MOScout Daily Update: Gun Reform Chances (not good) - Chiefs Players Speak - Wall Street Willy Website and more…
Quick Friday update….
Gun Law Reform?
Missouri Independent has an article about the Democrats desire for some gun law reform. But it doesn’t look like Republicans have any appetite to consider changes. Read it here.
I asked three GOPers about the chances of taking up this issue. Here are their responses…
· Optimistic GOPer: “Little to none.”
· Realistic GOPers: “0%.”
· Pessimistic GOPer: “Is there a number less than zero?”
Gun control is considered a killer for Republicans in a primary, but there’s a danger here for Republicans – especially with swing suburban districts – if they look blasé in the face of another tragedy.
For example, Speaker Dean Plocher got dinged for continually brushed aside questions about the shooting in his press conference yesterday. “We’re not going to dwell on Kansas City today.”
One wildcard: The Chiefs…
· Charles Omenihu: When are we going to fix these gun laws ? How many more people have to die to say enough is enough ? It’s too easy for the wrong people to obtain guns in America and that’s a FACT.
· Justin Reid: We cannot ourselves to become numb and chalk it up to “just another shooting in America” and reduce people in statistics and then move on tmrw. This is a SERIOUS PROBLEM!! I pray our leaders enact real solutions so our kids’ kids won’t know this violence.
Lincoln Days Begins Tonight
I’ll be driving over to Kansas City for the Republicans’ annual Lincoln Days pow-wow. What I’m watching for…
· Does the newest entrant, David Wasinger, have much of a presence?
· Is Sen. Lincoln Hough finally taking the plunge and unveiling some LG-branded schwag?
· One source says that they believe Taylor Burks will announce in the coming week for CD-3. Will he be telegraphing his kick-off?
· How serious is Kurt Schaefer about CD-3? Will he be in attendance making the rounds?
· What’s the vibe on Freedom Caucus?
And First in MOScout…
On the eve of Lincoln Days, Team Bailey unveiled a new hit website on Will Scharf, promising a digital campaign to complement it. It’s a follow-on to their nickname for Scharf, Wall Street Willy.
· See the video here. “Wall Street Willy wants to be Attorney General. His east coast fortune is flooding into Missouri to buy it for him. Don’t let him fool you. Scharf is a born and bred coastal elitist.”
Williams to CCDI
Sen. Brian Williams announced on LinkedIn that he has “been appointed Executive Director of CCDI - Construction Career Development Initiative. Our goal is to bring more diversity to the design and construction industry by offering exposure, mentorship, and career development opportunities to minority and underrepresented young men and women. We pair them with long-term career mentors, provide financial support, and create job placement opportunities to help them establish a successful career in the construction field. CCDI has been successful in working with school districts, local leaders, contractors, and subcontractors to help more than 150 students in St. Louis find full-time employment in the trades, and it has awarded over $500,000 in scholarships. I am looking forward to expanding our impact and amplifying our outreach in St. Louis and beyond.”
Briggs RIP
From the St. Louis Business Journal: Terry Briggs, who had served as Bridgeton's mayor since 2015, has died, the city said Wednesday.
In addition to his political career, Briggs had worked 19 years for construction trade association SITE Improvement Association, first as government relations director then as executive director, retiring in 2020. Prior to that, he had worked for nearly 18 years at the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District.
Lobbyist Registrations
Trent Watson and Rich AuBuchon added Special Olympics Missouri.
Daniel Welsh added Daniel J. Welsh.
Chris Hankins added Chris P. Hankins.
Mike Gibbons and Tricia Workman deleted Alliance For Responsible Consumer Legal Funding.
Richard McIntosh and Elizabeth Lauber deleted Missourians For Personal Safety.
$5K+ Contributions
Missourians for Healthy Families & Fair Wages (pro-minimum wage IP) - $30, 923 from Missouri Jobs with Justice Voter Action.
Missourians for Healthy Families & Fair Wages - $11,822 from Missouri Jobs with Justice.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays Chris Pieper and Matt Alsager.