MOScout Daily Update: IP on Special Session Agenda? - Hanaway PAC - Meet Awaken MO - Fitz on Dome $$$ - Schmitt Makes Best Seller List and more…

The Special Session Talk…

We’ll see where all this lands – probably as early as tomorrow with a gubernatorial announcement – but it sounds like the special session might include changes to the initiative petition process.

This has been a high priority for the Republican supermajority for several sessions now.  They feel that liberal groups are too easily using the IP process to get voters to approval policies that would never make it through the legislature.

The latest two examples are Amendment 3, which legalized abortion, and Proposition A which gave workers paid sick leave. 

The preferred mechanism to address this has become known as “concurrent majorities.”  To win passage an IP would have to pass with a majority vote overall as it does now, but also win majorities votes in a majority of Missouri’s 115 counties.  Because most of Missouri’s counties are rural – with far fewer voters than the suburban and urban counties – it would give rural Missouri an effective veto power over new IPs.

Missouri’s rural areas are overwhelmingly Republican (though realignments happen once or twice a century and nothing in this life is static).

·       And… One MOScouter passes along an ominous rumor: “I’m told Tony [Luetkemeyer] and Cindy [O’Laughlin] are calling around to senators about a PQ.”

Schmitt Makes Best-Seller List

Senator Eric Schmitt’s book takes #14 on the New York Times best seller list…

Awaken Missouri

Rep. Justin Sparks has unveiled a new chat room for grassroots conservatives.  It’s called Awaken Missouri.  See it here.

Among the threads moderated by members / former members of the legislature…

·       The Role of Government - Bill Eigel

·       Make Missouri Pro Life Again! - Andrew Koenig

·       The Constitution - Darin Chappell

·       Make Missouri Healthy Again! - Holly Jones

·       Rules of the House - Mazzie Christensen

·       Property Taxes in Missouri - Ben Keathley

New Hanaway PAC

In a sign that Catherine Hanaway is serious about running for re-election in 2028, a PAC has ben established to support her. Conservative Justice for Missouri PAC was formed.  See the filing here.  Its treasurer is GOP powerbroker Eddy Justice.

Ashcroft Still Mulling
Kurt Erickson reports that Katie Ashcroft is still considering joining the Senate 6 (Sen. Mike Bernskoetter termed) scrum.  Read it here.

·       Political consultant Mike Hafner gets quoted: “Conservative leaders across Missouri are urging Katie Ashcroft to run for public office, and she is giving it serious thought.”

Fitz on Dome at America’s Center

Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick released an audit on St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority and Use of Rams Settlement Funds.  See it here.

Expected Dome maintenance needs exceed available resources by approximately $67 million. Based on a recent facility condition assessment conducted for the RSA, the Dome will require an

estimated $155 million in repairs and maintenance over the next 10 years to keep equipment functional, deliver a positive guest experience, and remain locally and nationally relevant.

·       Currently, none of the revenues from [Dome] activities go toward the maintenance and preservation of the Dome. This includes a 3.5 percent Convention and Sports tax imposed by St. Louis County on hotel stays within the county. The statutory purpose of this tax is for "funding a regional convention and sports complex authority and for other recreational and entertainment purposes." St. Louis County previously used this tax to make the county's preservation payments to the RSA. While St. Louis County has stopped making preservation payments to the RSA, the county still collects this lodging tax.

Why It Matters

Maintaining the Dome is serious business for downtown St. Louis. “On an annual basis, the complex hosts an average of 109 events generating over 600,000 attendees, 350,000 hotel room nights, and $258 million of direct spending to the regional economy, supporting the equivalent of 3,340 full-time jobs.”

Panel Announced

Press release: The Appellate Judicial Commission has submitted to Governor Michael Kehoe its panel of nominees to fill the vacancy on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, created by the July 2025 retirement of Judge Mary W. Sheffield.

The commission unanimously supports the three nominees… Joshua B. Christensen, Joseph L. Hensley, and Bryan E. Nickell.

Help Wanted

After firing Sarah Russell for her part in failures responding to the May 16 tornado. The City has posted her job, Commissioner of Emergency Management.  See it here.

The Commissioner of Emergency Management reports to the Director of Public Safety and provides executive leadership for the City’s emergency management program, overseeing planning, preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery to safeguard people and infrastructure... Salary: $68,796 - $107,848

Lobbyist Registrations

Ryan McKenna added Missouri AFL-CIO; and deleted St. Louis Community College.

$5K+ Contributions

Citizens United to Back the Blue - $50,000 from Michael Rayner.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Shamed Dogan, Percy Green II, and John Diehl (the big 6-0).

MOScout Schedule

I’m be sending an update tomorrow then off for Labor Day.