MOScout Daily Update: Bayer to Add Jobs - Chapel Not on Ballot? - RAGA Hearts Schmitt? and more...
Bayer to Add Jobs
Post-Dispatch reports that “Bayer AG will bring 500 jobs to its Creve Coeur campus and invest $164 million in improvements there, a move Gov. Mike Parson says will enhance the state’s ‘already successful ag-tech industry’ and bolster the company’s long-term commitment to the region… Parson said Bayer has committed to retaining 4,400 jobs in the St. Louis region as well as adding 500 more; the average salary for the new jobs will be $110,000, state officials said. The Republican governor, a cattle farmer, met with Bayer CEO Werner Baumann during a European trade mission last month… The state has offered incentives totaling $44 million, mainly through its Missouri Works program that allows companies to retain employees’ payroll taxes if job targets are met. The state incentives would be paid over seven years. St. Louis County is also offering a property tax break valued at $2 million…”
What It Means
It’s a nice change for the governor to be able to return to his theme of jobs and economic growth after a month of wrangling with abortion laws and clinics.
FYI
Bayer’s lobbyists in Jefferson City are: Mike Gibbons, Tricia Workman, Randy McGinley, and Craig Mischo.
And… Once More With Feeling
Can we please stop with the exaggerated economic numbers? It had a touch of the “Ag is Missouri’s #1 industry” to it, when the governor read from the podium that “as you know agriculture is an $88 billion industry in Missouri.”
So, agriculture makes up a third of our state’s roughly $275 economy? Um, no.
The numbers: It’s a $4.5 billion industry.
Perspective: Ag is about half the size of the construction industry, which is about half the size of the finance industry, which is about half the size of the manufacturing industry, which is about an eighth of the Missouri economy.
Rumorville: Chapel Not on Ballot?
Tipster: Missouri NAACP President Rod Chapel will not be on the ballot this fall for re-election as NAACP President. The official slate of candidates was emailed to members on Monday and Rod Chapel was not included on that list. In order to run for office, you have to be a member by December 15 of the prior year, member of a branch in good standing, and have the signatures of 5 people in good standing who support your candidacy. Apparently, Chapel didn’t turn in the appropriate number of individuals supporting his candidacy so he was not allowed on the ballot. Chapel was a prominent figure in the fight last session opposing changes to Title IX….
From the In-Box
At [Republican Attorneys General Association] this week there is a lot of great buzz about AG Eric Schmitt. He's crushing fundraising for RAGA. I have no doubt RAGA will make his election a top priority with significant investments in his race…
Latest Gardner Twist
Post-Dispatch reports that “a judge on Tuesday appointed a special prosecutor to investigate claims that St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner was threatened by defense lawyers last year as she pursued a criminal case against then-Gov. Eric Greitens. St. Louis Circuit Judge Rex M. Burlison appointed retired Boone County Associate Circuit Judge Michael Bradley to serve as special prosecutor ‘in connection with the allegations of tampering with a public officer.’”
E-Tailing Keeps Growing
The Missouri legislature was unable to implement an internet sales tax last session, but e-tailer Amazon hasn’t stopped growing.
· Prime Day just ended with approximately $5.8 billion in sales, up from $4.1 billion last year.
· There are now over 100 million Prime subscribers in America.
· Meanwhile CNBC reports that “Despite the year being more than halfway over, the pace of store closures doesn’t appear to be slowing down in the retail industry. More companies piled on the bad news this week. So far, 7,062 store closures have been announced by U.S. retailers this year, according to a tracking done by Coresight Research...”
FYI
Amazon’s lobbyists in Jefferson City are: Dave Berry, Travis Brown, Tom Dempsey, Deanna Hemphill, and Tracy King.
MMJ Banking Work Around
As the medical marijuana industry struggles to meet its banking needs, Nevada is piloting a token system. See it here. “Since the drug is still illegal under federal law, most banks won’t accept cannabis businesses as clients… Under a three-year pilot program, Nevada will allow marijuana businesses and consumers to deal in electronic tokens. The system will work much the same way as in in casinos, where players buy and bet with chips… The initial idea is for consumers and businesses to use an app to buy tokens, which could then be used at any marijuana business or for paying state and local government. Consumers could use them at dispensaries. Dispensaries could use those tokens to pay growers, who in turn could use tokens to pay a tax bill to the state. At that point, the state would convert the tokens back into dollars…”
Planned Parenthood Shake Up
New York Times reports that “Planned Parenthood on Tuesday removed its president after less than a year in the job, seeking new leadership at a time when abortion rights have come under increasing attack from statehouses and Republicans in Washington… The urgency of the abortion issue appeared to be at the heart of the disagreement. Dr. Wen, the first physician to lead the organization in decades, said that she believed ‘the best way to protect abortion care is to be clear that it is not a political issue but a health care one, and that we can expand support for reproductive rights.’ But four people familiar with the matter said the group’s board of directors felt it needed a more aggressive political leader to combat the current efforts to roll back access to abortions….”
FYI
Planned Parenthood’s lobbyists in Jefferson City are: Sarah Felts, M’Evie Mead, Alexis Martin, Dawn Nicklas, and Sean Michael Whiting.
New Committees
Jacque Sample formed a candidate committee (Jacque Sample For Missouri) to run for House 44 as a Democrat. The current incumbent is Republican Rep. Cheri Toalson Reisch.
Let's Go Mo! was formed. It’s a PAC. Its treasurer is Fritz K Ambrozi II.
Sarah Davoli formed a candidate committee (Davoli For Council) to run for District 1 St. Louis County Council as a Republican. This is the special election next month.
Lobbyists Registrations
Jacqueline Bardgett deleted Motorola Solutions Inc.
Jake Silverman added Bloom Medicinals.
$5K+Contributions
Local 41 Political Action Fund - $16,976 from DRIVE Committee.
Missouri Democratic State Committee - $25,000 from UAW - V – CAP.
Foundations for Our Future - $5,500 from Northstar Capital LLC.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Jeffrey Earl, David Klarich, and Richard Callow.