MOScout Daily Update: Suit Filed to Stop Kehoe Tax Plan - Conferencing Sans Committee - Boggs Talks Heart Attack and more…
Suit Filed Over Kehoe Tax Plan
A lawsuit was filed yesterday to block Secretary of State Denny Hoskins from placing HJR 173/174 (the Kehoe tax plan) on the ballot. The suit was filed by Jill Owens. Her attorney is Chuck Hatfield. See the suit here.
The suit alleges that the resolution “violates Article XII, Section 2(b) of the Missouri Constitution by impermissibly amending multiple articles and embracing more than one subject.”
HJR 173/174 purports to repeal and re-adopt only Sections 4(d) and 26 of Article X. But the operative provisions of the new Section 26 suspend, override, or modify substantive limitations contained in at least four other articles of the Constitution: Articles III, IV, VI, and IX… A voter who supports phasing out the income tax but opposes raiding the State Road Fund—or expanding the Auditor’s constitutional role or stripping local governments of taxing autonomy—has no way to vote her preference.
Boggs Recounts Heart Attack
Rep. Mitch Boggs, recovering from a heart attack, returned to the House floor to impart some wisdom to his colleagues. See his address here.
So, I stand here today just to tell you that what's really important is what I've learned this week: reaching out to one another, caring for one another. It’s not these pieces of paper that we get so bent on and so out of shape over…
I don't know how close I was to having one of those black drapes over my desk. The representative from the Waller District didn't have the opportunity to stand and say how grateful he is for everyone, but I do. So I wanted to take that opportunity to say thank you. Thank you all. I love you all…
I'm gonna do my best to invest in people’s lives better in my last two years… To do a better job at getting to know you all… getting to know the things that hurt in your life and getting the opportunity to care…
Concern About Congressional Chaos
Following the Missouri Supreme Court’s rulings on the redistricting map, fears of electoral chaos are being raised…
· The Post-Dispatch’s Kurt Ericksonreports: Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins said he will not certify a challenge to Missouri's new Republican congressional maps until Aug. 4, the same day voters go to the polls to decide who will run in the general election. That could lead to voters casting ballots for candidates in one district in the party primaries, but different candidates and districts in November.
· The Missouri Independent’s Rudi Kellerreports: Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon on Wednesday said she won’t revise voter lists to reflect the gerrymandered congressional districts approved last year until Secretary of State Denny Hoskins decides whether there will be a referendum on the map. The Missouri Supreme Court decision Tuesday denying a request to put the map on hold until a statewide vote puts too much uncertainty into the future of the map, Lennon, a Democrat, wrote in a letter to Hoskins.
Conferencing Sans Committee
On the House floor as Rep. Peggy McGaugh explained the conference committee report on HB 2596, which was subsequently TFAP’d, Rep. Bridget Walsh Moore brought to light the practice of conference committees not actually meeting, leaving even conference committee members “in the dark.” See the exchange here.
I do want to make the public aware that there were several conference committees that didn’t actually ‘meet.’ A lot of this was done via kinda grabbing people in the hallway or text messages. Members of the committee were excluded from the conversation. And I really hope that we, as a body, do better about that moving forward.
Senate Approves Big EcoDevo Bill
The Senate approved Rep. Brad Christ’s HB 3231, a big economic development bill. It started the session as a 35-page bill, and gathered up other incentive and redevelopment packages to finish yesterday at 170 pages.
It ran into opposition from Sen. Jill Carter and Joe Nicola, though it was hard to tell if they were opposed to the bill itself, or there were other factors leading to them to stand for a while on the floor.
Between the leading advocates for the bill – Sens. David Gregory, Kurtis Gregory and Steven Roberts – there was pretty broad-based support. It was third-read with a solid majority, 25-7.
Take That, Chiefs!
The House passed Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern’s SB 1544, a naming/designation bill. It comes back to the Senate now for a final vote.
It includes this critical action: If the Kansas City Chiefs relocate outside of this state, the Kansas City Chiefs shall not be the official professional football team of the state of Missouri.
eMailbag
· On redistricting: This is cynical but true. If the voters reject the map the legislature will pass the new map or maybe more likely an 8-0 map. Maybe they pass an 8-0 map even if the voters approve. OTOH - maybe Trump being a lame duck restores some degree of sanity.
· On voting rights bill: Melanie Stinnett deserves the real credit for this effort. She has been working on this legislation for the last four years. It was the very first bill she ever prefiled. Her hard work and commitment to seeing it through is why it passed.
Lobbyist Registrations
James Owen added RES.
$5k+ Contributions
Make JeffCo Great Again PAC (pro-Avery) - $10,000 from MO Majority PAC.
Missouri American Water Company Employees PAC - $15,000 from G & S Construction and Farms, Inc.
Lake of the Ozarks Community Gaming - $60,000 from Signature GLP LLC.
Lake of the Ozarks Community Gaming - $60,000 from Signature GLP LLC.
House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $10,000 from Citizens for Owen.
Committee to Elect Dena Klein Perkins for Circuit Clerk - $7,385 from Mike Brown.
MSCEW PAC Federal Cmte - $150,000 from IBEW PAC VOLUNTARY FUND (Washington, DC).
MOScout Schedule
No Saturday Weekender or Sunday6 this weekend.