MOScout Daily Update: Hemp IP - FRA Cut Coming? - Torch Reloads Tilley PACs - Howard for JeffCo Exec - STL Call Center for Trump Phone? and more…

Breaking: New IP Would “Unify” Marijuana and Hemp

Marijuana Moment reports that “Missouri hemp stakeholders are gearing up for a push to put an initiative on the state’s 2026 ballot that’s meant to consolidate regulations with the goal of creating parity between the hemp and marijuana sectors.”  But MOCann Trade opposes the plan.

·       The hemp industry coalition behind the forthcoming initiative is aiming to strike much of that language and instead give a constitutional mandate for the legislature to develop statutory rules themselves.

·       The text of the proposal is currently being drafted by an unnamed law firm, [Eapen] Thampy said during a virtual briefing with stakeholders and advocates on Monday. The plan is to get the measure filed by August to make the November 2026 ballot.

·       The effort is being organized under a new political committee called Missourians for a Single Market…

·       Andrew Mullins, executive director of the MoCannTrade said that the plan would effectively “repeal Missouri’s twice voter-approved cannabis legalization” laws, referring to the passage of medical and adult-use reform measures.  Doing so “would be a spectacular failure, especially since it’s funded by bad actors who are currently selling unregulated cannabis made overseas to Missouri children in gas stations and smoke shops.”

What It Means

The two sides tussled during the legislative session, battling to a stalemate.  This opens a potential new front. But the marijuana industry has deeper pockets and would likely be able to defeat any proposal they opposed.

FRA Watch

Wall Street Journal reports that the Senate version of the President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful bill “more aggressively takes aim at increasingly popular Medicaid taxes that states impose on hospitals and other providers as a way to increase federal matching contributions. The Senate text would effectively cap so-called provider taxes at 3.5% for states…”

·       According to a Missouri Hospital Association presentation last year Missouri’s FY2025’s FRA assessment rate was 4.2%, and MHA forecasted that “the assessment rate will increase in FY26.”  That means a cap at 3.5% would ding MO general revenue for a couple hundred million dollars at least.

·       This morning Punchbowl quotes Senate Josh Hawley’s opposition to the cut: “This is gonna defund rural hospitals effectively in order to, what, pay for solar panels in China,” Hawley said, referring to the slower phase-out of clean energy tax credits. “I’ll be really interested to see what the president thinks about this.”

Torch Reloads “Tilley PACs”
In the large contributions (below), Torch Electronics sent $600,000 into seven political action committees known as the “Tilley PACs.”  They are funded by clients of Strategic Capitol Consulting, the lobbying firm, founded by former Speaker Steven Tilley.

Warrenton Oil, another SCC client, added over $100K to the PACs as well.

·       SCC has successfully kept “grey” VLT machines, operated by Torch Electronics, safe from legislative oversight despite an effort by many lawmakers to regulate the games.

Anthem-MU Spat

Yesterday I mentioned the Anthem lobbyists in the current brouhaha with University of Missouri.  Working the Mizzou side of the issue is their Assistant Vice President of Government Relations Dusty Schnieders and HB Strategies’ Olivia Wilson.

·       One observer thinks the sides are still pretty far apart and doubts there’s an easy resolution to be had.

Meanwhile

St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Mizzou spent $31 million on NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) compensation for its athletes last year.

Howard for JeffCo Exec

Chris Howard formed a candidate committee to run for Jefferson County Executive in 2026.  The current incumbent, Dennis Gannon, has announced that he’s not running for re-election.

·       Howard currently staffs the St. Louis County Council.  He was Deputy Legislative Director under Speaker Tim Jones in 2014.

Trump Mobile Call Center in STL?

KMOV reports: President Donald Trump’s son, Eric Trump, announced on Monday that Trump Mobile phones would be built in the U.S. and have a call center in the country. In a Fox Business interview, Eric Trump said, “You’re not calling up call centers in Bangladesh − do it right out of St. Louis, Missouri, and you’re going to have phones that are made right here in the United States of America.”  Greater St. Louis, Inc. told First Alert 4 they did not have any information regarding a Trump Mobile call center as of Monday afternoon.

·       Wall Street Journal reports that the Trump claim of an American-built smartphone is aspirational at best, and probably better viewed as a simple lie.   My guess is the call center in St. Louis is not actually real either.

Cleaver Was on Boelter Hit List

KFVS reports that “Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s office confirmed capitol police said his name appeared on a list believed to be written by 57-year-old Vance Boelter.”

·       “Yesterday, my office was made aware that my name appeared in the evidence collected in the case regarding the suspect in Minnesota, who is accused of murdering a state lawmaker and her husband, as well as attempting to murder another lawmaker and his wife,” Cleaver said in a statement released Monday.

STL Circuit Vacancies

St. Louis has two circuit judge vacancies, created by the retirements of Judges Bryan Hettenbach, and David Mason.  Here are the 23 applicants applying to fill those spots: Nathan Arunski, Adam Breeze, Nicole Colbert-Botchway, Lauren Collins, Michael Colona,

Michael Dauphin, Catherine Dierker, Brent Dulle, Karma Edwards, Tanja Engelhardt, Christopher Faerber, Brooke Hurst, Colter Kennedy, Richard King, Matthew Melton, Patrick Richmond, Renee Sullivan, Andrew Uecker, Matthew Vianello, Michael Walton, Rochelle Woodiest, John Wright, and Timothy Wright.

·       The commission expects to interview applicants beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday, June 25, 2025.

Gubby Appt

Governor Mike Kehoe made five new appointments…

·       Shalonn "Kiki" Curls was appointed to the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority.

·       Logan Hobbs was appointed as chair of the State Board of Mediation.

·       Rhonda Mammen, Jennifer Schoonover, and Kristen Tuohy were reappointed to the Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board.

Lobbyist Registrations

Sarah Wood Martin added Marathon Health LLC, and HealthTech Solutions.

$5K+ Contributions

House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $15,000 from Oracle America, Inc. (Redwood Shores, CA).

House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $10,000 from Spire Missouri Inc.

House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $20,000 from CN-MO PAC.

Missouri House Democrats Action Fund - $10,000 from Cigna Holding Company (Washington, DC).

Hahn DeBoef PAC - $25,000 from Beck and Beck Law LLC.

Conservative Leaders of Missouri - $85,714 from Torch Electronics LLC.

Conservative Leaders of Missouri - $17,000 from Warrenton Oil Company.

Missouri Senior PAC - $85,714 from Torch Electronics LLC.        

Missouri Senior PAC - $17,000 from Warrenton Oil Company.

Missouri Growth PAC - $85,714 from Torch Electronics LLC.

Missouri Growth PAC - $17,000 from Warrenton Oil Company.

MO Majority PAC LLC - $85,714 from Torch Electronics LLC.

MO Majority PAC LLC - $17,000 from Warrenton Oil Company.

Missouri C PAC - $85,714 from Torch Electronics LLC.    

Missouri C PAC - $17,000 from Warrenton Oil Company.

Missouri AG PAC - $85,714 from Torch Electronics LLC.

Missouri AG PAC - $17,000 from Warrenton Oil Company.

Missouri Prospers PAC - $85,714 from Torch Electronics LLC.

Missouri Prospers PAC - $17,000 from Warrenton Oil Company.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Sen. Lincoln Hough, Sam Licklider, Michael O’Donnell, and Barbara Fraser.