MOScout Daily Update: Bailey Contra Montgomery - PBM Study Touts Impact - Alexander Adds $$$ - Vendor on Police Board and more…

Bailey Contra Montgomery

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is taking aim at St. Louis City Sheriff Alfred Montgomery.  Yesterday Bailey released a statement saying Montgomery must resign by noon today or “face immediate removal proceedings in the form of a writ of quo warranto.”

Bailey will hold a press conference today at 12:30, a half-hour after his ultimatum deadline.

Bailey appears to be acting entirely on the basis of press reports and without any independent investigation of his own.

Given the widely published and disturbing allegations, the Attorney General’s Office is prepared to act on behalf of the citizens of St. Louis. The writ will point to a troubling pattern of instability and misconduct under Sheriff Alfred Montgomery’s leadership. As the elected Sheriff of the City of St. Louis, he is legally and ethically responsible for the conduct of his office. Throughout his tenure, the Sheriff’s Office has been repeatedly accused of (1) financial mismanagement, (2) workplace misconduct and abuse of authority, and (3) a failure to perform his duties. Taken together, these issues reflect a systemic failure to uphold the integrity of the office and have severely undermined public trust in law enforcement operations within the City.

 

Sen. Karla May’s office issued a statement rebuking Bailey: “Sheriff Montgomery was chosen by the residents of St. Louis through a democratic process... Any attempt to overturn that choice is a direct assault on our democracy.” 

·       She emphasized that allegations of misconduct should be addressed through transparent and lawful channels, not through threats or political maneuvers designed to bypass the will of the voters. “The law exists to protect the integrity of elections, not to serve as a weapon for political retribution.”

What It Means

Montgomery has been involved in a remarkable number of head-scratching mini-scandals since his inauguration months ago.  And yet, this feels like one more political sideshow to portray St. Louis as a dysfunctional Democratic wasteland. 

·       Some might ask when Bailey will bother to try to remove the Benton County treasurer, who KY3 reported days ago “still has his job, despite facing charges of sex crimes involving a child… Court documents show that Renno admitted to using a dating app to have conversations with minors two or three times, and that he had sent a nude photograph of himself to one of those minors.”

 

First in MOScout: White Paper Claims $192 Billion Impact

An advocacy group is releasing a white paper today touting the economic windfall that prescription benefit managers bring to Missourians.

Press release: New research analysis from Missouri Economic Consulting, LLC commissioned by Prescription Benefits Matter released today reveals that prescription benefit managers (PBMs) could deliver an astounding $192.9 billion in added economic value to Missouri over the next 25 years primarily through prescription drug savings, reinvestment in education, and capital formation. This translates to consumers increasing their spending power in the state thanks to PBM-generated savings and other benefits according to the study.

·       Read the study here: https://prescriptionbenefitsmatter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/MO-PBM-White-Paper-1.pdf

 

Vendor Among Kehoe Picks

One reader wonders if Governor Mike Kehoe’s pick of Don Brown as the non-voting Police Board member doesn’t create a huge conflict of interest.  Don Brown Chevrolet has a hefty contract with the St. Louis City Police Department, presumably supplying their fleet of vehicles. 

Alexander Adds $$$

Sam Alexander, running in Senate 28, added another $100,000 to his campaign committee. This is his second self-funding check; he initially seeded his campaign with $20,000. Alexander is running against Rep. Brad Pollitt.  The incumbent, Sen. Sandy Crawford, is term limited.

·       The fundraising quarter ends in a couple days (June 30).  We’ll see folks’ results next month (July 15); those will be the first real numbers for this election cycle.  The primary election is a little over a year away (August, 2026).

 

Latest on Anthem MU Standoff

ABC17 reports on the continuing standoff between Anthem and Mizzou…

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield says negotiations with MU Health Care are stalled. This comes as MU Health Care posted more than $50 million in operating gains from July 1, 2024-April 30, 2025 which includes a full month of Anthem going out of network.

The two sides failed to reach an agreement by the March 31 deadline, which took MU Health Care out of network for Anthem customers.

·       The Senate’s Insurance Committee will hold a hearing on the matter next Monday. Witnesses being called to testify: Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance, Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, and MU Health Care.

 

Sports Betting Public Comment

Deep in the Missouri Gaming Commission’s agenda for today’ meeting (9:30AM), there’s a public comment portion for folks to weigh in on the proposed rules for sports wagering in Missouri.

·       Find the sports betting rules (11 CSR 45-2.010) here.

 

Storch’s Council Bid

Former Missouri State Rep. Rachel Storch’s bid to be on the New York City Council is too close to call.  The City says it’s still “an open question.”  On the Upper East Side, there’s a dead heat to fill the seat of District 13 Councilmember Keith Powers, who is  term-limited and running for Manhattan Borough President. Who will win the district (Stuyvesant Town, Midtown East and the Upper East Side) is an open question and will head to the full ranked tally.

Hospitals Play Defense in DC

Politico Influence reports that the “American Hospital Association launched a seven-figure ad campaign in Washington Monday in a last-ditch effort to persuade Congress to protect hospital care in the GOP megabill… The campaign, which includes TV and digital advertising, comes a week after Senate Republicans unveiled draft provisions in the megabill to curtail a crucial Medicaid financing mechanism for hospitals, known as provider taxes, by nearly half. The ad buy comes on the heels of a fly-in of more than 250 hospital leaders last week to sway senators on Medicaid changes.”

 

Dems Rally $$$ in KC

Picture from Senate Dems’ fundraiser last night in KC…

$5K+ Contributions

Sam Alexander for Missouri - $100,000 from Sam Alexander.

Hahn DeBoef PAC - $10,000 from Leo Tech PAC (Austin, TX).

 

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Brandon Koch, the mighty Jason Rosenbaum, Christine Ingrassia, and Joe Vaccaro.

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MOScout Daily Update: The Return of the Restaurateurs - No Reed in Senate 4, But Bosley? - Damage Cap Before SCOMO - MEC Interviews and more…