MOScout Daily Update: SOS Cyber-Attacked Daily - “Red Book” Coming - AFC Ads for Kehoe Agenda - Senate Start Crime Debate and more…
Situational Awareness: The House is hunkering down ahead of the storm. They’ll have a technical session. The Senate, meanwhile, I believe is planning on a full workday today.
Hoskins: Daily Cyber Attacks on SOS Website
At yesterday’s Budget hearing on the Secretary of State office’s budget, Secretary Denny Hoskins led with this humdinger: There are two things I was debriefed on immediately after the election. Number one, the Secretary of State gets sued a lot… And then number two, we get cyber attacked every day. Every day we get cyber attacked because hackers are trying to get into our voter registration as well as our business filings.
· [W]e had our IT director retire at the end of December after, I believe, 35 years in state government.
And… Red Book
Hoskins also said that the state’s traditional Blue Book, which lists comprehensive information on government officials, state agencies, elections, and state history, will have a new color. It’ll match Hoskin’s signature sportscoat… yes, it will be a “Red Book” this year.
Senate Starts Police Debate
The Senate spent about four hours debating the crime bill put forward by Sens. Travis Fitzwater and Nick Schroer.
Sen. Karla May found an ally in Sen. Mike Moon who has some constitutional issues with the bill. And Sen. Steven Roberts also helped her hold the floor. Still, we didn’t see a full-blown Democratic filibuster. That may come, but so far it’s mostly May offering resistance.
AFC Announces Ads to Support Kehoe Agenda
Press release: The American Federation for Children is launching a six-figure advertising campaign urging lawmakers to support Gov. Mike Kehoe’s $50 million budget proposal to expand the MOScholars Program.
“I was raised by a single mother, and I watched her struggle to put me through a private school because it was the best learning environment for me. Now, I want to help all Missouri parents provide the education that meets every child's individual learning needs. That's why I'm including $50 million in my budget to boost the MOScholars Program,” said Governor Kehoe.
· AFC is represented in Missouri by Jean Evans, Rob Vescovo, Jered Taylor and Kate Casas.
PSC Sees Huge Changes Coming
In yesterday’s House Budget hearing on Department of Commerce and Insurance, Rich Germinder with the Missouri Public Service Commission, outlined the PSC’s desire to beef up their hiring to support a more robust planning model. They’re asking for 16 new full-time positions.
It’s being driven by expected huge increases in load growth… The average economic development project just a couple years ago was about 3 megawatts. The current economic development project today on average exceeds over 180 megawatts. So that’s a drastic increase. Our Department of Economic Development… provided us a list of projects that they have in the pipeline from site selectors that could possibly come to Missouri. There are projects in that list that exceed 1100 megawatts. And just to give everybody a sense of size and scale that’s the size of Callaway…
That’s going to require a new planning framework…. When you have flattened declining load growth your planning process isn’t quite as important. That has changed drastically so we want to totally revamp how we do integrated resource planning and how we map out our future electricity needs. And we need staff, and we need more mind power to be able to do that.
· This is the impetus behind the SB 186 and SB 653.
Bailey: DEI Causing Long Lines at Starbucks
Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed suit against Starbuck alleging that its efforts to recruit a diverse workforce are discriminatory.
In the suit he asserts that due to “Starbucks’ discriminatory patterns, practices, and policies, Missouri’s consumers are required to pay higher prices and wait longer for goods and services…”
Silvey to CSWR
Former Public Service Commissioner Ryan Silvey announced on social media that he’s joined Central States Water Resources as Director National Regulatory Affairs.
Storch for NY
Former Rep. Rachel Storch is running for New York City Council. She’ll be in St. Louis for an event tomorrow night…
Gubby Appts
Governor Mike Kehoe sent new appointments to the Senate…
· Victoria Ann Babb, Democrat, to the Missouri Community Service Commission.
· Alfred Brandt, Republican, to the State Milk Board.
· Jennifer L. Keller to the State Committee of Psychologists.
eMailbag on PSC Testimony
I think moleg should ask ratepayers in SC and GA what they think are “best practices?” Given the fast rise of utility prices in MO, the 4th largest increase in the nation, pro-utility legislation risks making Missouri less competitive in attracting new businesses and expanding existing ones.
eMailbag on Cupps Feud
Scott Cupps is apparently oblivious that optics matter - how can you make him vice-chair of the Budget Committee when he very publicly cannot be bothered to show up in court to answer a lawsuit about failing to pay his own bills?
$5K+ Contributions
MO Renewable Fuels Association Political Action Committee - $10,000 from Missouri Corn Growers Association Inc.
Clay Dems Political Action Committee - $10,000 from UAW Region 4 Midwest States CAP Council (Ottawa, IL).
Lobbyist Registrations
Jeffrey Aboussie added Lakeport Village LLC, Noah's Arc Foundation of Missouri, IUOE Local 101, IUOE Local 148, IUOE Local 513, Goodwin Brothers Construction, Missourians For A Balanced Energy Future, and City of Lake Ozark.
T.J. Berry added Union Electric Co. DBA Amerenue, Ameren Services, Ameren Corp., and Oakstone Consulting.
Justin Lee Lampert added The American Waterways Operators.
Robert Shockey added Missouri Police Chiefs Association.
Courtney Curtis added MIM Trucking Academy.
Jason Zamkus added J&J Ventures Gaming LLC.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to Louise Tonkovich.