MOScout Daily Update: Hoskins Sued for Slow Walk - Chamber to Add Rooftop Space - Kehoe’s Timing Decision - AFP in Senate 20 & 34 and more…
Hoskins Sued Over Slow Walk
People Not Politicians sued Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and Attorney General Catherine Hanaway for refusing to certify the redistricting referendum. See the lawsuit here.
· Nearly two months ago, local election authorities in six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts advised Defendant Hoskins that Plaintiffs submitted more than the constitutionally required number of signatures in support of the referendum…
· Defendant Hoskins has refused to do his job. Instead, Defendant Hoskins, with the aid of Defendant Hanaway, has blatantly misrepresented the Supreme Court of Missouri’s unanimous decision Maggard v. State; has threatened criminal action against election officials just trying to do their jobs; and has attempted to implement the HB 1 map by executive fiat, despite the Missouri Supreme Court making clear that only the courts can decide whether HB 1 is in effect after Defendant Hoskins complies with his statutory duty…
· Because Defendant Hoskins has abdicated his duties, Plaintiffs bring this suit to force him to do them…
Vance Shouts Out Schmitt
Vice President J.D. Vance gave a shout out to Senator Eric Schmitt during his appearance in Kansas City yesterday, calling him, in Trumpesque terms, “the very best” senator.
Chamber To Add Rooftop Event Space
News Tribune’s Stephi Smith reports that the “Missouri Chamber of Commerce wants its headquarters at 428 E. Capitol Ave. to be less ... bland.”
· Graphics from N-Form Architecture show a new sign at street level and blue and white accent paint on the exterior building…
· There will also be a rooftop terrace after renovating 428 E. Capitol Ave. for events, Wilson said.
Rumorville: LEOs Diss Hanaway?
One rumor circulating is that a couple of law enforcement groups declined Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s invitation to join her at an end-of-session press conference.
· MOScouter: Sentiment was basically that they have more than enough to worry about between violent crime, street takeovers without her giving them ‘new things to seize’ every week.
AFP Canvassing
According to filings with the Missouri Ethics Commission, Americans for Prosperity has spent nearly $75,000 canvassing in support of Sen. Curtis Trent (Senate 20), and Rep. Mike Jones (Senate 34).
Kehoe’s Timing Dilemma
Governor Mike Kehoe faces a deadline this Friday to decide whether to move statewide ballot measures from November to the August primary. HJR 173, Kehoe’s tax plan, is thought to be under consideration for the shift.
But, as one reader notes, it’s “not an easy call. A lawsuit is pending in Cole County Circuit Court, alleging the tax amendment violates the constitutional ban on multiple subjects in a single measure.” Perhaps it’s more prudent to have the legal challenge resolved, rather than risk a voided election if it’s ruled unconstitutional.
In Quinton Lucas v. Jay Ashcroft the Kansas City mayor ultimately won his challenge over a flawed fiscal note to the successful 2022 amendment setting minimum spending on the KC Police Department. The judges declared the 2022 fiscal note was both seriously misleading and materially inadequate, to the extent it constituted a significant election “irregularity.” The Supreme Court ordered a new election.
· Is the risk of passing it in August, only to have the Supreme Court later throw it out on constitutional grounds, real enough to make lawyers pause?
Byrnes Calls for Special Session
Press release: State Representative Tricia Byrnes (R-Wentzville) today called on Governor Mike Kehoe to convene a special session of the Missouri General Assembly to suspend the state motor fuel tax through December 31, 2026, giving Missouri families immediate relief as gas prices top $4.17 a gallon — up more than $1.30 from a year ago….
What It Means
There’s zero chance of this happening. The last thing Republicans want to do right now is remind voters that Trump’s foreign policy foray is the reason they’re paying an extra 30 bucks at the pump when they fill up.
The Data Center Economy
Post-Dispatch reports on a “marathon public hearing on two proposed data centers in Franklin County — and regulations for such projects — kicked off Monday morning with more than 200 people filing into a chilly campus gym, most hoping to convince county commissioners to reject the massive projects.”
The opposition isn’t localized to Franklin County. A recent poll found that seven out of 10 Americans said they would oppose a data center being built near them, including nearly half who say they strongly oppose the projects. Opposition is so intense, the poll found, that more Americans would rather live near a nuclear power plant than a data center, which are designed to fuel demand for artificial intelligence.”
It’s interesting because the data center boom is fueling growth in an otherwise sedate economy constrained by Trump’s tariff, oil, and immigration policies.
The Wall Street Journal’s Greg Ip calculates that “the AI economy grew 31%, the non-AI economy just 0.1%.”
Another view of this phenomenon…
The data center story is larger than the image: a big hulking building gobbling up water and energy. A recent McKinsey white paper entitled “The $7 trillion data center build-out” gives a more expansive view of their impact.
· Bigger fish than just landing data centers. There’s a huge opportunity for industrial suppliers — transformers, switchgear, cooling, controls, field service. Is there a way Missouri can capture the supplier ecosystem? “[C]reating an opening for adjacent players in sectors such as automotive and aerospace: Drawing on their manufacturing prowess and expertise in electronic and thermal components, they could deliver the equipment that data centers need to scale—and step into a multitrillion-dollar market that is expanding faster than the traditional supply base can serve.”
· The workforce story isn’t tech-centric. The report points to electricians, HVAC, controls technicians, commissioning experts, high-voltage workers as the kinds of trades needed. “Talent is emerging as another readiness constraint. Experienced engineers and field service technicians are in limited supply and high demand.”
Long to Iceland
Former Congressman Billy Long was confirmed as ambassador to Iceland.
· Long had a brief stint running the Internal Revenue Service before being sidelined by President Donald Trump.
Lobbyist Registrations
David Sweeney added EDGE STL.
Jeremy LaFaver added Missourians For A Balanced Energy Future, and Heartland Area Land Owners; and deleted Missouri Budget Project, KC Scholars / Great Jobs KC, and Holistic Alternatives Recovery Trust.
Mark Rhoads deleted The Fulcrum Group US LLC OBO Comfort Dental.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Cathy Jo Loy, Will Wheeler, and Chuck Purgason.