last week when he was gone.
Moon then stood in filibuster for a few hours to hold up business until Floor Leader Cindy O’Laughlin adjourned for the day.
And just like that, one day is gone. Poof. Four days left.
Exclusive: Poll on Potential STL Circuit Atty Replacements
Lots of names are being floated to replace St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner. And it seems someone is polling on the issue.
A copy of the poll made its way to my in-box. It shows Sen. Steven Roberts as the favorite by city voters, though this is clearly a measure of his much higher name ID than the other possibilities.
See the poll here.
You may have heard the news that St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner has resigned her post
effective June 1st. Her replacement will be appointed by Governor Mike Parson to fill the seat
until next year's election. Now considering the potential candidates for appointment, which ONE candidate would you most prefer? Those names again are...
Respondents were required to make a single selection from the list of named candidates or say they are uncertain.
Judge Paula Bryant: 11%
Attorney Gabriel Gore: 1%
Attorney Michael Gras: 4%
Attorney Patrick Hamacher: 6%
Attorney David Mueller: 0%
Judge Mike Mullen: 6%
Judge Michael Noble: 10%
State Senator Steve Roberts: 47%
Attorney Marvin Teer: 1%
Attorney Ashley Walker: 10%
What It Means
It’s unclear how the governor’s office is approaching this appointment. He could view it as a one-year “caretaker” job, someone to reconstruct the office, but unlikely to run for re-election in 2024. Or he could aim to appoint someone who could bring stability to the office by running for re-election.
· Looking at electability might eliminate Gabe Gore, who is not a city resident, but advance Roberts’ candidacy as some who’s won elective office in the city – and starts with high name ID.
And
One source says that Hamacher is “traveling to Jefferson City this week.” The implication seems to be that he’s on the list to be interviewed by the governor’s office. We’ll see…
IP Reform Conference Report
Yesterday the conference committee on HJR 43 met and agreed on a conference report. See it here.
· It keeps the threshold to pass a constitutional amendment at 57%, but dropped the concurrent majorities language.
· It makes IP statutory changes safe from legislative meddling for 3 years.
· And of course, keeps the citizens only voting language, placing that first in the ballot title.
The conference report was signed by the six Republicans, but not by the four Democrats, presaging party line votes for final passage.
However, Republican Sen. Bill Eigel may resist the compromise. He’d signaled earlier in the process that he thought the concurrent majorities language was an important provision. We’ll see if it’s a battle he wants to pick in these waning days.
Jones Pushes for House Tax Cut Bill
Former Speaker Tim Jones, along with Grover Norquist, penned an op/ed arguing for the legislature to pass HB 816 which cuts the income tax rate and corporate tax rate. See it here.
The clock has pretty much run out on HB 816. It was passed by the House in March and hasn’t received its Senate hearing yet. (Senate Appropriations doesn’t have any hearings scheduled.)
But one of its provisions – making Social Security benefits tax-free was passed yesterday in SB 190.
· Rep. Ann Kelly on Facebook yesterday called on the Senate to pass SB 190 – “The House passed SB190 (154-yes, 2-no) and now it is up to the Missouri Senate to do what is right for the seniors in our state.” She will be happy to hear that the House actually TAFPed the bill.
WSJ on Child Care
Wall Street Journal looks at why on-site childcare hasn’t worked out for employers. Read it here.
· “There’s glitter in being able to say, we’re building an on-site [center], here’s an artist depiction, it’s going to be so cool,” says Mr. Dillon, who retired this year after a 24-year career at Toyota, one of the earliest pioneers of on-site child care in manufacturing.
· Yet on-site daycare can be cost-prohibitive for companies and inconvenient for workers, he says. The money, he argues, is often better spent on subsidizing families in need of care, which in turn supports local child-care providers.
Lobbyists Registrations
Jeffrey Peate added Cheyne Capital US, LP.
David Sweeney added The Eagle Point Companies.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to John Ashcroft, Scott Penman, Brett Dinkins, and Gregg Keller.