MOScout Daily Update: Montgomery Fined - Shields Drops - Robbins Retiring - O’Laughlin Pausing Capitol Reno? - Data Center $$$ and more…

MEC Fines Montgomery

Adding to St. Louis City Sheriff Alfred Montgormery’s woes, the Missouri Ethics Commission fined him for failing to report an in-kind contribution of office space during his campaign.

·       See the consent order here.

Shields Drops Out Citing Health

MOTimes’ Jake Kroesen reports that Rep. Brenda Shields is dropping out of Senate 34, citing health concerns.

Friends,

It is with regret and with a level of sadness that I need to inform you that I must end my campaign for the Missouri State Senate. Many of you know that in 2016, I suffered a hemorrhagic stroke (brain bleed) and with the help of many, I made a near full recovery. In November of 2020 | was diagnosed with a damaged heart valve. My physicians (and friends at University Health) have monitored my health ever since those two diagnoses and I have been fortunate to maintain a full and active personal and professional life.

Today I met with two of my trusted physicians and discussed recent findings. Of immediate concern, I was informed I will need cardiac surgery in the next month…

People Moves

·       Brittany Robbins is retiring from lobbying.  She’s terminated her registration.

·       Alayna Forck, formerly Legislative Affairs for AMEC, has joined the Missouri Corn team and will be overseeing our State Legislative Affairs.

·       Anita Brand is retiring from Public School and Education Employee Retirement Systems.

Data Centers and the $1T Buildout

Wall Street Journal reports that “OpenAI laid out its vision for a vast, $1 trillion build-out of computing warehouses across the U.S. and abroad Tuesday.”  It’s a stunning figure and highlights that enormous investment being made in data centers to fuel what’s expected to be continuing growth in artificial intelligence applications.

Each gigawatt of capacity is expected to cost roughly $50 billion, meaning the company is laying the groundwork for at least $1 trillion in infrastructure spending. Demand is likely to eventually reach closer to 100 gigawatts, one company executive said, which would be $5 trillion. That exceeds the annual GDP of Japan or Germany.

Why It Matters

Communities across Missouri are weighing the advantages and disadvantages of data centers with some considering bans. 

·       Proponents of the infrastructure boom say it will bring hundreds of thousands of jobs and revive American manufacturing. In January, OpenAI unveiled a $500 billion data-center project alongside President [Donald] Trump at the White House called Stargate, promising to support “the re-industrialization of the United States.”

·       The reality is more mixed. While data centers provide plentiful temporary construction jobs, far fewer people are needed once they are built. Abilene Mayor Weldon W. Hurt said residents had “mixed feelings” about the site and its power and water usage, though some of the concerns had been assuaged.

O’Laughlin Seeks Expert Opinion on Renovations

Kurt Erickson reports that Senate Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin “has tapped the brakes on a long-running plan to expand and renovate the state Capitol building, potentially putting the future of the work in jeopardy.  In emails obtained by the Post-Dispatch, Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin, who has been president of the Senate since January, said she has felt left out of the process and wants more answers before agreeing to support the $600 million project… On Tuesday, a subcommittee of the Missouri State Capitol Commission met in her office to discuss her demands for more information, marking the latest roadblock in the decade-long push for renovations.”

Read it here.

·       The delay orchestrated by O’Laughlin triggered confusion among members of the commission, including Kurt Witzel, who was appointed to the board by former Gov. Mike Parson. “I’m trying to figure out what I’ve done for the last year because it sort of sounds like we’re starting over,” he said.

·       On Tuesday, O’Laughlin announced she had asked an outside engineering firm to visit the Capitol Oct. 6 to provide an unbiased report on what kinds of work must be done on the building. The company is not charging taxpayers or O’Laughlin for the visit. “I felt like they’d be an expert opinion,” she said.

·       “I am not opposed to the Capitol being restored in areas it requires and I am not opposed to addressing critical needs such as parking,” she wrote in an email that also was forwarded to her political advisor, lobbyist Jewell Patek.

Draught Alert

Press release: Governor Mike Kehoe has signed Executive Order 25-29, declaring a drought alert in Missouri until December 1, 2025.  Currently, the U.S. Drought Monitor indicates that all or portions of 85 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis are experiencing moderate, severe, or extreme drought conditions. The executive order declares a Drought Alert in these Missouri counties and any additional county that begins experiencing moderate drought conditions.

See the executive order here.

Jerusalem Post: Scharf a ViZionaires

Will Scharf gets a shout out in the Jerusalem Post…

[H]is influence often comes more from managing process and policy behind the scenes than from speeches. Scharf’s path shows how quiet power, based on intellect, strategy, and conviction, can influence the course of government just as much as those in the spotlight.

French Sued

Former St. Louis alderman Antonio French faces another suit. JP Morgan Chase says he owes $32,266.

This is the latest of several legal issues he’s been hit with this year.  They appear to stem from a failed nightclub he opened…

·       Rothschild Development is seeking $117,585.

·       Missouri Department of Revenue seeks $20,978 in sales tax.

Lobbyist Registrations

Alayna Nicole Forck added Missouri Corn Growers Association.

$5K+ Contributions

Poultry Federation Missouri PAC - $16,983 from The Poultry Federation PAC.

Missouri Republicans PAC (pro-Schnelting) - $10,000 from Rex Sinquefield.

Nexus PAC - $15,000 from Rex and Jeanne Sinquefield.

417 PAC (pro-Trent) - $25,000 from Rex Sinquefield.

417 PAC (pro-Trent) - $10,000 from SNK Real Property Holdings LLC.

Bootheel Values PAC (pro-Burger) - $5,100 from Missouri Soybean Association.

B PAC (pro-Brian Williams) - $10,000 from McBride & Son Properties LLC.

STLCO PAC (pro-Brian Williams) - $10,000 from McBride & Son Properties LLC.

Tony PAC (pro-Luetkemeyer) - $15,000 from Rex Sinquefield.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Harry Otto, and Terry Witte.