MOScout Daily Update: JP on Sparks’ Oceanic Ego - House’s A3 Plan of Attack - O’Laughlin Lays Out Vision - MIC Hires Williams and more…
Opening Day
Here are the nuggets and need-to-knows…
“The Challenge”
· Rep. Justin Sparks’ challenge to Speaker Jon Patterson fell flat as expected. He garnered 10 votes – more than many folks thought he would, but far below any realistic challenge (Patterson pulled 141 more votes than Sparks).
· 6 of the 9 members who voted for Sparks were Freshmen Deanna Self (House 64), Burt Whaley (House 138), Burt Whaley (House 138), Bryant Wolfin, gave nominating speech (House 145), Steve Jordan (House 151), Keith Elliot (House 153), and Lisa Durnell (House 154).
· What It Means: These freshmen will be top recruits for the House Freedom Caucus.
· The only returning members to support Sparks were Reps. Mazzie Christensen, Bob Titus, and Dale Wright.
· In a press conference after session, JP was dismissive of the suggestion that Sparks was motivated by some philosophical difference. “This was not about Amendment 3 or any policy agenda. This was a person with an oceanic ego who took it upon himself to make this day about himself. It really was very disappointing…”
More JP News from that Presser
· The House’s plan on rolling back the abortion right protections in Amendment 3 will focus on “fetal viability.” The language allows for regulation. And it sounds like the House will try to define what fetal viability is. One would assume they will aim to define it early in a woman’s pregnancy. JP: “If you took 10 doctors and lined them up and said ‘what is the definition of fetal viability,’ I think you’d get ten different answers. I think our citizens deserve to know what these are and I think that’s a debate worth having.”
· Other priorities for the House: allowing guns on public transit, repealing the sunset clause on the transgender legislation passed a few years ago.
· Patterson said he doesn’t favor delaying the implementation of Proposition A (minimum wage and sick leave).
Patterson Speech
Read Speaker Patterson’s speech here. JP priorities…
· [W]hile we respect the will of the voters, we must clarify the provisions of Amendment 3 and make Missouri the most pro-life state it can be.
· Legislation that would have mandated the state apply for the benefits of foster children with deceased parents should have been passed [last session] but fell victim to our inaction and politics… Therefore, I will refer that same legislation to the committee next week and I ask that it be first bill sent to the senate for their consideration.
· Mental health continues to be a problem afflicting our youth… I ask that the House budget committee once again make appropriations for mental health treatment for our kids.
· We must pass legislation that addresses the critical issue of public safety. I hope legislation that seeks to recruit and retain police officers to our cities will be supported by members on both sides of the aisle.
· The lack of affordable and accessible childcare causes billions of dollars of losses… I ask that the House once again take up and pass legislation that will provide incentives to businesses and childcare facilities to increase the number of childcare slots available to Missouri parents.
O’Laughlin Speech
Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin’s speech was gubernatorial level. Read it here. It lays out her vision for the role of government and broadly the society she wants to foster in Missouri.
JP’s speech mentioned the importance of family; O’Laughlin articulates a belief that it is the central force in Missouri life.
Throughout my time in public service, I’ve held firm in my belief about what truly makes Missouri great. Our greatness is rooted in the strength of responsible families who work hard, educate their children, and build resilience and faith… Dedicated parents, through their tireless efforts, instill in their children the determination to reach for their goals. This has always been the hallmark of societies that thrive. Our policies must reflect these values.
The specifics…
· Reforming child welfare: If you take a hard look at our child welfare system, you will see a system that is failing—failing to meet families where they are, failing to understand their struggles, and failing to provide meaningful assistance in their time of need… Our system must become more compassionate, more hands-on, more local, and more purposeful.
· Improving education: Despite investing millions of additional dollars in literacy training and being four years past the COVID pandemic, only 41 percent of our students are reading at grade level or above. These failures deprive children of the ability to build the foundation they need for a lifetime of learning and opportunity.
· Children’s health: Our policies should encourage environments that support physical and mental well-being, beginning with the basics of proper nutrition and active lifestyles. Far too many children are consuming diets that hinder their ability to concentrate and succeed in school.
· Public safety: [O]ur children and families cannot thrive without safety. Yet across Missouri, from Joplin to St. Louis City, crime has become a serious problem, robbing families of the peace and security they deserve… The reality is that most crimes are committed by a small number of repeat offenders. We can no longer tolerate a system that fails to deliver justice—one that releases dangerous individuals back onto our streets to reoffend. Swift consequences are essential to restoring safety and ensuring justice for victims.
MIC Hires Williams
Press release: Missouri Insurance Coalition (MIC) is excited to announce the newest addition to the MIC Team with the hiring of Hampton Williams as our General Counsel/Government Affairs Director.
Hampton was born and raised in Jasper County, Missouri, and is an attorney and communications specialist. Hampton holds degrees from New York University and the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law, where he graduated with honors. His background includes advising and representing presidential campaigns, serving as the director of the Office of Public Counsel, as Enforcement Counsel for the Missouri Securities Division, and operating a successful law practice in Branson, Missouri. Most recently, Hampton served as the Majority Counsel for the Missouri House of Representatives, where he advised House members on a variety of policy matters.
Kehoe Taps Hausman
Press release: Governor-Elect Mike Kehoe announced the appointment of Brigadier General Charles D. Hausman as the next Adjutant General (TAG) of the Missouri National Guard (MONG), the state’s senior military officer.
$5K+ Contributions
Association of MO Electric Cooperatives (AMEC PAC) - $12,500 from N.W. Electric.
Association of MO Electric Cooperatives (AMEC PAC) - $35,350 from FiberPath Technologies.
Lobbyist Registrations
Chandra Mauli Agrawal added University of Missouri-Kansas City .
Nancy Giddens and Shannon Cooper added St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition.
Mark Dalton added St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition; Michael G Winter Consultants.
Deanna Hemphill added Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons.
Hampton Williams added Missouri Insurance Coalition.
Bob Priddy added National Steamboat Museum.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to Caleb Jones and Marshall Griffin.