MOScout Weekender: Baker to Trump - O’Laughlin on Wasinger - Poll on Revisiting A3, PropA - Hallway on Final Weeks and more…
Baker Gets Trump Appointment
Rep. Ben Baker was appointed State Director, Missouri Rural Development. From the announcement, it looks like it’s immediate as it says, “former state representative.”
Ben Baker serves as State Director for Rural Development in Missouri. He is a former Missouri State Representative with a focus on government efficiency and public service. He lives in Neosho, Missouri, with his wife, Naomi, and their two daughters, living a life grounded in faith, family, and a relentless drive to serve his community.
O’Laughlin Responds
Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin, in a Facebook post, reacted to LG Dave Wasinger’s suggestion that he could fix the “broken” Senate.
Our Lt. Governor started the day taking a point of personal privilege which is a right reserved for senators. He would like to see the senate operate differently and more smoothly. (Who wouldn’t?) By this he meant get the results he thinks are best. Sure……..and every one of the 34 senators also wants this. And each of the 34 has a different idea of what that should look like. He advised that he would be introducing new rules maybe next session. Uh…..no. He does not have the authority to do this because he is not a senator. He also advised that he would be using the senate caucus staff. Also no. I understand that his ultimate goal is to achieve the best results, that is my goal also. One way to be helpful is to not insult the entire senate body in a 5 minute speech.
Lesson One: Develop a personal relationship with each senator and offer to help navigate what is an extremely complicated system. This is how you get something done. Ultimately it’s the ONLY way.
Remington/MOScout Poll: Revisiting Voter Decisions
Survey conducted April 30 through May 1, 2025. 733 likely General Election voters participated in the survey. Survey weighted to match expected turnout demographics for the 2026 General Election. Margin of Error is +/-3.4% with a 95% level of confidence. Totals do not always equal 100% due to rounding. Survey conducted by Remington Research Group on behalf of Missouri Scout. See the full results here.
Q1: Do you consider yourself pro-choice, pro-life, or somewhere in the middle?
Pro-choice: 37%
Pro-life: 48%
Somewhere in the middle: 15%
Q2: The state legislature is considering bringing the issue of abortion back before voters in 2026. Are you in favor of another vote on the issue, or do you consider the matter settled?
Another vote: 42%
Settled: 48%
Not sure: 10%
Q3: The legislature is considering changes to the voter-approved law increasing the minimum wage and mandating sick leave. Should the legislature change that law, or leave it alone?
Change: 28%
Leave alone: 56%
Not sure: 16%
Q4: Some legislators would like to make it harder to change Missouri’s constitution. Do you think it should be harder to change the constitution or stay as it is?
Harder: 37%
Stay as it is: 38%
Not sure: 25%
MOScout’s Hallway Index: Late Compromises?
I asked lobbyists, “Which long-shot bill has the best chance of passage in the final weeks?” 21 replies…
RESULTS
1. Hemp beverages…9.5%
2. RoundUp labeling… 9.5%
3. VLTs… 14.3%
4. Zero chance of passage for any of them…66.7%
Sample of Comments
· VLTs can throw a lot of money around, and everyone is for sale.
· They are all DEAD.
· Trial attorneys run both parties in the Capitol
· Senate is over.
· Lol what, did Tommy or Tilley ask you to add hemp to this list even though it hasn't passed either chamber and April is over?
· All dead
· No chance
· I doubt another word of debate is spoken on any of these bills this session.
Who Won the Week?
Jim Avery – He still hasn’t officially announced for Senate 22 yet. But in David Robertson’s statement dropping out the race, he tacitly endorsed Avery showing some consolidation on the right-side base.
Sam Graves – Named the most effective legislator in DC by the The Center for Effective Lawmaking’s scorecard.
Karla May – Wins the quote of the week. In a floor exchange with Sen. Joe Nicola, she offered the aphorism: “God created government, but the devil created politics.”
Mary Elizabeth Coleman – For her clever rejoinder to LG Dave Wasinger’s announcement that he plans to fix the Senate.
Find a downloadable version here.
eMailbag
I had a hard time following Wasinger’s train of thought - showing the size of the constitutions of Missouri and the Fed Gov relates to the Missouri Senate Rules which relates to the Appropriations bill debates which relates to Wassinger’s visits in towns he can’t readily recall…..how??? I did agree with Wassinger though- the Sec of the Senate and Heidi do great job!
$5K+ Contributions
International Brotherhood of Teamsters Missouri PAC - Federal Committee - $79,540 from International Brotherhood of Teamsters DRIVE Committee (Washington, DC).
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Susan Henderson Moore, Sarah Steelman, Roy Temple, Michael Frame, Alvin Brooks, Sarah Unsicker, Joe Carmichael, and Steve Danner.
Sunday: Ryan Clearwater, and Jason Kander.