Tuesday, April 26, 2016

PBR Supporters

With the alternative electrical regulatory framework potentially coming to the Senate floor for debate, supporters released a long list of businesses backing the measure.

The press release: Missouri's energy policies were put in place in 1913 and Missouri is one of only four states that have NOT updated its utility laws. We support Missouri’s 21st Century Grid Modernization Act. This legislation will enable Missouri's investor-owned utilities to meet the growing expectations of electric service customers.

A new regulatory framework will support greater investment in smarter technologies, reduce the time it takes to restore power after outages, better protect our electric grid from physical and cyber-attacks, and keep rates more stable and predictable.

This new framework, known as Performance-Based Ratemaking will have additional customer benefits, even more regulatory reviews, and create more stability and predictability for utilities and their customers.

ABB, Inc., Ameren Missouri, AZZ/Central Electric, Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc., Brydon, Swearengen & England, P.C., Capital Electric Line Builders, Inc., Centene Corporation, Centrex Electric, Chemco Industries, Inc., City of Black Jack, City of Ellisville, City of Manchester, Civil and Environmental Consultants, Inc., David Mason & Associates, Durkin Equipment Company, Eldon School District, Electrical Board of Missouri and Illinois, Electrorep Energy Products, Inc., Empire District Electric, Enginuity Worldwide, LLC, Envirotech, F.P. Furlong Printing Company, Inc., Faith Group, LLC, Fletcher-Reinhardt Company, FutureFWD, Inc., Galt Industries, LLC, Gateway Power Sales, Gonzalez Companies, LLC., Horner & Shifrin, Inc., Integrated Industrial Supply, Interface Construction Corporation, K-D Machine & Tool, Inc., L. Keeley Construction, Lake of the Ozarks Regional Economic, Development Council (LOREDC), Lloyd A. Lynn, Inc., Midwest Cybersecurity Alliance, Missouri Economic Development Council (MEDC), Missouri Energy Development Association (MEDA), Missouri Society of Professional Engineers (MSPE), Missourians for a Balanced Energy Future (MBEF), Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc., Nooter Construction Company, Noranda Aluminum, Office Essentials, Pangea Group, PAR Electrical Contractors, Inc., Paynecrest Electric, Pleasant View Landscaping, Precision Daylighting, Inc., Process Solutions, Inc., Reitz & Jens, Inc., Sachs Electric Company, Schaeffer Marketing Group, Second Sight Systems, Semcor, SCI Engineering, SET Environmental, Inc., St. Louis Building and Construction Trades, St. Louis Regional Chamber, Straatmann's Carpet Service, Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis, UpSwing Performance Improvement, Inc., Vermeer Midwest, Vernaci Construction, Inc., WB Industries, Wellington Environmental, and Will Electronics.

No Vote on SJR 39… Yet

Often I write what you already know, but I think it can be helpful to have a reminder, to say them out loud, so I do: we are still about a week away from the half-way point of session.

The days now begin to get longer, and then near the end it will happen to the hours – with decision and revisions occurring after each other, things that are “dead” and then revived and then dead and revived again.

So – the fact that Rep. Elijah Haahr’s Emerging Issues Committee didn’t take a vote last night on SJR 39 doesn’t mean a whole lot.

Yes the clock matters, but there’s plenty of clock left right now.

And

Folks saying that a House amendment kills the resolution shouldn’t be so certain.  It’s not hard to imagine the Senate just adding an amended SJR 39 to their last day PQ list….

Public Integrity Hits Schaefer

Public Integrity Alliance goes after Sen. Kurt Schaefer in their latest TV ad, mentioning his former chief of staff Yancy Williams who earned money as a consultant.  Depending on your browser you may be able to view it here.

eMailbag: on Public Integrity Alliance TV Ads

“So they're an out of state entity with undisclosed donors and they're pushing ethics reform?..”

No New Beef Checkoff

MissouriNet reports that cattle farmers voted against an additional “checkoff.” See it here.

Pull Quote:  Missouri will not create a one-dollar-per-head state beef checkoff. The Missouri Beef Industry Council proposed the checkoff. Executive Director Mark Russell says he’s disappointed… Russell says three-quarters of the votes were against the checkoff.

“Of course, market prices being depressed compared to a year ago, I think contributed to the factor and we just feel that producers probably didn’t have enough information to see both sides of the story.”

Rhonda Perry of the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, which opposed the checkoff, says industry leaders have not listened to those she calls independent beef producers.

“I’m really hopeful that this will be a starting point of a for real conversation about where want our industry to go and what it’s going to look like.”

Checkoff revenue would have promoted beef.

Imagining the Voters’ Attention Span

Politico’s Playbook does the convention countdown each morning… 83 days until the Republicans rally (or riot if Donald Trump goes bonkers?) in Cleveland, then a week later Dems descend on Philadelphia.

How will the Republican gubernatorial candidates deploy their huge war-chests in light that voters may be captivated by national political drama and not so tuned into Missouri primaries?

Bits

Politico’s Morning Money… WSJ's Shalini Ramachandran and John D. McKinnon: "Federal regulators are poised to approve Charter Communications Inc.'s $55 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable Inc., but they will force the merged company to live up to stringent obligations that don't apply to its bigger rivals…. The company agreed not to impose data caps or charge broadband Internet customers based on data usage, practices that have riled customers. Charter will also be required to build out its broadband access to two million homes, which would compel it to compete against other cable companies in some markets ... That would be a significant move for an industry that has divvied itself up geographically."

Dem gubernatorial candidate Chris Koster dings the legislature on twitter…‏@Koster4Missouri:

While #moleg is busy defending tobacco companies, Missouri schools are still underfunded by over $422,000,000.

St. Louis Business Journal reports that… “Melissa Click, an assistant communications professor who was fired by Mizzou after attempting to block student journalists from covering protests on campus, linked her dismissal to "racial politics" in a recent interview.

"This is all about racial politics," Click said in The Chronicle of Higher Education interview, according to the Daily Caller."I'm a white lady. I'm an easy target."

Click told the Chronicle her firing was meant to send a message that MU officials wouldn't accept "black people standing up to white people," although she didn't address how that related to firing a white woman.

Help Wanted

Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates (MIRA) seeks Executive Director.

“MIRA is seeking a full-time executive director to lead the coalition and guide day-to-day operations of the statewide advocacy organization.  The Executive Director will work with staff, coalition members, and the Board of Directors to develop and support programming that advances MIRA’s mission and builds the sustainability of the organization.  The ideal candidate will be an experienced organizer, advocate and fundraiser who is committed to immigrant rights, racial equality, and social justice…”

$5K+ Contributions

Greitens for Missouri - $5,001 from Peter deSilva.

Greitens for Missouri - $10,000 from Robert Brinkmann.

New Approach Missouri - $7,000 from Show-Me Cannabis Inc.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Jennifer Bauer.