MOScout Daily Update: Two Weeks Left - Pulaski Lags COVID Vax - Gas Tax GOP Problem - Tech Reshaping Industries and more...
Two Weeks Left…
Both chambers will convene a few hours earlier today (2PM instead of the usual 4PM) to get a running start at the two final weeks of legislative session.
· The constitutional deadline to pass the budget is Friday (6PM).
· Wednesday is the governor’s family BBQ, so it probably won’t be a late work night. However, there have been years I seem to recall where the Senate came back after that event (usually for some lively discussions).
· I’m told that the House will likely work on Senate Bills on Thursday and wait until Friday to TAFP the budget. This is even assuming a smooth Conference Committee on the budget. They’ll use the full week.
· One long-time observer: Beginning of week everything is in play and everything is in flux, no closed doors yet. By end of week, we should have a picture of what things are probably not going to make it. Any bills/issues that need to conference on, realistically should be in other chamber by end of week.
· When big items stall, there will be some talk about potential special sessions as an incentive for folks to hammer out a compromise. Realistically, there’s a limited set of issues for which the governor will call a special. FRA is definitely among them.
· In addition to the big things I’m been writing about all year (education, gas tax etc), watch the Senate to see if they start rolling up the little pieces, and making the smaller items move. “Still no reason to think the 2nd and 3rd tier issues can’t find a way in omnibus bills — don’t see that level of dysfunction in the Senate just yet (but who the hell knows).”
Gas Tax Question
The Remington/MOScout poll over the weekend showed that Missourians were split on raising the gas tax, even with the 5-year phase-in and refund provision. 41% supported and 42% opposed, with a margin of error of +/-3%.
Slightly ominous though was the apparent partisan divide within the numbers. 60% of Democrats favored the proposal, while only 28% of Republicans did.
That could be a problem when the issue comes up in the House. As one reader notes: If you are an R and you vote for this thing and you are ever in another competitive primary you will hear about it. And the chances you lose over it are significant…Wish it were not so….
COVID Liability Gets Second Life
Missouri Independent reports on the COVID liability getting a second life in the House. Read it here. It’s one of the governor’s top priorities.
After voting down a sweeping bill to shield businesses from most COVID-19 related lawsuits Monday night, House lawmakers have pinned their hopes on a much more narrow version.
Rep. Ben Baker, R-Neosho, added provisions onto Senate Bill 27 on Thursday in the House Committee on Downsizing State Government, which he chairs. The bill was passed out of committee after 18 amendments were added…. The bill was given initial approval on the House floor Thursday morning after the standard of proving exposure with malice was struck from the bill’s language.
Quick Look at Vaccination Progress
From the state’s COVID dashboard, and vaccination dashboard…
· Deaths have plummeted from their highs in December with the state usually recording only one or two new COVID deaths a day.
· But hospitalization remains stubbornly in 700-range. That’s down from its highs, but still unnecessarily draining resources when there’s no reason now for almost everyone to be vaccinated.
· The most vulnerable Missourians are doing a good job getting themselves immunity. Ages 65-84: about 75% of Missourians have started their vaccination regimen, with 65% fully vaccinated. 85+ age group is a little lower.
· County-by-county rates of vaccination show some large disparities. Boone County is the highest with 44% of the population having received their first shot. Meanwhile Pulaski County is the lowest; only 10% have initiated vaccination.
Ready or Not… The Future is Coming…
Autonomous Vehicles
AP reports: Chinese tech giant Baidu rolled out its paid driverless taxi service on Sunday, making it the first company to commercialize autonomous driving operations in China. Unlike previous Baidu autonomous driving demonstrations in Beijing, this was the first time there was no safety driver sitting behind the wheel… Up to 10 Apollo “robotaxis” are now operating simultaneously in an area of about 3 square kilometers (1.2 square miles), picking up and dropping off passengers at eight stops in Shougang Park in western Beijing. Each ride costs 30 yuan ($4.60), and is open to passengers ages 18 to 60…
The robotaxis were repeatedly forced to brake when encountering jaywalkers or curious tourists who came close to the vehicles for photos… Passengers can order a robotaxi on an app called Apollo Go. When the taxi arrives, passengers must have their identities verified before getting in. The taxi will start to move after it detects the passengers have fastened their seat belts…
Insurtech
Axios reports: Life insurance is one of the oldest industries in existence, but today it is undergoing a transformation thanks to AI and data science. With a business model built on predicting the future of its customers, the life insurance industry seems well-positioned to take advantage of the prognosticative powers of machine learning, but it will have to overcome an ingrained conservatism — and fears of AI bias…
While legacy life insurance providers use outdated actuarial tables to determine whether and what kind of policies to provide customers, insurtech companies like Traffk draw on thousands of data points to provide a more personalized analysis. "It's all about creating a picture of risk that is high definition, as opposed to what television looked like in the 1950s…"
Some experts worry more precise insurance rates set by AI could end up discriminating against certain groups, which in turn could draw the attention of regulators.
Lobbyists Registrations
Ryan Johnson added Alliance Defending Freedom, and Institute for Free Speech.
Christina Eva Marie Morris added CVS Health.
Samantha Davis and Gary Marshall deleted Missouri Corn Growers Association.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Sarah Unsicker, Sarah Steelman, Susan Henderson Moore, Roy Temple, Alvin Brooks, Steve Danner, Joe Carmichael, and Michael Frame.