MOScout Daily Update: Rumor: JP Dropping?!? - McCreery Gets ShowMe Opponent - Travis Smith Files - Royals Saga Continues and more…
Rumorville: JP Out!
Word around the capitol is the Speaker Jon Patterson has decided against running in Senate 8. It’s a plot twist of epic proportions. Between his PAC and candidate committee, JP has raised $3 million for this campaign.
The rumor is that Sean Smith will pivot from the CD-5 race and file for Senate 8.
What It Means
· The big winner is Rep. Keri Ingle. JP was a formidable candidate – likable with moderate vibes in a purple district, and of course a pile of money. Whether Smith or Dan Stacy emerges from the primary, they’ll be an easier match for Ingle.
· Floor Leader Alex Riley, already becoming the go-to guy, gets more juice out of this move. Lobbyists and legislators now won’t have to consider a future “Sen. Patterson.”
· And what will become of JP’s $2M+ PAC? It’s possible he’ll refund donors. It’s possible he’ll put it on ice for some future opportunity. We’ll see…
More Filing Bits
· Jason Hancock notes that the CD-6 candidate filing will reopen due to the incumbent withdrawal.
· Sen. Tracy McCreery gets a Republican opponent, LaVanna Wrobley. Wrobley is Events and Outreach Manager at the Rex Sinquefield-funded Show Me Institute.
· Former Rep. Travis Smith files to run. He’ll take on Rep. Lisa Durnell in the House 154 Republican primary. Among the votes Smith will campaign on: Durnell voted against the crime bill.
· And one reader floats Todd Hays as a possible CD-6 candidate. “Lots of ag folks looking to send someone to DC with an ag pedigree… He’s in the Capitol today making rounds. He’s keeping options open for another day or two.”
O’Laughlin: Politics Isn’t #1
On Facebook Senate Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin explains passing on the Sam Graves seat.
I did go to D.C. and I did consider this opportunity. The reality though is [that my husband] is not going to fly to D.C. very often and leave the farm. Taking this into consideration and also the 43 years we’ve been married and all the things he’s endured I am not going to D.C… Politics is a lot of things but it can’t be the MOST important thing and when it gets that way it can run you off the rails. Being home and making a home is very important.
And Support for Enrollment Pay
On the policy front, O’Laughlin wrote: I support the daycare subsidy payments and am going to do everything within my power to restore it to its budgeted amount (recommended by the Governor.) We cannot diagnose a problem, find a solution, plan to implement the solution (which involves people all around the state preparing to do their job) and then turn around and gut the funding… Childcare is very expensive but children must have a safe and adequate daycare. It is in everyone’s interest.
Fixes on the Legislative Agenda
· Last week at the Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement, Executive Director Robert Coleman explained a snafu: “We raised the age of retirement for the Kansas City PD from 60 to 65… or thirty-five years of service, whichever occurs later. It was supposed to be whichever occurs SOONER. Because what happens now is if you were 60 and you got hired, you could then work thirty-five years and be 95 before you had to retire.” Rep. Barry Hovis is carrying the clean-up language this year.
· In the Senate Conservation Committee yesterday, Rep. Jeff Vernetti explained that HB 2057 is needed because last year “when they were grabbing language, they grabbed the wrong population size for Osage Beach. So everything else in the bill passed a 134 to 16, but Osage Beach got left out. Unfortunately, no one discovered the error until after the governor signed it.”
Senate Debates AI
Sen. Joe Nicola’s SB 1012 was debated yesterday. It would create regulations for artificial intelligence. It received pushback from fellow Republicans…
· Sen. Jamie Burger said the bill could run afoul of President Donald Trump’s executive order. Sen. Travis Fitzwater worried that the technology is still rapidly evolving, and regulations today may prove ill-informed in the near future.
The bill was laid over, but it’s clear there’s no consensus on dealing with AI yet.
Royals Saga Continues
Pete Mundoreports that the Royals are still in discussions with THREE possible locations.
This morning, John Sherman told @PeteMundo there have still been conversations with Kansas, North Kansas City and Kansas City, Missouri when it comes to a new stadium location. Are we really any closer to an answer than we were 3 years ago?
