MOScout Daily Update: MO’s Medicaid “Bind” - Gonna Need A Bigger Note - Robertson Adds $50K - Sparks on Ethics - Bingo Watch and more…
Situational awareness: Stock futures right now show the Dow opening sharply lower another again as financial markets continue to recalibrate lower economic expectations in reaction to Trump’s tariffs framework.
1 Big Thing: Missouri’s “Tight Bind”
New York Times writes about Missouri being one of three states that could be “left in an especially tight bind” if Congress implements some Medicaid cuts that are being floated.
That’s because Missouri (and South Dakota and Oklahoma) have Medicaid expansion in their state constitutions. This makes the program unalterable even if there’s adverse changes to federal funding. Missouri would need to “amend their constitutions, a lengthy process that can take years, or figure out how to fill the budget hole, most likely by cutting other services or raising taxes.”
· The exact details of any cuts are still unclear, but Republicans in Congress hope to enact a detailed plan by the end of September. A budget resolution that passed the House last month called for at least $880 billion in cuts over a decade from the committee that oversees Medicaid.
· In Missouri, Medicaid funding makes up about 35 percent of the state’s entire budget. If the federal government pulled back, the state would probably have to raise taxes or cut other parts of its budget, like education or transportation.
Among the ideas being considered to attain the Medicaid savings are reducing the federal match for state expansion which was 90%, and limiting provider taxes like the FRA tax.
Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that if the $880 billion cut did happen, it would hit Missouri for about $2 billion.
We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Note
The Senate Fiscal Oversight Committee is scheduled to meet today at 3:15PM. Among the bills on their agenda is Rep. Chad Perkins’ HB 594, the capital gains tax cut. The bill already had a pretty huge fiscal note.
But Sen. Curtis Trent, in order to advance the measure, added more provisions, including the “circuit breaker.” It now has a 78-page fiscal note which says the cost “could exceed $429,837,794 in FY 2026,” and then “could exceed $342,776,824 to in FY 2027.” This is about $100 million more a year than the previous version.
· It also hits local governments for about $31 million in FY 2026 and $30 million thereafter.
Senate 22: Robertson Antes $50K
In the large contributions, David Robertson added $50,000 to his campaign account. My thinking had been that the entrance of Reps. David Casteel, Renee Reuter, and probably former Rep. Jim Avery would be the demise of Robertson’s campaign. They all have greater name ID, and greater fundraising capacity.
· But this investment into his campaign shows Robertson is serious. It wasn’t just a protest campaign.
Bingo Watch
Today after the House session, Rep. Scott Cupps will convene his Rules Committee hearing. We’ll see if he “plays Bingo,” as he did last week. If you missed my Friday note, MOIny wrote an article about it over the weekend.
· For his part, Cupps said the Bingo-ball method was not intended to be disrespectful. He considers Patterson a close friend and believes the speaker knew what kind of chairman he would be when he appointed him.
· “I sure am not going to speak for the speaker, because I do consider him a friend,” Cupps said. “But I will tell you, I believe that he knows me well enough that appointing me meant he wanted someone who was going to use the rules committee as a way to actually vet not only individual pieces of legislation, but what the legislation it actually potentially could turn into.”
Sparks on Ethics Complaint
On Twitter, Rep. Justin Sparks fires back against the “letter of reproval” issued by the House Ethic Committee.
· The House Ethics Committee unanimously concluded, "There is no support for the claims made in the complaint," regarding allegations made against me during my campaign for Speaker.
· Democrats filed a complaint, without my knowledge, in an attempt to legitimize their disinformation campaign targeting my employment history. This mirrors the same weaponization and lawfare tactics used against President Trump. Such partisan abuse of due process must end…
· On April 4th, the Missouri House Ethics Committee reported the results of their inquiry in a letter of reproval, finding no evidence to substantiate the complaint's claims. I appreciate the committee's efforts.
Liberty Mayoral Race
Among the many municipal elections taking place tomorrow will be the mayoral race in Liberty.
Mayor Greg Canuteson – a former state representative from the 90s – faces Giselle Fest. A Confederate statue is among the hot topics. Kansas City Star has the story.
Canuteson says Fest and members of the [Sons of Confederate Veterans] frequently disrupt council meetings by spreading what he considers misinformation during public comment time and asking questions that the city has answered several times before, costing the city money in labor and time. “They make these allegations that the city has to respond to, but for the city to respond and make sure they’re accurate they spend a lot of time…over and over,” he said. “Everybody else that comes up comes in good faith, we listen to them, and then we try to refer them to whoever might be able to answer the question,” Canuteson said. “But that’s not a time for [four people] to come up and berate council members.”
Shelby County Kerfuffle
A controversy around the administration of the Shelby County Historical Society has spilled into court. There’s a brouhaha between Society board members and the former Society President Kathleen Wilham. See the lawsuit here.
Senate Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin is a friend and supporter of Wilham, and is mentioned in an email attachment to the suit as helping Wilham “get the museum open” amid the back and forth of who control access to the building.
· See coverage of the kerfuffle in the Muddy River News here.
Rolla Considers Urination Ordinance
Phelps County Focus reports the Rolla City Council is considering a ban on public urination and defecation. I’m surprised they don’t already have one. Read it here.
“It shall be unlawful for any person, regardless of gender, within the city to urinate or defecate in a place open to public view,” states the proposed new law to amend Chapter 30 of Rolla city codes.
$5K+ Contributions
Protect Saint Louis Freedom - $44,850 from Page PAC.
Robertson for Missouri - $50,000 from David Robertson.
MO Republican Party - $25,000 from Growth and Opportunity PAC.
MO Republican Party - $15,000 from Jennifer Bukowsky.
Safety and Justice Alliance - $15,000 from KC Tenants.
Freedom Incorporated - $10,000 from Together KC.
Lobbyist Registrations
Steven Tilley, Thomas Robbins, Brittany Hyatt Robbins, Christopher Schoeman, Alec Rosenblum, and Ron Berry added City of St. Louis Sheriff's Department.
Steven Tilley and Thomas Robbins added Barnes Law Firm LLC.
Alex Tuttle added Hazel Health, Community CareLink, Trualta, and Almond Digital Health.
Mack Miner deleted Lombardo Homes of St Louis LLC, and DCM Land, LLC.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Ryan Rowden, Kaycee Nail, and Suzie Pollock.