MOScout Daily Update: Senate Filibuster Through the Night - Supremes Order New Vote - Bailey Memo - Firearms Coalition Contra JP and more…
Senate Filibuster
Yesterday morning, the Senate attempted to start the process to approve the FRA tax renewal, the prelude to passing the budget. The Freedom Caucus began filibustered and has been since that time. They’re demanding that the governor sign the Defund Planned Parenthood bill, and the Senate pass the IP reform bill, BEFORE the FRA is debated. As of right now, 6:20AM, they’re still filibustering.
· Governor Mike Parson indicated that he would sign the Anti-PP bill when he would sign it.
· Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, sponsor of the IP Reform bill, voted against the motion to bring that bill up ahead of the FRA renewal.
The filibuster has been hours and hours of yawning content – reading books etc. But a couple of nuggets emerged early.
· Sen. Bill Eigel fumed that Sen. Jill Carter is breaking with the Freedom Caucus on this issue: “Yesterday… members of the Freedom Caucus met to discuss this issue. All members of the Freedom Caucus were there and agreed to resist the passage of the FRA until we passed both the initiative petition reform and we also got a signature from the Governor on the defund Planned Parenthood bill. This morning, right before we came to session, the senator from Newton, which is what I was going to ask her about, but she didn't take my inquiry, approached my office and said that she was unwilling to meet that obligation that she had made. And that's, I suspect that that has much to do with why she's not answering my inquiry now. And that's unfortunate.”
· Sen. Rick Brattin offered that in the Senate Republican Caucus there are several senators who won’t commit to close off debate for IP Reform. “We also have Republicans who say they refuse to sign a PQ… [W]e also just learned yesterday in our very heated lengthy discussion in caucus that we wouldn’t be able to get enough signatures for a PQ to bring it to a vote.”
The House held a press conference concerning the Senate’s stand-off with Speaker Dean Plocher sending a letter Senate Floor Leader Cindy O’Laughlin giving her advice on how to proceed. “As you know, I have been committed to passing a clean FRA. That can best be accomplished by first addressing IP Reform, and then taking up the FRA and the budget.”
Why It Matters
An informal alliance between the Speaker’s Office and the Senate Freedom Caucus has been rumored throughout session, but this is the first open proclamation. And as the budget “brinkmanship” looms, it could help the House achieve their aim of smaller expenditures.
eMailbag: Told Ya So
Text I received from a senator on April 17: Call me skeptical that the FCs wouldn’t obstruct the FRA and budget even if the House passes Defund PP. But what do I know? We’ve only seen the same scenario play out time and time again where the FCs move the goalposts and then leadership scrambles to accommodate, and the process repeats.
KC Police Question gets Re-Vote
The Missouri Supreme Court stunned observers ruling that the 2022 vote funding for the Kansas City police force was invalid due to an unfair fiscal note. Read the decision here.
Constitutional Amendment 4 passed with 63.2% of the vote. But now it’ll get a re-vote on the 2024 ballot.
· 2022 Fiscal note: State and local governmental entities estimate no additional costs or savings related to this proposal.
· Supremes’ fiscal note: This would authorize a law passed in 2022 increasing required funding by the City of Kansas City for police department requests from 20% of general revenue to 25%, an increase of $38,743,646, though the City previously provided that level of funding voluntarily. No other state or local governmental entities estimate costs or savings.
Why It Matters
SuperAttorney Chuck Hatfield tweets: I believe today is the first time an election has ever been set aside on this basis.
· This puts folks on notice: errant fiscal notes can jeopardize winning propositions.
MO Firearms Coalition Runs Ads Against Patterson
The Missouri Firearms Coalition is running ads on Facebook and Instagram saying that House Floor Leader Jon Patterson has “surrendered” on key gun issues, and giving out JP’s cell number, exhorting folks to text him.
Bailey Memo: Bailey Leads
Team Bailey is circulating a polling memo. See it here.
OnMessage Inc is pleased to share results from a recent survey taken in Missouri consisting of 600 Republican Primary voters. The survey’s focus was on the Republican primary election for Attorney General. The results of the survey show that incumbent AG Andrew Bailey holds a strong lead. Bailey’s ballot share is 49% and he has a whopping 37-point lead over his opponent. He also enjoys a 70% job approval rating among the primary electorate.