· Will Missouri lose another professional sports team?
Lawmakers Grapple With Hammerschmidt Confusion
In the House Corrections Committee hearing yesterday, Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman confessed the Missouri Supreme Court’s rulings have blurred the boundaries of the single-subject provision of the state constitution known as Hammerschmidt.
“I have read every Hammerschmidt ruling that the Supreme Court issued. And I don't understand what is and isn't permissible… I think it's very clear that if it's a broad title and it gets more narrow, that's permissive. But if it's narrow and gets too broad, it is impermissive. But what fits and what doesn't is unclear to me.”
Hospital Fundy for Stinnett
The Missouri Hospital Association is hosting a policy-focused fundraiser for Rep. Melanie Stinnett next month.
· One building denizen: Interesting they’re picking sides this early.
Chainsaw Bill?
At the St. Charles Lincoln Days, County Executive candidate Bill Eigelgave a fiery speech and promised to eliminate personal property taxes and stop the construction of apartment buildings.
· I’m going to go into that $600 million county budget with a chainsaw and get rid of all the waste… If you’re not aware of the money pits that are losing tens of millions of dollars including the Family Arena, the National Equestrian Center, the St. Charles City Hall… I’m going to get rid of that waste and I’m going to use those refunds to get rid of your personal property taxes.
· And when it comes to these apartment complexes, it’s pretty simple. The county controls the master plan for how and where we can build all these apartment complexes. If I’m your county executive, we’re going to put a stop to it.
People on the Move
· Former Schmitt staffer Drew Dziedzic is headed to the NFL. After his stint with Senator Eric Schmitt, he was a Special Assistant to the President at the White House. Now he is going to serve as a Senior Director for the NFL and help with their International Expansion and PAC.
· Ed Bryant is the new executive director of Consumers Council of Missouri. Bryant has “two decades of experience in government relations and community engagement work, including four years as Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement at the United Way of Greater St. Louis. Most recently he was Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications at Heartland Coca-Cola.”
New Candidate Filings
WITHDRAWN – Senate 34 – Nathan Willett (R); Willett refiled for CD-6
WITHDRAWN – House 12 – Mike Jones (R); Jones refiled for Senate 34.
Senate 10 – John Wells (D)
Senate 10 – Pablo John Los (D)
Senate 14 – Vernon Norman (R)
Senate 24 – LaVanna Wrobley (R)
House 10 – Skylar J. Smith (R)
House 12 – Wesley Willett (R)
House 34 – Charles Bisignano (R)
House 36 – Dave Thomas (R)
House 41 – Matthew Beger (D)
House 43 – Rich Gold (D)
House 53 – Beth Grubb (D)
House 58 – Roger Korenberg (D)
House 79 – Adam S. Hopkins (D)
House 79 – Helen Bailey (D)
House 81 – Robert Vroman (R)
House 102 – David Rogers (D)
House 126 – Melissa Perry (D)
House 128 – Michael Martin (D)
House 134 – K. Grant (D)
House 142 – Josh Ray (D)
House 145 – Carl Kinsky (D)
House 154 – Travis Smith (R)
$5K+ Contributions
Protect Majority Rule Missouri - $75,000 from The Fairness Project (Washington, DC).
Stop the Ban - $50,000 from Jean Rosenthal.
STLCO PAC (pro-Brian Williams) - $15,000 from Missouri Leadership Forum.
Citizens to Elect Bill Allen for MO - $7,777 from William Allen.
AGC of MO PAC - $14,000 from Ideker.
AGC of MO PAC - $5,100 from Tarlton Corporation.
MBA Gateway Region PAC - $6,410 from Bank of Washington.
UAW Region 4 Midwest States PAC (MO) - $6,606 from UAW Local 249.
Lobbyist Registrations
Gamble & Schlemeier added Missouri Gateway Green Building Council.
Erik “Mort” Mortensen added Liberty Action.
Tracy King added Missouri Future, LLC.
Happy Birthday
Happy birthdays to Mark Ellebracht, and Allen Icet.