MOScout Daily Update: Thomas to O’Laughlin Office - Hoskins Transition - Scharf to White House - Fitz on PTC - Butz Jumps Into Senate 4 - New MODoT Director and more…
Thanks to all who filled my in-box while I zipped away for a long weekend with my wife and some friends. Let’s just run through those bits those morning and I’ll have more analysis on tomorrow….
Senate Staffing
Pat Thomas, currently chief of staff to Sen. Lincoln Hough, will be heading to work for incoming Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin in what many people believe will be the chief of staff position – if Drew Dampf ends up with the Kehoe Administration after his stint on the transition team.
· Additionally, Heidi Kolkmeyer is returning with the majority caucus staff.
Hoskins SOS Transition
As SOS-elect Denny Hoskins starts to put his new office together, his Senate chief of staff Amanda Bell and Republican consultant James Harris are leading the transition.
· Those interested in working in the Secretary of State’s office should email transition@dennyhoskins.com.
And
One reader fingers Harris as one of the big winners of the cycle. He “guided the first immigrant of this century to statewide office… that mother****er can navigate a GOP primary like nobody’s business… Hoskins, Malek, Onder, Henderson, Brattin…”
Butz Amends Committee
Fresh off being re-elected for a 4th term in the House, Rep. Steve Butz has amended his campaign committee to indicate that he’s running for Senate in 2026. The current senator, Sen. Karla May, is termed.
New MODoT Director
MOIndy reports on the new director at MODoT. “Closing out a four-month search for the Missouri Department of Transportation’s new director, a 40-year veteran of the department stepped up Wednesday as the unanimous choice of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. Ed Hassinger, who has been serving as interim director, told reporters in a press conference that increasing staffing levels is a top priority. He said the department has missed more than 2 million labor hours in the past decade — a result of pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic, high turnover rates, a reduction in the amount of incarcerated workers the department once relied on and other stressors.”
There’s a legislative ask ahead… “Hassinger said the department has ‘the resources’ but doesn’t have them available. The department will be asking for authorization to spend money currently in the Road Fund to pay 250 additional employees… The department asked the legislature for the money last year but was denied after lawmakers pointed to a large number of vacancies. Hassinger doesn’t expect to have the same issue this year, saying the department has ‘stopped the bleed’ and maintenance positions are anticipated to be full by July.”
But… on Facebook, incoming Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin wasn’t impressed with the pick.
· She wrote: “MODOT with an opportunity to move in a new direction has decided to promote a 40 year employee to Director. For continuity. We are looking for a new direction not more of the same.”
· And then later, “This is not a personal vendetta against anyone. This is much of the state’s residents, many of the contractors and many legislators. How do you ignore all of these and tell everyone this is ‘the best we can do.’ For continuity. Hello? The current path is not a good one so continuation of it is a mistake.”
MO Mapper: Razor Thin A2 Vote
On Twitter, the Missouri Mapper says that the most recent vote total from Christian County has reduced Amendment 2’s (sports betting) thin margin of victory down to a hair – “547 votes.”
· Still, MM doesn’t see it flipping to a fail. “I think I would still rather be ‘Yes’ at the moment, since provisional ballots have so far been breaking slightly towards ‘Yes’… For ‘No’ to win, there probably would have to be another appreciable tabulation / summation error in a different county. I suppose that's possible – though at the moment, nothing in the unofficial results jumps out to me to indicate that there is another error.”
Fitz Pans PTC Administration
Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick released a humdinger on the Property Tax Credit, giving it the dreaded “poor” rating. See the audit here.
Among the findings…
· The Department of Revenue (DOR) does not have adequate internal controls or processes over PTC eligibility determinations. “A review of claims noted the DOR system… approves ineligible claimants for the PTC; denies eligible claimants for the PTC; calculates the incorrect amount of the PTC based on the information provided by the claimant…”
· The credit is less useful. “Over time, the number of taxpayers eligible for the program have decreased due to static financial eligibility thresholds, and the value of the benefit provided to eligible taxpayers has been reduced over time due to inflationary factors. In addition, the DOR has not adequately notified potentially eligible taxpayers that have not filed a claim as required by state law.”
· And a “significant control risk” was identified. “A total of 460 DOR employees have the authority to update or otherwise change the payee address… after a refund has been approved, but before the refund is disbursed. According to DOR personnel, no supervisory approval is necessary for such changes.”
FYI
· Former Rep. Wayne Wallingford is the Director of Revenue.
· Last year, Missouri Budget Project published a report on how to improve the effectiveness of the credit, echoing some of the critiques of the auditor. Read it here.
Meanwhile
KMOX reports that “a group of St. Louis citizens says they have gathered enough signatures to prompt the state auditor to take a look at St. Louis's finances.”
· One of the organizers, Andy Polacek says they have a number of financial concerns they want the auditor to take a look at. "The water bill went up, is it going towards water?... We did a road bond, people don't feel like the roads are much better."
Scharf to White House
President-elect Donald Trump announced that Will Scharf would “serve as Assistant to the President and White House Staff Secretary.”
