MOScout Daily Update: VLTs Heating Up - JP Adds $200K - Roundup Study Retracted - Springfield Schools Hire Blunt and more…
The 2026 legislative session opens on Wednesday. It’ll be a 19-week run, with a one-week intermission for Spring Break, and then we adjourn.
This morning is just a quick catch-up on the last five days I’ve been off…
Missouri Gaming PAC Sends $$$
For the past few months, there have been checks from J & J Ventures hitting various PACs. My assumption has been that it’s a prelude to another push to deal with “gray machines” and some manner of legalization for video lottery terminals.
In the past two weeks, the Missouri Gaming PAC has become more active. That’s the PAC of the casinos. Their position has been that the proliferation of VLTs creates unregulated mini-casinos at every gas station in the state, unfair competition to their regulated casinos.
Since mid-December, here are checks from MO Gaming PAC…
· $25,000 - House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc.
· $25,000 - Missouri Senate Campaign Committee.
· $25,000 – NEMO Leadership PAC (Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin).
· $23,000 - Missouri Leadership PAC (House Floor Leader Alex Riley).
· $22,175 - Lincoln PAC (Sen. Lincoln Hough).
· $20,000 - Serve Missouri PAC (Sen. Tracy McCreery).
· $20,000 - Missouri House Democrats Action Fund.
· $20,000 - Senate Democratic Campaign Committee.
· $17,600 – Northland Forward (Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern).
· $17,175 – DougPac (Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck).
· $10,000 - Forward PAC (Rep. Betsy Fogle).
· $10,000 - AshPac (House Minority Leader Ashley Aune).
· $7,600 - Ready to Lead (Sen. Patty Lewis).
And
Other money moves ahead of the Dec 30 deadline…
· Governor Mike Kehoe added $100,000 in contributions.
· Speaker Jon Patterson added $200,000 in contributions.
· And Senate 18 candidate (O’Laughlin termed) Sarah Graff anted $20,000 of her own money into her campaign.
NYT: Roundup Study Questioned
New York Times reports… In 2000, a landmark study claimed to set the record straight on glyphosate, a contentious weedkiller used on hundreds of millions of acres of farmland. The paper found that the chemical, the active ingredient in Roundup, wasn’t a human health risk despite evidence of a cancer link.
Last month, the study was retracted by the scientific journal that published it a quarter century ago, setting off a crisis of confidence in the science behind a weedkiller that has become the backbone of American food production…
Why It Matters
The legislature has debated this topic of Roundup liability, and Sen. Kurtis Gregory has re-filed his bill on the issue again.
Springfield Schools Hire Blunt
Springfield News Leader reports that the “Springfield Public Schools recently hired a governmental affairs firm, led in part by the Blunt family, to advocate at the state and federal level for students in Missouri's largest district. The board voted Dec. 16 to approve a one-year contract, which started Jan. 1, with HB Strategies for $240,000… The firm has a large team, many with ties to the Show-Me State.”
· Superintendent Grenita Lathan said given the significant challenges facing public education, including how schools are funded, members of the school board and district leadership team decided in the spring it was time to become more proactive.
Data Centers 2026
The calendar year changes, but the trends are all still in place on January 1. Here’s today’s headline from the Post-Dispatch. Data centers will continue to be an issue in local jurisdictions in 2026…
Be Aware…
· Stephi Smith reports that “Residents and visitors may have to pay more for parking unlawfully in downtown Jefferson City after a City Council meeting on Monday. The Jefferson City Council will vote Monday whether to increase public parking fines to $25.”
· Missourinet reports that the number of flu cases in the state are rising rapidly.
Help Wanted
Show Me Integrity and Show Me Integrity Education Fund seeks Development Director. The Development Director would manage the daily activities of Show Me Integrity’s fundraising and development, cultivate and lead major donor and institutional partnerships (including researching new leads and fostering relationships), and assist in the development of goals and strategies for all fundraising campaigns. The Development Director will also lead Show Me Integrity’s fundraising events to maximize prospect/donor engagement.
$5K+ Contributions
Conservative Justice for Missouri PAC - $250,000 from Rex Sinquefield.
American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $50,000 from Ameren Missouri Company.
American Dream PAC - $25,000 from Ben Rendo.
American Dream PAC - $25,000 from David Steward.
American Dream PAC - $10,000 from Jeanette Prenger.
American Dream PAC - $10,000 from Strategic Link LP (Kennesaw, GA).
Rocker P Brand PAC (pro-Pollitt) - $10,000 from Rex Sinquefield.
Rocker P Brand PAC - $10,000 from Rex Sinquefield.
Tony PAC (pro-Luetkemeyer) - $7,500 from MOCS Action.
HOMEFRONT PAC (pro-Webber) - $12,600 from Missouri Gaming PAC.
