MOScout Daily Update: Senate Approves FRA - Strong April Revenues - Border War Coming? - Scharf’s Smile and more…
Senate Approves FRA
After spending all morning, afternoon, evening and night stalled by a Freedom Caucus filibuster, the Freedomers sat down around 3:30AM and the Senate perfected the FRA tax which is critical to the funding of the state’s healthcare programs.
I haven’t been able to uncover what deal was made or what the Freedomers won in exchange for ending their filibuster. Their initial demands were unmet: the governor hasn’t yet signed the anti-Planned Parenthood bill and the Senate didn’t pass the IP Reform.
· One lobbyist shrugged that maybe what they really wanted was the earned media – and the designation that of “longest filibuster” in Missouri Senate history, which Rudi Keller calculated occurred around 1:30AM.
· There had been a rumor earlier in the evening that the Regular Republicans were beginning to talk about scenarios to use the PQ as the constitutional deadline to pass the budget (a week from tomorrow) looked increasingly troublesome.
From Here
Next week will be a crunch…
· The Senate must still third read the FRA bill and send it to the House;
· it must debate, and pass their versions of the House budget bills;
· the two bodies must conference to hammer out differences,
· and then pass them again in their respective chambers.
The deadline is 6PM, Friday, May 10.
Additionally, the chasm inside the Senate Republican majority remains. The Freedom Caucus, for months, has been promising scrutiny of the budget. The idea of quick action seems unlikely.
And this morning’s Missouri Independent article quotes Senate Appropriation Chair Lincoln Hough setting the acrimonious tone for next week’s floor debate. “I have no problem going through [the budget].” Hough said. “The problem I have is when people are disingenuous about what they’re saying, and Bill Eigel routinely is just borderline lying about things. He either doesn’t understand it, or you know, or he just wants to sensationalize things.”
Rumorville: Sens to Seek AG Representation?
One rumor making the round in the hallways is that the three Freedom Caucus senators who have been sued for defamation by Denton Loudermill will be represented by the attorney general’s office.
The statute which governs such situations… Any officer or employee of the state of Missouri or any agency of the state, including, without limitation, elected officials, appointees, members of state boards or commissions, and members of the Missouri National Guard upon conduct of such officer or employee arising out of and performed in connection with his or her official duties on behalf of the state, or any agency of the state…
We’ll see…
Evans: No Amendment for You
At yesterday’s House Judiciary Committee Chair Dave Evans steamrolled the omnibus public safety bill, SB 754, out of committee not allowing any amendments to even be offered. Evans said he’d been “asked by the senator [Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer] to keep the bill clean… [and he’d given his] commitment to him because he is attempting to move about 20 other House bills if not more in the Senate.”
When Rep. Michael Davis attempted to offer an amendment that would restore voting rights to people after they leave prison, Evans would not even recognize him.
Evans said the committee only entertained amendments that were submitted 24 hours in advance of the hearing.
· One denizen noted the House website showed that Evans noticed up the hearing at 11:54AM the previous day – exactly 24 hours and 6 minutes before the noon hearing – giving committee members a full six minutes to submit their amendments.
Higher Minimum Wage Submits Signatures
Supporters of a $15/hour minimum wage submitted their signatures to the secretary of state. The initiative petition would also would give workers mandated sick leave.
And
The campaign to bring sports betting to Missouri announced that they’ll drop off their signature tomorrow.
· Press release: “The coalition will submit signatures and will be joined by representatives from the professional sports franchises to hold a news conference to discuss the campaign and Missourians overwhelming support to legalize sports gaming.”
Co/efficient Memo
Co/efficient released a memo from month-old polling which shows the gubernatorial race closer than most other polls have found. See the memo here.
The survey comprised 822 likely GOP primary voters and was conducted from April 1 to April 3, 2024, using mobile text responses and landline phone interviews… margin of error of +/-3.41%.
Key Findings:
· All statewide elected offices are wide open, with a majority of voters undecided
· The closest challenge is for Governor, with [Jay] Ashcroft and [Mike] Kehoe fighting for first place: Ashcroft - 20%, Kehoe - 15%, Undecided - 55%
· The race for Lieutenant Governor of Missouri is the most wide-open, with 84% of GOP primary voters undecided. On the full ballot of all six named candidates, all candidates are polling in the single digits, with Lincoln Hough and Holly Rehder are tied at 5%.
Roberts Sinks Parson Appointments
Kurt Erickson writes a humdinger about “a spat between Gov. Mike Parson and state Sen. Steve Roberts” with the collateral damage of several appointees.
· [Parson] has withdrawn his appointment of four St. Louis area officials to various state boards and commissions, including former St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson to the University of Missouri Board of Curators.
· Parson spokesman Johnathan Shiflett said Roberts, D-St. Louis, broke longtime tradition by refusing to sponsor Krewson and the others in the Senate confirmation process.
· Roberts said the governor did not give his office a head’s up about the appointments before they were announced… The governor’s office disagreed. “We in fact have communicated with Senator Roberts on multiple occasions over the last few months. However, the only constituent Senator Roberts advocated on behalf of was himself to get a paid appointment to the Public Service Commission and his father to be appointed to the University of Missouri Board of Curators,” Shiflett said.
April Revenues Strong
April tax receipts were strong, more than 20% higher than they had been in April 2023. That amounts to $230 million.
That brings the year-to-date figure to being up 2.7%. That’s good news as it’s slightly ahead of the consensus revenue estimate.
The Mother of All Border Wars
Kansas City Star reports on Kansas making eyes at the Chiefs. “Both states will likely spend the next several months weighing what kind of incentives – essentially economic weapons – it will take to win over one or both teams.”
· “I think this is certainly going to serve as a wake up call for our community to come together and make serious decisions about keeping the Royals and the Chiefs in Missouri,” Missouri House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson, a Lee’s Summit Republican, said.
Thanks Mom!
In the large contributions (below), the pro-Jay Ashcroft PAC, Liberty Committee received $50,000 from Janet Ashcroft.
The Scharf Smile
Jimmy Kimmel pokes fun at Will Scharf’s “dazzling smile.” See it here.
$5K+ Contributions
Committee for Liberty (pro-Ashcroft) - $50,000 from Janet Ashcroft.
House Republican Campaign Committee Inc - $5,100 from Dirk Deaton for Missouri.
Brad Basler Committee to Elect (Jefferson County Council) - $5,180 from Brad Basler.
Lobbyists Registrations
William Bradford Canfield added American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce.
Scott Swain added My Missouri.
Heath Clarkston and Doug Nelson added SAP Concur Technologies Inc.; and deleted Paper & Janitor Supply Company.
Kathleen Fisher Enyeart added Sydko Enterprises, Inc.
David Sweeney deleted Verizon Communications And Affiliated Companies, Blue Arrow Botanicals, and St. Louis Area Hotel Association.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Scott Dieckhaus, and Jac Cardetti.