MOScout Daily Update: Ameren's $6B Plan - CLEAN Money Watch - Revenues Uneven - Kelly Hurt Skiing and more...

Ameren Outlines $6.3B Plan

Post-Dispatch reports that “in a proposal filed with the state’s Public Service Commission, Ameren Missouri said the $6.3 billion plan will modernize the grid and enhance how customers receive and consume electricity, while also keeping rates stable… The company also plans to install 800,000 so-called “smart meters” through 2023, giving customers more control of their electric costs. The new meters will be spread out throughout the electric service territory… After years of failed efforts, the monopoly last year won a key battle in the Missouri Legislature that freezes base rates through April 2020 and caps average annual rate increases at 2.85 percent…”

What It Means

Obviously $6B of investments is a big frickin deal.  Good news for Missouri, but also good news for Ameren.  It delivers on the promises and expectations they promoted while pursing last session regulatory rework.  

Plus, they’re not shaking the trees this session asking for anything more.

This will make it a lot easier down the road when they do need to come back to the legislature for something.

CLEAN Battle: Watch the Money

In the large contributions (below), CLEAN Missouri gets a $85K infusion from their big out-of-state donor, Action Now.

We’ll see if this becomes a consistent pattern of funding as CLEAN supporters prepare for the coming anti-CLEAN fight in 2020.

Republicans looking to overturn/modify the ballot question believe that they will have financial support this time from uber-donor David Humphreys.  We’ll see….

Revenue Still Uneven

We’re about half-way through February and still not seeing too much of a move in state tax receipts.  These numbers are volatile and can jump from day to day.  But as of the close of business February 13, month-to-date individual income tax receipts were 1% below last year.  Sales taxes are making up some of the ground.  They’re up 17% month-to-date.  Overall revenues are still down 6.25% fiscal year-to-date.

Kelly Injured Skiing

Columbia Daily Tribune reports that “Columbia mayoral candidate Chris Kelly fractured a vertebra in his lower back in a ski accident this week in Colorado but will continue his campaign, he stated in a news release.  Kelly has been hospitalized in Colorado for treatment but no surgery or invasive treatments are necessary, the release stated. He will return to Columbia this weekend, it stated.  Kelly, a long-time Democratic politician, is challenging incumbent Mayor Brian Treece in the April 2 nonpartisan election. His campaign appearances may be limited during his recuperation, the release stated.”

JeffCity Hospital Fight

Columbia Tribune reports that “talks leading to a sale of SSM Health hospitals in Jefferson City and Mexico to University of Missouri Health Care have bogged down but the two are moving ahead with partnerships ‘with or without a formal transfer of ownership,’ according to emails obtained by the Tribune…”

One lobbyist watching closely says it’s a “big win for (anti)coalition that no legislation has been filed yet… [proponents ] are better off having no bill than a bill that fails, the question now is whether they will try to bypass the legislature and go straight to FTC…”

Bits

·         The Missouri Ethics Commission fined Young Americans for Liberty Inc $1,100 for not filing a non-committee expenditure report.  Young Americans is a 501(c)4 created by Ron Paul. See it here.

·         Interesting to see Sen. Karla May breaking with Democrats on an otherwise party-line vote yesterday. She voted in favor of Sen. Bob Onder’s SB 38.

·         Listen to a rap/song for Jamilah Nasheed for STL BOA President here.

Lobbyists Registrations

Dave Berry, Travis Brown, Tom Dempsey, Deanna Hemphill and Tracy King added SRG Global.

Cynthia Gamble added Essentials in Education, and Education Direction.

Ragan Sappington added Cognosante LLC.

$5K+ Contributions

Progress KC - $25,000 from KC BizPAC, the PAC of Greater KC Chamber of Commerce.

Progress KC - $50,000 from John Sherman.

Progress KC - $25,000 from William Gautreaux.

CLEAN Missouri - $85,000 from Action Now Initiative.

Committee To Elect Reed - $10,000 from Eastern Missouri Laborers' Educational and Benevolent Fund.

Committee To Elect Reed - $10,000 from Laborers' International Union.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rep. Hannah Kelly, and Tim Flook.

Saturday: Chris Pieper.

Sunday: Sen. Brian Williams, Jon Ratliff, and Pat Jakopchek.