MOScout Daily Update: Senate Debates IP - Choinka to Hough - Moody Signs Off - Farmers to PSC? - Rural Doc Wanted and more…

Senate Debates IP Reform

The Senate debated initiative petition reform for about six hours yesterday as Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman unveiled a new version for consideration.  This one uses congressional districts, instead of state House districts, to fulfill Republicans’ concurrent majorities aim.  And it also included a sort of greatest hits of promises by prohibiting any future constitutional amendments to…

·       Allow lobbyists gift.

·       Raise taxes on food.

·       Raise taxes on real estate.

·       Reduce money for law enforcement.

·       Prevent “personnel in assisting the defense of the national borders.”

Democrats filibustered the resolution until it was laid over.  This is the opening round of what may be a session-long battle, probably ending in some compromise involving ballot summary language and horse-trading with other issues.  (We’ll see!)

Meanwhile

One senate watcher grumbled… Why hasn’t the freedom caucus gone after House leadership yet for not passing IP? Why was the childcare tax credit before IP reform? Why are the house Freedom Caucus members so weak that they haven’t muscled any “conservative” priorities like IP reform through the chamber yet?  Answer: Because Bill Eigel doesn’t gain anything by bills moving in the House.

Choinka to Hough

Erica Choinka, who was recently fired for unspecified reasons from the speaker’s office, has been hired by Sen. Lincoln Hough.   She’s be focusing on communications for the budget. 

Money Watch

·       The committee collecting signatures for the pro-choice initiative petition landed two more big checks: $250,000 from each the ACLU and the Advocacy Action Fund.  Critics will cackle that the two checks came from each coast – east and west – a sign of the “coastal elites” trying to stamp their values on Missourah.  But, in truth, another $500K is a another big boost as they work to meet their signature deadline.

·       The pro-Adam Schwadron PAC Missouri Values recorded a $100K check from a St. Charels business.  There haven’t been a lot of big checks hitting the Republican primary for secretary of state.

House GOP Takes on State DEI

Rep. Alex Riley’s General Laws Committee will hear a batch of Republican bills to prohibit state agencies from spending money on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs…

·       HB 2365 – Rep. Doug Richey

·       HB 2448 – Rep. Brad Hudson

·       HB 2569 – Rep. Ben Baker

·       HB 2619 – Rep. Cody Smith

Royal Decision Day

Kevin Barry reports that the Royals “will announce the location of their proposed Jackson County ballpark at 2:30PM…”

Farmer-Commissioners?

Sen. Mike Bernskoetter’s SB 934 aims to bring more rural representation to the Public Service Commission by requiring that two of its five members be “shall be actively engaged in production agriculture.”

·       This seems to be in conflict with 386.120 which states that “the commissioners shall devote their entire time to the duties of their office.”

State Seeks Rural Doc

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services published an “Invitation to Bid,” as they offer a doctor a bump in their pay if they go practice in a rural area.

“The Rural Primary Care Physician Grant Program provides a financial award to a rural physician beginning practice after July 1, 2022, in a Missouri county with a population of fewer than thirty-five thousand (35,000) inhabitants in return for providing primary care clinical services in rural Missouri.”

·       The grant program will fund one doctor who will receive the $194,000 grant which is forgivable after five years of continuous services in the rural county.

Springfield Leads Fight Against VLTs

Springfield News Leader reports on the avenue being taken by the Springfield City Council to prohibit video lottery terminals.  Read it here.

·       There was no jackpot for video lottery terminals Monday night. Springfield City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that bans them from being operated within city limits. The ordinance bans any device that offers a monetary prize regardless of the odds of receiving the prize, focusing on the reward aspect of the game rather than the gameplay or rules of play. The game format falls under the state's authority within its gambling laws...

·       All council members voted to pass the ordinance. In discussions, they remained cautious and asked legal counsel to verify that esports and arcades would not be among those affected…

·       Mayor Ken McClure said that even operators of devices who have opposed the ordinance have failed to relay a benefit the machines serve for the greater community.

Moody Signs Off

Jim Moody, the former budget director for John Ashcroft who became a lobbyist and was an influential budget-watcher, retired at the end of 2023. 

But he’s taken a few months to wind down his “Moody Report.” Yesterday he published its final missive, ending on a rather gloomy note…

“Those of you who read The Moody Report know that we are not optimists about the future for state GR collections. The GR tax cuts will soon come home to roost in state budget.  The temporary jumps in sales tax and interest income are masking the reality of what is to come…”

Women’s Caucus

The Women Legislators of Missouri was approved as an official caucus of the House.  It’s a “bi-partisan group of elected women… [that] works together on several special events, including providing scholarships in each Congressional District for Missouri women who are planning on attending college.”

·       Rep. Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway is chair; and Rep. Jamie Johnson is vice-chair.

Panel for Gooch Seat

The Appellate Judicial Commission announced its panel of nominees to fill the vacancy on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District (Gooch vacancy)…

“After nearly 2.5 hours of public interviews, approximately one hour of deliberations, and four rounds of balloting, the nominees are Matthew P. Hamner, Joseph L. Hensley and Bryan E. Nickell.”

·       The governor has 60 days to select one member of the panel to fill the vacancy.

$5K+ Contributions

Missourians for Constitutional Freedom (pro-reproductive rights IP) - $250,000 from American Civil Liberties Union, Inc. (New York, NY).

Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $250,000 from Advocacy Action Fund (Palo Alto, CA).

Missouri Values PAC (pro-Schwadron) - $100,000 from fab techwater solutions.

MSCEW PAC Federal Cmte - $20,000 from IBEW PAC Voluntary Fund (Washington, DC).

Lobbyist Registrations

David Sweeney added QuikTrip Corporation.

Alex Tuttle added IGT.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Sen. Steven Roberts, and Jay Nixon.