{ legislative & regulatory } by Katie Reichard • Legislative & Regulatory Director
Election Season is Too Short! T
by JORGEN SCHLEMEIER
he election season is way too short! I watch it for the ads of course, which are becoming more entertaining than the Super Bowl
ads, at least to me. Last year a Super Bowl ad showed a Cheetah eating Cheetos riding a Harley (sorry Honda). Campaign ads show nearly every incumbent as a career corrupt politician. If eight years is a career, then I have been lobbying for generations.
If all the ads were true, well then we just elected a batch of “despicables”. One of my favorite ads portrays one candidate claim- ing the other used $3.2 million of taxpayer money to “remodel their office”. I have got to get by to see that office; it’s just down the street from me … $3.2 million? Surely he must have some kind of fabulous gift for his visitors with that kind of money! I checked on that before I walked over there, and in fact, he does have something quite unique to give those who want to gawk at his new digs … You get to go home with a sack full of asbestos that had to be removed, a canister of black mold that was making employees ill and a crate of your favorite, rotted leaking windows (all of which I am going to donate to the next MDA meeting for the silent auc- tion to raise money for PAC).
The Cheetah and the “remodeled office” are as fictitious as the “rampant” corruption in Jefferson City. It is a great talking point for any challenger, and why not? After all, the voters don’t discount those ads, nor insist on substantive policy positions from those seek- ing our vote.
I have yet, in my 26 years of lobbying, to be asked for a donation for a vote. Few legisla- tors and no statewide office holder allow me to purchase their meals. Golf trips? Well let’s assume anyone would want to play with me,
18 focus | NOV/DEC 2016 | ISSUE 6
because (and this is true) I golf so infrequent- ly that when I do, I use my wife’s clubs.
If the voters, or dentists, for our parochial interests, would meet with candidates to ensure they are educated on issues of impor- tance to their profession, then we can make campaigns great again.
The elections are over of course (if that is news to you, then you don’t need to read on) which means your time to get to the newly elected legislators is short. The legislature will reconvene right after you open your gifts and become intoxicated from too much col- lege football on New Year’s Day—not that far away. They need to be corrupted with your propaganda by the time they gather in Jef- ferson City. What will they think of dentists and will they know the value of the services you provide when they begin reading newly filed legislation? The key is not necessarily that they understand your dental practice, but that they know enough to call you when ANY dental issue surfaces in a committee on which they serve.
With a total turnover of every statewide of- fice (except auditor; it is a mid-term election) from Democrat control to Republican, and just as stunning, there was no—yes not one— seat change in the House or the Senate. No incumbent lost a general election and all open seats landed with the same count as the current partisan census. Fortunately, all you are responsible for is your own one represen- tative and one senator. Go track them down, introduce yourself, and get them primed to receive your call when the MDA staff sends out an Action Alert as early as January.
We will, once again, have tough conditions to navigate. The budget was on a steep growth incline, and then—engine stall—and the new Governor, Eric Greitens, will now be tasked to balance a budget in the first few days of
his term. Not fair, but necessary. Medicaid is always a target because it is a cost driver; however, the new Governor will have to withhold a dollar just to save 38 cents of state revenue. That is a tough ratio.
The House and Senate Budget Committees will both have new Chairs. Representative Scott Fitzpatrick from Shell Knob has been named House Chair. There has been no an- nouncement in the Senate, but if in Vegas, I would bet on Dan “Doc” Brown from Rolla to chair the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The House and Senate Professional Reg- istration Committees also will have new Chairpersons. Long time veteran Sen. Jay Wasson may get the Economic Development Committee, thereby vacating the Senate Finance Committee, which refereed Pro- fessional Registration fights. The previous House Professional Registration Chair, Eric Burlison, has termed out of the House. We have no real intel on who will replace either of them—maybe because no one is jumping up and down to decide whether hair braiders should have three or five hours of continu- ing education per year or, say, for instance, what supervision level is appropriate for a dental hygienist and what their scope of practice should be (yes, both of these have varying levels of “seriousness”, but they both are real issues that have come before this Committee). We know one thing: the Com- mittee Chair won’t be a dentist! Could be a physician or pharmacist, as they both have four elected legislators. Hint! Hint! Merle … Charley? Happy Thanksgiving!
Jorgen Schlemeier is the MDA contract lobbyist. He began his career in Jefferson City in 1989 as an administrative aide to Senate Minority Floor Leader, Tom McCarthy. In 1992, he joined Bill Gamble to create Gamble & Schlemeier, a governmental
consulting firm. Contact him at
jorgen@molobby.com.
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