MOScout Daily Update: Texts Attack GOP Reps for No Votes on Kehoe Plan - House Hits 100 Bills At Break - Another Herbicide in Crosshairs and more…
Quick Friday update…
100 House Bills
The legislature is now on Spring Break. Before they adjourned, the House passed its 100th bill of the session. That’s in addition to three resolutions to send issues to voters – and one Senate bill.
That’s a prodigious output from the lower chamber. But with the Senate chugging along in first gear, it’s not particularly meaningful.
Kehoe Tax Plan in Senate Primaries
Reps. Greg Sharpe and Rudy Veit were hit with texts yesterday, using a popular meme to attack them for voting NO on HJR 173 & 174. They are both running in Senate Republican primaries.
I’m told the texts were the work of a new PAC we’ll be seeing, Republican Accountability PAC, seeded with $150,000. Its treasurer, James Thomas, often works with Axiom Strategies.
What It Means
Primary season is under way.
General Laws Nuggets
While most folks were watching the House Budget markup on Wednesday evening, the House General Laws Committee had an interesting meeting…
· Diehl promises changes. Rep. Dane Diehl’s HB 3088 received some pushback because he said that negotiations were still ongoing and there would be changes made on the House floor. It’s not unusual for folks to try to keep a piece of legislation moving, promising to “fix it” later in the process. But it often gives members heartburn to vote “on faith,” in the words of Rep. Jamie Gragg. This bill deals with healthcare provider networks. It was supported by the Missouri Insurance Coalition and opposed by the Missouri Hospital Association. Reps. Rudy Veit and Mark Matthiesen voted No. It advanced 8-5.
· Another herbicide targeted. Rep. Sherri Gallick’s HB 2844 would ban paraquat, a herbicide used by farmers. It’s banned in 70 countries and some research ties it to Parkinson’s disease. But Missouri would be the first state to ban it under this legislation. The Michael J Fox Foundation supports the bill, but it was opposed by the Ag groups: Corn Growers, MO Pork, MO Soybean, Farm Bureau, CropLife America, Cotton Producers, and Missouri Agri-business.
· ‘Energy Drink Culture’ at schools? HB 1880 prohibits schools from selling drinks with more than 100 mg of caffeine to students. Students testified about what they see in school: “Students come to school 7AM with 24 ounce cans of energy drinks…” and “It’s not a rare sight at our school to see students carrying around 12-packs of Alani or Monsters as early as seven in the morning.”
Policed by the State, Penalized by the State
Wednesday’s House Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs hearing highlighted the ongoing structural issue of state control of local police.
Rep. Dave Hinman’s HB 3210 would allow property owners in large cities (over 100,000 people) to have their property tax refunded if cities fail to enforce laws that rein in homelessness.
“Rampant homelessness is taking over once beautiful cities nationwide as municipalities refuse to enforce laws against public camping, loitering, obstruction of public thoroughfares, retail theft, and public intoxication… Property owners should not be forced to bear the burden of local government's failure to enforce basic laws and safety.”
· But Rep. Bridget Walsh Moore articulated the illogic of cities being financially penalized for enforcement decisions made by state-controlled police departments: “Our two largest cities, Kansas City and St. Louis, do not control their own police force. Yet the city would have to pay for lack of enforcement… So the city would be losing funds based on decisions made by the governor… we've taken that away from them.”
New Candidate Filing
House 115 – David George (D).
$5K+ Contributions
Quad County Emergency Services PAC -$11,346 from O’Fallon Professional Fire Fighters.
Best Start for Kids STL - $30,000 from WEPOWER.
Southland Progress - $20,000 from Together KC.
KC Forward Progress - $15,000 from Global Prairie Inc.
Lobbyist Registrations
Amy Blunt added Vertical Bridge; and deleted Practical POCUS.
Gamble & Schlemeier added Avalara, Inc. c/o MultiState Associates, LLC.
Doug Stone added Hispanic Economic Development Corp of Kansas City, and Belleview Townhomes LLC; and deleted Northtown Devco, 25 North Central CID, Sanford Real Estate LC, Northland Gateway CID, KCP Fee Owner 4 LLC, Ice Cream Factory LLC, Northland Neighborhoods Inc, Imagine Hospitality LLC, and Bannister Speed Stop LLC.
Abby Dickinson and Tyler Travers deleted Missouri Solar Energy Industries Association (MOSEIA).
Happy Birthday
Happy birthday to Sen. Brad Hudson.
Saturday: Ryan DeBoef, Mark Bruns, Jason Klindt, and Jordan Blase.
Sunday: Sen. Jason Bean, Reps. Bennie Cook and Dave Hinman, Adam Gresham, and Gary McElyea.
Monday: Rep. Bill Owen, Melissa Randol, and Jon Dolan.
MOScout Schedule
I’m taking off for a three-day weekend. Back in your inbox Tuesday morning.