MOScout Daily Update: MOFOP Endorsements - Hanaway Sued on VLTs - Behind The Data Center Backlash - McGirl for Dinkins - Riley Fundy and more…
MOFOP Endorsements
The Missouri Fraternal Order of Police released their primary endorsement list. Find it here. Ones that jump out at me…
· CD-6: Nathan Willett.
· Senate 10: Mike Deering.
· Senate 18: Greg Sharpe.
· Senate 28: Brad Pollitt.
· Senate 34: Mike Jones.
And Republican House incumbents whose opponents were endorsed…
· In House 56, Steve Baker over Rep. Michael Davis.
· In House 139, Sandy Karnes over Rep. Bob Titus.
· In House 154, Travis Smith over Rep. Lisa Durnell.
Why It Matters
Having the coppers behind you can be a powerful endorsement in Republican primaries.
Tuners Bar v. Hanaway
Tuners Bar filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Catherine Hanaway on Friday over her enforcement against VLTs. Read the suit here.
The case is not about whether Missouri should regulate amusement devices, video lottery terminals, or so-called gray-market gambling machines. Those are policy questions for the General Assembly. This case is about whether the Attorney General may rewrite Missouri’s criminal code by enforcement, branding lawful pre-reveal electronic amusement devices as “illegal gambling devices” and exposing small businesses to felony prosecution, searches, forfeitures, and threatened liquor license revocations to find out whether she is right…
· Defendant’s enforcement theory… treats resemblance as guilt. It treats a machine that looks like something the State disfavors as a crime. And it treats a nonbinding federal district-court ruling involving Torch Electronics—different devices, different evidence, different parties, and a private competitor dispute—as if it amended the Missouri Revised Statutes. It did not.
Tuners Bar’s attorney is Nelson Mitten, the husband of Senate 4 candidate Gina Mitten.
Data Centers
Kurt Erikson has a front-page story today in the Post-Dispatch looking at how data centers are becoming a top issue in legislative races; Republican consultant Sophia Shore’s Senate candidates jumped on the issue early and have been vocal about it.
A new report out this morning tries to suss out what’s driving the opposition. Milltown Partners gives their take after polling thousands of voters in Texas, Georgia, Michigan, California, and North Carolina. Read the report here.
Among their findings…
· Opposition is driven by anti-tech sentiment.63% of opponents have a negative view of AI, compared to 8% of supporters.
· It’s fueled by distrust.Both Democratic and Republican data center opponents see the system as ‘rigged’ (79% and 68% respectively).
Riley Fundy
House Floor Leader Alex Riley’s fundraiser last week…
One reader: 250 folks attended. It was a healthy mix of local supporters and Capitol types. Over $300K was raised in connection with the event. On the very slim chance anyone was getting any ideas about a quixotic, last-minute, Sparks-sequel challenge to the Speaker-designee, this should slam the door shut.
House 144: McGirl for Dinkins
Rep. Mike McGirl was supporting former Rep. Chris Dinkins at a Potosi parade this weekend.
McGirl is in the district adjacent to House 144, where Dinkins is running against incumbent Rep. Tony Harbison.
Hafner to Realtors: Stick to Selling Houses
From a Post-Dispatch article over the weekend about Amendment 4, the initiative petition changes… Mike Hafner, a spokesman for Protect Election Integrity, said the Realtors should back down in its bid to defeat the amendment. "Real estate organizations should be focused on helping Missourians buy homes, build businesses, and create opportunity, not serving as junior partners in a far-left effort to hijack Missouri's Constitution for the benefit of well-funded special interests," Hafner said.
Sports Betting Update
Bet Missouri reports that “Missouri's sports betting market posted $273.4 million in handle for April 2026, down from $329.4 million in March, but revenue nearly matched it at $20.3 million thanks to a five-month-high hold rate of 7.42%. The state collected $2 million in tax under its flat 10% rate.”
· Missouri launched sports betting in December 2025 with a record $543 million handle, driven heavily by operator promotions and sign-up offers designed to pull bettors in fast. As that promotional intensity winds down, the rising hold rate tells the real story, operators are keeping more of what comes in, and the market is functioning more like an established one.
· With the FIFA World Cup bringing matches to Kansas City this summer and NFL season on the horizon, the back half of 2026 sets up as a strong stretch for Missouri sports betting.
eMailbag on Preis
What’s old is new again? The board going back and hiring someone that shares the same philosophy as Margie Vandeven, who was just pushed out, is rich considering the board can’t stop complaining about the state of everything.
eMailbag on Willett’s Farm Endorsement
Strange argument from the Stigall supporter. Didn't seem like Farm Bureau endorsing Mike Kehoe was a "kiss of death" in his primary.
Gubby Appts
Governor Mike Kehoe announced new appointments…
· Cher Caudel and Jessica Rook were appointed to the Missouri Family Trust Board of Trustees.
· Christopher Lievsay was appointed to the Missouri Workforce Development Board.
· Douglas Schulte was appointed to the Dam and Reservoir Safety Council.
Lobbyist Registrations
Becca Barr, Max Cincotta, Jennifer McIntyre, Alicia Schmitz, and Anne Spykman added Adient US LLC.
Bill Gamble and Troy Stremming deleted Ashbritt, Inc.
$5K+ Contributions
Protect Majority Rule Missouri - $300,000 from Missouri Workers Power.
No Everything Tax - $250,000 from Missouri National Education Association - Ballot Issue Crisis Fund.
House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $250,000 from Rex Sinquefield.
Nexus PAC - $65,000 from Rex Sinquefield.
Stop the Ban - $100,000 from Ellen Schapiro and Gerald Axelbaum.
Conservative Justice for Missouri PAC (pro-Hanaway) - $25,000 from Jeff Fox.
Missouri Cattlemens Association PAC - $10,000 from Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council.
Missouri Patriot PAC - $10,000 from Xcaliber International LTD LLC (Pryor, OK).
Missouri Rural Investment PAC - $10,000 from Xcaliber International LTD LLC (Pryor, OK).
XCALIBER MOPAC - $20,000 from Bruce Taylor (Pryor, OK).
XCALIBER MOPAC - $20,000 from Lee Levinson (Tulsa, OK).
Missouri Health Plan Association PAC - $10,000 from United HealthCare Svs Inc (Minneapolis, MN).
MADE IN MISSOURI PAC - $5,600 from Langdon & Emison LLC.
MADE IN MISSOURI PAC - $10,000 from Langdon & Emison LLC.
MADE IN MISSOURI PAC - $10,000 from Langdon & Emison LLC.
MADE IN MISSOURI PAC - $6,500 from Dollar, Burns, Becker, & Hershewe LC.
MADE IN MISSOURI PAC - $8,000 from Brown and Crouppen PC.
MADE IN MISSOURI PAC - $7,500 from Edelman and Thompson LLC.
MADE IN MISSOURI PAC - $15,000 from Strong Law.
Committee To Elect Steve Ehlmann - $10,000 from SITE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION MO-PAC.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Chad Perkins and Margo McNeil.