HOMEFRONT PAC - $10,000 from Penn Entertainment, Inc.
HOMEFRONT PAC - $7,600 from Missouri Senior PAC.
1776 PAC (pro-Schroer) - $10,000 from MOCANNTRADE PAC.
Missouri Alliance PAC (pro-Patterson) - $50,000 from Sports Betting Alliance (Lubbock, TX).
Missouri Alliance PAC - $25,000 from Torch Electronics LLC.
Missouri Alliance PAC - $20,000 from SNK Real Property Holdings.
Missouri Alliance PAC - $20,000 from Missouri Law Enforcement for Good Govt.
Missouri Alliance PAC - $14,500 from The Madison PAC.
Missouri Alliance PAC - $10,000 from MO optometric PAC.
Missouri Alliance PAC - $10,000 from Charles B Goldman (Boston, MA).
Missouri Alliance PAC - $10,000 from Anheuser Busch.
Missouri Alliance PAC - $10,000 from Missouri Realtors Pac.
Missouri Alliance PAC - $10,000 from Jeffrey FalkMissouri Alliance PAC - $10,000 from HTH Companies Inc.
Missouri Alliance PAC - $7,500 from AT&T.
Missouri Alliance PAC - $7,500 from Xcalibur International LTD (Pryor, OK).
Missouri Alliance PAC - $7,500 from Ameren Missouri.
964 PAC (pro-Myers) - $55,000 from Robert Brinkmann.
Sarah Graff for Missouri - $20,000 from Sarah Graff.
NextGen North PAC (pro-Willett) - $10,000 from Brickford Homes LLC.
Put Missouri First - $54,580 from Republican National Committee (Washington DC).
Missouri House Democrats Action Fund - $20,000 from Missouri Gaming PAC.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $10,000 from David Steward.
Mahacek For Missouri - $25,000 from Robert Mahacek.
Justus 4 Justice - $20,000 from Jennifer Justus.
Seniors Count STL - $12,500 from Aging Ahead.
Committee to Elect Theresa Kenney - $50,000 from Theresa Kenney.
Francis Howell Families - $10,000 from Judy Jaworski.
Citizens for John Elliott - $40,000 from John Elliott.
Lobbyist Registrations
Tom Dempsey and Dave Berry added City of Dardenne Prairie.
Diana Arevalo added The ALS Association.
Cody Alan Atkinson added Humane World for Animals.
Grace Ann Desjardins added Associated Students of the University of Missouri.
Tim Green added Lake Regional Hospital.
Bradley Pryor added Defiance Ridge Vineyards, LLC.
Sara Rutherford added QuikTrip Corporation.
Jeff Smith and Jim Farrell added The Goldman Group.
Rodney Boyd, Kate Casas, Brian Grace, and Kelvin Simmons added Crusoe Energy.
Jewell Patek added Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation; and deleted IGT.
LuAnn Madsen added CCP Sweet Spotz Inc; and deleted Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, and Spotz!, LLC.
Heath Clarkston, Doug Nelson, and Michael Henderson added EchoStar Corporation; and deleted Automated Health Systems Inc, and Dish Network LLC.
Zach Pollock and Jon Hensley deleted Missouri Chapter of the National Association of Housing & Redevelopment Officials, St Louis Recorder of Deeds, and Missouri Housing Authorities.
Andy Arnold deleted Randall's Wines & Spirits.
Mike Grote deleted Missouri Beverage Association, and Travelers Marketing LLC.
Steven Carroll deleted Missouri Retired Teacher Association and Public School Personnel.
James Harris deleted Missouri Association of License Offices, and Banner Public Affairs on behalf of St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
Richard McIntosh deleted Bridging Families to Communities and Beyond/Saint Louis YouthBuild.
Holly Rehder deleted Par Health, Inc.
Sam Licklider deleted Missouri Automobile Dealers Association, and Cigar Association of America, Inc.
Mario Lopez deleted SEIU Local 1 - Missouri Division.
Jay Hahn and Ryan DeBoef deleted RealTime Fantasy Sports Inc, Worldwide Environmental Products Inc, and Digital Monitoring Products Inc.
Jay Hahn deleted Peartree Consulting Group LLC, and Strata Clean Energy Holdings, LLC.
Ryan DeBoef deleted Missouri Empowerment Project.
Mark Habbas deleted Midwest Electronic Gaming.
Kathryn Harness deleted American Institute of Architects of Missouri, National Council of State Boards of Nursing, NHS Management LLC, and Saint Luke's Health System.
Mike Winter deleted Mining Industry Council of Missouri, and Missouri/Kansas Concrete Pipe Association.
Happy Birthday
Happy birthdays to Rep. LaKeysha Bosley, Emilee Lakin, Joe Adams, and Sara Lampe.