300 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY… 208 DAYS UNTIL THE AUGUST PRIMARY

ECONOMIC PUSH — As Gov. Jay Nixon gears up for his State of the State Address next week (and election this fall), he has unveiled the framework for a new economic development plan, that will become part of his administration’s “Strategic Initiative for Economic Development.” The seven pillar plan, which the governor’s office says Nixon will detail in full during his SOTS speech next week, aims to (per release):  “[1] Attract next-generation automotive supplier jobs to Missouri. [2] Expand Missouri exports to create jobs. [3] Train more workers for high-tech careers. [4] Hire more Missouri military veterans. [5] Jumpstart job-creation in science and technology jobs. [6] Target high-growth industries. [7] Create jobs in rural communities.”

— Gov. Jay Nixon: “Missouri Works gives us concrete steps we can take right now to attract new employers to Missouri, create career opportunities, and keep our economy growing. When it comes to creating jobs and growing our economy, we simply don’t have a day to lose. I look forward to working with legislators on both sides of the aisle to implement this bold strategy as quickly as possible to get Missourians back to work.” http://bit.ly/zeNSL0

LT. GOV. RACE — As we reported last month, former State Rep. Judy Baker is mulling a bid for Lt. Governor. In addition, Sen. Lynn Ridgeway is considering a run for her party’s nomination: ‘Baker, Ridgeway likely to run for Mo. lt. gov.,’ AP: “Former state Rep. Judy Baker and state Sen. Luann Ridgeway both said today they are likely to run for lieutenant governor. Baker is a Democrat from Columbia who recently resigned as the regional director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ridgeway is a Republican from Smithville. Ridgeway would be joining a Republican field that already includes incumbent Peter Kinder, state Sen. Brad Lager and attorney Mike Carter, who ran four years ago as a Democrat. Two other Democrats already are in the race — former state Auditor Susan Montee and state Conservation Commissioner Becky Plattner.” http://bit.ly/zOS4kh

DEBATE DAY — Missouri U.S. Senate Republican contenders Sarah Steelman and Todd Akin face off in the first primary debate of the cycle tomorrow in St. Louis. The debate will be broadcast live on KTRS.com, and will be moderated by McGraw Milhaven of KTRS and Jo Mannies of the St. Louis Beacon. The debate will also be simulcast on KTRS’s Facebook page. 

— St. Louis businessman John Brunner will not be attending tomorrow. Democrats are blasting Brunner for his decision not to attend, quoting on a POLITICO piece saying the campaign’s debate maneuvering “reeks of posturing.” Caitlin Legacki, Missouri Democratic Party spokeswoman: “John Brunner’s campaign has been one false start after another, looking more like the Bad News Bears than the kind of organization capable of winning a contested primary for the US Senate. Missourians deserve the chance to ask real questions of these Senate candidates about their extreme positions and, in Brunner’s case, his questionable business practices.” 

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, and welcome to this edition of PoliticMo Rundown. Send your tips, comments, and scoops to eli@politicmo.com. 

GOV. JAY NIXON attends an event in Jeff City today, then heads to Springfield for a stop to promote his new jobs plan, and a visit to Joplin to take part in the official opening of the new child trauma treatment center at Freeman Hospital in Joplin. (The facility will be called “Will’s Place,” named after Will Norton, a friend of PoliticMo’s, who was killed by the May 22 tornado.) 

LEGISLATIVE CAMPAIGNING — Holmes Osborne announced yesterday his candidacy for Missouri House of Representatives in the 53rd district. The district is open following redistricting. Both Mike McGee and Joe Aull, who represent the area, have hit their term limits. 

— ‘Huckabee to fundraise for Missouri House Republicans,’ PoliticMo: “Weeks after a scheduled event for U.S. House candidate Ann Wagner, former Gov. Mike Huckabee plans to return to the Show-Me State, this time for a fundraiser to benefit Republican candidates for the Missouri House. The Missouri House Republican Campaign Committee hosting Huckabee, the former presidential candidate turned Fox News personality, for a fundraiser in Springfield on February 16.” http://bit.ly/xdxdl4 

SOS CAMPAIGN — Shane Schoeller announced Monday that Patrick Morrow will manage his campaign for Secretary of State. Morrow left his position as Chief of Staff to Sen. Jack Goodman to take the job. Previously, he worked as Political Director for Goodman’s congressional campaign, and as a regional political director for John McCain’s ’08 campaign. 

