MOScout Daily Update: MCN Enter CD-1 - Emerson Poll on Trump, Abortion, Sports Betting - Senate Stalemate - IP Signing Parties and more…

MCN Enters 1-CD

There’s a joke around the capitol that involves pretending that we’re all part of a big sit-com. When Speaker Dean Plocher hired Rod Jetton as his chief of staff, for example: “Ah, bringing back Rod from Season 3, we must have had a dip in the ratings.”

Well, looks like the Great Writer in the Sky is bringing back former Rep. Maria Chappelle-Nadal to guest star in another episode or two.

She announced she’s entering the CD-1 race. “It’s time St. Louis had a real choice in representation.  Not one between a Republican plant who’s failed at the biggest job he’s ever held and someone who’s created more controversy than progress.”

What It Means

·       I think this is good news for Congresswoman Cori Bush.  I don’t expect that Chappelle-Nadal will raise a lot of money, but anything that splits the anti-incumbent vote is good for the incumbent.

·       The contrary opinion on this, which is not unreasonable, holds that adding a second female name to the primary ballot will help Wesley Bell.

Scooplette…. Bell chief of staff Sam Alton is prepping a run for Ladue School Board. Alton, who’s been dinged for his extracurriculars before, is aiming to replace Jeff Kopolow (who’s term up in April 2025).

Emerson Poll on Missouri

Sport betting advocates cheered the release of a new poll from Emerson College showing broad support among Missourians for sports betting.  See the poll here.  Here are the highlights…

·       Donald Trump leads Joe Biden by 17 points, 49% to 32%.  Though, interestingly, there’s a serious gender divide: 48% of women favor Biden, 33% for Trump.

·       Josh Hawley leads Lucas Kunce also by double digits, 43% to 30%.

·       62% of voters said they’d vote for sports betting if the question was on the ballot.

·       And Missourians strongly oppose the state’s total ban on abortion. 44% said abortion should be “a matter of personal choice;” 45% think it should be legal in cases of rape, incest and the health of the mother; while only 11% say that “a woman should never be allowed to have an abortion.”

Senate Stalemate?

The Senate surprisingly took yesterday afternoon off after the address from the Israeli diplomat.  The rumor was that Sen. Lincoln Hough was upset with plans to immediately lay over the FRA tax renewal; he wants to debate the critical funding source.  Or maybe, in the words of one Senate-watcher, “he’s trying to out-terrorize the terrorists.”

Perhaps this new wrinkle will be worked out today by the time the State of the Judiciary address is finished today.  Perhaps it won’t…

Bipartisan Crime Bill

This morning in Sen. Travis Fitzwater’s Senate Committee: Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety (8:30AM), we’ll get a glimpse of bipartisanism concerning the issue of crime.

Sens. Tracy McCreery (D) and Nick Schroer (R) will offer identical bills creating “Valentine’s Law” which creates the felony offence of fleeing a traffic stop. 

·       SB 820 - McCreery

·       SB 901 - Schroer

Scharf Loses Trump Case

Donald Trump lost his attempt to claim expansive presidential immunity (or to be, like Big Ern, “finally above the law”).  Will he blame his attorneys, including Will Scharf…

Signing Parties for Pro-Choice IP

Will the pro-choice initiative petition energize Democratic voters?  It looks like it.  There’s a mini-trend erupting among progressives holding “signing parties,” inviting friends and supporters to drop in and sign the IP….

Hartzler Testifies on Anti-Porn Bills

Former Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler showed up last night at the House General Laws Committee where representatives were hearing bills about preventing minors from viewing pornography on the internet. 

Rep. Tony Lovasco inquired of Hartzler, showing the divide between free-market Republicans and social conservative Republicans…

Lovasco: You identify as conservative, correct? I think we're similarly aligned in that side of the space. When has folks with our ideology ever come out ahead when government decides that it's going to try to suppress the proliferation of something it disagrees with.

Hartzler’s response: The job of government is to protect. The state motto here is the general welfare. It is state governments that chooses crimes and punishments. It is a values-based decision by the legislators on whether it constitutes a crime or not, if it is harmful or if it's good.

·       Hartzler is a constituent of Rep. Sherri Gallick who’s the sponsor of HB 1993.

Money Watch: Lonsdale Opponent Antes

In the large contributions (below) there’s a $6,000 check from Marty Jacobs into his campaign account.  Jacobs is a Democrat running in House 38 against Rep. Chris Lonsdale.  See his website here.  The district leans Republican; Trump won it by 6 points in 2020.

As of their January filings Jacobs had $8,824 cash on-hand versus Lonsdale’s $37,428.

·       Jacobs has hired TPJ Strategies.

Parson Elevates Hahn

Governor Mike Parson named Kayla Hahn the chair of the Public Service Commission.  She’ll take over for Commissioner Scott Rupp.  Hahn previously served in Parson’s cabinet before being appointed to the PSC.

Remembering The Carnahans

Old School Statehouse Veterans Ted Farnen and Scott Charton remember former U.S. Senator and First Lady Jean Carnahan and her times on Farnen’s “Columbia Today” podcast produced by Cumulus Radio in Mid-Missouri. Listen to it here.

·       The show shouts out some legendary Missouri names.

And

A bust of Jean’s late husband Mel Carnahan was long planned to be dedicated this Thursday at 4PM in the Carnahan Memorial Gardens next to the Governors Mansion. The Carnahan family said Jean, who died January 30, was looking forward to the public ceremony. After the sculpture dedication, there a 5PM reception at REVEL to preset the annual Mel Carnahan Public Service Awards and Scholarships.

·       Among 2024’s honorees: St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore.

eMailbag on Budget Succession

The No-brainer for Budget Chair/Vice Chair is Bill Owen. But why put someone with a career in banking in charge of a budget? That would actually make sense. Can’t have that.

$5K+ Contributions

Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $50,000 from Karlie Kloss (New York, NY).

American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $42,737 from Drury Displays, Inc.

Committee to Elect Martin K. Jacobs - $6,000 from Martin K Jacobs.

Lobbyist Registrations

Jewell Patek added Missouri National Guard Association.

Olivia Wilson added Missouri Primary Care Association.

Chris Lindsey added American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp.

Stacy Miller added Stacy Miller.             

Mark Rhoads added A-Cities - City of Richmond Heights, City of Clayton, City of Olivette, City of Maplewood.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Trish Miller.