MOScout Daily Update: Arthur Exits MOSEIA - Days for Kunce - MSMA Seeks GA Exec and more...

Arthur Exits MOSEIA

Sun Solar CEO Caleb Arthur writes on Facebook: Sun Solar and myself are no longer associated with MOSEIA in any way. I will always speak for the solar industry how I see fit. I had stepped down from the board, and now we are removing ourselves from membership.  Sun Solar will represent itself moving forward.

Arthur will be joining the national solar trade association.  The move comes as his company has expanded its operations in other states, and amid some difference of opinion over Jefferson City strategy with the Missouri Solar Energy Industries Association.

FYI

·       MOSEIA’s executive director is Jon Dolan, the former state senator remembered for zipping back to Jeff City from Gitmo to cast the deciding vote to override Governor Bob Holden’s concealed carry veto.

·       Its lobbyists are: Jay Hahn and Ryan DeBoef.

And

Axios reports on the tussles between homeowners wanting to add solar panels and homeowner associations.  2022’s SB 820 gave homeowners the right to add solar panels in Missouri, though there’s still some friction.

Days for Kunce

Press release: Today, St. Louis County Councilwoman and 30-year North St. Louis County Leader Rita Heard Days is endorsing Lucas Kunce for U.S. Senate.  “In my 30 years of service to North County, I have met many candidates — but I rarely meet someone who shares Lucas Kunce’s tenacity, authenticity, and dedication to fighting for my community and others across Missouri," said St. Louis County Councilwoman Rita Heard Days.

·       Kunce is in a primary battle with St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell to take one Senator Josh Hawley in 2024.

McCaskill At Anti-No Lables Huddle

Washington Post reports that “top Democratic strategists, including current advisers to President Biden and former U.S. senators, met last week with former Republicans who oppose Donald Trump at the offices of a downtown D.C. think tank.  Their mission: to figure out how to best subvert a potential third-party presidential bid by the group No Labels…”

·       Attendees included former White House chief of staff Ron Klain, Democratic National Committee senior adviser Cedric L. Richmond and Stephanie Cutter, a former campaign adviser to Barack Obama who has worked with the Biden team. They were joined by former senators Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)…

FLA Funding Disparity Lawsuit

Interesting to see a class-action lawsuit in Florida over funding disparities for universities.  Read the article here.

A Florida judge, for now, is allowing a class-action lawsuit to go forward that accuses the state of discriminating against a historically Black university while prioritizing its largest public university, which is predominantly white.  The six students at Florida A&M who filed the suit claim that the University of Florida receives a larger state appropriation per student than A&M. The complaint says that over 33 years, from 1987 to 2020, that shortfall amounted to approximately $1.3 billion, though the two schools share the distinction of being the state’s only two public land-grant colleges.

·       FY 2023 was the first year that Lincoln University ever received the full matching state funds as required by the feds. See Missouri Independent article about it here.

Beginning of the End of Expired Temp Tags?

Post-Dispatch’s Joe Holleman today writes of a “license plate vigilante” in St Louis City who’s ripping expired temporary license plate tags off cars.  Read it here.

Temporary tags often are the result of folks who haven’t paid their sales tax on the car.  Sen. Nick Schroer’s SB 398, if signed by the governor, would make the sales tax paid at the dealer when the car is purchased.

·       MOIndy has an explainer on the issue here.

Help Wanted

Missouri State Medical Association seeks Director of Government Relations. “The Director of Government Relations leads MSMA's lobbying efforts in Jefferson City. This includes writing and preparing legislation, lobbying legislators, delivering testimony before committees, coordinating efforts with other interest groups, working with state government departments and agencies, and communicating effectively to advance MSMA's advocacy interests. This position is responsible for composing weekly updates to membership during the legislative session, being the liaison to the MSMA Committee on Legislative Affairs, assisting with political action committees, and communicating with board members and other association leaders.”  See the ad here.

$5K+ Contributions

Missouri Agrees - $5,275 from The Center for Election Science.

MO Cable PAC - $16,000 from Charter Communications.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Martin Rucker.

MOScout Schedule

No MOScout Monday June 19 (Juneteenth).