MOScout Daily Update: Tiny Delivery Machines - Gas Tax Pass Sen Committee - Changes to IP Process - New MOScout Feature Coming and more...
Framework for New Economy
Sen. Lincoln Hough and Rep. Travis Fitzwater had hearings for their bills (SB 176 and HB 592) to create a regulatory framework for “tiny delivery machines.”
Testifying in favor of the bill were two lobbyists representing companies that are interested in using the robotic delivery in the future: Tom Dempsey for Amazon, and Henrio Thelemaque for FedEx. Both companies have devices in operation in several pilot markets (none in Missouri). And this is seen as the future of “last mile” delivery of the growing e-commerce industry.
Dempsey posted a picture on Twitter of Amazon’s “Scout,” which is apparently the size of a small cooler and moves about as fast as a person would walk.
Something New Coming Soon
Next week I’m going to add a text alert feature to the MOScout service. I’m anticipating sending no more than one a day, and some days none. If you’d like to opt-in, please reply to this email with your cell phone number. There is no additional cost to your subscription for this feature.
· Even if I already have your cell phone, to opt-in you must reply to this email with your cellphone number.
Thanks!
Gas Tax Wins Senate Committee Approval
The Senate Transportation Committee voted out Pro Tem Dave Schatz’ SB 262 which would phase-in a ten-cent gas tax increase. The Senate Committee Substitute includes a rebate for residents to claim on their taxes.
Se. Bill Eigel was the only No vote; Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin is still absent as she recovers from her illness.
House Elections Today
The House Elections and Elected Officials Committee (today at Noon) will have a hearing on nearly eleven proposals to change how initiative petitions and constitutional amendments are handled. Progressives have targeted the process to institute major policy changes (minimum wage hike, medical marijuana, Medicaid Expansion, and nearly a redistricting overhaul) sometimes vexing the Republican supermajority.
· Rep. John Simmons - HB 333 – changes initiative petition regulations.
· Rep. Hardy Billington - HJR 2 – increases necessary signatures.
· Rep. Adam Schnelting - HJR 5 – requires 60% approval for constitutional amendment.
· Rep. Mike McGirl - HJR 9 – requires 2/3 approval for constitutional amendment.
· Rep. Ed Lewis - HJR 14 - requires 60% approval for constitutional amendment.
· Rep. Ed Lewis - HJR 15 – changes signature requirements for initiative petitions.
· Rep. Mike Henderson - HJR 20 – makes constitutional amendments harder to pass by initiative petition.
· Rep. J Eggleston - HJR 22 - increases necessary signatures, and makes constitutional amendments harder to pass by initiative petition.
· Rep. Bishop Davidson - HJR 25 – requires passage from majority of registered voters, not just majority of those who vote on Election Day.
· Rep. Bill Falkner - HJR 26 - makes constitutional amendments harder to pass by initiative petition.
· Rep. Bill Falkner - HJR 27 - increases necessary signatures.
House Gov Oversight Today
The Special Committee on Government Oversight is scheduled to have hearing on several bills – all of which would prevent the state from clawing back the overpayment of unemployment benefits… This is a bipartisan push as bills are coming from Republicans and Democrats alike. At today’s 2PM hearing:
· Chair Jered Taylor’s HB 1085
· Vice-chair J Eggleston’s HB 1083
· Rep. Scott Cupps’ HB 1050
· Rep. LaKeySha Bosley’s HB 1036
· Rep. Doug Clemens’ HB 1035
· Rep. Ian Mackey’s HB 873
· Rep. Peter Merideth’s HCR 30
STL Crime
An interesting note from last weekend’s Remington/MOScout poll (see the poll here)… public safety is the #1 issue for St. Louis City voters (43%), ahead of even vaccine distribution (28%), and way ahead of other traditional issues like educations (8%), and jobs (5%).
Axios recently notes that the rise in crime has happened across the country, perhaps in reaction to pandemic conditions.
See a comprehensive study here.
· Homicides rose sharply in 2020, and rates of aggravated assaults and gun assaults increased as well. Homicide rates were 30% higher than in 2019, an historic increase representing 1,268 more deaths in the sample of 34 cities than the year before.
· The large size of this increase is deeply troubling, but readers should be aware that absolute rates of homicide remain well below historical highs. In 2020, the homicide rate was 11.4 deaths per 100,000 residents in sample cities; 25years earlier, in 1995, the rate was 19.4 per 100,000 residents.
KCStar on Curator Appt
KCStar’s opinion this morning (see it here) argues for Lisa Weixelman to be appointed to the University of Missouri Board of Curators.
The piece throws a few punches at Todd Graves and closes with the lament: Any other result further emphasizes UMKC’s stepchild status, and pokes a finger in the eye of every Kansas Citian.
Rizzo Appts
Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo made several appointments…
· Sen. Greg Razer to Joint Committee on Agriculture.
· Sens. Jill Schupp and Lauren Arthur to Joint Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect.
· Sens. Angela Mosley, Steve Roberts, and Razer to Joint Committee on Governmental Accountability.
· Sen. Barbara Washington to Joint Committee on the Justice System.
· And Sen. Karla May as ranking minority member on the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence.
Lobbyists Registrations
Chad Horrell added Door Dash.
Sean Diller added Heartland Strong Inc.
Jay Hahn added Steven R Carroll & Associates.
Tracy King added G.J. Grewe Brokerage & Development, and LSL Management LLC.
Kurt Schaefer, Doug Nelson, Heath Clarkston, David Winton, Henrio Thelemaque and Jessica Petrie added St. Louis County.
Jake Silverman added Agudath Israel of Illinois, and deleted Bitrode Corporation.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. LaDonna Appelbaum, Brian Grace (the big 4-0), and Tom Hurst.