MOScout Daily Update: GRAVES OUT - Education Splits GOP on Budget Votes - New SAPA Voted Down - Blue Kick-off and more…
Breaking… Graves Out
The rumors were true. Wall Street Journal reports this morning that Congressman Sam Graves will retire. The 62-year-old said he is withdrawing his paperwork seeking re-election in Missouri’s Sixth Congressional District on Friday, a reversal that comes ahead of the August primary for his seat. He was first elected to Congress in 2000 and is leaving after 13 terms.
What It Means
· Nathan Willett is expected to withdraw from the Senate 34 race now and enter what will be a fast and furious sprint. I’m told he’s not the Axiom choice for the seat, but “we’ll see.”
· Rep. Mazzie Christensen is also another strong possibility.
But there will likely be lots of names floated this weekend, and the Secretary of State’s Office will become a spot for the political equivalent of bird-watchers over the next few days. Filing closes on Tuesday at 5PM.
Education Exposes Split in Budget Votes
The House passed the budget yesterday. Of the 12 budget bills, three had very tight votes, with slim margins to meet the constitutional threshold of 82 votes.
· HB 2002 – Elementary and Secondary Education – 85 votes. Dems were upset about not fully funding the foundation formula and cuts to childcare subsidies. They were joined by 21 Republicans.
· HB 2003 – Higher Education – 83 votes. There was bipartisan resistance to the new FTE model of funding. Some Dems voted present, I assume, because their local universities did well under the plan, but they opposed the plan itself.
· HB 2012 – Statewide offices – 84 votes. Most Dems voted No, opposing the increase in MOScholars voucher funding, housed in the State Treasurer’s Office. They were joined by 23 Republicans.
These close votes all seemed driven by issues of education and childcare.
House Budget Chair Dirk Deaton, reading the room, basically told his caucus on the floor that they could vote for the FTE model without worrying that it would actually be enacted. “I’ll remind the body, this isn’t a Truly Agreed Finally Passed motion. This is a third read motion. And in modern history, I’m gonna say probably ever, have we ever voted out House Bill 3 and the other chambers taken it as is. You know, there’s always changes with every budget bill, and we conference about those. So, this is not the end of the line. This is not the end of the discussion, in any way.”
· And the Post-Dispatch reports that he’s correct: “The leader of the Senate said she opposes a decision to reduce funding for some state universities and community colleges. “I think we will restore funding to where they were,” Senate President Cindy O’Laughlin.
Have We Passed Peak Gun-mania?
Rep. Bill Hardwick’s new SAPA (Second Amendment Protection Act) bill lost a do-pass vote in the House General Laws Committee yesterday. It was a rare defeat for gun rights in a Republican-dominated General Assembly which has pursued loosening gun control for a decade. Speaking against the bill…
· Rep. Mike Costlow: “It also will put firearm dealers like myself out of business by creating a conflict between following a state law or following the federal law… We do have an organization here, the Missouri Firearms Coalition and Aaron Dorr, who have been pushing bills like this and defaming those that they can't profit off of.”
· Rep. Jamie Gragg: “I asked my police chief, my sheriff… and also the sheriff of Greene County… None of the law enforcement entities have sponsored this one or stand behind it… I would be remiss if I did not follow their lead.”
Blue Kickoff
Dusty Blue officially kicked off his Senate 18 run last night. Freedomers Secretary Denny Hoskins, Sen. Mike Moon, and former Sen. Bill Eigel all spoke – an indication that Blue will be running to the right of his opponents, Reps. Ed Lewis and Greg Sharpe.
Legal Tender Means Legal Tender!
Rep. Lisa Durnell’s HB 3256 was heard in the House Tourism Committee yesterday. It would require businesses to accept cash payment. “A retail establishment offering goods or services for sale shall accept United States currency, including Federal Reserve notes, from a buyer to purchase the goods or services.”
According to the Missouri Chamber’s Jared Hankinson, Missouri would be the first state to criminalize not accepting cash.
· The Chamber opposes the bill: “If a business has made the determination that for the safety of our workforce, the safety of our ownership, the physical safety of our establishment… that not having cash on premises is the safest possible thing that we can do… they should be empowered to make that decision…”
Whether it be for safety concerns… I don’t have the time in my day to take trips to the bank to deposit cash… they should be empowered to make those operational best practice decisions without government interference.”
eMailbag on Pension Watch
I have long worried about how term limits impact on the stability of MOSERS. I don't believe it is just and right to be able to secure a full state pension in only six years. I think this is another case of legislators arranging a "catbird deal" for themselves… Here's another one: legislators get more for per diem in three days without furnishing receipts than a family of three on TANF gets as the max for a full month.
Interviewing for The Robe
The Appellate Judicial Commission announced the following applicants for the vacancy on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, created by the retirement earlier this month of Judge Don E. Burrell Jr: Joshua B. Christensen, Brendon J. Fox, Raymond M. Gross, Joseph L. Hensley, Heather L. Miller, Jerel Lee Poor II, Heather L. Rooney McBride, Josephine L. Stockard, David T. Tunnell, and Amy S. Westermann.
· The commission is expected to conduct interviews Tuesday, April 21, at Hotel Vandivort in Springfield
New Candidate Filings
WITHDRAWN – House 29 – Aaron Crossley
House 13 – Jacoby Wynkoop (D)
House 29 – Robert Bruette (R)
House 29 – Tedi Rowland (D)
House 77 – Kimberly-Ann Collins (D)
Lobbyists Registrations
Tyler Travers added Marshall Public Library.
Nexus Group added Children's Advocacy Coalition.
Brent Hemphill added Public Partnerships LLC; and deleted US Term Limits, and CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc.
Erik Mortensen added Erik Mortensen.
$5K+ Contributions
Respect MO Voters Campaign - $50,000 from Show Me Integrity.
Elliot Lahn for Platte County Treasurer - $15,000 from Zach Lahn (Belle Plaine, IA).
Missouri House Democrats Action Fund - $20,000 from Kendall Hunt.
Happy Birthday
Happy birthdays to Mike Leara, Mike Kelley, and Dave Stokes.