MOScout Daily Update: Perkins Gets Pro Tem Spot - Senate GOP Leader Vote Today - Kadlec to House - Cierpiot and Nicola Meet Again - Massey to FLA and more…
House Republican Caucus
House Republicans caucused yesterday at the Capitol. They elected their new leadership. There was a lack of drama. Jon Patterson had been “pre-elected” to the speaker’s role and Rep. Alex Riley was unopposed.
Here are the rest of the new leadership team….
Speaker Pro Tem - Chad Perkins
Asst Floor Leader - Lane Roberts
Majority Whip - Hardy Billington
Caucus Chair - Bennie Cook
Caucus Secretary - Ann Kelley
And
Former Senate staffer Cindy Kadlec is joining the speaker’s office as counsel.
Senate Republican Caucus
Today it’s the Senate Republicans turn to caucus. The main event there is the Floor Leader race with Cindy O’Laughlin expected to ascend to the President Pro Tem position unopposed. For Floor, the race is between Sens. Jason Bean and Tony Luetkemeyer.
Most lobbyists I talk to think that Luetkemeyer has the edge. I made a spreadsheet to try to suss where the votes are falling, but honestly was unable to come to a firm conclusion as I had too many unknowns.
And
Today’s caucus will include both Sen. Mike Cierpiot and Sen.-elect Joe Nicola. Nicola ran against Cierpiot in a primary in 2022. It was a fierce contest that soured Cierpiot on the Conservative Caucus’ tactics. Will the two put the past behind them? We’ll see…
Pro-Life Counterattack
Missouri Right to Life’s statement after Tuesday’s passage of Amendment 3 alluded to future battles over the issue of abortion. “And though the results are not what we had hoped for, this is not the end of our mission – it is just the beginning.”
Similarly, Missouri Stands With Women said, “Our work to protect the safety of women and dignity of life continues.”
And Governor-elect Mike Kehoe has promised to be “on the front lines” of the pro-life efforts.
I asked around, during conversations yesterday, what the pro-life counterattack will look like given that Missourians just enshrined the right to have an abortion in the state constitution.
· It sounds like the opening battles for this issue will be in the courts, not some grand attempt to get voters to reverse the constitutional amendment.
Pro-life forces could seek to keep the implementation of various regulations in a state of uncertainty through lawsuits, making the operation of abortion facilities difficult from a practical standpoint.
Missey to FLA
Darrell Missey started his first day on job as Senior Management Analyst at Florida Department of Children and Families.
Missey is the former head of the Missouri’s Childrens Division in the Department of Social Services. Governor Mike Parson’s folks had hoped he’d stay through the end of their term, but that job in Missouri has seen remarkable turnover. Missey was the 8th director of the division in the last 11 years.
Lake Casino Lost in Lake Area
Lake Expo reports on the Tuesday voter totals noting interestingly that the counties comprising the Lake of the Ozark all voted against the new Lake casino (Amendment 5) – and in higher percentages than the rest of the state. See it here.
Statewide: 47.9% - Yes // 52.1% - No
· Camden County: 43% - Yes // 57% - No
· Miller County: 40.6% - Yes // 59.4% - No
· Morgan County: 46% - Yes // 54% - No
Evolving Non-Profit or Mega Hospital?
KFF Health News reports on the evolution of Catholic hospitals into “megacorporations.” Read it here.
· The St. Louis area serves as the de facto capital of Catholic hospital systems. Three of the largest are headquartered here, along with the Catholic hospital lobbying arm…
· For a quarter century, Sister Mary Jean Ryan led SSM Health, one of those giant systems centered on St. Louis. Now retired, the 86-year-old said she was one of the last nuns in the nation to lead a Catholic hospital system. The system was founded more than a century ago when five German nuns arrived in St. Louis with $5. Smallpox swept through the city and the Sisters of St. Mary walked the streets offering free care to the sick…
· Their early foray grew into one of the largest Catholic health systems in the country, with annual revenue exceeding $10 billion, according to its 2023 audited financial report…
· Separately, SSM also is required to file an annual report with the Vatican detailing the ways, Kampert said, “we deepen our Catholic identity and further the healing ministry of Jesus.” SSM declined to provide copies of those reports…
· From a business perspective, though, it’s hard to distinguish a Catholic hospital system like SSM from a secular one, said Ruth Hollenbeck, a former Anthem insurance executive who retired in 2018 after negotiating Missouri hospital contracts. In the contracts, she said, the difference amounted to a single paragraph stating that Catholic hospitals wouldn’t do anything contrary to the church’s directives...
Richard to MOHOF
Press release: House Speaker Dean Plocher and the Missouri House of Representatives are honored to announce the induction of former Speaker of the Missouri House and President Pro Tem of the Senate Ron Richard into the Hall of Famous Missourians...
Speaker Plocher will unveil the Richard bust, which will be placed alongside other celebrated Missourians, as part of a ceremony honoring Richard's enduring legacy of service to the state on Monday, November 25th.
Robbins Joins Business District Board
Lobbyist Brittany Robbins adding some public service into her daily life…
Help Wanted
The Missouri Insurance Coalition seeks Government Affairs Director/General Counsel. This position assists the Executive Director in accomplishing all goals of the organization, with a primary focus on government affairs, lobbying and public relations duties on behalf of the insurance industry. The ideal candidate will have at least two years’ experience as a legislative staff member, a state agency legislative liaison, employment with a state trade association, or other relevant experience. Knowledge/understanding of the Missouri legislative process is required. The ideal candidate will be licensed to practice law in Missouri, but consideration may be given to those with extensive experience in the government affairs field. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Please email resume with detailed qualifications, experience and salary requirements to: mic@moinsurancecoalition.com
Deadline to apply is November 27.
Lobbyist Registrations
Chris Darryl Kachingwe added OVH Consulting.
$5K+ Contributions
Winning for Missouri Education - $150,000 from Betfair Interactive US LLC (Jersey City, NJ).
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $95,102 from American Civil Liberties Union, Inc. (New York, NY).
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $41,282 from American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Inc. (New York, NY).
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Sam Graves, Jarad Falk, David Sater, and Doug Ervin.