MOScout Daily Update: CLEANER Debate - Bean Forms Senate 25 Committee - MO Opioid Use Down and more....

CLEANER Debate

The Senate debated into the wee hours of the morning until Sen. Dan Hegeman’s SJR 38 was finally laid over. (Check your hearings this morning folks – here – some were cancelled due to the late night; others pushed back a bit.)

The Takeaways

First, Dems passed their first test.  Down to a mere eight members they showed they’re still strong enough to hold the floor for hours upon hours when they’re standing shoulder to shoulder.

Second, Sen. Caleb Rowden apparently did some off-season reflections about his first session as floor leader. He’s determined to push a little harder on tough issues in the early part of session.

Third, That means there could be more intense days and nights ahead in the Senate in the month of February.  Both chambers have been moving swiftly to put their priorities into position early.

·         Rep. Dan Shaul’s HB 2088, dealing with sports betting and video lottery machines was passed out of committee.  See it here.

·         Sen. Bill Eigel’s SB 649 is a charter expansion bill which was passed out of committee this week.

·         Of course this week the House also passed the anti-eminent domain bill out of their chamber.

Bean Jumps Into Senate 25

And then there were four….

I’ve previously reported on the rumors, but Jason Bean made it official, filing paperwork to run for Senate 25.  See it here. He joins Reps. Steve Cookson, and Jeff Shawan, and Eddy Justice in the Republican primary to succeed Sen. Doug Libla.

Here’s a piece about Bean from last year highlighting his farm background.

Driving the Day

Look for a big report to come out today detailing the budgetary side of Medicaid expansion in Missouri.  Learning from peer states that have implemented Medicaid expansion, the report will offer a roadmap for how the program can effectively pay for itself.

Meanwhile

Conservative senators have already raised red flags about the possibility of Medicaid expansion.  In particular Sen. Bob Onder, earlier this week, spoke on the Senate floor voicing his concern that hospitals are funding the campaign.

He then introduced several bills dealing with hospitals…SB 932, SB 933 and SB 934.

Flashback

Today Governor Mike Parson will speak at Missouri Press Day Capitol Luncheon at the Governor’s Mansion.

Two years ago, Eric Greitens attended the event while deeply embroiled in scandal. See it here.

In a testy exchange that opened a session at the Governor’s Mansion with publishers and editors representing the Missouri Press Association, Greitens said he had answered all the questions he needed to about the affair… Greitens was asked two questions — whether he had photographed the woman as she described and whether he had been contacted by law enforcement.… Greitens said he did not want to go over the matter again because he feels he has answered all the important questions. He attempted to pivot to policy as he made the remarks.

Declining MO Opioid Use

AP reports: The number of people receiving opioid prescriptions for pain relief in Missouri’s Medicaid health care program has declined significantly in the past couple of years amid increased attention to opioid addictions… “We’re not where we ultimately need to be, but this is pretty dramatic progress from where we were,” said Todd Richardson, director of the MO HealthNet Division that oversees the state Medicaid program.

Opioid prescriptions for Medicaid patients peaked in 2010, when 183,566 people received nearly 52 million pills with an overall potency equal to 726 million milligrams of morphine.

In 2019, a total of 109,610 Medicaid patients received nearly 23 million opioid pills with an overall potency equal to nearly 253 million milligrams of morphine… Richardson cited an increased public awareness about the severity of the U.S. opioid crisis. He also credited steps taken by the state, which began working with health care providers in 2012 to try to reduce opioid prescriptions…

And

Take a look at this chart to see the different in opioid prescriptions between the United States and Europe.

Gates to STL

St. Louis Business Journal reports that the “Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has plans to establish a new nonprofit agriculture center in St. Louis… The nonprofit will be called Gates Ag One and is designed to focus its research on helping ‘smallholder farmers adapt to climate change and make food production in low- and middle-income countries more productive, resilient, and sustainable.’…

Why It’s Important

It shows that efforts to build St. Louis into an Ag hub continue to pay off. Again from the article:

·         The Gates Foundation’s choice of St. Louis for the new agriculture initiative marks another victory for St. Louis’ sprouting agtech sector…

·         [It] follows a decision last year by Bunge Ltd., an agriculture, food and ingredients company, to relocate its global headquarters to Chesterfield…

·         Entrepreneurship and economic development groups over the past two decades have sought to boost St. Louis’ agtech sector around key industry assets. In 2016, officials rolled out 39 North, a 600-acre innovation district…

·         The region is also home to a burgeoning collection of startups focused on agriculture innovations…

Bits

·         Governor Mike Parson appointed Sarah A. Castle as Associate Circuit Judge for the 16th Judicial Circuit. She will fill the Associate Circuit Judge vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable Gregory B. Gillis.

·         Rep. Raychel Proudie debuts her gavel… See it here.

·         During the filibuster, folks were already talking about a potential Chiefs’ parade if they win the Superbowl this weekend. The parade would be on Wednesday.  There’s a mini-movement to cancel session that day if that happens…

New Committees

Teri Hanna formed a candidate committee (Friends of Teri Hanna) to run for House 127 as a Democrat.  The incumbent is Republican Rep. Ann Kelley.

Jason Bean formed a candidate committee (jasonbeanforsenate.com) to run for Senate 5 as a Republican.  The incumbent, Sen. Doug Libla, is termed.

Lobbyists Registrations

Amy Blunt added The American Law Institute, and Accounting Coalition.

Jennifer Sue Gore added Concerned Women for America of Missouri.

Salvatore Panettiere added BusPatrol America LLC.

Jeffrey Altmann deleted MOVA Management.

$5K+ Contributions

Vote 2020 - $7,994 from New Venture Fund.

New Approach PAC - $150,000 from New Approach PAC.

Civic Progress Action Committee - $13,000 from Enterprise Holdings Inc PAC.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Chuck Caisley.