More Sports Betting Vehicles

It feels like sports betting is going to be one of the issues which “dies” several times and then comes back to life again and again this session.

1. Adjusted minimum wage.

2. Missouri going vegan?

3-4. Republicans down on schools.

5. Dems down on guns.

6. Big advertisers back away from Twitter.

Poll: Legislative Proposals

Survey conducted by Remington Research. February 22, 23 with 1,013 likely 2024 November Election voters participated in the survey. MoE is +/-3%.

Q1: Should it be illegal for an unaccompanied minor to possess a firearm on public property?

Yes, it should be illegal: 73%

No, it should not be illegal: 16%

Not sure: 11%

Hoskins Vows War

Sen. Denny Hoskins stopped business on the Senate floor yesterday for hours as he fumed about fate of his sports betting/VLT bill. 

STL Tragedy Fuels Gardner Critics

There was a cascade of calls for St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner to resign after details emerged surrounding the reckless driver who hit a teenage volleyball player downtown.  It seemed to encapsulate everything wrong with the city’s approach to crime.

Nurrenbern in Senate 17

Rep. Maggie Nurrenbern announced she’s running for Senate 17 in 2024.  Team Nurrenbern rolled out some big key endorsements: Sen. Lauren Arthur, and former Reps. Jon Carpenter and Wes Rogers.

·       Dems are sewing up their battleground districts ahead of 2024. 

GOP Same Sex Marriage Crosscurrents

Rep. Chris Sander is under fire for his proposed constitutional amendment which would redefine marriage. 

The Jackson County Missouri Republican Party is planning to vote to censure Sander for HJR 31 which would define marriage as between “two individuals” instead of the current “a man and a woman.”

Driving the Day: Wrong Imprisonment Compensation

Coming on the heels of the exoneration of Lamar Johnson, who served 28 years in prison, today’s Senate Judicial Committee hearing may be extra poignant.  Sen. Brian Williams will be presenting SB 253 which would allow wrongly imprisoned Missourians compensation for their time behind bars.

Fauci to Speak at WashU

Expect the next flurry of jabs from conservatives at “too woke” Washington University after yesterday’s announcement that Dr. Anthony Fauci will give the commencement speech to Med School this year.

1 Big Thing: Foundation Formula Rewrite Coming?

The House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee held a working session yesterday to talk about the foundation formula.

Quiet Day Ahead

The focus of a lot people today will be in Kansas City not Jefferson City today, as the Super Bowl Parade rolls down Grand Boulevard.  The governor will be there, as will a bunch of legislators.

Transgender Issues Take Center Stage

The whistleblower affidavit has brought the issue of gender reassignment to the center stage of the Missouri legislature.

Early estimates say 100 million bets were made on the Super Bowl yesterday…

1. Super Bowl viewership.

2. Super Bowl ad prices.

3. Sports Betting States.

4. Missing child care workers.

5. Missouri is one of China’s largest land investments.

6. Compromise.

7. Dog names.

Remington / MOScout Poll: GOP Statewide

Survey conducted by Remington Research. February 8 9, 820 likely 2024 Republican Primary voters. Margin of Error is +/-3.2%.

Q1: If the 2024 Republican Presidential Primary were held today, for whom would you vote? 

Ron DeSantis: 35%

Nikki Haley: 8%

Donald Trump: 38%

Undecided: 19% 

1 Big Thing: WashU Under Fire

This “whistle-blower” account in The Free Press started making the rounds in the capitol around 8:30AM and it only gained speed throughout the day.

It’s the headline story of the Post-Dispatch today…

Richey Outlines Speaker Plans

Rep. Doug Richey, who running to succeed Dean Plocher as Speaker, proposed a series of “reforms” to the Office of the Speaker which would curtail some of that office’s expansive power. 

Exclusive: Schoeller to Enter SOS Race

I’m told that Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller will announce his candidacy for Secretary of State this weekend at Lincoln Days.

1 Big Thing: Republican Agenda Chugs Along…

We’re about a month into the legislative session with a month to go until Spring Break, and so far there’s been no major disruptions or drama.  The Republican supermajority has avoided the infighting that has characterized recent sessions.

Ahead of this weekend’s Lincoln Days there are a bunch of names being floated for statewide office…