MOScout Daily Update: House Passes Stadium Subsidy, Senate Not Sold on Plan - Bond Passes - Lawmakers to Jelly Roll!? - PQs Coming? and more…
House Passes Stadium Incentive
The House passed a subsidy package for the Royals and Chiefs to stay in Missouri. It happened with remarkable speed, even for the House, as the proposal had not yet been floated publicly, had not had a public hearing or hadn’t even previously been attached to another bill.
And yet, after a few hours of debate, the House passed the amendment with a strong majority, 108-40.
According to the terms of the amendment: Any annual expenditure by the state in connection with an athletic and entertainment facility project… shall be no greater than an amount equal to the baseline year state tax revenues for the applicable professional sports franchise's athletic and entertainment facility… The term of state appropriations under any such agreement shall not exceed thirty years.
· The math for the Chiefs on this is $28 million in state tax revenue x 30 years = $840 million.
The Senate quickly took up the package, but it faced strong resistance not just to the price-tag, but to the hurried process. And there was palpable hangover-anger from the House’s rejection of HB 19.
When debate ended at 9:30PM, it was still unclear exactly how many senators opposed the package.
· If it had come to a vote last night, that vote would have been TIGHT. My eyeballing guess would be that it would have failed 16-18. Though it’s possible with some Mike Kehoe arm-twisting that could flip to 18-16. Either way: TIGHT.
House to JellyRoll?!
After passing the stadium package off to the Senate, the House adjourned. The rumor around the building was a “party bus” (or two?) was taking House members to the Jelly Roll concert in St. Louis.
The rumor made its way onto the Senate floor last night as senators filibustered the bill…
PQs Coming?
With no movement on Prop A talks, and HJR 73 not coming up on the Senate floor yesterday, the rumors that Senate leadership is prepping to PQ those issues continued.
Sen. Stephen Webber seemed to hint that this was a potential outcome on the floor yesterday when he referenced the tactics that former Sen. Ken Jacob was known to use to tie up Senate proceedings…
Ken Jacob. He was Boone County Senator. I watched him. really hopeful I don't have to take some of his lessons that he taught me and employ them next year, but not looking good at the moment. But I did watch Ken Jacob do what Ken Jacob did.
MOVE Files IPs
MOVE Ballot Fund, which has been involved in past initiative petition efforts, filed five variations of a new constitutional amendment. The new amendment would be called the “Restoring Local Freedom Amendment.” It would give cities and local governments the right to create ordinances and regulations around various issues.
Depending on the variation of amendment filed, those issues include…
· Rent prices.
· Minimum wage.
· Sick leave.
· Rest time.
· Work schedule notice.
Bond Passes
Kit Bond, a titan in Missouri politics, passed away. Tributes poured in from Republicans – and Democrats as well. Bond was elected governor in 1972, lost his re-election in 1976 (to Joe Teasdale), and then staged a political comeback, beating Teasdale in 1980. He was elected to the US Senate in 1986.
Schrag New SBOE Prez
At yesterday’s Missouri State Board of Education meeting, Mary Schrag was elected the new president. She succeeds Charlie Shields.
· Schrag bio: Schrag currently works as the owner and chief executive operator of Physical Therapy Specialists Clinic, Inc. in West Plains. She serves as project director for SOARHigh, an ongoing project that works with select students in the areas of nutrition, physical education and social-emotional wellness. Schrag served on the Advisory Commission for Professional Physical Therapists for the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts from 1989-2002. She served on the Missouri State University Board of Governors from 2002-2011 and is a current member of a local workforce investment board. Schrag holds a Bachelor of Arts in biology and psychology from Drury University and a Bachelor of Science in health-related professions from the University of Missouri.
MEC: Still No Quorum
A complaint against Andrew Boggs, Randolph County Sheriff, is the latest casualty of the Missouri Ethics Commission’s lack of quorum. They’re still awaiting appointments from Governor Mike Kehoe.
· From the ruling: Because there were not four Commissioners able to consider the investigation within the statutory timeframe, the Commission could take no action on this complaint.
DeSoto: No Spray Paint for Minors
MyLeaderPaper reports… “De Soto city officials have adopted an ordinance to deal with graffiti, which is starting to become a problem in the city… Under the new ordinance, minors are not allowed to purchase aerosol spray paint in the city or possess it and other graffiti implements around public property…”
· The ordinance further states that those who sell aerosol spray paint need to ask customers for identification to make sure they are not selling to minors.
Maryville Restricts Manufactured Homes
Maryville Forum reports that the “Maryville City Council on Monday approved a new ordinance restricting manufactured homes to certain zones… Under the new ordinance, new manufactured homes will be prohibited in R-1 and R-2 single-family zones and in R-2 Modified Residential zones…
· The ordinance was passed in response to concerns from neighbors of a manufactured home at 401 S. Buchanan St. that arrived on the lot in December. The home is part of an affordable housing pilot program run by the Maryville Industrial Development Corporation aimed at manufacturing workers.
Saboteurs Attack Equipment Prepping Roy Blunt Dam
Kirksville Daily Express… “North Central Missouri Regional Water Commission officials reported ‘felony damage’ caused to construction machinery, when recently three shots were fired into the radiator of a JD 7920 tractor… where clearing activities are being performed in preparation for dam construction.”
· "That is in addition to a window that was shot out of an 850 K Dozer," an email addressed to ‘Commissioners and Stakeholders’ states. "Finally, it appears that sawdust had been poured into the fuel tank of the 850 K… Interestingly, this is the same area where, what appeared to be two nail strips were found in the entryway to a staging area recently."