MOScout Weekender: KC City Manager Chaos - Hallway: State of the Caucuses - Who Won the Week and more…
KC City Manager Get To The Boot?
KCStar reports that “Brian Platt has been suspended from his role as city manager, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced Thursday night. Platt has been suspended with pay effective Thursday, according to Lucas. His suspension comes one day after the former director of communications for the Kansas City government won a whistleblower lawsuit against the city, alleging that Platt demoted him in 2022 because he resisted Platt’s encouragement to lie to the news media.”
Not So Many Jobs
From the Missouri Monthly Jobs Report, a downward revision in how many new jobs Missouri created last year…
Revised data for 2024 show that seasonally adjusted total nonfarm payroll employment averaged lower than reported in the original release for every month. In the original estimates, on net from January 2024 to December 2024, Missouri employment increased by 81,700 jobs. After the revisions process, the state’s employment change from January 2024 to December 2024 was revised to a net gain of 27,900 jobs.
Remington/MOScout Poll:
The MOScout poll will return after Spring Break.
MOScout’s Hallway Index: State of Caucuses
I asked lobbyists, “Which caucus is most unified?” 20 replies…
RESULTS
1. House GOP… 20%
2. House Dems… 35%
3. Senate GOP… 30%
4. Senate Dems… 15%
Sample of Comments
· I think the Freedom Caucus is the most organized
· [Senate GOP] House Dems are a close second, but they’re largely irrelevant as a caucus so I chose senate GOP. Least unified is Senate Dems.
· [House Dems] House is falling apart; Senate Dems is Team Webber vs Team Beck; Senate GOP is a powder keg waiting to explode.
· Alex Riley has done an excellent job of keeping the House Republican caucus united.
· [House Dems] When you are irrelevant, it’s easy to stay together.
· [Senate GOP] I literally cannot believe this is my answer.
· [Senate Dems] But it’s even tenuous with that small group.
· This is wild to say, but it's the Senate GOP.
· House GOP is as unified as an increasingly right leaning freshman class can be with a moderate Speaker. Senate GOP is a fragile peace. Senate Dems are not. At all. It’s House Dems and their little power by default.
Who Won the Week?
Jamie Burger – The freshman senator, together with Sen. Jason Bean, shepherds the water export bill through the Senate.
Nick Schroer – The Freedom Caucus member builds bridges, finds compromises and works the upper chamber to advance Governor Kehoe’s number one priority.
Cara Spencer – The convincing primary win makes her the favorite to become the next Mayor of St. Louis.
Dave Schatz – The former pro tem of the Senate returns to public service with an appointment as the Franklin County Presiding Commissioner.
Find a downloadable version here.
eMailbag: As Goes the FC, So Goes the Senate?
As we approach Spring Break, it is worth noting we have witnessed a functioning Senate (thus far) this year with the Freedom Caucus Senators leading on significant GOP priorities. They are in the middle of every significant conversation. They are leading as to the amendment 3 fix. They lead the charge against blanket corporate immunity. They also negotiated the unthinkable: changing control of the STLMPD without a PQ, before spring break.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to David Steelman.
Sunday: Luke Reed, Lori Rook, Nathan Beard, and Dave Monaghan.