BIG DONATIONS — Yesterday, the SEIU donated $50K to the Democratic Governor’s Association-Missouri. On the same day, Gov. Jay Nixon’s campaign contributed $25K to the Missouri Democratic State Committee. Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder also received one of his first large checks in a long time — $5,000 from David Stewart of St. Louis.

EDUCATION — ‘Districts ask for delay in hearing,’ KC Star: “The five school districts suing the Kansas City school district over its transfer policy have asked for more time before the case gets a hearing. The districts filed suit asking that the Jackson County Circuit Court put a freeze on any student transfers until differences between student transfer policies are resolved. The suing districts’ attorney, Duane Martin, said a delay would give Kansas City Public Schools time to revise its policy, which does not align with state law. … 

“The Kansas City district became unaccredited Jan. 1, meaning by law students in the district can transfer to any accredited district in the same or adjacent county at Kansas City’s cost. But the school systems have been scrambling to preserve policies that would protect Kansas City and the neighboring districts from potentially severe financial ramifications. Similar issues are already in court in the St. Louis area awaiting a trial set for March 5.” http://bit.ly/zZF1hM

2012 LEGISLATING — ‘Mo. Senate leader wants measures targeting federal health care law to top Senate’s debate list,’ AP: “Senate President Pro Tem Rob Mayer… supports a measure that would ask voters to amend the state constitution to prohibit government mandates to have health insurance. Missouri voters overwhelmingly passed a similar law in 2010. But the proposed amendment could have greater strength, and would put the issue back on the ballot as President Barack Obama seeks re-election. Mayer also backs a bill to prohibit creation of a state-run health insurance exchange unless specifically authorized by the Legislature or voters. The federal health care law gives states until 2014 to create such exchanges, or else federal officials will do so.” http://bit.ly/xE51kb

— Local control: ‘ACLU files suit to block St. Louis local control ballot initiative,’ Post-Dispatch: “The American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri has filed a lawsuit against the Missouri Secretary of State’s office claiming language on an upcoming ballot initiative to return control of the police department to the city is misleading. The suit says that the ballot initiative set to appear before voters in November does not tell voters of potential detractions from Missouri’s Sunshine Law and Racial Profiling Law. Specifically, the group believes the initiative would give the city’s civil service commission exclusive authority over all disciplinary matters and close all disciplinary records to everyone outside that commission. … 

“The St. Louis Police Department is run by a five-member board of commissioners, a system that dates to the Civil War era. The governor appoints four of the members and the fifth is the city’s mayor. The St. Louis Police Officers’ Association has historically opposed any efforts to return control of the department to the city, but threw its weight behind a legislative effort to do so last year after representatives from A Safer Missouri, funded by retired investor Rex Sinquefield, vowed to put the question before voters in a ballot initiative if the measure failed in the legislature.” http://bit.ly/xIjB1z

MAMTEK FALLOUT — ‘Missouri officials spar over job-creation incentives,’ AP: “at the Capitol in Jefferson City, some Republican lawmakers engaged in a testy exchange with members of Nixon’s administration over the state’s primary job-creation program. … State figures for the Quality Jobs program show that businesses projected they would create 23,145 jobs through a total of 91 projects approved to receive at least $1 million each in state incentives over the past six years. So far, those businesses have reported creating 5,873 jobs — one-fourth the amount they projected. Included on that list are some business ventures that have failed, such as Mamtek U.S. Inc., which had been touted by Nixon to create up to 612 jobs at an artificial sweetener factory in Moberly. … 

“During a hearing Monday of the House Interim Committee on Government Oversight and Accountability, Republican Reps. Jay Barnes and Mark Parkinson pressed economic development officials to acknowledge that Mamtek — or some of the other projects reporting zero new jobs — were failures. But department officials refused to utter the words. Instead, Business and Community Services Division director Sallie Hemenway and department general counsel Chris Pieper stressed that some businesses that have not reported any new jobs still could do so before their deadline to receive state aid. They also noted that no state incentives are paid under the Quality Jobs program until a business meets a minimum threshold for new jobs, which varies from 10 to 100 depending on the type of project.” http://bit.ly/yqNawc

SPORTZZ —The White House announced Monday that President Obama will host the World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals at the White House next Tuesday. Prior to their ceremony with Obama, the team will participate in a service project — meeting with wounded service members at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.