MOScout Daily Update: And Another Lawsuit Against Hoskins - Index the Gas Tax? - Axiom's Targeted Campaign and more...
Another Lawsuit Against Hoskins
A second class-action lawsuit has been filed against Secretary of State Denny Hoskins. This suit (see it here) defines the aggrieved class as “all registered Missouri voters who cast a ballot in the August 4, 2026 primary election in a congressional district as drawn under the HB 1 Map and who are assigned to a different congressional district under the 2022 Map governing the November 3, 2026 general election.”
The suit blames Hoskins’ “tactical delay… [D]espite being duly apprised of the consequences of such delay by multiple courts, Defendant waited until August 4, 2026 to issue the Certificate, causing Missouri to hold its Primary under the HB 1 Map.”
· It also seeks $500 per individual; the total would presumably run into the millions.
What It Means
I have been assuming that Hoskins “fighting” for his Republican base was politically smart. But I’m beginning to wonder if this collection of accusations (this is the third lawsuit which basically alleges he’s not doing his job) is creating a political vulnerability. If a well-funded opponent emerges, the TV commercials write themselves.
MoDOT: Look at Gas-Tax Indexing
Ed Hassinger, Director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, told lawmakers at the Joint Committee on Transportation yesterday that they should begin thinking about indexing the gas tax.
“It’s not a crisis… But we’ve [got] to start talking about what does that look like going forward. Do we need to think about indexing the fuel tax? Do we need to think about shifting to some kind of registration fee that makes up for efficiency of cars?… if we don’t, we’re going to be in a declining situation with revenue, with inflation chewing at the bottom of the curve. So just something that we have on our radar. It’s hard to talk about that when you have a record sized program and you’re doing construction everywhere. But if you wait till you get to the backside of the curve, it’s too late, and then it’s hard to recover. So that’s just kind of a future forward looking view.”
Dems Chip In To Help Fogle
Three checks totaling $185,000 from Senate Democratic leaders are bolstering Rep. Betsy Fogle’s campaign as she battles to win Senate 30.
· $75,000 from Sen. Stephen Webber’s Homefront PAC.
· $60,000 from Sen. Doug Beck’s DougPAC.
· $50,000 from Sen. Tracy McCreery’s Serve Missouri PAC.
Regulating Flock
Press release: Governor Mike Kehoe signed Executive Order 26-18, establishing strict safeguards on the use of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology, including Flock Safety cameras, to prevent the misuse of the personal location data of Missourians while preserving legitimate law enforcement uses of the technology…
Until the General Assembly establishes a permanent statutory framework, the executive order requires the following minimum standards:
· Requiring most license plate and vehicle data to be permanently deleted within 30 days;
· Prohibiting vendors from selling, sharing, or commercializing Missouri-generated data;
· Limiting the use of ALPR technology to legitimate criminal justice and lifesaving purposes;
· Requiring accountability measures to prevent and penalize misuse; and
· Prohibiting the integration of artificial intelligence facial recognition technology with ALPR systems.
House Minority Leader Ashley Aune: “If this was an actual priority for the governor, he could have called a special session on the issue for today while lawmakers are already in the Capitol for veto session. He instead chose to issue a press release full of promises he has no authority to keep. House Democrats look forward to taking substantive action to address the unlawful and unrestricted use of these cameras when the legislature reconvenes in January.”
What It Means
Add this to the rather large pipeline of issues waiting for the General Assembly in January. In addition to Flock camera regulation, the legislature will deal with a budget shortfall, a revamped education funding formula, data center regulation, AI regulation, VLT legalization, and personal property tax reform.
Axiom’s Targeted Campaign
KMOV has a remarkable story that was getting passed around yesterday. It has layers. Read it here.
It starts off with a celeb hook. “One of the victims in a multi-million dollar scheme is Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, according to prosecutors in court.”
But it turns out that the perpetrator of the Ponzi scheme, Sid Jawahar, paid Axiom Strategies to “ensure a positive article was written about him that could then be used to ‘influence the judge’ set to sentence him. Their conversations were recorded on jail phone calls.”
