MOScout Daily Update: Soros $$$ to Redistricting Fight - Fitz Contra DOR - Stinnett Adds $$$ - Rethinking Childcare Staffing Ratios and more…

Soros Money To Anti-Redistricting Campaign

In the large contributions (below), People Not Politicians received another huge check… $450,000 from Open Society Action Fund.  That organization is associated with Alex Soros, son of famed billionaire George Soros.

And

The latest non-committee expenditure report shows Missouri Kansas Laborers’ District Counsel spending $30,000 to help with the People Not Politicians signature collection.

Stinnett Adds $200,000

Rep. Melanie Stinnett added another $200,000 to her senate campaign committee.  This is the second big check she’s written to her campaign.  The first installment in September was for $200,000 as well.

Stinnett is running to replace termed Sen. Lincoln Hough in Senate 30. It’s considered one of the top battleground Senate districts.  Rep. Betsy Fogle is running for the Democrats.

·       But Stinnett’s early ante is probably aimed at freezing out Republican Brian Gelner who has talked on and off about running.

Childcare Staffing Ratios

A few weeks ago, the Niskanen Center, a think tank, published a piece arguing that states could consider loosening staffing ratios to expand childcare supply.  Read it here.

States have a modest ability to increase the supply of childcare and drive down prices by examining the risk-benefit tradeoffs of regulations.

·       Labor is the major cost driver of providing childcare. Thus, staffing ratios are one of the most obvious places to examine the cost-benefit tradeoff of child care regulations. Wages and benefits make up 56 percent to 68 percent of costs of operating a child care center

·       Childcare, unlike manufacturing, cannot achieve significant efficiency gains: No caregiver can change two diapers at once.

Here’s a chart of the number of states mandating staff requirements at each age.  I’ve circled where Missouri’s regulations stand.  You’ll notice we’re right in the consensus.

DOR Stonewalling Fitz?

On Friday, Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick sued to force the Department of Revenue to turn over information related to some ongoing audits.  See the suit here.

DOR has impeded two separate performance audits examining completely separate processes and/or programs, both of which involve and require an examination of DOR records.

Defendants refuse to satisfy repeated requests for access to the requested records despite being in possession of such records, the Auditor having explicit statutory authority to examine such records, and being served with two lawful subpoenas seeking to obtain such records which are in the possession of DOR…

·       The Auditor asks this Court to enter a declaratory judgment as set forth below, and to enforce both of the Auditor's two separate subpoenas issued on September 25, 2025.

Court Case on Fees and Taxes

There’s been a little brouhaha lately with the Department of Revenue proposing a rule that fees that retailers tack on to credit card payments should be subject to sales tax.

The Chamber of Commerce, among others, is pushing back.

But one reader sent me Central Hardware Company Inc. v Director of Revenue, a 1994 Missouri Supreme Court Case to point out that fees have long been considered part of “gross receipts.”

Hagedorn Changes Races

Ryan Hagedorn opened a committee to run for House 125 (where Rep. Dane Diehl is the incumbent) on October 24.  Last week, he terminated that committee and started a new committee for House 127 (where Rep. Ann Kelly is termed).

Jeff City Hotel for Sale

The America’s Best Value hotel appears to be for sale.  See the $2.75 million listing here.

Rooms: 100 total (80 rentable, nine manager apartments, 11 other uses)

Built: 1998, renovated in 2008.   No PIP needed.

Current Average Daily Rate: $61.29

Peak ADR: $84.94

Occupancy Rate: 42%

Gross Revenue (2024): $659,310

Meanwhile

Over at the Doubletree, there’s a criminal charge pending against a homeless dude who entered through the back exit door and messed up a room.

$5K+ Contributions

American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $10,000 from Chris Barton (Prairie Village, KS).

Friends of Melanie Stinnett - $200,000 from Melanie Stinnett.

People Not Politicians - $450,000 from Open Society Action Fund (Washington, DC).

Missouri Gaming PAC - $116,100 from Caesars Enterprise Services (Las Vegas, NV).

Lobbyist Registrations

Dan Stuart terminated his registration.  He had represented Liberty Action.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Chris Schappe.