MOScout Daily Update: Whac-A-Mole Senate - Realtors Oppose IP Changes - Freedom Caucus Rally Today - KS Gov Claims Chiefs and more…

Whac-A-Mole Senate

Sen. Bill Eigel was seemingly appeased by the movement on the IP bills and finally willing to sit and let the gubernatorial appointments go through.  But then it was Sen. Mike Moon who stood and picked up a book.  Moon was seeking his revenge on former Sen. Dan Hegemann.  Hegemann is slated to join the Highway Commission, but Moon recalled that he refused to help when Moon once wanted to override one of Governor Mike Parson’s vetoes.  So, he stood and read and filibustered.

That started around 5:30PM and here we are around 5:30AM.  At some point in the night, Moon was relieved by Sen. Nick Schroer who took up the filibuster.  And now, Sen. Denny Hoskins is holding the floor.

Sen. Travis Fitzwater tweeted a little at 4AM… Books read on the #moleg Senate floor on Jan 29-30th, ranked:

1. Darwin’s Black Box (Basically: evolution is dumb)

2. A book on Ireland

3. Whatever Mike Moon read

Why It Matters

There’s a school of thought that the Conservative Caucus/Freedom Caucus is playing the long game here.  The idea is that if they can abuse the filibuster to the point where, in order to function, the Senate must change its rules and do away with the filibuster – the prime tool that Democrats have to force compromise – then the Senate would operate like the House where the minority party can do little to influence legislation.

Former Democratic Minority Leader Victor Callahan used to say that there should be very very few issues on which you’d filibuster and therefore very very few issues in which you’d PQ (cut off debate).

That view has been discarded.  The inability of the Senate to approve gubernatorial appointments without sustaining multiple stalls and filibusters shows how commonplace the tool has become.

Realtors Oppose IP Changes

The Realtors’ chief lobbyist, Sam Licklider, testified very succinctly about initiative petition reform at yesterday’s Senate Local Government and Elections Committee.  The committee was hearing a dozen Republican proposals.  Licklider said the Realtors were against all the bills. “We are opposed to any change in the initiative process, period.”

Republicans have been focused on getting passing IP reform this session, but there’s the other step in the process too: getting the voters to agree with their changes.

·       The Realtors PAC has $1 million cash on-hand according to their January filing, and can quickly summon more if they go the mattresses.

·       The Realtors anted $200,000 into Missourians for Fair Governance, a committee apparently ready to defeat IP changes.

·       MOScout/Remington polling last weekend showed the proposed changes start below 50% approval.

The bills are scheduled to be voted out of committee today, though with the all night filibuster we’ll see if the Senate Election Committee meets.

Freedom Caucus in Punchbowl

Punchbowl News reports on the State Freedom Caucus network…

·       The Freedom Caucus has state chapters in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, Arizona, Missouri, Illinois, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Georgia.

·       A thorn in the side: Freedom Caucus members often infuriate their GOP colleagues. It’s no different at the state level.

·       In the Missouri Senate, Republican leadership stripped four members of its Freedom Caucus chapter from their committee chairmanships due to their hardball floor tactics.

·       More than a dozen members of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus were also booted from their GOP Caucus. They refused to sign a loyalty pledge vowing not to campaign against sitting Republican colleagues.

·       Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), who has been frustrated by his conservative colleagues in Congress, criticized the expansion of the group… “The Freedom Caucus has morphed into an organization that is counterproductive to accomplishing our goals as conservatives,” Scott told us. “There’s nothing conservative about voting procedurally with Democrats.”

And

Today in the capitol (11AM), the Freedom Caucus is rallying grassroots Republicans to come and show their support.  “Let your voice be heard! Senate leadership must stop silencing the voices of conservatives!”

Federal Bits

·       Axios reports that “the House GOP's top tax writer doesn't just face blowback over the surprise deal he unveiled this month: Now the background chatter suggests Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) could lose his gavel… Removing a sitting chairman before the end of their three-term limit would be unusual… Multiple GOP lawmakers fumed about how negotiations on the bipartisan tax deal were handled. GOP critics said key members weren't consulted on negotiations. Some members learned of the deal on social media, a senior committee source told Axios.”

·       Punchbowl reports that the “Justice Department is investigating a House Democrat for allegedly misusing security funds from their Member’s Representational Allowance, according to multiple sources familiar with the probe. The House Sergeant at Arms’ office announced it was subpoenaed by the Justice Department during a routine disclosure on the floor as the House returned from a week-long recess… In 2017, after nearly a decade of unprecedented threats toward members of Congress, the House passed a bill that increased each office’s MRA by $25,000 to pay for security when lawmakers are away from the Capitol.”

Kansas Usurps Missouri on Football Bet

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly made a football bet with the Maryland governor before the playoff game last weekend.

One lobbyist worried that “57 is having a total meltdown” over the Kansas gov pretending that the Chief play on her side of the state line.

·       Hopefully, Team Parson nails down the Superbowl bet quickly with Californian governor Gavin Newsom.

New Committees

·       Protect Majority Rule was formed.  It’s a campaign committee to support a “statewide ballot measure to protect majority rule and direct democracy.”  But my guess is that it could be a vehicle to fight concurrent majorities IP reform.  Its treasurer is Democratic fundraiser Mike Pridmore.  See the filing here.

·       HICK PAC was formed.  HICK stands for Honesty, Integrity, Commitment & Kommunity PAC.  It’s kin support of Rep. Gary Bonacker.  Its treasurer is Jeff Roorda.  See the filing here.

$5K+ Contributions

Lincoln PAC - $20,000 from Rightpath PAC.

Club for Growth Action - Missouri Federal Committee - $20,000 from Carlos Zaffirini (Austin, TX).

PG PAC - $7,500 from The Penman Group.

Lobbyist Registrations

Ginna Rivera added BJC Healthcare Systems.

Tom Stewart added Secure Democracy USA.

Eapen Thampy added Vapor Maven MO.

Noel Torpey added Promontory 150 LLC c/o Platform Ventures, LLC.

Ginger Steinmetz added Richard Wiles & Associates, Sam Wiles, Mastercard Worldwide, and Missouri Wholesale Distributors Association.       

Jean Evans deleted DSL Consulting Group.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Chuck Caisley.