MOScout Daily Update: Hoskins Gives School-Choicers A Win - Fed Judgeship Short List? - MO AFL-CIO Works Redistricting and more…
Hoskins Language Upheld
Back in August, Secretary of State Denny Hoskins had been sued by Emily Omohundro over his ballot language for an initiative petition changing the constitution to allow public funds to be used only for public schools. See that suit here.
On Friday, Judge Cotton Walker found the language fair and sufficient with the exception of a “drafting error” to be remedied by the SOS. See this order here.
What It Means
It looks like a victory for school-choicers as it’s hard to imagine the first bullet point not creating a LOT of NO votes: Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to… Limit parental choice in education…
Federal Judge Short List?
On Twitter, there’s speculation who could get a federal appeals judgeship…
Judge Duane Benton of the Eighth Circuit has announced he will take senior status upon the confirmation of his successor. This is a Missouri-based seat. There are many potential candidates, including Solicitor General John Sauer, Judges Josh Divine and Sarah Pitlyk, White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf… Erin Hawley, Jesus Osete, and Justin Smith…
MO AFL-IO Reports “Member Education”
In the non-committee expenditure filings, the Missouri AFL-CIO reports spending $24,373 this month on “member education” to oppose House Bill 1 – that was the redistricting bill passed in the most recent special session.
What It Means
AFL-CIO is following through on their promise to mobilize against the mid-decade redistricting plan. Their muscle to collect signatures is critical.
Next Gray Battleground
The debate over gray VLT machines appears to be coming to Columbia. COMO Buzz reports that the city council “directed staff to draft an ordinance to prohibit the machines locally, citing confusion in state law and growing neighborhood concerns.”
· Columbia’s debate did not skirt value judgments. [Nick] Foster called the devices “predatory” and a policing concern, a framing that as store aisles turn into gaming corners after dark.
· Council member Vera Elwood put the neighborhood impact in stark terms. Some businesses, she said, “have become more so of a casino that happens to also fuel your car, and they are becoming deeply predatory, and if you spend very long in those places, you will see the physical and emotional impact that they’re having on our community.”
What It Means
I wonder whether the increased pressure on gray machines will create the conditions for a grand deal in next year’s session. We’ll see…
WAPO on Data Centers and Electricity Rates
This Washington Post article was getting passed around over the weekend. It quotes Senator Josh Hawley’s concern about increasing electricity rates and notes that higher demand doesn’t necessarily translate into higher rates.
Most of the costs in the system aren’t from pushing electrons through the grid, or what experts call variable costs. Instead, the largest costs are fixed costs — that is, maintaining the massive system of poles and wires that keeps electricity flowing. That system is getting old and is under increasing pressures from wildfires, hurricanes and other extreme weather. More power customers, therefore, means more ways to divvy up those fixed costs.
· Usually, the year after a big utility bill, there’d be a breather on the issue in the legislature. But with all the talk about data centers, we might see some bills – from various perspectives – pre-filed when December comes.
Trent on HB2062 Hammerschmidt “Technicality”
On Facebook, Sen. Curtis Trent calls the recent Hammerschmidt ruling against HB 2062 a “technicality.” Sen. Mike Moon might disagree…
Lawfare.
As Democrats have become increasingly unable to win at the ballot box, they’ve turned to the courts to secure victories, impose their unpopular policy views on the public, and punish their political opponents.
This week, a Missouri court struck down HB 2062 on a technicality in a lawsuit masterminded by one of the most prominent Democrat attorneys in the state. These are the same far left legal mercenaries who acted as the courtroom strategists for Missouri’s pro-abortion forces during last year’s Amendment 3 campaign. Now, Democrats are working to undo one of the signature conservative reforms passed in 2024.
What It Means
As long as legislators view Hammerschmidt as a “technicality” and part of “lawfare,” it’s hard to imagine any change in behavior when it comes to piling on the omnibus bills.
Parole Debate
MOIndy’s Rudi Keller does a deep dive on the recommendations from the parole working group, giving a voice to critics who think their product was underwhelming. Read it here.
The biggest unresolved question after a months-long study of the Missouri parole system is arguably the most important — what portion of a sentence must be served before an incarcerated person is eligible for release?
Some members of the Parole Working Group established by Gov. Mike Kehoe wanted to require more than the current system, which starts at 15% of a sentence for the lowest-level offenders and peaks at 85% for the most violent. Others urged a system with a standard that would lower the population of Missouri’s prisons — currently about 24,000 — with releases tied to personal growth.
· Without agreement, the report highlights that it makes no recommendation on the question…
It’s Good to Meet People With Different Perspectives
In The Springfield Citizen, there’s a letter to the editor which captures Floor Leader Alex Riley’s humble statesmanship. Read it here.
On Oct. 23, for my 40th birthday, I gave a gift to myself. I met with my state representative, Republican House Majority Leader Alex Riley of Springfield, about introducing legislation that would expand access to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) care in Missouri… In Missouri if you need IVF, then you will have to travel to St. Louis or Kansas City. I reached out to Riley last year because I was frustrated with politics. I was not prepared when he responded with a willingness to have a conversation about infertility.
We set a date to meet and my first question was, “Why did you agree to meet with me?” Riley’s response was what you always want to hear from a lawmaker; it’s good to meet people with different perspectives and experiences. He listened with empathy and interest to my story and made a point of sharing his own lived experiences with infertility. We both found it easy to find common ground, something that is very difficult in politics today.
9 Sportsbooks Coming
Bet Missouri reports that “there will be as many as nine sportsbooks ready to take wagers online when Missouri sports betting launches on Dec. 1… Provided those licensees fulfill other requirements, such as having their internal controls and house rules approved by the MGC, they will be able to start taking bets as early as midnight on Dec. 1. They also may accept registrations and deposits from bettors starting on Nov. 17.”
· bet365
· BetMGM
· Caesars Sportsbook
· Circa Sports
· DraftKings
· ESPN BET
· Fanatics Sportsbook
· FanDuel
· Underdog Sports
Lobbyist Registrations
Jorgen Schlemeier, Jeffrey Brooks, David Jackson, Elizabeth Grace Riley, Sarah Schlemeier, and Nikki Strong added HEARO.
Heath Clarkston, Michael Henderson, and Doug Nelson added American Promise.
Rylea Jenae Luckfield added Missouri Family Health Council.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Kurt Schaefer, Stacey Jones Preis, Michael Henderson, and Jay Houghton.