MOScout Daily Update: Another Swing at Prop A - Schaefer to DNR - Meet OOIDA - Merideth Podcast Coming and more…
Quick Friday update…
Another Swing at Prop A
Freshman Rep. Jeff Vernetti has pre-filed a bill, HB 546, to carve out seasonal businesses and small businesses (under 50 employees) from the recently passed increase in minimum wage and sick paid mandate.
Why It Matters
This is the second pre-filed bill which would make changes to the voter-approved measure. The legislature just can’t help itself to try to “improve” laws. But the habit is the reason that many campaigns choose to amend the state constitution instead of statutes. And that’s led to a bloated constitution and created calls to make the constitution harder to amend.
· Speaker-designate Jon Patterson has famously said that the legislature to “respect the will of the voters.”
Meet OOIDA
Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association PAC was formed. According to the filing, the PAC is in support of Sens. Ben Baker, Travis Fitzwater, and Nick Schroer; Speaker-designate Jon Patterson, Reps. Brandon Phelps, Dave Griffith, and Jeff Myers; and soon-to-be former Reps. Ron Copeland, Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway, and Chris Lonsdale.
From their website: Every year, special interest groups contribute millions of dollars from their PACs to politicians and political parties. In fact, when it comes to politics, the greatest advantage that large trucking corporations, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and other political opponents have had over small-business truckers and professional drivers is the amount of money they contribute to political campaigns. They are well-funded and have agendas that are often counter to the interests of OOIDA members. The OOIDA PAC is comparatively smaller than many of our opponents.
Follow Up on Hudson Rails Against Casinos
One reader notes that Sen. Brad Hudson’s bill (SB 73) on VLTs does not impact grey machines that already exist.
“That estimate is in the tens of thousands. This is an expansion of gaming, which is fine. But let’s be honest, the bill [is backed] by VLT companies who want to operate in Missouri.”
Schaefer to Lead DNR
Press release: Governor-Elect Mike Kehoe announced the appointment of Kurt Schaefer as Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Schaefer will assume the role of DNR Director effective January 13, 2025, and await Missouri Senate confirmation.
With a legal career spanning nearly three decades, Schaefer has worked with governmental entities at every level, including all branches of government, state agencies, numerous boards and citizen commissions, and political organizations. As the State Senator for Missouri’s 19th Senate District, Schaefer served as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee for six years, composing and passing a balanced state budget.
· Schaefer is well-known in the capitol as a state senator and then as a lobbyist. He terminated his lobbyist registration early this year when he ran for Congress, losing to Bob Onder in the Republican primary.
Merideth Podcast Coming
Rep. Peter Merideth, who leave office next month, will start a podcast…
Something Crooked at River Bend?
Kansas City Start reports a humdinger of a story. Read it here. Over the past year, a criminal investigation roiled a small municipality east of Kansas City – a sliver of Jackson County called River Bend. Every official who sat on the village’s five-person elected board last year now faces charges, accused of filing false election-related documents… But local business owners are still waiting for the man they say is at the center of it all to be held accountable. Jack Mitchell, an influential marijuana businessman… Village stakeholders alleged Mitchell had effectively taken control of the municipality…
· Amid the criminal investigation, Mitchell is now involved in a series of dueling lawsuits between investors and his marijuana company, called BesaMe…
· The Missouri Auditor’s Office began investigating the village over the summer after receiving a whistleblower complaint alleging nepotism and conflicts of interest…
· State lawmakers are also taking notice with presumptive incoming House Speaker Jonathan Patterson, a Lee’s Summit Republican, saying in a statement that he and his colleagues are weighing how to reestablish “the public trust in River Bend.”
Help Wanted
Senator Eric Schmitt seeks St. Louis Field Representative & Assistant to the Senator. Senator Eric Schmitt is seeking to hire a resourceful and team-oriented individual for the role of St. Louis Field Representative & Assistant to the Senator. This position plays a unique and critical role serving in an operations capacity, accompanying the Senator during his in-state travels, and representing the Senator at community events. In this role, the individual will be expected to: Drive the Senator to and from in-state engagements, ensuring a timely arrival; Prepare daily document binders and provide necessary materials for the Senator’s engagements; Serve as a liaison between the Senator and constituents during visits; Seek, build, and maintain relationships with community leaders, businesses, and constituents within the region; Assist with daily office tasks such as answering constituent calls and inquiries, and managing schedules…
· If interested, or for more information, please contact Brad Green at brad_green@schmitt.senate.gov or (573) 701-3399.
Lobbyist Registrations
Nexus Group added Health Forward Foundation.
Tom Rackers added Genetic Autism Alliance; and deleted Ozark Prosthetics and Orthotics.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Claudia Kehoe, Jennifer Monheiser, Bob Jacobi, Pat Kelly, Melissa DeStefano Furey, Ben Murray, Dan Bryar, Ellen Sherberg, and Bart Korman.
Saturday: Sen. Andrew Koenig, Rep. Barry Hovis, Don Rone, Virginia Young, Duane Lester, and John Combest.
Sunday: Shannon Cooper and Casey Burns.
MOScout Schedule
No MOScout this weekend. And next weekend I’ll be heading into an abbreviated year-end, holiday schedule which will likely be Monday and Tuesday and then off the rest of the week.