MOScout Daily Update: DNR’s Monitoring Programs - Data Centers Bring Big Investments, Fewer Jobs - ‘Funny Money’ Budgeting and more…
Quick Friday update…
Looking Through DNR Budget Requests
DNR’s Water Protection Program Footnote: A substantial portion of the department's monitoring budget relies on federal grant funds which have been reduced considerably. The department's monitoring budget for lakes was cut completely (contracted with MU Limnology ~$600k) and ~$1.4 million was reduced from the department's Cooperative Ambient Network with USGS. These reductions will result in a substantial reduction in the amount of data collected on Missouri's rivers, streams, and lakes. It is anticipated that by FY 2028, the department will eliminate all state funding for the monitoring network.
Meanwhile DNR is requesting $984,498 from the Soil and Water Sales Tax Fund to improve monitoring and the data used for drought-emergency and water-export decisions. This new decision item seeks to expand the Missouri soil moisture monitoring and weather station network to at least one station per county… Given that the [2025 Water Preservation Act] requires re-evaluation of water export permits when a state of emergency is declared for drought conditions, it is imperative that Missouri’s monitoring networks provide sufficient objective data to inform these emergency declarations… These data gaps have led to instances where the objective data is not available to allow for informed decision-making at the local level in various areas of the state, resulting in underestimated drought designations.
· DNR plans to install 6 stations a year. 78 counties are without one now. So at that pace it will take 13 years.
Data Center Impact
The Department of Economic Development’s budget request has a couple of interesting charts related to its Business Recruitment and Marketing Program. Find them here. I suspect the huge “committed private capital investment” paired with lackluster “committed jobs recruited” is due to the new data center announcements.
Beers and Budget Episode 2
The latest Beers and Budget podcast focuses on education funding. Hosts Andy Foley and Erin Schrimpf talk to Jason Hoffman. Watch it here.
A couple of items they mention that warrant attention…
· Fight over Prop C money. We ended last year with over $200 million in the Prop C fund. And so there’s going to be a big push to have some of that money released to schools in the ’28 budget.
· ‘Funny money’ in appropriations. Up until the last probably two years, I really didn’t pay much attention to the funding sources. We were going to get general revenue… I would just look at what’s the appropriation?... Until this year. Several of us have dubbed this the ‘funny money,’ where they said, ‘All right, we’re going to see an increase in gaming, and we’re going to see an increase in lottery. We’re going to see an increase in cigarette taxes’ that have never materialized.
Cannabis Commerce Concerns
On the latest Division of Cannabis Regulation’s Out Loud podcast, MoCann government affairs chair Drew Lammert reacts to speculation that we may see federal changes allowing interstate commerce of regulated cannabis.
One scenario could involve closures of cultivation facilities: “If we’re growing a pound of cannabis here for let’s call it $600 a pound, but yet someone out in Arizona or Nevada or California, in climates that, you know, enable the cultivation of cannabis in a much cheaper and more efficient manner, and they’re producing pounds for, say, $200 for a pound of cannabis… I think the concerns are, is what happens to cultivators here in Missouri?”
Yes on 6 Ad
The latest pro-A6 ad says that the constitutional amendment transcends political divides: We may disagree on politics, but we agree when voters pass a citizen initiative. Politicians shouldn't be allowed to overturn results they don't like. It's why we're supporting Amendment 6. Amendment 6 protects citizen-led initiatives that pass with voter approval from being overturned by the state legislature. Amendment 6 protects our voices.
Fitz and Bailey on the Future
The Elijah Haahr Show on Wednesday featured State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick and former AG Andrew Bailey in different segments. Haahr probed their thoughts about the future…
· Do you think any of the statewide Republicans should be primaried by another Republican? Bailey: Yeah that’s not anything that I’ve even considered or something I’ve even thought about. Give me a year of being home and then we’ll have that conversation…
· Let’s say [Governor Mike Kehoe] chooses not to [run for re-election] in 2028, would you be a candidate for governor? Fitz: I definitely would consider that, if he chose not to run for re-election. But I totally expect Governor Kehoe to run for re-election. He’s been very clear, both in public and private settings that I’ve been with him, that he fully intends to run for re-election.
Help Wanted
Division of Professional Registration seeks Executive Director - State Board of Accountancy/Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors/Office of Endowed Care Cemeteries. This position is an opportunity for an individual with knowledge of the state statutes and regulations governing the operation of the boards; knowledge of the principles, practices, and terminology of the licensed and regulated professions.
Lobbyist Registrations
Jewell Patek added QuikTrip Corporation.
Matthew Griese added Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis.
Addisyn Wheeler added Paul Gubany.
$5K+ Contributions
Vote Yes on Amendment 6 - $800,000 from Missouri AFL-CIO.
Respect MO Voters Campaign - $250,000 from International Union of Operating Engineers (Washington, DC).
DougPac (pro-Beck) - $7,500 from Charter Communications.
Will of the People - $25,000 from Abortion Action Missouri.
Citizens For Missouri Courts - $10,000 from Don M and Tracy T Downing.
Paladin PAC - $14,000 from J&J Ventures Gaming of Missouri, LLC (Effingham, IL).
Freedom Principle MO Missouri First PAC - $10,000 from Kyle McCollum.
Best Start for Kids STL - $50,000 from Missouri Action for Kids.
Missouri SMART TD PAC - $15,000 from SMART TD PAC (Independence, OH).
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Cody Smith, Claire Cook-Callen, Caroline Pelot Battles, and Lewis Reed.