MOScout Daily Update: Senate Works For A Day - Gregory Fundy - Gas Tax in Senate Primaries - Sifton Turns 50 and more…
Senate Has Normal Tuesday
The Senate had a normal day yesterday chugging through House bills. I was told that the budget wasn’t quite ready for a roll-out. So the body worked on less controversial items that they could clear out before a possible big brouhaha over FRA and the budget.
We’re obviously bumping up against the Friday deadline. In the halls, folks were talking about the possibility of starting a special session on Monday to handle the budget if the delay continues.
We’ll see…
And
The governor signed the massive education bill, as well as the landfill bill – the few accomplishments that legislature has managed this session.
Black Explains HB 1495
On the Senate floor yesterday, Sen. Rusty Black stripped off the Senate amendments on HB 1495, deciding to pass the bill clean. The bill aims to prevent suicides among veterans.
He explained: “With the chaos that's been going on around this place, my understanding would be if we continue to go down this road, we'll end up in fiscal oversight. But if we pass this bill with nothing on it, we don't have to worry about it.”
And then he explained the bill’s significance to him…
Some of you in here know… that I have a son that was contemplating suicide in August of 2019. He served our military for eight years, eight deployments. Found out he was pretty accomplished at killing people. Not what he was taught to do at home, but what our military taught him to do. And they sent him home without the tools to be able to make it… In August of 2019, Labor Day weekend, we couldn't find him. He wouldn't answer a phone. We had to call, get somebody to track him down. Thank God he got arrested before he killed some other family. He wouldn't have been able to stand that. So he's arrested in Hickory County… we found a place in Canyon Lake, Texas, that even some representatives in here think that we shouldn't offer that treatment for these military veterans… But he's come home and continues to work and survive and help people all over this nation, veterans. He answers the phone and tries to talk folks out of killing themselves… So, Mr. President, I'm going to try to keep House Bill 1495 the way it is, see if we can pass that, and send the governor and start trying to do some real effort on this…
· The bill passed unanimously.
Gregory Seeks to Break Open Senate 15
Former Rep. David Gregory has a monster fundraiser scheduled for May 23 at the home of lobbyist Steven Tilley, and hosted by billionaire businessman David Steward. Other hosts are lobbyist John Bardgett and trial attorneys Eric Holland, Mike Ketchmark, Jim Onder, Travis Noble, Scott Rosenblum, and Tony Simon.
Why It Matters
The Senate 15 Republican primary to replace termed Sen. Andrew Koenig has been lackluster so far. The three Republican candidates all have relatively similar resumes; polling has shown no one winning over the large undecideds; and everyone’s fundraising has been subdued.
A big fundraiser like this could break things open for Gregory.
Last quarter’s candidate committees…
· Jim Bowlin raised $11,506.
· Gregory raised $7,810.
· Mark Harder raised $7,568.
And
This is another example of trial attorneys opening their checkbooks to influence Republican senate primaries.
During the first decade of my following Missouri politics, there was a tort reform bill nearly every legislative session. Trial attorneys are still on the defense in the capitol. But they have bolstered that defense enormously. They’ve successful cultivated a cadre of Republican senators who embrace the notion that a robust legal system is a critical part of restraining rogue marker participants.
Gas Tax A Central August Issue?
One Republican consultant believes that 2021 vote to increase the gas tax will be one of the central issues in Republican states senate primaries.
“Jay Ashcroft and Bill Eigel will both be making the gas tax a huge part of their message against Mike Kehoe… The NOs will be benefiting from millions spent statewide drawing attention to the issue.” Find that 2021 House vote and Senate vote.
Where this could be in play…
· Senate 3 - Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway (YES) versus Mike Henderson (NO)
· Senate 21 – Curtis Gregory (YES) versus Doug Richey (NO)
· Senate 27 – Jamie Burger (YES) versus Chris Dinkins (NO)
· Senate 31 – Dan Houx (YES) versus Mike Haffner (NO) and Rick Brattin (NO)
· Senate 33 – Travis Simth (YES) versus Brad Hudson (NO)
Sifton Poses Topless
Former Sen. Scott Sifton posed topless to celebrate his 50th birthday.
· MOScouter: Sifton better win the damn week. I haven’t seen this much attention paid to a Dem’s photo since Lucas Kunce’s shorts got shrunk in the dryer.
MOScout Explainers
I’ve started a new section on the MOScout webpage called Explainers. The idea is to build a reference of quick explanations on various topics to which folks can refer. Find a link at the top of the webpage or here.
The first one gives a brief explanation of what’s meant by “PQ.”
New PACs
Blue Springs PAC was formed. It’s in support Ron Fowler, a Republican running in House 31 where Rep. Dan Stacy is term limited. See the filing here. House 31 is a lean Republican district. Donald Trump won the district by 7.6% in 2020.
$5K+ Contributions
Believe in Life and Liberty - BILL PAC - $10,000 from Joan Langenberg.
Crystal PAC - $10,000 from Nancy OReilly.
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom (reproductive rights IP) - $6,723 from American Civil Liberties Union, Inc. (New York, NY).
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $16,402 from Missouri Organizing and Voter Engagement Collaborative.
Missouri American Water Company Employees Political Action Committee - $12,500 from Flynn Drilling Company.
MSCEW PAC Federal Cmte - $26,500 from IBEW PAC VOLUNTARY FUND (Washington, DC).
Committee to Elect Vanessa Bruton - $10,000 from Vanessa Bruton.
Lobbyists Registrations
Maddie McMillan Green added Promontory 150 LLC c/o Platform Ventures LLC.
Stephen Sciaraffo added Cheyne Capital US LP.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Tom Dempsey, Lisa Clancy, and Jeanie Lauer.