MOScout Daily Update: Dems Hire Pringle - Price-Smith Breaks Record - LaVota Gets Jackson County Job - Estimating Betting Handle and more…
Senate Dems Hire Pringle
Senate Democratic Caucus has hired its new Chief Counsel, Mary Grace Pringle. Pringle previously served in the Senate Research Office of the Missouri Senate. Pringle also served in the General Counsel offices of both the Missouri Department of Revenue and the Missouri Office of Administration. Her experience spans legislative research, administrative law, and employment law.
· Pringle will start October 16.
Price Smith Break Record
MPS PAC, the pro-Melissa Price Smith PAC, filed its October quarter, raising $173,900. The quarter was powered by Bob Blitz, Bob Clark, Eric Holland, Mike Ketchmark, and Michael Rayner, each contributing $25,0000. Her candidate committee raised an additional $160,000.
· A press release from Team Price-Smith says that the 334K raised for the quarter is “a record for a St. Louis County Prosecutor. This number breaks the old quarterly record of 147K from the July quarterly report of 2014.”
What It Means
Price Smith was appointed to the position after Wesley Bell won his congressional race. With the strong quarter, she might be able to avoid a primary fight, and, much like her city counterpart Gabe Gore, win a term without a fight.
Halfway to Signatures
Kurt Erickson reports that “People Not Politicians says it has collected about half of the signatures it needs to get on the ballot.”
Bet Missouri Estimates Handle
Bet Missouri projects next year’s sports betting handle to be $3.88 billion. The “handle” is the total amount wagered.
Operators are expected to make between 5-10% on the handle which would then be taxed at a 10% rate. A back-of-the-envelope estimate suggests $20-40 million in new state tax receipts.
More Changes at MTC?
Dan Cobb is no longer listed on Missouri Technology Corporation’s Board of Directors.
· Cobb had served as chair of the board.
Mathews on the Move?
Kirk Mathews recently appeared as a speaker at a conference hosted by Unite Us in New York, New York. Unite Us currently works for the state’s ToRCH (Transformation of Rural Community Health) program.
Rumors have Mathews leaving the Missouri Department of Social Services when his boss, Todd Richardson does. If so, he – like Richardson – will be sought after for his expertise as the state providers eye the dollars headed this way through Donald Trump’s Rural Health Transformation Program.
Senate 4: Mitten Gets Teamsters
Press release: Gina Mitten, Democratic candidate for Missouri State Senate, proudly announced the endorsement of the Missouri-Kansas-Nebraska Conference of Teamsters. Standing for tens of thousands of workers across the region, the Teamsters' support is a powerful statement of confidence in Mitten’s long-standing commitment to working people.
Meet MODATA
Press release: A new statewide coalition, MODATA (Missourians for Data and Technology Advancement), has launched to promote smart, sustainable, and transparent data center development across Missouri. The coalition brings together leaders in business, labor, and energy to ensure Missouri stays competitive and captures the economic benefits of the fast-growing technology sector…
MODATA will focus on education, advocacy, and collaboration between industry, policymakers, and the public. The coalition’s new website, modatacenters.com, outlines how data centers power modern life supporting hospitals, schools, manufacturing, and communication systems—and how Missouri can position itself as a leader in this critical area.
What It Means
With data centers finding some opposition from local residents around the state, it makes sense for supporters to organize.
Merritts Claims Political Persecution
Mark Maxwell reports that “the husband of former Congresswoman Cori Bush is asking a federal judge to throw out the fraud case against him, claiming he’s being prosecuted for political reasons, pointing out no other cases this small have been charged.”
Attorneys for Cortney Merritts, 46, filed a motion Friday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., arguing that prosecutors only brought charges because Merritts is married to an outspoken progressive Democrat. The motion calls the case “selective prosecution,” alleging Merritts is the only person in the district to face federal wire fraud charges over a pandemic loan totaling less than $30,000.
Why It Matters
Bush just launched her campaign to retake her congressional seat. Dispensing with her husband’s legal troubles would be helpful for that effort.
LeVota Gets Jackson County Exec Spot
KCUR: The Jackson County Legislature has named Phil LeVota its new interim county executive to serve out the remainder of Frank White Jr.’s term. LeVota formerly worked for the county prosecutor’s office, and represented county voters and petition signers in the case to get the recall election for White scheduled.
· LeVota’s brother, Paul, previously served as state senator.
BiState Sued Over Killing
A lawsuit filed yesterday blames Bi-State for negligence for the death of a passenger after being shot by another passenger in 2023. Read the suit here.
On April 29, 2023, and for a long time prior thereto, Defendant Bi-State had knowledge that Defendant Bi-State’s MetroLink trains, platform stations, and its contiguous premises were dangerous and not reasonably safe for Defendant Bi-State’s patrons… Defendant Bi-State had a policy or pattern of ignoring the criminal element that often preyed upon its patrons and the numerous instances of violence and other criminal activity about Defendant Bi-State’s premises and negligently failed to implement adequate security measures to protect patrons that Defendant Bi-State invited on to its premises.
NYT on KC BBQ
NYTimes asks if Kansas City Is Still the Barbecue Capital of America? Read it here.
Most mornings, Ollie Gates, the 93-year-old patriarch of a Kansas City barbecue dynasty, drives himself to the Gates Bar-B-Q location on Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard and sits down in an office just steps from the counter…
· For many Americans, Kansas City barbecue — best known for brisket, burnt ends, ribs and a thick, ketchup-based sauce — is barbecue. Credit (or blame) supermarket sauces like KC Masterpiece, the smoky-sweet brew that shaped a generation’s perception of the genre.
Help Wanted
St. Louis Airport seeks Marketing Advisory Services. “In general, the selected Proposer, shall assist in the Airport’s efforts to further the EXPLORE. EXPERIENCE. EXPAND.® messaging, improve commercial communications and continue the on-going market outreach, business-to-business and partnership programs.”
Lobbyist Registrations
Trisha Dey and Tom Solomon added Institute For Justice.
David Sweeney added Washington University.
Irl Scissors and Sarah Wood Martin added St. Louis Community College; and deleted National Strategies OBO Independent Payroll Providers and The Payroll Group.
Amy Blunt added Bloom Medicinals,
$5K+ Contributions
Tony PAC (pro-Luetkemeyer) - $5,100 from St Louis County Police Association PAC.
Her Health, Her Future PAC - $50,000 from L.B. Eckelkamp Jr.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Jeremy LaFaver, and Casey Guersey.