MOScout Daily Update: Senate Quickly Folds - Fitz Seeks Gardner Whereabouts - Porter Kick-off - Running Statewide on Limited $$$ and more…
Poof! And Then There Were Nine…
The Senate quickly dispensed with a legislative day yesterday, accomplishing nothing. Nine days of session remain.
Yesterday, Sen. Bill Eigel raged, saying he’d been misled about the order of tackling priority business. Apparently, he wants to do IP before the budget. He dared his Republican colleagues to “PQ” him. (Explainer: PQ).
“What’s the hold up on that PQ? Let’s get the PQ out here and start turning this place into the House. Why not? I mean, what's the point? This isn't the Senate chamber anymore. If we're just going to go back on every deal that's made, there's no purpose to any of it… nobody wants to hear me keep talking in this chamber, and if we're going to use the PQ, that's okay, because maybe the only extraction that could be achieved for these last nine days was the destruction of all the sludge that I see coming through this chamber every single year…You want to do that? PQ me on the FRA…”
After about ten minutes, Floor Leader Cindy O’Laughlin had heard enough. Figuring that Eigel was just going to waste the day away anyway, she moved to adjourn until 9AM this morning.
What It Means
· With Eigel begging for it, it’s very possible he gets his wish and we witness the Republican majority in the Senate PQ-ing one of their own.
· If this happens – suicide by PQ – then it’s probably PQs all the way to get the budget done at least.
· If that happens, it’s not the Senate “becoming House.” Becoming the House is hyper-partisanship where the PQ is an easy out, shortcutting the process of compromise. This would be putting the filibuster back in its proper place. The Senate filibuster used to be reserved to pending legislation that a senator simply could not live with in its present form. The Freedomers expanded its use to a wide range of grievances: disagree with floor leader’s decision, bill is stuck in committee, or being scolded for wearing overalls.
And
The truly savvy politicians know when it’s time to get out of town… “On Wednesday, May 8, Governor Mike Parson will travel to the Southern Border near Eagle Pass, Texas, to receive an update on Missouri personnel deployed to the border in support of Operation Lone Star. Governor Parson will also sign HB 2016, the supplemental appropriations bill that funds the deployment, into law while at the border.”
Fitz: BOLO Kim Gardner
Press release: An audit of the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office that first began in 2021 is nearing completion, but Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick said today the report has been delayed because of Kim Gardner… has evaded service and her whereabouts are currently unknown….
· Fitzpatrick said his office has reached out to her legal representation in an effort to schedule an interview, made repeated daily calls to telephone numbers associated with Gardner, contacted close associates and former coworkers, and made numerous attempts to serve Gardner with a subpoena, all of which have been unsuccessful.
· Fitzpatrick… encourages anyone who may have knowledge of her whereabouts to contact the State Auditor's Whistleblower Hotline at 800-347-8597…
Corley Forms Committee
Jamie Corley, Republican running for secretary of state, finally formed her candidate committee. “I am humbled by the support I have received leading up to this decision to run for Secretary of State. I have spent my career fighting for Conservative principles, and right now, nothing is more important than restoring confidence in our elections and protecting our freedom to petition our government to represent us. This will be my number one priority when I am representing all Missourians in Jefferson City.”
Down-Ballot Strategy
If you scan the money totals of the statewide down-ballot candidates, you’ll find a lot of underwhelming numbers.
This presents the candidates – and their consultants – with a puzzle. How do you run statewide when you only have $200,000 or $300,000, or even $500,000 for that matter? It seems an impossible task, especially when competing to elevate your message above the noise of other candidates and ballot issues.
The answer that some consultants give when I pose this question is that you pick a geographic area to try to win. You throw your wad at St. Charles County, for example. Or at Greene County. Or you blanket cheap rural radio and weekly papers across north Missouri. You try to win some cache of voters convincingly, hope that you run averagely elsewhere, and it’s enough to get you the 30-something% you need to win a 6-way race.
Porter Kicks off
Matthew Porter will hold is kick-off of lieutenant governor tonight…
One Porter supporter exclaims…
· Billions, with a B, total net worth on this list.
· Bringing together traditional GOP donors and new business leaders.
· A who’s who of business leaders interested in electing one of their own who will focus on the real issues impacting Missouri.
Erin Brockovich Weighs In
Celebrity consumer advocate Erin Brockovich wrote the Senate Ag Committee urging them to reject Rep. Dane Diehl’s “Roundup” bill moving through the legislature.
“HB 2763 has come to my attention and I am gravely concerned about the harm it could cause to the citizens of your state.” See the letter here.
· The committee voted the bill out 5-2.
GOP 2020 Platform Holds
Missouri Republican Party Chair Nick Myers issued a statement on the inconclusive state convention. Read it here.
“We had hoped this Convention like others before it would be focused on a spirited discussion and debate on what our Party platform would be for this critical election year together with a wide representation of grassroots, Party faithful and others committed to making our state and country great again. This Convention, however, was focused on a different set of priorities, which of course was the privilege of the elected State Convention Chairwoman Sophie Shore who adjourned the convention without passing a 2024 Party Platform. The result of this action is the 2020 Party Platform, which is a solid platform of ideas and policies advanced by President Trump will remain in place over the next four years.”
eMailbag
The MOGOP will continue to utilize the platform approved in 2020, crafted under the guidance of Bill Eigel’s nemesis Mike Cierpiot.
New PACs
Faultline Leadership PAC was formed. It’s a political action committee to support Rep. Donnie Brown.
$5K+ Contributions
Missourians for Truth in Petitioning (anti-Ozark casino) - $22,250 from Strategic Capital Consultants, LLC.
MO Independent Bankers Assoc PAC - $6,660 from Bank of Old Monroe.
Lobbyists Registrations
Gunnar See added Promontory 150 LLC c/o Platform Ventures LLC.
Alex Tuttle added Beacon Specialized Living Services.
Roosevelt Lyons added Quality Schools Coalition.
Helen Fitzpatrick deleted Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer, Rep. Brenda Shields, Adam Rapert, Scott Sifton, Don Phillips, and Stuart Murray.