Axios this morning has a chart of state revenue declines, calling it an “economic death spiral.” Missouri is near the top/bottom. See it here. Yes, it’s bad. But probably not that bad. Remember, there’s probably a pretty big chuck of the drop that’s just been deferred until July because we moved our tax deadline. And in theory, folks who are getting a refund filed as usual while folks who owe will wait until the summer.

Grain Belt Restrictions Repelled in Senate

The effort to prohibit eminent domain in the Grain Belt project had its first run in the Senate last night.  Sen. Mike Berskoetter added the provision to a Senate substitute to HB 1330.  A variety of senators from different parts of the ideological spectrum spoke against the proposal. 

Pfizer COVID Vaccine Trial

Press release: Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE announced today that the first participants have been dosed in the U.S. in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the BNT162 vaccine program to prevent COVID-19. The trial is part of a global development program, and the dosing of the first cohort in Germany was completed last week…

Post-Dispatch reports that “County Executive Sam Page said in a post on Twitter that Pfizer has chosen its St. Louis County facility to produce the possible vaccine.”

Ashcroft Reopens Campaign

On Twitter yesterday Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft announced he was resuming campaign activities. With the lifting of the statewide Stay-at-Home order in Missouri on May 4th, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who suspended his campaign during the outset of the Covid 19 crisis, announced he will resume campaign activities on Monday. #MoLeg #MoSOS

April Revenues

April state revenues were 54% below those in April 2019. The dramatic economic contraction is to blame, but also extension of Tax Day to July 15. That pushed a huge chuck of revenue into the next fiscal year.

MedEx Campaign Submits Signatures

From the press release: At a time when access to healthcare is needed more than ever, a group of Missouri doctors and Medicaid expansion advocates on Friday submitted more than twice as many signatures from Missourians as required to put the initiative directly before voters in November.

GenLaws Approves CLEANER

The House General Laws Committee approved “CLEANER,” a reversal of the redistricting process known as CLEAN Missouri. The hearing room was mostly empty. This brings the epic showdown over redistricting one step closer to the ballot box.

It’s A Normal Session After All

After the talk of asking folks to stay away and focusing on COVID-19 related items, the state legislature has embraced a wide-open agenda for the final weeks of session.

Legislating by Omnibus

The House and Senate appear to be using massive omnibus bills as vehicles during these final weeks.

Quiet Capitol

Mini-session in the time of corona… National guardsmen meet you at the entrance, an infrared forehead thermometer checks your temperature, they ask a few screening questions (been on a cruise lately?…) Through the metal detector… and into a very empty capitol building…

Governor Mike Parson promises to unveil the roadmap to reopening the Missouri economy today.

According to his tweets, there will be two “phases” to the plan. Look for the details at his 3PM briefing.

· Dr. Randall Williams has said that the ability to do saturation testing in specific locations is a key component to their plan.

NYTimes: KC Conference Call

New York Times reports on a conference call between regional leaders in Kansas City showing that there’s disagreement about how – and how fast – to lift coronavirus restrictions.

It’s joblessness versus sickness. It’s cabin fever versus the risk of a real fever. That debate is particularly contentious in the Kansas City, Mo., metropolitan area…

The different views — open up now! let’s wait! — played out with candor on Thursday morning during a conference call of elected officials and public health experts in the Kansas City region. The New York Times was invited by a participant to listen to the call, which provided a behind-the-scenes look at how these discussions are unfolding nationwide…

Mike Owens, husband to Mayor Lyda Krewson, shared a funny meme on Facebook. See it here.

Parson Presser

DHSS Director Randall Williams warned that the administration is watching rural Missouri closely. They’re seeing an uptick in numbers emanating from work-related sites where rural residents congregate.

Cole County Open for Business

Just in time for the legislature to return to town, Cole County announced it was lifting its stay-at-home order and reopening bars and restaurants.

See the announcement here.

More Withholds

Faced with declining state revenues and economic uncertainty, Governor Mike Parson announced a fresh round of budget withholds. The new cuts amounted to $47 million.

Month-to-date state revenues – through April 17 – were down 38%. Those daily numbers can be volatile, but -38% is scary.

Budget

The first week back – the week of the 27th – the top priority of the House will be reconfigure and pass next year’s budget.

In many ways the House Budget Committee is flying blind. 

Latest COVID Model

The latest COVID model shows that curve may be turning right now in Missouri: peak hospital resources behind us, and peak deaths occurring this week. See it here. Most heartening, forecasted total deaths now lowered to 362.

MO Unemployment Ahead of US Rate

For the first time in years the Missouri unemployment rate was higher than the U.S. rate. March unemployment in Missouri jumped to 4.5% ahead of the 4.4% rate across the nation as a whole.

But with estimates that April’s unemployment number will come in around 20%, March’s number is largely irrelevant.

Galloway Trounces Parson’s Fundraising Number

Yesterday I wrote that Governor Mike Parson’s $300K+ fundraising number was strong given the lockdown and all. But Auditor Nicole Galloway blew that out of the water, more than doubling his number. She raised $640,281 in the last three months.

Still Parson retains a wide cash lead. His candidate committee has $1.4 million on-hand. Plus $3.8 million in his PAC, Uniting Missouri.