MOScout Daily Update: Stinnett Money Correction - House Dems Add Staff - CTF Adds Food Support - ‘Ask MO’ Coming and more…

Quick update on this Veterans Day.   State offices are closed.

Stinnett Money Correction

I wrote yesterday that Rep. Melanie Stinnett has added a second infusion of $200,000 to her campaign.  In fact, it was her first such contribution.  That’s because on the same day that her committee recorded the “second” $200,000 contribution, it also amended its previous report from October to remove the initial report of a $200,000 contribution.

Confused?  Someone from Team Stinnett explains, “I think the accountant/treasurer had some crossed wires.”

·       But one MOScouter says they’re mulling a complaint to the Missouri Ethics Commission: “Stinnett reported a contribution of $200,000 on 9/2/2025 that she didn’t actually receive, in order to show more financial support for her campaign than she actually has. This is in violation of Missouri Statute 130.041, which requires that campaign committees file accurate statements of their cash on hand and accurate disclosure of receipts and expenditures of the campaign committee.”

Dems Make Hires

One year ahead of the midterm elections, House Dems are staffing up.  They’ve hired caucus staff to take them through the 2026 cycle…

Jake Kljaich, caucus director.  See Linkedin bio here.

Abbey Schoenrade, deputy caucus director.  See Linkedin bio here.

Coming Soon “Ask MO”

Missourinet reports on AI coming to Missouri government websites.  Read it here.

Tim Marczewski is Director of AI and Innovation with the Office of Administration. He told Missourinet the agency currently has prototypes for chatbots that have not yet been installed.

“We have a prototype going for three (chatbots),” he told Missourinet. “Those are three internal chatbots and then one additional external chatbot that’s we’re calling ‘Ask Mo.’ When I say external, I mean it would be public facing instead of internal facing. So, we’re working on quite a few right now.”

“You come to the main Missouri page and you say I need a license. It’s gonna follow up with the question, ‘Well, what kind of license?’ And then direct you to the information of, ‘Well, I need a fishing license,” he said. “So then it’s going to direct you to…where you should go to get your fishing license.”

·       Large language model chatbots are the low hanging fruit of AI integration.  But I think what folks are hoping for is using AI to root out the legendary and elusive waste, fraud, and abuse throughout government.  We’ll see…

Whiteman Neighbor

With all the attention that the Missouri legislature has given to foreign owned land, one reader passed along this Daily Caller story…

The top secret June 2025 B-2 Bomber strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities was launched from Whiteman Air Force base, which shares a fence with a foreign-owned trailer park linked to a convicted fraudster with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intelligence ties.

The Knob Noster Trailer Park in rural Missouri is located less than a mile from the runway of “the world’s only nuclear-capable stealth bomber.” Business filings and social media posts reveal the RV park is one of several properties near U.S. military interests acquired by a web of shell companies, which are ultimately owned by a couple who live in Canada and belong to organizations controlled by disgraced Chinese tycoon and self-described former CCP intelligence “affiliate,” Miles Guo…

CTF Steps Into SNAP Breach

Press release:  In response to the effects of the federal government shutdown on SNAP benefits in Missouri, the Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) and its Board of Directors approved $400,000 in additional funding on Friday to assist Missouri communities and families facing food insecurity.

CTF will donate $100,000 to Feeding Missouri, to be distributed to six regional food banks in the state, specifically for the purchase of infant formula and baby food. Food banks traditionally carry low inventories of formula, and infants and babies are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity.

CTF also approved a $300,000 increase in contracts for the Missouri Parenting Partnership Home Visiting Program, allowing these agencies to purchase formula and food for the families they currently serve.

Ag Under Stress

Econofact reports that “the U.S. agricultural sector is facing multiple challenges…”

·       High input and production costs together with low commodity prices for some of the country’s major crops — including soy, corn and wheat — contribute to slim or even negative profit margins for these crops and forecasts of low net farm incomes.

·       The Trump administration’s trade and immigration policies are adding to the challenges and increasing the economic uncertainty facing the agricultural sector.

·       In this context, the Trump administration is considering providing several billions in additional support to farmers.

Fire / Sale

I wrote yesterday about America’s Best Value Inn being for sale.  Now I read that it caught fire Sunday night!  Read about it here.

Units arrived at the scene around 5 p.m… Firefighters said they located the fire in the laundry room on the first floor. The blaze was contained to that area… The fire was brought under control within 15 minutes of firefighters arriving at the scene…

·       No injuries reported.

Congrats to Corley

Congratulations to Prescription Benefits Matter’s Jamie Corley on her recent engagement to James Emanuel.  Emanuel is an attorney with Boeing.

New Committee

Committee to Elect Ingrid was formed.  It’s a candidate committee for Ingrid Burnett to run for Council Person, District 4 City of Kansas City.

$5K+ Contributions

House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $50,000 from Rex Sinquefield.

Missouri Leadership PAC (pro-Riley) - $25,000 from Torch Electronics LLC.

Missouri Leadership PAC - $13,000 from Missouri Growth PAC.

Missouri Leadership PAC - $15,000 from MoCannTrade PAC.

Real Action PAC (pro-Christ) - $8,000 from PCAKC, LLC.

Best Start for Kids STL - $10,000 from Robert Fox.

Growth and Opportunity PAC - $100,000 from Herzog Action Fund.

Missouri Leadership Forum - $15,000 from Craftsmen Management, LLC.

Lobbyist Registrations

Derek Coats added Ashbritt, Inc. 

Catherine Gunsalus, and Harrison Hems added Alliance for Consumers Action Fund.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Tashayla Person, Dwight Scharnhorst, Tom Shively, and Harrison Sweazea.