MOScout Daily Update: Special Session Continues - Vescovo in Senate 22? - Bailey for Schroer - Law Fundy and more…
Special Session Continues
Three House Dems “held the floor” over the weekend. In other words, they stayed after adjournment and blasted social media posts to raise awareness about the Republican redistricting plan.
· Rep. Ben Keathey alleged that some of the posts crossed the line into soliciting political donations – a big no-no in the capitol.
The House reconvenes today at 2PM. There’s a Fiscal Review Hearing set for the bills at 8:30AM Tuesday morning.
The consensus is that the House Republicans will steadily advance the bills. The question is how Senate Republicans will deal with Dems. Will they seek a compromise or just plan to PQ their way out of the special session?
· Last weekend’s Hallway Index was near unanimous that we’ll be seeing PQs.
Vescovo in Senate 22?
Here’s an intriguing possible twist in Senate 22 – where the race has already had numerous twists and turns…
MOScouter: Former Speaker Rob Vescovo is being recruited to run, by Jeff City and by “locals who don’t think Jim Avery is really from Jeffco… Folks saying, ‘He's the only one who can beat Avery.’”
Breaking… Bailey For Schroer
Sen. Nick Schroer will unveil an endorsement today from outgoing Attorney General Andrew Bailey.
Schroer doesn’t have any opponent in his Senate 2 re-election campaign, but one source says this may be a “sign of likely bigger things to come…down the road…. [Schroer] now has three friends in the White House Administration: Will Scharf, Alex Meyer, and Bailey.”
Bailey’s Last Blast Sues Kroger Over Opiods
Filed on Friday, one last shot from Andrew Bailey before he exits the AG’s office… a lawsuit against Kroger, alleging that they didn’t do enough to stop the flood of opioid prescriptions. See the suit here.
From the suit: [Koger] had the resources to implement systems to use its real time knowledge of its pharmacies’ opioid ordering volume and prescription red flags to guard against diversion because of its enormous annual revenues. Yet Defendant did not adequately implement such systems.
What’s interesting here is that Missouri was part of a $1.3 billion multi-state settlement with Kroger last year. Yet, it seems Bailey is setting up a second whack at Kroger.
· Kroger has no registered lobbyists in Missouri.
New Audit Underway?
Added to the State Auditor’s list of Audits in Progress…. “Marijuana Program.”
Law Fundy
While there continue to be rumblings of St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann reconsidering his retirement and running again, Jason Law is clearly not dropping out. His latest scheduled fundraiser has some big money names… Kehoe donors Dave Sinclair, and Bob Brinkmann, as well as mega-donor Mike Rayner…
MOFB Adds New Director of Marketing
Press release: Missouri Farm Bureau (MOFB) announced the hiring of TaylorAnn Washburn as the organization’s new director of marketing and commodities… A native of Harrison County, Missouri, Washburn was raised on a diversified farm and was active in both 4-H and FFA. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia and holds a master’s degree from Texas Tech University.
Lobbyist Registrations
Erin Schrimpf added Hahn DeBoef LLC; and deleted Empower Missouri (formerly Mo Association For Social Welfare), Missouri Budget Project, StateLine Strategies LLP, Discovery Center of Springfield, and The Forest Kansas City LLC.
Ron Berry and Christopher Schoeman added Missouri Tow Truck Association.
Brittany Robbins, Ron Berry and Christopher Schoeman deleted Active and Retired Missouri State Employees (ARMSE).
Heath Clarkston, Michael Henderson, and Doug Nelson deleted The Good Food Institute Inc., and Plant Based Foods Association.
James Harris deleted Evolution Festival.
$5K+ Contributions
Paladin PAC - $98,000 from J&J Ventures of Missouri, LLC (Effingham, IL).
The Rowdy PAC - $110,000 from J & J Ventures Gaming of Missouri LLC (Effingham, IL).
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Megan Price, John Quinn, and Ryan Hawkins.