· Wikipedia explains the job: The Staff Secretary ("Staff Sec") is a position in the White House Office responsible for managing paper flow to the President and circulating documents among senior staff for comment. It has been referred to as "the nerve center of the White House." Specifically, the Office of the Staff Secretary decides which decision memos, briefing materials, lists of potential nominees, briefing books, intelligence reports, schedules, correspondence, and speech drafts end up on the president’s desk, as well as how and when the president will receive them. The Staff Secretary also works with senior White House staff to edit all of these materials and ensure they are ready for the president's consumption.
And Sauer Gets Appt Too
Trump also announced John Sauer as Solicitor General. He served as Missouri’s Solicitor General under AGs Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt.
· In the months before the election, Sauer donated over $250,000 to the “Vote No on 3” campaign.
Politico noted that Trump’s emphasis on trust/loyalty means that all his former criminal defense attorneys are being tapped for positions. “TODD BLANCHE as deputy AG, the second-highest-ranking official in the department; EMIL BOVE as principal associate deputy AG, essentially deputy to the deputy; and DEAN JOHN SAUER as head of the solicitor general’s office, which represents the federal government before the Supreme Court. Blanche and Bove defended Trump (unsuccessfully) at his Manhattan hush-money trial earlier this year and are both former federal prosecutors in the prestigious Southern District of New York, while Sauer handled Trump’s immunity argument before the Supreme Court in the federal prosecution against Trump for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election results.”
Alford Loses Leadership Bid
Punchbowl’s Jake Sherman reports on Congressman Mark Alford’s unsuccessful bid for a leadership position…
ERIN HOUCHIN makes it into leadership. Beats Mark Alford for conference secretary.
Houchin- 114
Alford- 69
· To paraphrase Wayne Gretzky / Michael Scott: You miss 100% of the leadership races you don’t run.
Lobbyists on the Moves
Press release: Catalyst announced Jessalynn Cairer has joined their Missouri government relations team… Before joining Catalyst she worked with multiple House chairmen, including Jared Taylor on the Downsizing State Government Committee, Mike Stephens on Health and Mental Health, Brad Pollitt on Elementary and Secondary Education, and Mike Haffner on Agriculture. Cairer also served as Special Assistant to Governor Mike Parson from July 2019 to November 2020. This depth of experience has given her a unique perspective on a wide range of legislative issues, from government efficiency and public health to education and agriculture policy….
Press release: AT Government Strategies, a subsidiary of Armstrong Teasdale LLP, is pleased to announce the addition of Ginger Steinmetz as Vice President of Legislative Affairs and Public Policy. Steinmetz has over 35 years of lobbying experience, including nine years of association management experience. For the majority of the past 24 years, she has represented clients before the General Assembly, working in a wide range of policy areas… Having worked for two statewide elected officials, Steinmetz offers a unique perspective on the legislative process. She served as Legislative Director for Attorney General Chris Koster, lobbying his legislative and budgetary priorities before the General Assembly. She also lobbied on behalf of the Governor’s office as the Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs for the late Gov. Mel Carnahan…
Lobbyist Registrations
Nexus Group added Southeast Missouri State University.
Cassandra Allana Henderson added Binti Inc., and Amplify GR.
Jon Hensley added Missouri Energy Development Association; and deleted Spire.
Ridge Rose added Children's Mercy Hospitals & Clinics.
Steven Tilly, Thomas Robbins, Brittany Hyatt Robbins, Christopher Schoeman, and Alec Rosenblum added Villas of West Park LLC.
Steven Tilley and Thomas Robbins deleted National Law Enforcement Training Center.
Andy Blunt deleted Developing Potential Inc., MEDNAX, Missouri Alliance For Home Care, St. Louis Apartment Association, and My Missouri.
Mike Gibbons and Tricia Workman deleted Deere & Company c/o MultiState Associates LLC, and CNH Industrial c/o MultiState Associates LLC.
$5K+ Contributions
Old McDonald PAC (pro-Deaton) - $15,000 from Conservative Justice PAC.
Old McDonald PAC - $7,000 from MoCannTrade PAC.
21st Century St. Louis PAC - $25,000 from Andrew C. Taylor.
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $5,780 from The Fairness Project (Washington, DC).
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $14,077 from ACLU of Ohio (Cleveland, OH).
Missourians for Healthy Families & Fair Wages - $70,000 from MOVE Action.
Catalyst PAC - $40,000 from Evergy Metro, Inc.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $15,000 from Kansas City Chiefs Football Club.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $15,000 from XCaliber International LTD LLC (Pryor, OK)
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $10,000 from CN-MO PAC.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $10,000 from MO Optometric PAC.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $10,000 from Paladin PAC.
American Democracy Alliance - Ridgely PAC - $25,000 from Herzog Contracting.
Missouri Alliance For Freedom - Grace River PAC - $25,000 from Herzog Contracting Corp.
House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $6,075 from Forward With Farnan.
Missourians for Healthy Families & Fair Wages - $52,188 from Missouri Jobs with Justice.
Missourians for Healthy Families & Fair Wages - $22,107 from Missouri Jobs with Justice Voter Action.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Randy Dunn, Bradon Ellington, Tim Person, Nick Ragone, Charlie Puyear, and Danny Powell.