MOScout Daily Update: Financially Stressed School Districts - Merideth for Mitten - Redistricting Referendum Momentum and more…

Redistricting Referendum

Another $250,000 came into the coffers of the referendum redistricting campaign committee.  People Not Politicians recorded the check from the National Redistricting Action Fund.

Its October filing showed $1.6 million raised and $1.2 million spent – most of that on signature collection. And since that filing another $1.6 million has been reported in large contributions.

·       Meanwhile the Missouri AFL-CIO is going full speed, mobilizing for signature collection.  Their website has a page dedicated to the effort: Petitions should be turned in on a WEEKLY basis, whether a sheet is complete, or not.  We ask that all petitions be dropped-off to one of our locations EACH Thursday.

Merideth for Mitten

Former Rep. Peter Merideth endorsed Gina Mitten for Senate 4.

“I served with Gina for four years,” said Merideth. “She is the only experienced candidate I can count on to consistently stand strong for our values. In these challenging times, we need a principled fighter and negotiator like Gina in the Missouri Senate.”

What It Means

Merideth’s nod farther establishes Mitten as the progressive candidate and will help her gather up those votes in the City.

Stressed Districts

The State Board of Education listed three school districts as “financially stressed.”

The following are the statutory characteristics for identifying a district as financially stressed:

 A) negative balance in either the Teachers or Incidental Funds, or

B) combined ending balance in the Teachers and Incidental Funds less than three percent, or

C) tax anticipation borrowing between February 1 and June 30…

The following districts were identified:

·       Zalma R-V

·       East Carter Co. R-II

·       Bradleyville R-I

FYI

·       Zalma, in Bollinger County, is represented by Sen. Jamie Burger and Rep. Steve Jordan.

·       East Carter, in Carter County, is represented by Sen. Jason Bean, and Rep. Keith Elliot.

·       Bradleyville, in Douglas, Ozark, and Taney Counties, is represented by Sen. Brad Hudson and Rep. Matthew Overcast.

UPK Impact on Parents’ Earnings

Most talk about pre-k and childcare focuses on its positive impact on the children.  An interesting study from some Yale University and Brown University researchers looks at the impact that universal pre-kindergarten has on the parents.  Read the article here.

·       In the New Haven Public Schools (NHPS), according to the study, every dollar spent on UPK yields $10.04 in benefits to parents. Taking parental earnings into account in a cost-benefit analysis, Zimmerman says, “reduces the cost of the program by 90%”—a meaningful finding when considering how to allocate limited government resources. ‌

·       This process took roughly four years, but it eventually yielded a dataset of 16,485 matched applications in a data set that spanned nearly 20 years. ‌

·       The researchers found that landing a spot in UPK gave parents an additional 11.3 hours per week of childcare, which translated into earning nearly 22% more each year. The effect of getting into the program lasted not just for the short period of UPK enrollment, but for at least an additional six years after preschool ended, for a total average benefit of $8,799.87 per year in 2024 dollars. The authors explain this earnings bump as an effect of both being able to work more and a lower likelihood of a career disruption.

Gubby Appts

Governor Mike Kehoe made appointment yesterday…

·       Bryan Nickell was appointed as Judge to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District.

·       Brandon Boulware and Julie Leicht were appointed to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

·       Shannon Covington, Dr. Calvin Mott, and Dr. Jennifer Tinnel were appointed to the Missouri Dental Board.

·       Christy Techau-Dover was appointed as the Linn County Assessor.

The Missouri Ethics Commission appointments are welcome as a lack of a quorum was the cause for several recent “no actions” from the Commission including one complaint against Rep. Mike Costlow, and another complaint against former Rep. Jamie Johnson.

Scharf: WH Demo OK

I missed this article last month ahead of the White House demolition underway to construct the new ballroom…  AP: Demolition to build President Donald Trump’s new ballroom off the East Wing of the White House can begin without approval of the commission tasked with vetting construction of federal buildings, the Trump-appointed head of the panel said Thursday.

Will Scharf, who is also the White House staff secretary, said during a public meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission that the board does not have jurisdiction over demolition or site preparation work for buildings on federal property.

Help Wanted

The Department of Public Safety-Office of the Director (DPS) seeks General Counsel.

The DPS General Counsel performs complex legal work and research, while also providing expert legal advice and guidance to ensure compliance with Missouri and federal law. The General Counsel works closely with DPS leadership, DPS divisions, other executive departments, the Governor’s office, and the Attorney General’s office to anticipate legal issues and counsel DPS senior leaders and team members in the development of sound legal strategies... Salary: $120,000 - $150,000.   See the posting here.

Lobbyist Registrations

Zach Pollock added Stepful.

$5K+ Contributions

People Not Politicians - $250,000 from National Redistricting Action Fund (Washington, DC).

The Rowdy PAC - $15,000 from J & J Ventures Gaming of Missouri LLC (Effingham, IL).

Local 41 Political Action Fund - $16,464 from Missouri PAC Federal Committee.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Kenny Murdock, Rebecca McClanahan, and Bryan Pratt.