MOScout Daily Update: SBOE Looks At Rural Teacher Recruitment - Vincent to Revenue - The Next Fiscal Fight - Sparks Earmark and more…

Jan 7

SBOE Meeting Today

The State Board of Education will meet virtually today on account of the weather.

Among the agenda items is a recommendation for classification changes for a couple school districts…

· Success R-IV (repped by Sen. Brad Hudson and Rep. Bennie Cook) from provisionally accredited to accredited.

· Gilman City R-IV (repped by Sen. Rusty Black and Rep. Mazzie Christensen) from provisionally accredited to accredited.

· Osborn R-0 (repped by Sen. Rusty Black and Rep. Dean Van Schoiack) from accredited to provisionally accredited.

FYI: The four other provisionally accredited districts are: Hayti R-II (repped by Sen. Jason Bean and Rep. Donnie Brown); Hickman Mil C-1 (repped by Sen. Barbara Washington and Rep. Mark Sharp); Normandy Schools Collaborative (repped by Sen. Brian Williams and Rep. Marla Smith); and Riverview Gardens (repped by Sen. Angela Mosley and Rep. Yolonda Fountain Henderson).

Also

The State Board of Education will discuss reports on teacher retention, and the findings of the Education First Study on Teaching Quality.

This slide, from that report, shows that attracting the right teachers for the right positions is especially difficult in rural school districts.

Vincent to Revenue

Press release: Governor-Elect Mike Kehoe announced today the appointment of Patricia E. (Trish) Vincent as Director of the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR). Vincent will assume the role of DOR Director effective January 13, 2025, and await Missouri Senate confirmation.

· Most recently, Vincent served as Executive Deputy Secretary of State and Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.

· Vincent has decades of experience in state government, including serving as the Director of Revenue and Chief of Staff for Governor Matt Blunt, and in the Office of the State Auditor.

This is a no-brainer pick. Vincent is a capitol veteran who’s a proven adept administrator, but also savvy on the political side.

1 Big Thing: The Next Fiscal Fight

Conservatives are hopeful about implementing a new fiscal framework to rein in government spending while continuing Missouri’s march toward a 0% income tax rate.

HJR 1, sponsored by Rep. Bishop Davidson, is the flagship vehicle for the plan. But crucially, the same plan has been filed by several senators – showing bicameral support among Republicans. Additionally, the resolution has the backing of Speaker-designate Jon Patterson, who is listed among the House co-sponsors. That means, look for a quick referral and possible fast-track on the House side.

What HJR 1 would do: Amend the constitution to limit the growth of the state budget to a formula based on the growth rate of the state’s population, and create a new mechanism to trigger .1% cuts in the state’s income tax until it is completely phased out.

But…

If this passed both chambers, it would still have to be approved by the voters. And it would likely face furious opposition from interest groups (education, health care providers) concerned that hamstringing the state’s income and expenditures would reduce services and aid to critical programs.

What It Means

If nothing else, a push on this front will “move the goalposts” for all subsequent tax cut discussions. Resuming the .1% income tax slices according to the previous framework of revenue growth will seem more palatable than this plan which pairs it with spending restraints.

Latest on Defamation Suit

Kurt Erickson reports on the latest filing on the defamation lawsuit against state senators who retweeted pictures of a man saying he was an illegal immigrant and the shooter in the KC Chiefs parade. He wasn’t.

In nearly identical filings, Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office said the trio were engaged in a “quintessential legislative act” when they reposted a photo… The 21-page filings said each of the elected officials are protected from legal action because their comments advocated for the establishment of stricter border control policies.

MOIndy on Sparks Earmark

Rudi Keller reports that “as a new legislator in 2023, state Rep. Justin Sparks became the leading advocate for a proposal to create a child care facility serving employees of the St. Louis County Police Department. A few months after lawmakers approved spending $6 million from federal COVID relief funds to create the center, Sparks took a job with the organization in charge of the project, the National Law Enforcement Foundation… There were no discussions prior to obtaining the appropriation about the possibility of a job, he said in an interview with The Independent… Instead, he said, he was approached because of his advocacy for the project and knowledge of the department.”

· The #1 change I’d like to see in Missouri’s ethics laws would be a requirement that elected officials disclose all discussions of potential job offers.

Holstein Passes

John C. Holstein, retired judge and former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri, died Tuesday, December 31, 2024, at his home in Springfield. He was 79.

“My colleagues at the Supreme Court of Missouri and I are saddened by the loss of Judge Holstein,” Chief Justice Mary R. Russell said. “As a treasured member of the judiciary, he exemplified integrity, and his leadership was steady and dignified. He leaves a remarkable legacy of service, not only as a judge but also as a beacon of hope for the vulnerable and as a steadfast advocate for the welfare of children.”

See his obituary here.

Lobbyist Registrations

Rodney Bland added Fred Dreiling & Associates.

Shad Burner added City of West Plains, Southeast Missouri Regional Economic Development Inc, and Kit Bond Strategies.

Andrea Leigh Clark added Dawn Nicklas LLC.

Gabrielle Jorgensen added Gabrielle Jorgensen.

Sean Ostrow added DirecTV LLC, and Dish Network LLC.

Salvatore Panettiere and Jeremy LaFaver added DoorDash, Inc.

Nick Sands added American Motorcyclist Association.

Gunnar See added Practical POCUS.

David Klarich deleted Invenergy Transmission.

Birthdays