MOScout Daily Update: SBOE Eyes New Strategic Plan - Hoskins Cases at SCOMO - Solid August Revenue - Erickson to Retire and more…

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SBOE Focuses on New Strategic Plan

The State Board of Education is holding a meeting today. It’s a new addition to its regularly scheduled meetings.

Looking at the agenda, it seems that the SBOE is set on asserting control over DESE’s strategic direction.

·       Consideration of the Memorandum of Understanding with the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE).

·       Consideration of Bellwether to Serve as Consultants to the State Board of Education and DESE in the Development of the DESE Strategic Plan…

Both items point the same way…

·       NASBE helps state boards with goal-setting, strategic planning, and board governance.

·       Bellwether does strategic planning for education systems and explicitly works on board and district strategy, governance and implementation.

This focus on a new strategic plan jibes with the discussion at last month’s SBOE meeting.  This new board does not intend to inherit DESE’s priorities and rubber-stamp them. It wants to decide what the priorities are.

Recall that in April, then-Commissioner Karla Eslinger presented the board with an initial revised plan produced after seven months of surveys, work groups and national research. Now, only four months later, the reconstituted board looks like it may be starting the process over.

And

Bellwether is familiar with Missouri…

·       They’re involved in Missouri’s foundation formula rewrite.

·       They’ve worked with The Opportunity Trust, City Garden Montessori, Normandy Schools Collaborative and St. Louis Public Schools.

August Revenue Solid

State tax receipts recorded a second solid month, starting the new fiscal year off on sound footing. August revenues rose 4% above August 2025; that’s a difference of $40 million.

That brings the year-to-date revenues to $80 million above last year’s pace.

What It Means

This doesn’t do much to alleviate the difficult budget year ahead – but at least it’s not one more thing to worry about. 

And

For those who care, sports betting accounted for a little over $2 million of tax revenue in July.  The state’s overall general revenue in July was $880 million.

Driving the Day: Kehoe Touts New Incentives Bill

Governor Mike Kehoe will be downtown St. Louis today to “celebrate the Missouri Innovation, Public Safety, and Accountability Act (HB 3231) and HB 3080 with a ceremonial bill signing.”

He’ll be joined by Mayor Cara Spencer, Greater St. Louis Inc.’s Ron Kitchens, among others.

·       Kitchens calls the legislation “transformative… This truly game-changing set of bills gives Downtown St. Louis an unprecedented opportunity…”

And

In the large contributions (below) Charles Goldman contributed $25,000 to Speaker-elect Alex Riley.  Goldman testified for the bill during session and his company, The Goldman Group is expected to use the new incentives.  Goldman made a similar contribution to Rep. Brad Christ’s PAC last week.  Christ was the sponsor of HB 3231.

Also Today

The Missouri Supreme Court hears oral arguments for three cases dealing with Secretary of State Denny Hoskins’ handling of initiative petitions.

·       SC101806, Claire Harris, et al. v. Denny Hoskins

·       SC101805, Richard von Glahn v. Denny Hoskins

·       SC101801, People Not Politicians, et al. v. Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins

Erickson To Retire

Mark Zinnreports that the Post-Dispatch’s veteran Jeff City reporter Kurt Erickson, is set to retire.

Erickson has been the Post’s only full-time reporter in the capitol since Jack Suntrup transferred to St. Louis.  The Post has augmented their staff with interns during session.  But, given the Missouri Independent’s available content, and the new cost-conscious owner of the Post, we’ll see how quickly they replace Erickson.

Crossley to Netherlands

Aaron Crossleyresigned his state representative seat.  And on Facebook announced that “Our family has made a big move. We sold our house, left jobs we cared about, and said some incredibly hard goodbyes to family, friends, and a community in Missouri we love… The only workable flight we could find that would take Sophie, our very large dog, left from New York City. So Sophie, Kirk the cat, too much luggage, and the rest of us drove halfway across the country before flying across the ocean… We now call Utrecht home…”

Roe to OH

Politico Influence reports that “GOP lobbying shop AxAdvocacy is expanding into the Midwest with the launch of a state government affairs practice in Ohio. The new office will be led by former Ohio State Rep. Jon Cross, who’s joining as a principal… AxAdvocacy opened shop in Washington in 2023 via GOP campaign strategist Jeff Roe, the founder of Kansas City-based consulting firm Axiom Strategies. The lobbying firm has since expanded into state capitals including in Pennsylvania, Missouri, California and Arkansas.”

Construction Industry = Data Center

Lobbyist Registrations

Claire Rodgers added University Health Truman Medical Centers.

Claudia Alley deleted Raptor Technologies.

Nexus Group deleted Varsity Tutors for Schools LLC.

$5K+ Contributions

Missourians for a Responsible Budget (pro-Fitzpatrick) - $10,000 from Drury Development Corporation.

Missouri Leadership PAC (pro-Riley) - $25,000 from Charles Goldman (Brighton, MA)

Missouri C PAC - $50,000 from Partee Associates.

Missouri C PAC - $15,000 from PAR Residential.

Bayer US LLC Missouri PAC - $10,000 from Bayer US LLC Employee PAC.

Bayer US LLC Missouri PAC - $10,000 from Bayer US LLC Employee PAC.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Phil Christofanelli and David Day.