MOScout Weekender: Minimum Wage Leads IP Polling - Hallway on Stripping Chairmanships - Who Won the Week and more…
Remington/MOScout Poll: IPs
Survey conducted January 24 through January 25, 2024. 719 likely 2024 November Election voters participated in the survey. Survey weighted to match expected turnout demographics for the 2024 November Election. Margin of Error is +/-3.9% with a 95% level of confidence. Totals do not always equal 100% due to rounding. Survey conducted by Remington Research Group on behalf of Missouri Scout.
Q1: Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to allow the Missouri Gaming Commission to regulate licensed sports wagering in Missouri?
Yes: 29%
No: 39%
Not sure: 32%
Q2: Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to forbid foreign countries from funding initiatives, prohibit taxes on property by initiative, and require initiatives to pass in a majority of congressional districts to take effect?
Yes: 45%
No: 22%
Not sure: 33%
Q3: Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to remove Missouri’s ban on abortion, but allow abortions to be restricted or banned after Fetal Viability except to protect the life or health of the woman?
Yes: 52%
No: 30%
Not sure: 18%
Q4: Do you want to amend Missouri law to increase minimum wage next year to $13.75 per hour, and the following year to $15.00 per hour?
Yes: 55%
No: 35%
Not sure: 10%
MOScout’s Hallway Index: Senate War
I asked lobbyists, “Did Senate leadership make the right move in dealing with the Freedom Caucus?” 26 replies…
RESULTS
1. Yes… 53.8%
2. No… 30.8%
3. Not sure… 15.4%
Sample of Comments
· How does this help? Should have chosen a more effective punishment that actually strengthens the hand of leadership. This just gave Freedom Caucus what they wanted and did not remove any of the tools they have to cause trouble.
· Anyone who says it will backfire doesn’t really understand how conflict works.
· There no right ways to deal with the Freedom Caucus.
· At the time of my response, Eigel, Brattin, and Hoskins are the only three who have taken to the floor to retaliate. If leadership's moves exposed a fracture among the group, it was successful.
· Every potential response would elicit negative consequences, including doing nothing. For this session, it’s a disaster. But for the institution of the Senate, it was needed.
· This will allow them to portray themselves as the victims, and free up a lot of time to plan other disruptive activities.
· I voted yes but it doesn’t matter. They will still disrupt issues moving forward. Taking their parking pass was the best decision.
· It will make this session brutal AND if Rowden loses his primary/Eigel surges to an impressive finish, it will only empower Freedom Caucus membership further. Rowden’s actions show he lost his cool. Exactly what his opponent wanted. Primary contests are just that, primal.
· It’s always been clear most of the freedom caucus has little interest in actually governing, building relationships or putting in the work. What is more surprising is they have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and have gone from being in the supermajority with committee chairmanships and have rightfully been sent to their spot as the true minority party of the chamber through their own actions.
Who Won the Week?: SENATE WAR VERSION
Bill Eigel – Gotta assume this is playing out exactly as outlined in his campaign playbook: cause a big kerfuffle, amplify over social media, grab some free press, rinse and repeat.
Rusty Black – The folky senator from the Northwest had the most understated, yet zinging floor performance. He compared the Freedom Caucus to children needing discipline, and suggested the path to serenity is going Twitter-free.
Curtis Trent – The freshman comes out on top in the chamber’s turmoil. After flummoxing Eigel in an inquiry last week, this week he became the de facto education chair as he was given the gavel to the new Select Committee on Empowering Missouri Parents and Children.
Senate Democrats – Obviously Democrats win as Republicans spin their wheels and yell at each other.
$5K+ Contribution
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom (reproductive rights IP) - $100,000 from Emily Rauh Pulitzer.
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $75,000 from Sarah Rose.
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $40,000 from Jean Rosenthal.
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $40,000 from Hillary Anger Elfenbein.
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $25,000 from Ellen Schapiro and Gerald Axelbaum.
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $10,000 from Cynthia Metcalfe.
Missouri Stands With Women, Inc. (pro-life) - $5,001 from Diocese of Springfield - Cape Girardeau.
Committee for Liberty (pro-Ashcroft) - $10,000 from Kevin Perz (Leawood, KS).
Back on Track America PAC - $10,000 from Dianne Ely.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Jill Schupp, Mary Scruggs, and Dan Guenther.
Sunday: Van Kelly.