MOScout Daily Update: Crime in Senate, Energy in House - Bailey To Start Seizing Chinese Farmland? - Golf Carts in JCity? and more…

Crime in Senate, Energy in House

Mondays can be slow day in the legislative week as lawmakers are traveling to the capitol and hearing don’t start until mid-day.  But day should have some action…

·       House Utilities Committee (1PM, HR1) will hold its hearing on the Senate’s big utility bill – and its scheduled to vote it out of committee as well.  Floor Leader Alex Riley said the quick vote is to “preserve options,” but the expectation is that the House could perfect that bill on Wednesday and then send it on to the governor on Thursday before breaking for Spring Break.

·       On the Senate side, Floor Leader Tony Luetkemeyer, at the end-of-the-week press conference, said that the Senate will vote on the crime bill this afternoon. Jack Suntrup’s recent article stoked speculation the state takeover bill may be bipartisan… During the press conference, [Sen. Steven] Roberts turned around to fellow Democrats and asked, “Has the mayor spoke with anyone here on this issue?”  Sen. Tracy McCreery, D-Olivette, could be seen shaking her head “no.” She didn’t respond to a question Friday asking if she had decided how she is voting on the House legislation.  In addition, Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, D-Kansas City, has already voted for state control as a House legislator last year. She didn’t say Friday how she’d vote this year.  And, Sen. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, also didn’t say Friday how he’d vote.

Bailey to Start Seizing Chinese-Owned Farmland?

Attorney General Andrew Bailey continues to insist that he’s going to collect $24 billion from China.  Bailey sued China for downplaying the COVID virus early, and for hoarding masks used to slow transmission of the virus.

“China refused to show up to court, but that doesn’t mean they get away with causing untold suffering and economic devastation. We intend to collect every penny by seizing Chinese-owned assets, including Missouri farmland.”

·       Post-Dispatch notes that “Chinese-owned Smithfield Foods, a leading pork processer, owns an estimated 40,000 acres of Missouri farmland.”

·       Smithfield Foods lobbyist in Jefferson City is Jewell Patek.

NYTimes on Immigration and STL

New York Times (front-page of the Sunday Business section) reports on the critical importance that immigration plays in St. Louis.  Read it here. 

·       “You’re seeing shortages in almost every work force, from police officers to teachers to manufacturing,” said Brad Christ, a Republican state representative from a suburban district southwest of the city. “So I’m very pro legal immigration, and there’s really good ways to do it effectively, and I think we’ve done it effectively in St. Louis.”

MO Utilities Press DC Delegation to Keep Credits

As Congress is debating the reconciliation bill through the process, Missouri has a lot at stake. Ameren Missouri, Evergy and the Missouri Electric Cooperatives are supporting energy tax credits, claiming they help bring more capacity online, and save consumers money.

From their letter to the federal delegation Friday (see it here)… “We share your commitment for a balanced ‘all of the above’ energy strategy. Missouri electricity prices remain well below the national average because of a diverse energy mix that includes nuclear, coal, natural gas, and renewables, including hydroelectric power. We are at the beginning of a new era for our state and nation, with unprecedented new electricity demand spurred by increased domestic manufacturing and the race to beat China on artificial intelligence… At the federal level, nuclear energy and technology-neutral renewable resources benefit from existing energy credits. In Missouri, these credits translate to significant and direct savings for Missourians. We forecast that these credits will save customers more than $3 billion over the next ten years. These credits, along with provisions that allow for more timely customer savings (direct pay and transferability), are vital to our state and national goals of energy security, while maintaining reliability and low cost...”

Golf Cars Coming to Jeff City?

Stephi Smith reports that the “Jefferson City Council has teed up the idea of allowing golf carts on public streets. Depending upon who you ask, it's a gimme or it's out of bounds… Public reception of the proposed bill appears mostly in opposition, with several residents saying Jefferson City is too large of a city for free use of the vehicles.”

·       The bill would only allow a golf cart or UTV on a roadway with a speed limit 30 mph or less and would require both types of vehicle to have headlights, taillights, reflex reflectors, a mirror, a parking brake, a horn, front and rear turn signals and a slow-moving vehicle sign or a bicycle safety flag.

And

In other JC news, the News Tribune also reports that lobbyist Erika Leonard will have a second term on the Jefferson City School Board.  No one filed to run against her.

$5K+ Contributions

YES for KC Kids - $10,000 from Operating Engineers Local 101.

YES for KC Kids - $10,000 from Missouri Charter Public School Association.

NOCO United Professional FF PAC - $8,000 from North County Firefighters Fund.

Lobbyist Registrations

John Bardgett, Jacqueline Bardgett, and Chris Roepe added Ceres.

Jewell Patek added Trails West Inc, Community CareLink, Almond Digital Health, Trualta, and University of Missouri System.

Patrick Purtill added Unify.US.

Strategic Capitol Consulting added MariMed Inc.

Chris Roepe deleted Friends and Brothers.

Jake Silverman deleted Fourthspan Infrastructure Services.

Heath Clarkston, Doug Nelson, and Michael James Henderson deleted Lathrop GPM LLP, and Netflix.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Jamey Murphy, Andrew Arnold, Eddy Justice, Tishaura Jones, and Luke Scavuzzo.