MOScout Daily Update: MSHSAA Adds Lobbyists - Last in Public Health Spending - Anti-J6 Bill - Protecting Airbnbs and more…
Budget Cuts Pushback
I expect a jammed House Hearing Room 3 today and tomorrow at the Budget hearings. Look for advocates to make their presence felt and their voices heard about the impact of proposed cuts.
Among the groups organizing…
· MO SDS.
· Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council.
MSHSAA Adds Lobbyists
As bills targeting Missouri State High School Activities Association move in both chambers, the association is adding lobbyists to defend their position.
· Heath Clarkston, Michael Henderson, and Doug Nelson of Clarkston Nelson registered, as well as Alex Tuttle.
Public Health for the Cost of a Latte
In the House Budget Committee yesterday, Sarah Willson, Director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services offered a sobering statistic… Missouri ranks lowest among all states with investing only $7 per person in public health, which is the lowest per resident spending in the nation. To put that in perspective, it's about the price of a specialty coffee or drink.
House Passes Campaign Finance Reform
The House passed Rep. Jim Murphy’s HB 1788, which requires explicit opt-in from donors for recurring political contributions. The legislation was seen as a response to former Sen. Bill Eigel’s tactics.
· The House passed the measure 134-16, with most of the opposition coming from Freedom Caucus members with whom Eigel was previously aligned.
Clarity Coming on CD-5?
Candidate filing opens two weeks from today.
Will we have clarity on Congressional District 5 by then? A suit filed back in December finally gets its trial this morning. It asks Judge Brian Stumpe to suspend any implementation of the new map until the referendum process has played out.
Why It Matters
Folks are trying to game out the odds that the map would revert due to the referendum. If the new map is in place for this election, but then reverts, a Republican would be mounting a campaign for a single two-year term.
Anti-January 6 Bill
It appears that Rep. Bill Lucas has filed a bill to prevent a January 6-style riot from occurring in Jefferson City.
HB 3109 says that “No person shall willfully or knowingly, with the intent to impede, disrupt, or disturb the orderly conduct of official business in the capitol building, enter or remain in any room of the capitol building designated for the use of the general assembly or for a committee, officer, or employee of the general assembly.”
Protecting Airbnbs
In the Senate Local Government Committee, SB 1066 (sponsored by Sen. Ben Brown) and SB 1088 (sponsored by Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern) were heard. They’d prevent houses used as Airbnbs from being taxed as commercial properties.
Sen. Rick Brattin wondered if the hotel industry was behind the push to reclassify AirBnBs…
Brattin: I've been been around for a little while, and I remember this originally was the hotels trying to do everything they could possibly do to put these short term rentals out of out of business. Do you believe that's still potentially the culprit, the kind of the Oz behind the curtain, still trying to force you guys out of business?
Witness Alex Zemianek: Absolutely… It is it is not regulation. It's elimination.
Easier to Buy Bomb Trucks
Rep. John Voss’ HB 1786 received a hearing in yesterday’s House Corrections Committee. It would loosen the purse strings at the Highway Patrol and allow purchases up to $500,000 (from the current $100,000) without a specific appropriation.
· Voss framed the bill in broad terms, “$100,000 today seems like an unnecessary constraint on the CEO of a $1.2 billion company.”
· Meanwhile, Patrol leadership gave a more explicit example: “Our bomb trucks, we do have a state bomb squad that services the state of Missouri in response to explosive calls where we need to render safe potential improvised explosive devices. Those bomb trucks are in excess of $400,000.”
Strong Cattle Market Continues Into 2026
According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Weekly Market Summary, “Demand was good to very good at the auctions, and once again back to talking about new record prices being paid for various weights at many barns and even for the state in a few cases…”
$5K+ Contributions
MO Republican Party - $18,000 from Wagner Victory Committee (Hudson, WI).
Lobbyist Registrations
John Bardgett, Jacqueline Bardgett, Chris Roepe, and Braydon Pemberton added BluEarth Renewables U.S., LLC, and National Association for Housing Revitalization.
Gamble & Schlemeier added Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards c/o MultiState Associates LLC.
Heath Clarkston, Michael Henderson, Doug Nelson and Alex Tuttle added Missouri State High School Activities Association.
Catalyst added Carlyle Investment Management L.L.C.
Chance Hepola added Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Hunter Clyde Hamberlin added Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA).
James Harris added St. Louis - Jefferson Solid Waste Management District.
Tracy King and Deanna Hemphill added Aubuchon Law Firm LLC, and Missouri Civil Justice Reform Coalition, Inc.
Happy Birthday
Happy birthdays to Rep. LaDonna Appelbaum, Brian Grace, and Tom Hurst.