Crystal Gets Teachers
Press release: Jason Roberts, President of AFT Local 691, released the following statement: “Democratic Leader Crystal Quade has been a vocal advocate for educators and public schools at a time when they continue to be under attack by those more interested in profiting off privatizing our schools than supporting educators and students. We need to be investing in the future of our state and we know that, as governor, Crystal Quade will support teachers and public education.”
What It Means
· This continues the same battlelines we’ve seen drawn in the Democratic gubernatorial primary between money (Mike Hamra) and endorsements (Crystal Quade).
Fighting the Pro-Choice IP
Missouri Stands with Women launched a website yesterday for Missourians who want to withdraw their signatures from the pro-reproductive right initiative petition. See the website here.
· The deadline for signatures is Sunday.
Senate 7 Re-Opens
Yesterday Greg Razer withdrew his candidacy for Senate 7. This was obviously expected as he’s now a member of the State Tax Commission. It opens up filing for his office for the next 5 business days.
· Rep. Patty Lewis followed suit, withdrawing from her previous filing for re-election in House 25. That opens up the House 25 filing for 5 days as well.
· And Pat Contreras formed a campaign committee. See his filing here.
Take Control Billboards
Post-Dispatch’s Jack Suntrup writes about the headwinds faced by Rep. Dane Diehl’s bill protecting Roundup in the Senate. Read it here.
· A plan protecting pesticide makers from certain cancer-related legal claims could wither due to bipartisan opposition in the Missouri Senate.
· While supporters have raised concerns about the future availability of Roundup, opponents such as the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys have argued the measure impedes on peoples’ constitutional right to a trial by jury.
· With fewer than three weeks left in this year’s legislative session, the measure’s viability in the barely functioning Senate was in question Tuesday.
Meanwhile… there are billboards across Missouri pushing for action on the bill. See that website here.
Costlow Funds Campaign
Mike Costlow anted $10,000 into his campaign account. This is the Justin Hicks district; Hicks is running for Congress.
Costlow, an alderman in Dardenne, is in a Republican primary with Max Calfo who’s hornlocked with Hicks in a lawsuit concerning his website detailing oppo research on Hicks.
· Costlow lives on Ronald Reagan Drive.
Pryor Passes
Chuck Pryor passed away on Monday following a long battle with ALS. Chuck was a former state representative and former mayor of the city of Versailles. He served a legislative director for former Governor Matt Blunt and later served as a member of the Board of Probation and Parole.
· One MOScouter: In my opinion the best legislative director any Governor could have. He got much of our legislative agenda through the General Assembly by the spring break in 2005...something totally unfathomable now.
The family will receive friends from 10AM to 2PM, Friday, May 3rd, at the Family Worship Center in Versailles. Funeral services will begin at 2PM. Graveside services and interment will follow in the Versailles Cemetery.
$5K+ Contributions
American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $15,000 from SRC Holding Corporation.
Costlow For Missouri - $10,000 from Mike Costlow.
IAFF FIREPAC VIC Missouri - $50,000 from International Association of Fire Fighters Interested in Registration and Education PAC (Washington, DC).
Heavy Constructors Association Local PAC - $200,000 from Committee To Keep The Chiefs and Royals in Jackson County.
Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO Project 2000 - $150,000 from HCA Political Action Committee.
A Better Missouri Political Action Committee - $20,000 from Anheuser-Busch Cos.
Ameren Missouri Political Action Committee - $7,985 from Ameren FEDPAC.
Citizens to Elect Jason Underwood - $6,000 from Blake Roberts.
Lobbyists Registrations
Catalyst added Action Now Initiative, LLC.
Jay Hahn deleted Armis, Inc.
Thomas Robbins deleted PhRMA.
Gamble & Schlemeier deleted Lotto.com Missouri LLC.
Strategic Capitol Consulting deleted Modern Day Venture LLC and MO CANN DO Inc.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Aaron Greisheimer, and Bubs Hohulin.