MOScout Daily Update: Meet ArmorVine - Hicks Says He’s In 3-CD - Ed Debate Stalls in Senate - House to Hear Coleman IP - New Kehoe Ad and more…
Meet ArmorVine
Lawmakers have been introduced to a new lobbying force – especially in the arena of education issues. ArmorVine is giving voice to misgivings about school choice – from a conservative viewpoint. ArmorVine’s website (see it here) even invokes the specter of “globalism” as they worry that school choice legislation will come with “strings.”
Why It Matters: The school choice coalition has always been a bit odd: some free market Republicans like Rex Sinquefield, some urban Democrats looking for options, and some educational pragmatists willing to see what works. Now the opposition has a bedful of strange fellows as well: rural superintendents protective of their districts, professional educational organizations, and… ArmorVine, perhaps best described as “populist conservatives?”
· ArmorVine’s Jeff City lobbyists: Gail Griswold, Lisa Pannett, and Jodi Widhalm.
· Follow ArmorVine on Twitter here.
On Today’s Schedule
· 9:15AM: Democratic Rep. Barbara Phifer holds a press conference at the Missouri River Regional Library. “She will be joined by supporters and family in a showing of her broad support across the state and party for her Secretary of State bid.”
· NOON: The House Elections and Elected Officials Committee will hear Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman’s initiative petition resolution. This is a top Republican priority. The expectation is that the House will add restock the “ballot candy” that was dropped to move the legislation out of the Senate.
Hicks Says He’s In for 3-CD
Rep. Justin Hicks announced that he was indeed running for CD-3, and unveiled his new website (see it here). However, he still hasn’t actually walked down to the secretary of state’s office and filed yet. Perhaps he’s waiting until the final day (March 26) to secure the last spot on the ballot. We’ll see.
And the Post-Dispatch ran an article about a lawsuit that Hicks in involved with. “Max Calfo, a substitute teacher from Lake Saint Louis, told the Post-Dispatch that Hicks sued him, Calfo’s campaign, and campaign treasurer Lindi Williford in December for ‘public disclosure of private facts.’”
· The suit comes after Calfo started a website that displayed old protective orders filed against Hicks.
Ed Bill Stalls in Senate
The Senate debated Sen. Andrew Koenig’s SB 727 yesterday to expand charter schools. It faced bipartisan resistance on the floor during its seven hours of floor debate.
But, my guess is that some version of it passes the Senate this year. Koenig is the chamber’s master of compromising and pushing forward.
Politico on Freedom Caucus
Sen. Nick Schroer gets quoted in this Politico look at state Freedom Caucuses.
· Since its founding in 2015, the hardline House Freedom Caucus has been a polarizing presence, using confrontational and obstructionist tactics to push Congress, and the Republican Party, to the right on a variety of issues… But it’s come at considerable cost to the House as a legislative body, and created an even more factionalized and dysfunctional chamber. Now, those same issues are surfacing in statehouses across the nation where in recent years the Freedom Caucus has exported its model….
· Freedom Caucus-aligned legislators who spoke with Nightly said that their support came from grassroots activists, but they also receive significant help from the State Freedom Caucus Network, a D.C.-based group that is helping the upstart caucuses go toe-to-toe with the established GOP order. The network pays the salaries of state directors who help legislators read bills, do policy analysis and act as a kind of connective tissue for ideologically similar lawmakers across the nation…
· “The year started off with the Freedom Caucus being attacked before we even stepped foot in the building,” said Freedom Caucus member state Sen. Nick Schroer.
What It Means
The big takeaway for building denizens is that the national organization pays for a state director. In Missouri, that’s former Speaker Tim Jones. And that means it’s very unlikely that the Freedom Caucus will dissipate with the exits of Sens. Bill Eigel and Denny Hoskins next year. There is now a vested interest in perpetuating the movement.
Latest Kehoe Ad
Pro-Mike Kehoe American Dream PAC dropped its latest 30-second ad. It features footage of Kehoe talking about the border, presumably from his recent trip down South. “As governor I would fully support President Trump finishing the wall.”
Mizzou Feels Flutie Effect
ABCNews reports that the “University of Missouri is catching the eye of many students, having received over 23 thousand applications for the upcoming freshman class, as disclosed at the latest Board of Curators meeting.”
· MU spokesperson Christian Basi notes a significant surge in numbers. MU students have attributed it to the "Flutie effect." The Flutie effect is the increase in attraction to a university due to the success of its sports teams.
· Fresh off an 11-2 season and a Cotton Bowl victory, the Tigers have become a popular choice among students. Basi acknowledges the positive impact of the football team's success, citing it as a great way to enhance the university's visibility.
New Candidate Filings
· Karen Spalding (Republican) filed to run for House 19. This is where Democratic Rep. Ingrid Burnett is term limited. There are two Democrats running.
· Tiffany Price (Democrat) filed to run in House 26. The incumbent, Rep. Ashley Bland Manlove, hasn’t filed for re-election.
· Joshua Ray Blakeman (Republican) filed to run in House 50. The current incumbent, Democratic Rep. Doug Mann, is not running for re-election. There are two Dmeocrats filed.
$5K+ Contributions
The Committee to Keep the Chiefs and Royals in Jackson County - $500,000 from Kansas City Royals Baseball Club.
The Committee to Keep the Chiefs and Royals in Jackson County - $500,000 from Kansas City Chiefs Football Club.
Lincoln PAC (pro-Hough) - $50,000 from Thomas Strong.
A Better Missouri Political Action Committee - $15,250 from Anheuser-Busch Cos.
Lobbyist Registrations
John Bowman added GoPuff.
Ryan Rowden added Midwest Energy Consumers Group; and deleted Atlas Strategy Group.
Ryan Paul Mills added Kansas City Missouri Board of Police Commissioners.
Jay Reichard added Tyler Technologies; and deleted Navigate Building Solutions.
Eapen Thampy added Magic Vapor LLC.
Henrio Thelemaque added Robinson Construction Company, and Refuse 2 Energy.
Andy Blunt deleted Metrc.
Noah Reandeau deleted Rauschenberger Partners, LLC.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Travis Smith, and Kack Haslag.