MOScout Daily Update: Mosley Stalls Utility Bill - DMH’s Labor Shortage - DEI Fight in JCity Council - Fitz Audit of Iron Sheriff and more…

Mosley Stalls Utility Bill

Sen. Mike Cierpiot appeared to have reached a compromise for his sweeping utilities bill.  He and Sen. Tracy McCreery, who had voiced the greatest opposition to changes, walked through the various provisions and where accommodations had been extended to her concerns.

After friendly inquiries from Sens. Curtis Trent and Karla May, it looked like the bill was headed to a perfection vote. 

But then Sen. Angela Mosley stood and expressed her displeasure with the bill – but also with the lack of outreach her office had received.

Mosley: I was a no in committee. And I was just curious of why no one ever came to me to try to do any negotiating with me.

Cierpiot: You haven't had people from the industry in your office?

Mosley: No, I've only had one utility company which is American Water, but no other utility company came to my office.

Cierpiot: Well, that is very interesting. That's not good, Senator. I've been told that they've been working the building pretty regularly. And so if they didn't, that's bad on them.

Mosley then held the floor for several hours until the bill was laid over for future debate – presumably after Mosley has had her concerns addressed.

DMH Labor Shortage

At yesterday’s budget hearing, Valerie Huhn, Director of the Missouri Department of Mental Health, explained the staffing shortages that her department continues to work through. 

·       We want our part-time staffing numbers to go down. In 2023 our part-time staffing numbers were at their highest at 1,820 people. That’s down to 1,327. I would really like to see that number well below 1,000. We do need part-time staff. You’re always going to need part-time staff when you operate health care, but that is something that we also would like to get those people moved to full-time so that we can really rely on them coming in and helping us take care of these Missourians that need our support.

·       Now, if you look at our clinicals, right now our vacancy rate for our support care assistance is 5.7%, security support care assistance is 14.6%. So we can get people in the door right now. We have the base wages to get people in the door to at least try this work. Unfortunately, we do still have 60% turnover, so we have to continue to work on how we keep people once we get them in the door. So that's good news.

·       Where our biggest vacancy rates are for us right now are among our clinicians. Our social worker vacancy rate right now is 72.6%. Our psychologist vacancy rate is 41.5% percent. Our psychiatry vacancy rate is 40.9% and our registered nurse is 18.2%.

DEI in JCity Council

Stephi Smith reports on the Jefferson City Council wrestling with DEI.  Read it here.

Sparks flew Tuesday night at the Jefferson City Council meeting. On Tuesday's agenda was a contentious bill to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs and policies in any city departments and city boards, committees and commissions. Ward 3 Councilman Scott Spencer and Ward 4 Councilman Derrick Spicer were the bill sponsors.

Before Spencer made his original motion, he gave a short speech that noted 66 percent of Cole County voted in favor of President Donald Trump in November. Spencer said Trump was clear in his campaign to "end woke DEI practices" in the federal government… "Although I'm sympathetic to those that don't agree with this proposed ordinance, I just have two words and I say with all sincerity when I say it: you all lost. You voted for Harris and Walz and you lost," Spencer said.

·       Spencer (House 60) and Spicer (Senate 6) are both running for the state legislature in 2026.

Iron County Sheriff Audit

State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick released another humdinger of an audit.  This found all sorts of problems at the Iron County Sheriff’s Office.  See it here.

·       From December 31, 2020, through March 31, 2023, Sheriff's office personnel collected at least $5,680 for cash bonds that was not deposited and is missing…

·       The audit noted 9 improper purchases, totaling $4,954, with office credit cards and 2 improper cash withdrawals from the Donations account, totaling $308…

·       The Sheriff's office did not solicit bids when required. The county paid approximately $50,000 for inmate meals in 2021 and approximately $49,000 for inmate meals in 2022 without soliciting bids. This was an increase of approximately $29,000 per year from 2020 under the prior Sheriff.

·       Sheriff's office personnel do not maintain a complete and accurate seized property inventory listing and did not ensure items in the seized property room were properly secured… Auditors could not physically locate 3 items from the evidence listing (a 9 mm handgun with holster and live rounds, two pipes with one gram of marijuana, and a 22 Magnum revolver) in the seized property room. They also found 3 items (a large rock, a samurai sword, and a rifle) in the seized property room that were not included on the seized property evidence listing…

Iron County is represented by Sen. Jamie Burger, and Rep. Tony Harbison.

Wasinger Workin It

Press release: The Republican Lieutenant Governors Association (RLGA) announced its 2025 Executive Committee…

Utah Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson, Chair

Nevada Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony, Vice Chair

Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell, Finance Chair

South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, Executive Committee

Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann, Executive Committee

Missouri Lieutenant Governor David Wasinger, Executive Committee

Nebraska Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly, Executive Committee

Holloran Passes

I friend texted me that Jim Holloran died yesterday morning.

From his bio: Jim Holloran is an icon in the St. Louis legal community. Over his 50-plus years practicing law, he tried over 200 cases to verdict and has been recognized as one of the best of the best. He is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, received the Lon Hocker Memorial Trial Lawyer Award, and served as the president of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, to name just a few of his many accolades and awards.

·       But he might be best known as a revitalizing force in the Soulard as the owner of McGurk’s Irish Pub.

Meyer to White House

President Donald Trump announced that Alex Meyer, a St. Louis native, will be the new Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Meyer served as RNC State Director for Missouri for 2018 Josh Hawley election campaign and 2016 Roy Blunt Field Director, and previously worked at TLC Political before joining Trump campaign in 2023.

Lobbyist Registrations

Amy Blunt and Gunnar See added J&J Ventures Gaming LLC.

Amanda Nowakowski added Viiv Healthcare.

David Winton, Jessica Petrie, and Matthew Thompson added ID.me, Inc.         

John Bardgett, Jacqueline Bardgett, and Chris Roepe added Missouri Vacation Home Alliance.

Jay Hahn added Molina Healthcare Inc.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rep. Ben Baker, Doug Galloway, Matt Bartle (the big 6-0) and Kenny Biermann.