Apparently, one of the fruits of their campaign was that “Missouri Congressman Sam Graves submitted a letter on Congressional letterhead, urging the federal judge to consider a 48-month sentence for Jawahar, a fraction of the maximum sentence. The Congressman stated he was writing in his personal capacity.”
Another was “an article published about Jawahar in the Jefferson City News Tribune, which praises his supposed work of creating ‘a comprehensive, peer-to-peer academic and vocational academy’ inside the facility.” See that article here. It reads like a sentencing appeal. And its central account conflicts with the jail’s statement: Officials at the Ste. Genevieve County Detention Center told First Alert 4 Investigates: ‘We have never had an incarcerated individual, including this particular detainee, start any programs within our facility.”
The plan was to get the article in front of the sentencing judge. “[Axiom’s Jeff] Roe, prosecutors say, then told Jawahar he could geographically target the article to the judge’s home. In a phone call transcript filed in court, Roe said: ‘I’m gonna take that and I’ll put a little money around it and geofence his house and so he’ll see it…’”
In the end, the efforts didn’t pan out. Jawahar was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Overfelt to Be Honored
Press release: The Midwest Retail & Grocery Alliance (MRGA) will present David Overfelt with the National Grocers Association’s Spirit of America Award on October 22 at the President’s Gala during the MRGA Convention at Camden on the Lake resort at the Lake of the Ozarks, honoring more than four decades of service advocating for retailers, grocers and businesses across the state.
· David is one of Missouri's most respected and accomplished government relations professionals. Throughout his distinguished career, he has become a trusted voice in Jefferson City, known for his deep understanding of the legislative process, strong relationships with policymakers, and unwavering commitment to the industries he represents.
Lobbyist Registrations
Angela Hoover added Novo Nordisk Inc.
$5K+ Contributions
Vote Yes on Amendment 6 - $250,000 from Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local Union No. 36 General Fund.
Stop the Ban - $150,000 from Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes (Overland Park, KS).
Her Health, Her Future PAC - $5,205 from Donald Borgman (Sun City Center, FL).
Forward PAC (pro-Fogle) - $75,000 from Homefront PAC.
Forward PAC - $60,000 from DougPAC.
DougPac (pro-Beck) - $10,000 from MCR PAC.
DougPac - $10,000 from Missouri Gaming PAC.
DougPac - $10,000 from PENN Entertainment, Inc. (Wyomissing, PA).
HOMEFRONT PAC (pro-Webber) - $15,000 from MCR PAC.
HOMEFRONT PAC - $15,000 from The Madison PAC.
HOMEFRONT PAC - $15,000 from Penn Entertainment, Inc (Wyomissing, PA).
GOOD HANDS PAC (pro-Mitten) - $10,000 from Penn Entertainment, Inc (Wyomissing, PA).
GOOD HANDS PAC - $7,600 from MCR PAC.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee (Senate GOP) - $15,000 from Missouri Soybean Association.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $13,520 from AFC Victory Fund.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $10,000 from JE Dunn Construction Company.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $10,000 from CVS Pharmacy Inc. (Woonsocket, RI).
Missouri River PAC - $10,000 from Martin Bennet.
AmplifyMO Actions PAC - $10,779 from Jenny Birge.
International Brotherhood of Teamsters Missouri PAC - Federal Committee - $39,119 from International Brotherhood of Teamsters Missouri PAC- Federal Committee.
Citizens For Missouri Courts - $100,000 from Dowd Bennett LLP.
Missouri Realtors PAC - $14,060 from Twila Hillme.
Missouri Realtors PAC – $10,760 from Jack Langley.
Missouri Realtors PAC - $6,185 from Shannen White.
Missouri House Democrats Action Fund - $10,000 from Ameren Missouri Company.
Safer Families for Missouri - $10,000 from Simmons Hanly Conroy (Alton, IL).
MO Republican Attorneys for Civil Justice PAC - $10,000 from Simmons Hanly Conroy (Alton, IL).
MO Republican Attorneys for Civil Justice PAC - $7,000 from Donald L. Schlapprizzi, P.C.
CWA-COPE Political Contributions Federal Committee - $8,750 from Communications Workers of America-COPE PCC (Washington, DC).
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Mike Parson, Travis Smith, Tim Van Zandt, Ryan Burke, William Webster, Margaret Kelly, and Tom McDonald.