Eric Schmitt

Farrah Fite, Communications Director for Missouri Senate Majority Caucus, tweets out the new GOP leadership team:

• Sen. Rob Mayer, President Pro Tem
• Sen. Tom Dempsey, Majority Floor Leader
• Sen. Jack Goodman, Asst. Majority Floor Leader
• Sen. Bill Stouffer, caucus chair
• Sen. Eric Schmitt, caucus secretary
• Sen. Mike Parson, caucus whip

Yesterday, hoping to get the jump on an already-scheduled series of announcements by Gov. Jay Nixon, Sen. Scott Rupp and Sen. Eric Schmitt, Speaker Ron Richard held a "hastily announced" conference call to express his support for autism insurance legislation, and specifically, for a bill sponsored by Rep. Dwight Scharnhorst.

Richard's about-face was surprising, given his role in killing similar legislation last year because it wasn't supported by insurance companies.  What makes his supposed support for Scharnhorst's bill even more interesting is that (1) it's already publicly opposed by the insurance lobby and (2) identical to the legislation supported by Nixon, Rupp, Schmitt and bipartisan majorities in both chambers.

But today, the Post-Dispatch's Virginia Young reports that Richard "stopped short of endorsing" Nixon's four-part proposal on autism, even though Nixon's is proposing that the General Assembly pass... the bill Richard said he supported yesterday.

Scrambling to convince the public that he's actually interested in substantive autism insurance legislation, Speaker Ron Richard tried to get a jump on the issue today:

Richard, a Republican, today touted a bill [HB 1311] filed by Rep. Dwight Scharnhorst, R-St. Louis, in a phone conference call that was hastily announced. Richard’s spokeswoman said the bill will get a quick committee hearing.

Richard's newfound interest in the subject is more than a little suspect, of course given his role in killing legislation supported by a broad bipartisan majority last session. Richard has been called out by members of both parties for his work on behalf of insurance companies instead of struggling families.

The South County Times has a good story today about Sen. Eric Schmitt's (R-Glendale) efforts to pass legislation requiring autism coverage in the General Assembly. "It's a parity issue and an issue of fairness and more," Schmitt says. The story includes a lot of moving details about his personal reasons for supporting the legislation.  Schmitt also reminds us why the Republican House Leadership refused to let an autism mandate come up for a vote. 

Steve Kraske reports in today's Star about the curious financial arrangement of Speaker Ron Richard's legislative director, Tom Smith.  Smith is a "key player" in the assigning of bills to House committees, and also happens to run a business that collected $500k last year from Republican candidates last year:

A top aide to the speaker of the Missouri House runs a political consulting business on the side that generated nearly $500,000 last year, records examined by The Kansas City Star show.

In his public job as legislative director, Tom Smith holds significant influence over the life or death of bills moving through the General Assembly. Critics said his political consulting business raises questions about the potential for a conflict of interest in one of the most powerful offices in state government.

Previous Fired Up! coverage of Smith's self-dealing can be found here.

Of course, Smith denies any hint of wrongdoing, and no Republican legislators remember an explicit demand from Smith.  “I think it’s absurd that someone could buy 1,000 pieces (of mail) and somehow have a level of influence,” Smith says. 

I think it's absurd to think that Smith's clients are only buying 1,000 pieces of mail.