MOScout Daily Update: O'Laughlin Vows PSC Legislation - Geographic Diversity for SCOMO Pick? - McMullen Preps Senate 11 Campaign and more...
1 Big Thing: O’Laughlin Vows PSC Legislation
Senate Floor Leader Cindy O’Laughlin said, on Facebook yesterday, that she intended to pursue legislation aimed at the Public Service Commission. O’Laughlin has been railing against the implementation of Evergy’s “time-of-use” rates where prices are higher during high-demand times. She also thinks that increasing renewable energy sourcing is ill-advised.
The PSC has exceeded their authority by mandating a quadruple rate increase hurting veterans, senior citizens, low income and middle class families. You can look for the legislature to limit PSC power so this does not happen again.
I believe both Democrats and Republicans will support statutory limitations on behalf of the citizens of Missouri.
What It Means
· You’d have to assume a big fight over this issue as the utilities would generally be averse to having the whims of the legislature involved in rate setting situations.
· State statutes concerning the Public Service Commission are found in Chapter 386.
Geography as Criteria for SCOMO?
One MOScouter thinks geography will play a part in Governor Mike Parson’s decision about filling the Draper vacancy on the Missouri Supreme Court.
“Shouldn't there be an expectation that Southwest Missouri guy Parson would appoint someone from the Southern part of the state? There has not been a judge from Southwest Missouri or anywhere in the Southern District of the Court of Appeals since John Holstein retired in 2002.”
If geography diversity is a consideration, some candidates will benefit and some will be doomed. Among the capitol favorites…
· It could boost former Sen. Jack Goodman, now a judge on the Court of Appeals, Southern District.
· It’s also good for Chris Limbaugh, Parson’s former general counsel, who’s originally from Cape Girardeau (in fact served as prosecuting attorney there).
· But looking south, would take Platt County’s Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer out of the mix.
McMullen Revs Up Campaign
Rep. Aaron McMullen is revving up his campaign as he looks to late August for his official kick-off to his Senate 11 race.
See his updated website here (with a new logo).
McMullen faces a primary challenger in Joe Nicola. In 2022, Nicola ran unsuccessfully against Sen. Mike Cierpiot in Senate 8 as one of the right-side insurgents. Nicola ran second in a 3-way, winning 31% of the vote.
Rep. Robert Sauls is on track to be the uncontested Democratic nominee in the race. This is Sen. John Rizzo’s district. However, redistricting and demographics have taken it from a lean Democratic seat to a lean Republican seat. And the Republican nominee will be the favorite in November.
Burlison Skeptical on UFOs
New York Times reports on yesterday’s congressional hearings on UFOs. The article (read it here) gives Congressman Eric Burlison the last word…
Most of the lawmakers in Wednesday’s hearing called for more government transparency. But there was also some skepticism. Representative Eric Burlison, Republican of Missouri, said “the concept that an alien species is technologically advanced enough to travel billions of light years and gets here, and is somehow incompetent enough to not survive Earth, and crashes, is something I find a little far-fetched.”
Lobbyists Registrations
Nexus Group added AutoReturn US LLC.
David Sweeney added AHM Group.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Lacy Clay, Shaon Hawk, Jack Gamble, BJ Tanksley, and Jim Avery.
MOScout Schedule
No weekend editions again. It’s summer slacking. I’ve been pelted with lots of out-of-office replies all week, it feels like there’s a summer lull happening. We’ll get back to a regular schedule soon.