MOScout Daily Update: Data Center Sentiment Sinks - STL Seeks New Federal Lobbyist - Pettis Sues DNR and more…
Quick Friday update…
Data Center Polling
This morning, Axios has a polling chart from Heatmap. It shows the incredible deterioration of public sentiment against data centers. In the past year, the number of folks who would “strongly oppose” a data center “being built near where you live” has more than doubled.
What It Means
From one lobbyist: The freedom caucus proved that they can spot a mobilizing issue. Kehoe tried to avoid a right flank attack with his income tax gambit and might have stepped into a right flank attack that unites everyone by trying to herald the data centers being built in MO.
STL Seeks New Fed Rep
St. Louis City has issued an RFP for a federal lobbyist. See it here.
The City’s longtime federal lobbyist, Brown & Associates, filed a termination for the City in the second quarter of 2026; the firm had been lobbying for St. Louis at least as far back as 2008.
From the RFP…
· City fears loss of federal funds. The City of St. Louis relies on approximately $177 million in federal funds annually, supporting over 150 municipal projects and numerous City worker positions. This vital revenue stream, which underpins critical local services, is currently under severe threat due to the federal landscape of potential freezes and budget cuts.
· City seeks huge tornado relief. The City’s federal imperative is urgently compounded by the May 16, 2025, tornado… The City requires aggressive advocacy… pursuing a vital HUD CDBG-DR [Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery] allocation estimated at $400M–$1B+.
· City needs folks with GOP ins. Maintaining and enhancing the City’s bipartisan reputation in Washington is paramount. The selected consultant will be responsible for cultivating active and positive relationships with the Missouri Congressional Delegation and key committee staff, and for organizing and facilitating direct engagement between City leadership and federal decision-makers.
Local Control: Pettis County Sues DNR
Pettis County filed a lawsuit yesterday against the Department of Natural Resources. See the suit here.
Pettis County is asking a Cole County judge to overturn DNR’s construction permit for a proposed landfill. Pettis’ main argument is the project conflicts with the county’s local regulations. Pettis has a one-landfill limit and has since also adopted a three-mile setback that would prevent the landfill from operating at the proposed site.
Why It Matters
The case could clarify statewide how much power counties have to restrict state-permitted landfills and what recourse they have when DNR approves one.
· Pettis County is represented by Sen. Sandy Crawford. Sam Alexander is the heavy favorite to be the next senator.
Flock Backlash
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports on St. Charles County disabling its Flock cameras.
Officials have turned off Flock license plate readers here after an internal audit revealed a county employee had "abused" the camera system "for personal, non-law enforcement purposes."
· License plate readers have become common throughout St. Charles County and elsewhere in the region as law enforcement officials touted them as helpful investigative tools…
· At the same time, county leaders have faced pressure in recent months from residents to abandon the technology due to privacy concerns.
Why It Matters
The privacy concern associated with these cameras means this issue looks poised to join a host of hot-button issues in the next session. I won’t be surprised if we get several pre-filed bills on the topic.
· Flock is represented by Catalyst in Jefferson City.
Local Economic Impact of Wind and Solar
A new working paper, Powering Rural Prosperity: The Local Economic Impact of Utility-Scale Wind and Solar, by some University of Missouri professors compares rural counties that received wind or solar projects with similar counties that had not yet received them. It uses national county-level data from 2001 through 2023 and measures changes in GDP, employment and wages.
Its finding may satisfy neither side of the debate over solar farms in rural areas.
First, it finds that there’s no significant loss of agricultural output – as measured by GDP, employment or wages – following wind or solar developments. Despite fears to the contrary, they’re not “hollowing out” agricultural production.
However, the impacts on GDP are modest. Wind has a bigger impact than solar. And their employment gains are very slight.
From the paper: The contrast between GDP effects and employment effects also highlights the capital-intensive nature of utility-scale renewable energy development. Both wind and solar projects require substantial upfront investment in equipment and infrastructure but relatively few long-term workers once operational. As a result, increases in economic output are generally larger than increases in employment, while wage gains are concentrated within a limited number of sectors.
Osete to Western District
President Donald Trump nominated Jesus Osete to serve as federal judge in the Western District of Missouri.
· U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt cheered the news: “Osete is the latest Schmitt-alum to be tapped by President Trump and serving in the federal legal system.”
· Osete was listed as one of Ed Martin’s Missouri Mafia.
Lobbyist Registrations
James Harris deleted Cicero Action, and Do No Harm Action.
$5K+ Contributions
American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $5,650 from John Tracy.
Another Viceroy PAC - $25,000 from J&J Ventures Gaming (Effingham, IL).
Missouri Right to Life PAC - $45,000 from Theresa Sander.
Build Your KC - $10,000 from BG Law.
UFCW Active Ballot Club-Missouri Federal Committee - $35,000 from United Food and Commercial Workers Active Ballot Club (Washington, DC).
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Mike Deering, Sammy Panettiere, Katie Gamble, Shane Schoeller, and David Hageman.