MOScout Daily Update: Eigel Targets Budget - Hough Announces - Wasinger Antes $100K - Cops for Kehoe - Koenig Hearts Plochers and more…

1 Big Thing: Budget Drama Coming

Sen. Bill Eigel filed a “balanced budget” constitutional amendment yesterday.  It would forbid the using leftover monies from the previous year. “The itemized plan of proposed expenditures shall not exceed the estimated available revenues.”  See SJR 89 here.

He explained his proposal on the Senate floor: “Governor Parson… for the second year in a row recommended to this General Assembly a non-balanced budget, a budget that will actually spend $1.5 billion into the reserves of the state, far in excess of what our expected revenues are projected to be. Now, I don't know how many political campaign speeches I've heard from all politicians saying at least we passed a balanced budget. But I can tell you that if we take the governor's budget this year, we will be betraying that idea. And so my bill today actually includes a real balanced budget provision in the Missouri Constitution…

“We're also not going to allow the surpluses that we build up in prior years to count as revenue, because that's we're in the very fortunate place right now where the surpluses that we have gotten as a result of the taxpayer, which are supposed to be returned to that taxpayer when a surplus does exist, are now just being used to fund billions of dollars of pork and earmarks under the governor's current budget… that is just one more reason why the people of this state are furious with this building...”

This is a telegraph that the Freedom Caucus plans a rigorous review and protracted fight over the budget this session.  I wrote about this possibility last September when the federal government faced a possible shutdown. 

•           The amount of ink and attention that a shut-down garners is immense.

•           It’s a near-perfect expression of “fighting” against government bloat and overspending.

•           We’ve got a gaggle of Republicans in contested primaries who will be looking for ways stand out, earn media, and fire up their base.  If they see this work at the federal level, they will be tempted to give it a try on the state level.

Plus…

•           The lengthy budget process of the legislature means passing the budget almost always comes bumping up within days or hours of the constitutional deadline.  It wouldn’t require extraordinary effort to filibuster and delay passage, pushing the budget into a special session.

And, one development that won’t help the coming budget trainwreck: Hough running for statewide office…

Hough Announces

The rumors are finally over, and Sen. Lincoln Hough announced for lieutenant governor.

“Hough said he will highlight his sponsorship of a 2022 tax cut as a signature accomplishment, as well as the infrastructure funding he’s put into the state budget as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.”

·       Hough brings real fundraising firepower to the race, but his Achilles Heel is his stance against banning foreign ownership of agricultural land.

Meanwhile

In the large contributions, attorney David Wasinger added $100,000 to his committee Wasinger for Missouri.  And Wasinger amended that committee.  It’s no longer for “statewide office,” but instead for lieutenant governor.

·       Look for a formal kickoff in the coming weeks.

Cops for Kehoe

A new PAC was formed, Cops for Kehoe.  Its treasurer is Melissa Largent.  See the filing here.

·       The Missouri Fraternal Order of Police and the Missouri State Troopers Association have endorsed Mike Kehoe’s gubernatorial campaign.

Koenig Hearts Plocher

With Bob Onder out of the LG’s race (and Hough entering) the Freedom Caucus members are without a candidate in the race.  That might explain this googly eyes tweet from Sen. Andrew Koenig…

IP $ignature$

One MOScouter who encountered a signature gatherer for the sports betting initiative petition, struck up a conversation.  The collector said he’d recently be given a raise by his employer, Fieldworks.  He’s been bumped up to $27/hour from $25/hour!

·       With a tight labor market and closing window (signatures are due in 10 weeks), it’s a hot job.

The Irish Caucus

There’s now an “American Irish State Legislators caucus.”  It’s “a bipartisan group of legislators with Irish ancestry or supporters of Ireland with the purpose of promoting Irish culture, language and interests in Missouri.”

Rep. Bridget Walsh Moore is the founder and co-chair; Rep. Travis Smith is the other co-chair.  Other members: Sen. Travis Fitzwater, and Reps. LaDonna Appelbaum, Donna Baringer, Doug Clemens, Barbara Phifer, and Mark Matthiesen.

·       Sadly, St Patrick’s Day this year (March 17) occurs while legislature is on Spring Break.

$5K+ Contributions

Wasinger For Missouri - $100,000 from David Wasinger.

Missourians for Constitutional Freedom (pro-reproductive rights IP) - $10,000 from Telephone Contact Inc.

SPOA PAC - $27,000 from Springfield Police Officer Association.

The Good Government Committee - $7,000 from Navigate Building Solutions.

Lobbyist Registrations

Jeff Smith added Missouri Future, LLC.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rep. Paula Brown, and Rick Stream.

Saturday: Rep Peter Merideth, Tracy King, Rich Chrismer, Jolie Justus, and Sonya Anderson.

Sunday: Rob Mayer, and Jamie Jo Walz.

MOScout Schedule

Off for the weekend, see you Monday!