MOScout Weekender: Watching the Weather - SB 22 Spiked - More Dean Fall-out? - Hallway on Kehoe Plan - Who Won the Week and more…
Forecasters warn of some high snowfall totals this weekend. Politically, lawmakers will be watching how well the Missouri Department of Transportation handles the storm. Several have been critical in the past and seem to be itching to take more control of the department.
SCOMO Spikes SB 22
The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that last session’s SB 22 violated the state constitution’s original purpose requirement. See the ruling here.
The Court found that amendments added to SB 22 were not germane to the original bill. Furthermore, the Court wrote that, “there is no basis to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt the General Assembly would have passed SB 22 without the amendment…” And so, they threw out the entire bill, not just the offending amendments.
· The reason “original purpose” is an important principle to good government is so that other lawmakers, and of course, citizens and advocates, can follow bills without underhanded switcheroos or sneaking in unrelated provisions at the last-second.
What It Means
This is the latest in recent SCOMO decisions to rein in the legislature’s propensity for Christmas Tree bills and logrolling.
Rumorville: House Dems Mull Expelling Dean
I’m told the fallout surrounding Rep. Jeremy Dean’s obscene text message may not be complete. House Dems are talking about expelling Dean from the Democratic Caucus. The move, if it happens, would be with an eye toward the upcoming election.
· House 132 is a competitive seat. Dean won it last year with 51.6%, a 341-vote margin.
· Last month Republicans recruited a serious candidate for the seat.
· Some Dems are wary about Dean’s ability to win given his baggage.
Remington/MOScout Poll
No poll this week.
MOScout’s Hallway Index: Kehoe Tax Plan
I asked lobbyists, “What are the prospects for Kehoe's income tax phase-out plan?” 21 replies…
RESULTS
1. The enabling resolution will pass the legislature, and be approved by the voters this year… 47.6%
2. The enabling resolution will pass the legislature, but be rejected by voters… 47.6%
3. The enabling resolution will not pass this session… 4.8%
Sample of Comments
· It will only pass because of the PQ. Former Senator Kehoe would be embarrassed by this.
· Dear Voter, Trust us to do the right thing. Authorize us to raise your sales taxes some unknown number and we pinky promise we will lower other taxes later. Warm regards, A bunch of politicians
· Too soon to say whether or not the voters will approve. Realtor opposition, Soros money, how much money on the pro side will be spent… many other possibilities could influence passage at the polls.
· Replacement taxes are still new taxes, and people will figure that out. Beyond a handful of astroturf groups that do whatever their funders tell them, who is actually going to be on the ground eager to explain that a whole bunch of new things are about to be taxed? No thanks.
Who Won the Week?
Sean Soendker Nicholson – Big win at the Missouri Supreme Court over SB 22.
Mike Moon – The SB 22 decision reinforces the constitutional approach espoused by Moon consistently on the Senate floor. Maybe now, folks will listen to him a bit more?
Jim Avery – And then there was one. Remarkably, it looks like Avery has become the consensus candidate to replace Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman.
Glenn Fitzgerald – The House Budget staffer is credited with finding a $250 million error in the state budget. Maybe we should have a 1% bonus finder’s fee, what do you say?
Find a downloadable version here.
$5K+ Contributions
Stop the Ban - $25,000 from American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri Foundation.
Missouri C PAC - $50,000 from Good Day Farm Missouri.
Ameren Missouri Political Action Committee - $9,083 from Ameren FEDPAC.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Marla Smith, Crystal Williams, and David Bader.
Sunday: Mark Rhoads, Jack Oliver, Gracia Backer, and Michael Corcoran.