MOScout Daily Update: State GOP Rejects Patterson “Condemnation” - JCAR Looks at Sports Betting Rules - Gelner in Senate 30? - Suntrup Leaves Jeff City and more…

House Hearing Schedule

The House gets to work today on the special session bills.
After a gavel-in, gavel-out session, the House Committees will hear the bills, and vote out the bills, passing them on to Rules Committees in the afternoon for similar hearings, readying them for floor debate.

·       There are no indications of any bumps ahead in the House.

Exclusive: GOP State Committee Rejects Patterson Condemnation

Last weekend, at the Missouri Republican Party’s regular June meeting, a surprise discussion emerged concerning the legislators who voted against HJR 73, the Amendment 3 reversal.

During the “New Business” portion of the meeting, committee member Dave McFarland, from St. Charles, introduced the subject of Speaker Jon Patterson voting against the HJR 73.  McFarland is a supporter of former Sen. Bill Eigel. He was concerned about the speaker voting against something that’s explicitly in the state platform.

There was discussion about the other Republicans who also voted against it, but they had offered different excuses: Sen. Mike Moon because he didn’t think it went far enough to protect the unborn, and Sen. Lincoln Hough because he didn’t approve of the use of the PQ.

At some point, there was a motion to “condemn” Patterson.  It was seconded.

In hopes of avoiding that vote, another member made a motion to adjourn the meeting.  During that roll-call vote, State Chair Peter Kinder – whose allies were initially voting in favor of adjournment – voted against adjournment. Seeing this, they began voting No, and the adjournment motion was defeated.  Kinder felt it was important to allow folks to discuss the topic. He didn’t want members to feel they were being trampled over.

Kinder spoke against condemning Patterson. As did, forcefully, former Rep. Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway. She pointed out that Patterson could block have HJR 73 or killed it, but he didn’t.

In the end, the motion to condemn Patterson went down decisively in a voice vote.

Driving the Day: Sports Betting Rules

At 1:30PM today the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules will meet for a “discussion of Missouri Gaming Commission proposed rules regarding Sports Wagering.”

GOP Primary in Senate 30?

One MOScouter tips that he sees Brian Gelner running against Rep. Melanie Stinnett in the Republican Senate 30 race.

Gelner ran against Sen. Curtis Trent (Senate 20) in 2022, losing that primary with 41%. 

·       But Stinnett can’t take him for granted.  He was likely be well-funded, and, the tipster points out, “he would run to the right of Stinnett.”

Suntrup to STL

Post-Dispatch reporter Jack Suntrup has left his capitol beat.  I believe he’s been shifted to a role in St. Louis.

This leaves Kurt Erickson as the sole member of the Post-Dispatch’s Jefferson City bureau.  It’s part of a decades-long trend of declining reporter platoons.

The Post usually picks up an intern during session, but if Suntrup isn’t replaced, Erickson will be stretched thin.

·       This reinforces the Missouri Independent as the largest journalistic enterprise in capitol these days.

Fitz’ SLPS Audit

In a sign that Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick’s audit of the St. Louis Public Schools is moving along, it was added to the “Audits in Progress” page of the Auditor’s website.

St. Louis Public School District - Procurement, Hiring, and Budgetary Practices

·       In August 2024, when the audit was announced, Fitz said that his office would “decide the scope of the audit after gathering information and gaining an initial understanding of district operations.”

New IP Filing

Garrett Schmidt filed an initiative petition yesterday with the Secretary of State’s office.  It would ask voters to approve Missouri joining the “Interstate Compact” for election the president through popular vote instead of the Electoral College.  See the IP here.

New Committees

MO Freedom PAC was formed.  It’s a political action committee to support Rep. John Martin.  See the filing here.

Lobbyists Registrations

Olivia Wilson deleted FreedomCare LLC.