MOScout Daily Update: Arthur Shakes Fist at Brattin - Supremes Slice MO Approps Power - ACU Ratings - Burlison Joins Freedomers and more...
Arthur Shakes Fist at Brattin
Yesterday, the Missouri Independent wrote about the bill on Governor Mike Parson’s desk for shared child custody. Read it here.
On social media, Sen. Lauren Arthur growled that the bill didn’t include language she was promised it would include.
She tweeted: To clarify, the bill without negotiated language was only allowed to pass the senate with a public commitment from the bill sponsor that he would amend it to the negotiated language in the House. Breaking one’s promise is a big deal in the Senate, and there are consequences.
She’s referring to this exchange from April 3 on the Senate floor.
Arthur: So, this is not final language.
Rick Brattin: Correct.
Arthur: We’re saying it publicly. I have your word that we’re going to keep working on this…
Brattin: Well, I want to thank you for being willing to work with me and for trusting my word. For the body, we will come to an agreement and that will definitely make its way, and we will follow this and it will be in this. And yes, you have my absolute vow that it will do so. And if that isn’t able to be met or reached I’ll work to even have it removed, where I’m standing up by my word on that.
What It Means
Everyone, update your “Senate Feuds, Grudges and Timebombs Spreadsheet.”
1 Big Thing: MOSupremes Decision
The Missouri Supreme Court, in a tight 4-3 ruling, said that the state legislature lacked authority over Conservation Commission funds.
The Court held that “the General Assembly lacks the authority to restrict the Conservation Commission from using its funds for these constitutionally enumerated purposes. In passing HB 2019, the General Assembly, invaded the constitutional authority of the Conservation Commission by attempting to limit the constitutionally enumerated purposes for which the Conservation Commission could use its funds.”
It was a clash of the legal titans with former governor Jay Nixon, Jim Layton, and Heidi Doerhoff representing the Commission, and Jesus Osete representing the legislature, and the Office of Administration.
· Interesting to note: Nixon argued before two justices he appointed (George Draper, and Paul Wilson); they both sided with him.
· Also: the decision came 600 days after oral argument, suggesting that there was likely some give-and-take, push-and-pull wrangling for the court to find its majority coalition.
What It Means
This will likely be viewed by the legislature – especially the Republican supermajority – as one more slice at their appropriations power from the “black robes across the street.”
· They were frustrated when previously trying to block funds from going to Planned Parenthood.
· Now, they’ve lost against the Conservation Committee.
· And, this decision “tees up,” in the words of one court-watcher, the case in Cole County Court, a tussle over the legislature’s appropriation power over the Missouri Department of Transportation.
$$$ Watch
We’re about two weeks until the end of the quarter. So, it’s a little early for the check frenzy. But yesterday a big one hit - $100K for Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe’s American Dream PAC.
It came from Bob Brinkmann, topper at Brinkmann Construction. It’s the largest contribution Brinkmann has given a pol. His political contributions last year: Back the Blue PAC ($7.5K), Uniting Missouri PAC ($5K), Plocher For Missouri ($2K), Citizens for Jeff Myers ($2K), and Friends of Ben Keathley ($1K).
· In 2016, Brinkmann gave to both Chris Koster ($20K) and Eric Greitens ($10K).
ACU Rating
Last week, The American Conservative Union released their 2022 vote scorecards. See the ratings here. This covers the 2022 legislative session, not the one that just ended.
The senators scoring 100% were all Conservative Caucus members: Rick Brattin, Eric Burlison, Bill Eigel, Andrew Koenig, and Bob Onder.
What It Means
One Republican thinks it’s “100% certain these scores will be used to setup primaries and extend the Republican internal struggle.”
Republicans up for a re-election with lower ratings…
· Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder – 64%
· Sen. Karla Eslinger – 63%
· Sen. Jason Bean – 56%
· Sen. Elaine Gannon – 53%
Burlison Joins Freedom Caucus
The Hill reports that “The House Freedom Caucus has picked up two new members in the wake of a nearly weeklong revolt that brought floor action to a halt. Reps. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) and Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) have joined the conservative caucus…”
Grain Belt Wins Approval in Kansas
Invenergy cheers approval of the Grain belt project in Kansas. Press release: Today, the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) granted a request to amend the existing regulatory approvals for the Grain Belt Express transmission project. The approval will give Grain Belt Express the ability to finance and construct the project in two phases, the first phase being from Kansas to the Missouri interconnection point, which will allow Kansas to realize the economic benefits of the line more quickly.
Schmitt Speech
Watch a bit of Senator Eric Schmitt’s maiden speech on the Senate floor here.
· “Missourians are tough, and honest, and have always been skeptical of the federal government a thousand miles away telling them how to live their lives.”
Yikers!
Press release: The State of Missouri Office of Administration, Information Services and Technology Division (OA-ITSD), is investigating the potential impact to Missouri after a network of cyber criminals launched a global attack on private entities and multiple state governments. Based upon a release by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, this cyber-attack is believed to have originated when a ransomware gang exploited a vulnerability in a third-party transfer system called MoveIT… This investigation is ongoing. Public notice will be made as quickly as possible once entities, individuals, or systems who may have been impacted are identified.
Remember John Wood?
From Politico’s Influence… “John Wood, a former lawyer for the since-disbanded House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol and former Missouri Senate candidate, has joined Holland & Knight as a partner in the public policy and regulation group, where he’ll focus on Hill investigations as well as national security issues and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Wood was a senior investigative counsel and of counsel to the Jan. 6 Select Committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) before mounting an unsuccessful third-party bid for Senate last year….”
Lobbyists Registrations
Gamble & Schlemeier added City of Riverside.
$5K+ Contributions
American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $100,000 from Robert Brinkmann.
Hruza for Missouri - $11,240 from George Hruza.
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $6,185 from American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, Inc.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays Rep. Dirk Deaton and Judi Roman.