MOScout Daily Update: Talk to End Senate Stalemate - Daunting Budget Math - Court Plan in Crosshairs? and more…

Quick Friday update…

Talk in the Senate

After weeks of the Senate Democrats stalling the governor’s appointments, it sounds like Democrats and Republicans are talking about resolving the impasse.  For weeks people have said that there were no negotiations taking place.  Now one source tells me that Dems have put an offer on the table which is being taken seriously.

This is an unconfirmed rumor, but I’m told Dems are asking for a rules change which would require 18 signatures for a PQ.

·       On the one hand, it doesn’t seem like a tough deal for GOPers to take: it doesn’t change the threshold for a PQ at all.  

·       However, as one Senate-side source observes, “Getting to 15 or 16 has usually been pretty easy, the last couple are hard, and you always get a few who won’t sign it but will vote for it.”

If the governor’s nominees aren’t confirmed next week, they’ll have to be withdrawn.

Daunting Budget Math

Missouri NEA’s Otto Fajen, testifying before the House Commerce Committee on Wednesday succinctly laid out the difficult budget terrain ahead of the legislature.

[Y]ou all face a lot of really tough work this coming fiscal year and the one after. The governor's budget is about $16.1 billion in the state revenues and the expected revenues in the governor's budget is $13.6. That means $2.5 billion is kind of on your plate to cut out of the budget for next year and the following fiscal year. That’s not going to be easy.   For a sense of scale, Higher Ed House Bill 3 is $1 billion.  So, that's not 50% of what you all are going to have to do over the next two years.

Voter Confusion

If voters approve the HJR in November 2026 and then read headlines in January 2027 of the legislature cutting $1 billion from the budget, I wouldn’t be surprised if they are confused into assuming some causal relationship – even though the HJR is only enabling and doesn’t have any impact on revenue by itself.

eMailbag on Court-Legislature Tensions

If the court thinks that the canceling of the state of judiciary was bad, just wait.  The legislature is going to completely gut their funding.  Every program that the court loves is going to be defunded in the budget.  It’s a move that previous speakers, (Deihl, Haahr, Richardson, Plocher) have avoided, due to their allegiance to the bar.  I think that ship has sailed.

Help Wanted

St. Louis City Airport seeks Business Services.  Provide professional advisory services to the Airport on an “as needed” basis under the direction of the Manager. The advisory work contemplated will include but is not limited to advice in the areas of: finance and financial management, general management, leases, and concessions related work. The Selected Proposer will provide written financial analysis of projects and proposals as required, will assist the City with ratings agency and investor relations matters…The Selected Proposer will advise on issues including but not limited to strategic planning, financial management, air cargo, airline tenants and other tenants (concessionaires, etc.). As part of the strategic planning efforts, Selected Proposer must also support the City in lease negotiations with the airlines and negotiations with other tenants at the Airport, TSA, and other government agencies, Federal Aviation Administration, and affected jurisdictions.  Find the posting here.

$5K+ Contributions

Missouri Leadership PAC (pro-Riley) - $25,000 from Caesars Enterprise Services LLC (Las Vegas, NV).

KC Forward Progress - $40,000 from Hallmark Cards.

KC Forward Progress - $25,000 from CommunityAmerica (Lenexa, KS).

Together KC - $160,000 from Kansas City Forward Progress PAC.

Professional Fire Fighters of Eastern Missouri 2665 PAC Fund - $8,656 from Professional Firefighters of Eastern Missouri.

Lobbyist Registrations

Andy Blunt added Kansas City Royals Baseball Club; and deleted Farmer Holding Company, Fabius River Drainage District, Casey's General Stores Inc, and Molson Coors Beverage Company USA LLC.

Rodney Boyd, Kate Casas, Brian Grace, and Kelvin Simmons added McDonalds USA, LLC.

Heath Clarkston, Doug Nelson, and Michael Henderson added McLane Company, Inc.

James Harris added Rezilient Health.     

John Cozad added Happy Bottoms.

Catalyst added The Goldman Group, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., and Empower Missouri.

Mark Bruns added Capstone, and CaseX.

Jim Farrell added BR Companies.

David Sweeny added RS Land Development LLC.

George Oestreich deleted Behavioral Health Industry News, Inc.

Ridge Rose deleted Children's Mercy Hospitals & Clinics.

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to Chuck Caisley.