MOScout Daily Update: Legislative Review Creates Crime Omnibus - Prop A Showdown Coming? - PSC Pushes Changes - Corley on HJR 54 and more…
New Bill Route: Legislative Review
Rep. Brad Christ’s HB 495, which contains the governor’s crime priorities, took an unusual path last week. It was referred to the Committee on Legislative Review after being voted out of the Public Safety Committee, instead of the Rules Committee where folks assumed it would go.
In Legislative Review, it was loaded up into what amounts to the House’s omnibus crime bill. HB 495 is now 60 pages. Now it will head to Rules.
Normally bills are sent to Legislative Review after they been on the floor and need some fixes.
· But it appears Speaker Jon Patterson will sometimes use the committee earlier in the process – if he’s unsatisfied with their contents when they come out of committee.
Prop A Showdown Coming?
House Floor Leader Alex Riley explained that House Republicans will probably make some small business carve-outs for Proposition A…
We’ve had nothing but an outpouring of concern from our business community here in the state, particularly our small business community. With our big businesses, they don’t have any problem paying the higher wages, doing the enhanced benefits that Proposition A required.
But this has a highly negative effect potentially on our small businesses that don’t have those same dollars, don’t have those same resources as the big companies.
And
When pressed by Rudi Keller about usurping the voters’ will by changing Prop A, Riley replied that electing Republicans was also the voters’ will: Yeah at the same time as they’re [passing Prop A] they’re also electing us as House Republicans. And we stand for small businesses; we stand for economic growth… we’ve made our position on that clear where we are. We have an interesting dynamic where they’re electing Republicans that are in favor of business, in favor of small business. We’ve made our position on that clear.
Meanwhile
On the Senate side, Minority Leader Doug Beck called changes to Prop A a “red line” he wouldn’t allowed to be crossed.
Hahn Hearts SB 186
Post-Dispatch Tony Messenger questions whether Public Service Commission Chair Kayla Hahn should be testifying for legislation. Usually, the PSC will only testify for informational purposes only. But Hahn testified in favor of SB 186.
Read Messenger’s column here.
· “I’ve never seen this before,” [Jeanette] Mott-Oxford says. “I’ve been coming to this building for hearings since 1992, and I’ve never seen a member of the PSC testify for or against the bill.”
Beck: We’ll Back McCreery
At a press conference last week, Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck made it clear that his caucus is standing behind Sen. Tracy McCreery on the utility bill.
Our Sen. McCreery is very involved in those discussions. She’s taken a lead on those discussions. And we’re going to back her to whatever that looks like. And to help her become successful and get the things that she believes should be in that bill.
Corley Contra HJR 54
Jamie Corley, writing in the Missouri Independent, says that Republicans shouldn’t embrace Rep. Melanie Stinnett’s HJR 54.
While it may appear to be a departure from the total ban Missourians rejected at the ballot box, in practice, its language creates so many barriers to care that abortion — including life-saving medical treatment — would remain virtually inaccessible…
· First, to qualify for an abortion in cases of rape or incest, a woman would be required to report the assault to law enforcement with jurisdiction to investigate the crime. It is well-documented that many survivors do not report sexual assaults to the police. This requirement is not only punitive but unnecessary…
· Second, some women choose to terminate a pregnancy due to fetal abnormalities — when the baby will not survive outside the womb due to a catastrophic developmental condition. While Stinnett’s bill includes an exception for fetal abnormalities, its wording makes it virtually impossible to meet…
· Third, the medical emergency exception is so narrowly written that it would be nearly impossible for physicians to act…
Warren County Scandal
Post-Dispatch reports that Warren County Presiding Judge Richard Scheibe “removed the county’s prosecutor in a 12-page order that details a monthslong affair with a married sheriff’s sergeant, and alleges her misdeeds are now responsible for hundreds of mishandled cases.”
· Warren County is represented by Sen. Ben Brown, and Rep. Jeff Myers.
Capitol Commission Chairs
Press release: The Missouri State Capitol Commission has appointed State Representative Rudy Veit as Chair and Chief Clerk Joe Engler as Vice Chair during its February 6, 2025, meeting.
Rodriguez to AT
Press release: Armstrong Teasdale announces the addition of Evan Rodriguez to the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. Rodriguez brings significant experience in the courthouse and with Missouri state government to represent clients in a variety of matters. As former General Counsel to Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Rodriguez advised the Governor, while also assisting executive agencies with their legal matters. By the end of his tenure in the Governor’s Office, the Governor had appointed half of Missouri’s state court judges. He also has in-depth experience navigating the legislative process and working with policymakers….
$5K+ Contributions
314 Forward (pro-Tishaura Jones) - $25,000 from Laborers' International Union of N.A. Local No. 42 PAC Fund.
314 Forward – $7,500 from Enterprise Holdings Inc. Political Action Committee.
Progress PAC - $10,000 from Laborers’ International Union of N.A. Local No. 42.
Lobbyist Registrations
Ron Berry added US Capital Development.
Jorgen Schlemeier, Sarah Schlemeier, David Jackson, Jeffrey Brooks and Nikki Strong added City of Brentwood.
Catalyst added Heart of Missouri CASA.
Clark Kaericher added DoorDash, Inc.
Jerry Hobbs deleted Missouri Association of Christian Child Care Agencies, Inc.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. LaDonna Appelbaum, Brian Grace, and Tom Hurst.