MOScout Daily Update: Flush State Draws Ambitious Pre-Files - O'Laughlin Contra DESE - Carter Offers Opt-Out for Schools - Handicapping SB1 and more...
1 Big Thing: $$$ Brings Out Big Ideas
With the state’s coffers overflowing, legislators are allowing themselves to expand their wish list to include some ambitious ideas.
Sen. Lauren Arthur has two bills aimed at putting more money into schools. SB 17 would modify the foundation formula. No fiscal note is available yet obviously. And SB 19 would raise the state’s minimum salary of starting teachers from $25K to $38K. That’s a 50% jump! While there’s no mechanism in the bill (as its written) to offer state subsidies, the addition of state aid would be the logical step in overcoming resistance and finding a path to passage.
Sen. Bill Eigel wants to establish a new pot of money, the “Interstate 70 Improvement Fund,” which would be used to widen the state’s primary east-west trade route. The constitutional amendment, which would have to be approved by the voters, says that on “January 1 of each year, any money in the General Revenue Fund in excess of $4 billion, but not to exceed $1.5 billion, shall be deposited in the fund.”
· The idea’s backers point to Missouri’s ideal location as a potent source for economic activity. Morgan Mundell, quoted in a MissouriNet article, “Missouri is within 500 miles of 43% of the United States population, 44% of all U.S. manufacturing plants, and seven of the 25 top international cargo hubs in the United States. We are at the crossroads in Missouri when it comes to freight and when it comes to moving goods, and we need to have a transportation infrastructure that can handle that.”
Either of these ideas would fit into the broad workforce and infrastructure agenda that Governor Mike Parson has pursued since taking office. The assumption is that the second floor is also eying the huge cash reserves.
· Parson’s backing of either of these proposals could give them a big boost.
· Both would arguably be “legacy” projects for the term-limited governor.
· But we’ll probably have to wait until his State of the State speech in January to hear his preference for spending the money.
The Odds on SB1
Sen. Denny Hoskins’ SB 1 will be the first bill to be First Read in the Senate next month when the legislature reconvening. That means it’ll get a committee assignment right away, before committees are deluged with bills. The odds of any bill passing are low, but getting the top spot in the upper chamber gives you a fighting chance.
Hoskins’ bill is the “Honoring Missouri Veterans and Supporting Missouri Education Act.” In other words: it’s a bill about gambling.
We’ve been here before. The intersection of video lottery machines (the so-called “gray machines”) and sports betting has proven a knotty pair of issues, vexing the ability of legislators to find consensus.
One lobbyist predicts… “I think gaming issues are going to take up a lot of floor time this year as sports betting and VLT’s return to the spotlight… I also believe that gaming issues may be the most likely topic to lead us back into chaos in the senate…”
Here are the crosscurrents…
· Sports teams want sportsbetting as a new form of revenue. There’s a lot of legislators that want to keep their favorite teams like the Cardinals, Blues, Royals and Chiefs happy…
· There are many kinds of Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) business models. Some set up shop in truck stops only, others in a lounge experience – think waitresses with drinks in a strip mall – and also the traditional ATM-looking digital slot machine in a gas station…
· Power-lobbyist Steve Tilley represents Torch. They’re a big player and the most likely “gray machines” to be inside of a gas station.
· Some prosecutors and law enforcement officers have confiscated and destroyed gray machines, but they still exist around the state. Platte Co. Prosector Eric Zahnd is the leading elected official working against the industry.
· Legislators like Hoskins see VLT’s as a revenue source for schools and veterans (hence the title of the bill). But casinos see them as a to their revenues and unfair, less regulated competition.
· Often, the factions of VLT’s working against each other slows down legislation. In the case of these gaming issues, the addition of sports betting being tied to the VLT discussion only makes things more complicated.
Bottom Line: The obvious solution is for legislators to split the two issues – VLT’s and sportsbetting – to loosen the knotted-up mess of gaming issues that legislators have tried to deal with in the past. BUT… Hoskins’ bill, as a starting point at least, doesn’t do that. We’ll see…
O’Laughlin Versus DESE
In a Facebook post, Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin mused that the large number of bills filed dealing with education is a symptom of frustration with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
· As many of you know I was the Chair of Education for the last three years. This involved a wide range of issues and also travel to more than 25 School districts, listening and exchanging ideas with various people. I am no longer the Chair of Education since being elected as Majority Leader of the Senate…
· I pulled up the bills on the senate side from pre-filing. There are 48 pieces of legislation. Many of these deal with parental controls and parental choice. This is the inevitable result of parents becoming involved in local governance and deciding they would like to see change…
· I know two stellar superintendents; one is Danny Cunningham from the North Kansas City system and the other is Frank Killian from Richland. These two schools are worlds apart, one having thousands of students and the other being a small, rural school…
· We need someone who has run a school to take charge of DESE. Much of the chaos actually originates here. I will continue to advocate for this. Either of the two individuals named here could help dramatically turn around our school systems. If this were to happen we wouldn’t have 48 pieces of legislation pending on the senate side… Is anyone listening?
What It Means
· It’s never a good sign for a commissioner to have a member of Senate leadership floating possible replacements on social media.
· But the state legislature is always mildly frustrated by DESE. Its slightly insulated from their pressure as the commissioner is appointed by the State Board of Education.
· Incoming Sen. Jill Carter is already proposing to make “school districts that are exempt from certain performance reporting requirements of the Department of Elementary and Secondary education” if 75% or more of their funding originates locally.
Signs of the Times
· Springfield News Leader reports that Republic’s Amazon warehouse will be running nonstop 24/7 from now until Christmas. "We're on pace for probably close to 2 million items shipped out… We're going to try to beat that."
· Axios reports on Washington D.C. looking at the “KC model” of free transit. D.C. would join a small number of other cities offering free public transit, including Kansas City — which is providing free buses through 2023 — and Alexandria — which began offering its DASH bus service for free last year, per the Washington Post. D.C.'s legislation would make free bus service permanent… The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington tells Axios that it supports the bill's overnight bus provision, which would benefit service workers who work late shifts.
Simmons Eyes County Clerk Spot
Rep. John Simmons who was upset in his Republican primary this summer has formed a candidate committee to run for Franklin County Clerk.
Simmons was defeated by Rep-elect Kyle Marquart by a slender 168-vote margin in a 3-way primary.
Lobbyists Registrations
Jennifer Lynne Carter Dochler added Missouri Foundation For Health.
Victoria Ariel Hooker added all of Brent Hemphill & Associates’ clients.
Daniel Kleinsorge and Trent Watson added Missouri Limestone Producers Association.
Mark Coulter added Jefferson County Port.
Dr J Quinones added True Divine Word Ministries Intl.
Steven Tilley, Thomas Robbins, Brittany Hyatt Robbins, Christopher Schoeman, and Garrett Webb added EBC - Missouri, LLC.
Susan Henderson Moore, and Cara Alexander added TreanorHL and MyDigiRecords.
Rodney Gray, Susan Henderson Moore, and Cara Alexander deleted The Heavy Constructors Association of Greater Kansas City, and UCB Inc.
Bob Wilson deleted Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System.
$5K+ Contributions
American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $25,000 from Dave Sinclair Ford Inc.
American Dream PAC - $25,000 from Drury Development Corp.
American Dream PAC - $15,000 from Glendale Chrysler Jeep.
American Dream PAC - $10,000 from Chuck Anderson Ford.
MBA River Heritage Region PAC - $10,000 from First State Community Bank.
MO Republican Party - $15,000 from Friends of Eric Burlison.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to Sen-elect Benjamin Brown, Teresa Coyan, and Joe Bednar.