MOScout Daily Update: House Rejects Parental Bill of Rights - Senate Perfects AI Bill - Skelton Not County Club GOPer - UFO Researchers Go Missing and more…
House Rejects Parental Bill of Rights
It’s relatively infrequent that the House votes down a bill. It happens a couple of times a session, but usually the Republican supermajority moves as a herd. Yesterday, however, the House rejected Rep. Ben Keathley’s HB 2426, the “Parental Bill of Rights.”
There were two main objections voiced on the floor.
· The bill could make it harder for schools and health-care providers to balance parental rights with child protection.
· The bill’s financial-ledger mandate overburdens districts with “one more thing to do.”
The Freedom Caucus shook its fists at Republicans who voted “present.”
Senate Perfects AI Bill
The Senate perfected Sen. Joe Nicola’s SB 1012. It’s on track to be Missouri’s first bill regulating artificial intelligence.
· Nicola said he got the green light from the White House on the bill: I've worked directly with the White House to make sure that all of their concerns were met and that the BEAD funding would be secure for the state of Missouri… they had told me that they were neutral on it now and I was free to run it.
Steinhoff: Siloing Difference
At yesterday’s House Dem press conference, Rep. Kathy Steinhoff noted a difference between the House and Senate version of the property tax bill regarding “siloing.”
There is a difference in the language between the House versions of siloing and the Senate's versions of siloing… The House bills have been striking that language. The Senate bill keeps that language in. And I know personally I'm very invested in trying to keep that language in… I don't know if you noticed that we went to conference on a property tax bill today and I was not appointed to that conference committee and it may be perhaps because I am committed to trying to keep that [Senate version of siloing].
Skelton: I’m Not A Country Club Republican
In Senate 6, Ike Skelton introduced himself to voters with a video…
Hello, I’m Ike Skelton, Presiding Commissioner of Camden County, the conservative Republican in the race for State Senate.
During my time as Camden County Commissioner, I’ve never run from the hard fight. In the State Senate, you won’t have to guess where I’ll be on the issues.
· Camden County was the FIRST county in the state to pass an ordinance against predatory data centers that want to use our natural resources, our power, and not pay their fair share of taxes.
· We were the FIRST county to institute a Second Amendment Preservation Act, and when the ATF wanted to come into our county, I told them to pound sand.
· We were one of the FIRST counties to pass a tax freeze for seniors.
· We fought mass surveillance, outlawing cameras that are collecting data on Camden County residents, and endured political persecution because of it.
If you want a Country Club Republican, if you want another go-along-to-get-along politician… I’m not your guy. But if you want a candidate who is battle tested, who will obstruct government before it obstructs you, then I would appreciate your vote on August 4th!
Follow up on 340B Language
I wrote yesterday about Sen. Curtis Trent adding language regarding 340B drugs to HB 2146 before voting it out of the Senate General Laws Committee.
I’m told that the new provisions only apply to FQHCs, not hospitals.
· “It’s a compromise position the insurance industry has signed off on.”
Rural Data
Rural Missouri Crisis Center is running billboard ads and has a website up to fight data centers coming to rural Missouri. See it here.
Among their arguments:
· DATA CENTERS ARE RISKY - Data centers that break ground today could be redundant or obsolete in three to five years. Yet the devastation to farmland and natural resources will last for generations…
· DATA CENTERS ARE STINGY - Once up and running, a data center can operate continuously with hardly any humans on-premises…
· DATA CENTERS ARE LOUD - Backup generators, HVAC systems, and the energy drawn from the power grid cause non-stop noise pollution, disturbing the natural rhythms of nearby residents and wildlife…
· DATA CENTERS ARE DIRTY - Much of the water used by data centers evaporates, leaving behind a concentrated soup of forever chemicals, nitrates, heavy metals, and other cancer-causing agents…
· DATA CENTERS ARE HUNGRY (FOR POWER) - A single large data center needs more than 100 megawatts of electricity, the equivalent of 16,400 homes…
Stevenson to AG’s Office
Former Rep. Bryan Stevenson has joined the attorney general’s office as Assistant Attorney General in the Springfield Office’s Consumer Protection Division.
Burlison Seeks Info on Missing UFO Researchers
Missourinet reports that “Since 2022, at least 12 people in the U.S. connected to UFO research have reportedly vanished or have been found dead. U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo. 7th District, is demanding answers.”
Baptists Look Forward to World Cup
Missouri Pathway reports that the Baptists are looking forward to the World Cup coming to Kansas City.
· Gregg Boll, Director of Missions for the Blue River-Kansas City Baptist Association (BRKC), said the World Cup is a “great (evangelistic) opportunity because the world is coming to us.”
· Pastor Nic Wilson of First Baptist Church, Peculiar, who is leading the BRKC ministry efforts surrounding the WORLD Cup agreed. “The World Cup is not just a soccer tournament,” he said. “It is a divine opportunity to spread the gospel … not just in Kansas City, but literally across the world for decades to come. … It’s almost unfathomable the scale of what’s happening” in terms of foreign missions opportunities.
$5K+ Contributions
Electrical Workers Voluntary Political Education & Legislative Funds - Missouri - $25,286 from IBEW Local One.
Lobbyist Registrations
Carolyn “Lindsey” Sheridan added National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. (NORD).
Claudia Alley deleted Gateway Early Childhood Alliance.
Nexus Group deleted AutoReturn US LLC, New Beginning Sanctuary, Better Life in Recovery, and Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis.
Happy Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Aaron Griesheimer and Bubs Hohulin.