MOScout Daily Update: School Choice Momentum - Cierpiot Bills Get Union Support - DEI On The Run - Councilwoman Koch and more…

1 Big Thing: School Choice Momentum

It’s a heady start for school choicers this session as they have a governor who’s all-in for their issue.

·       Governor Mike Kehoe’s speech promised $50 million general revenue dollars into the ESA program tripling its impact.

·       He’s vocally supportive of the open enrollment bills making their way through committee.

·       Kehoe also balked on including much of the increase in the foundation formula that was the carrot to get Koenig’s huge SB 727 passed last year, presuming frustrating public school advocates.

Plus – Yesterday, President Donald Trump issued an executive order potentially bringing the federal government’s bureaucracy into the fray. 

·       It is the policy of my Administration to support parents in choosing and directing the upbringing and education of their children.

·       Guidance on Supporting State-based K-12 Educational Choice.  Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Education shall issue guidance regarding how States can use Federal formula funds to support K-12 educational choice initiatives.

Prison Nursery Ribbon-Cutting

The Department of Corrections leaders will hold a ribbon-cutting today for Missouri’s prison nurseries.

The effort was spearheaded by nonprofit Missouri Appleseed, which cited research showing that recidivism among women participants in other states had plummeted, as well as studies highlighting the importance of mother-infant bonding in improving outcomes for children.

The language was included in Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer’s corrections omnibus; then-Reps. Bruce DeGroot and Curtis Trent were key House champions, with then-Reps Mary Elizabeth Coleman and Tracy McCreery providing key assists. “Maybe the only time in two decades around here that I've seen Sam Lee and pro-choice groups testify on the same side of a bill,” one Capitol denizen recalled.

·       This was one of the first post-Travis Brown forays into policymaking from the Sinquefield team, motivated by Katie Sinquefield’s passion around the issue and signaling expansion of the family's policy portfolio to include criminal justice reform.

Utilities Bills Headed to Floor

Chair Mike Cierpiot will bring his utility bills to a vote in the Senate Commerce Committee this morning.  The expectation is that they’ll come to the Senate floor next week.

One interesting development has been the support from various labor organizations who see the regulatory changes bringing more projects and more jobs to the state.

·       Supporting SB 4 & SB 5: Pipefitters’ Scott Ramshaw, and Gas Workers Local Z1-6.

·       Supporting SB 6: Pipefitters, Operating Engineers Local 513 and 148, and Missouri AFL-CIO.

Why It Matters

Labor’s support for the measures will make it much harder on Democrats to organize a cohesive resistance, as they are a key constituency for the party.

DOLIR Scrubs DEI

I’m late to this one, but last week former Speaker Elijah Haahr pointed out on Twitter that the Department of Labor had a DEI page on their website.  And very quickly, it was taken down.

It’s just another case of DEI being on the run and hunted across Missouri.

And…

Similarly, Missouri State University announced it was closing its Office of Inclusion and axing its DEI programs. 

·       From the Springfield News-Leader story: “As a university, we value diverse thought and actions and support all our students, faculty and staff,” said MSU President Richard "Biff" Williams, in a statement.  “However, 38% of our budget comes from the state. For us to continue providing a quality education to our students, we must align with the requirements laid out by state leadership.”

Kinder, Gentler Eigel

Post-Dispatch’s Ezra Bitterman reports on former Sen. Bill Eigel’s quest to be the next Republican Party Chair.  He’s running against Peter Kinder.  Read it here. 

Eigel is sounding a kinder, gentler note: “I have nothing bad to say about Peter Kinder,” Eigel said. “(Kinder) deserves a lot of credit for making Missouri, which was very purplish blue when he came into office back in the early 2000s and turning it into a red state.”   

·       One MOScouter’s take: Eigel knows he doesn't have the votes ahead of Saturday's Republican Party election for chair… Also hearing there are couple of big name endorsements in the wings for Kinder just waiting for the right time.

Hawley Mulls Pro-Union Legislation

Axios reports on Senator Josh Hawley’s continuing role as a thought leader in the Republican Party.  The Trump GOP prefers economic nationalism over free markets. Hawley understands that shift makes the Party more hospitable to organized labor.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is aiming to be the first Republican in decades to sponsor major, pro-union labor reform, Axios has learned… GOP leaders see an opportunity for a new, working-class coalition, which includes more union outreach. It's a major shift, and fault lines are already forming over President Trump's pro-labor Cabinet nominee, former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

Hawley has been quietly circulating draft legislation that would prevent employers from stalling union contract negotiations — keeping the process to months, not years, according to a copy obtained by Axios.

Trump Fed Buyout Impact

St. Louis Business Journal has the numbers sketching out how President Donald Trump’s federal worker buy-out offer could impact the Missouri workforce: Missouri had 57,300 federal workers as of December, up slightly from the prior year. The St. Louis area had 25,600 such workers, down slightly.

·       The expectation is that as much as 10% of the federal workforce will take up the offer, a White House official told Axios.

Councilwoman Koch

Long-time political consultant Lane Koch began 2025 on a high note. Having filed in December and drawing no challengers, Koch will be sworn in on April 22 as the Chesterfield City Councilwoman for Ward 3.

Koch fills the seat vacated by Councilman Dan Hurt, who is now campaigning for Mayor against former State Representative Derek Grier. After nearly two decades of working in the U.S. Senate and helping candidates get elected, Koch will add "elected official" to her public service. She most recently served on the senior staff for the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaign for President as Midwest Director and Ballot Access Consultant.

·       Koch will continue her professional political consulting career while notably becoming the first woman to represent Ward 3 on the City Council since the city’s founding.

$5K+ Contributions

A Brighter Future for St Louis PAC (pro-Spencer) - $111,330 from Clayco Inc.

A Brighter Future for St Louis PAC - $10,000 from Ron Komlos.

A Brighter Future for St Louis PAC - $10,000 from Ryan Freeman.

A Brighter Future for St Louis PAC - $7,400 from Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local Union No 36 Political Fund.

Lobbyist Registrations

John Bardgett, Jacqueline Bardgett, and Chris Roepe added Consortium.

John Bardgett added Midwest Electronic Gaming.  

Meagan Forbes, Ava Mouton-Johnston, and Jennifer McDonald added Institute For Justice.

Catalyst added Free Our Art c/o TKG Business Management.

Scott Swain added Missourians Improving Higher Education.

Chris Roepe deleted Missouri Association of Career Fire Protection Districts.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Chuck Caisley and Erika Brees Niedbalski.