Missouri Minute: Stadium funding bill derailed; EPA rolls back water regulations

Good morning, MBA readers,

Missouri Republican lawmakers pushed through a pair of bills Wednesday taking aim at measures approved by the state’s voters six months ago. Senators used a controversial procedure to advance legislation to strip away paid sick leave. They also passed a resolution that would make Missourians vote on whether to ban abortion protections. Also in the legislature this week, the Senate shut down a House plan designed to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in the state. The proposal would have cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and senators said they did not have enough time to contemplate the plan. Plus, a St. Louis cannabis brand announced a deal to take over operations of several dispensaries in Kansas City. Keep reading for your Thursday business news.

Stay alert
Lawmakers strip voter-approved paid sick leave, send abortion rights back to voters

Missouri GOP Senators used a controversial procedure to push through legislation overturning voter-approved paid sick leave and a measure placing abortion back on the ballot. (Missouri Independent, KOMU)

Funding for Chiefs, Royals stadiums derailed in Missouri Senate

A bill designed to keep the Kansas City sports teams in Missouri was passed in the House but is now in limbo after being filibustered to a halt by the Senate. (Missouri Independent)

EPA announces rollback of Biden-era drinking water regulations

The Environmental Protection Agency said it plans to weaken limits on “forever chemicals,” or PFAs, in drinking water that were imposed during the Biden administration. (Associated Press)

Moresource owner pleads guilty to fraud

Kat Cunningham could face up to 25 years in prison for embezzling more than $1.5 million from clients of her Columbia-based payroll and human resources management company. (Columbia Missourian)

St. Louis Metro Transit names new COO

Ronald Forrest currently serves as the chief operating officer for Minneapolis-St. Paul’s transit agency. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

KCATA may award incentives for hotel project

Kansas City’s transit authority could review a proposal this month for the Kessler Building downtown to be converted into a transit-oriented hotel. (Kansas City Business Journal)

Nonprofit raises $65 million for St. Louis skating rink

Forest Park Forever is more than halfway to its $100 million goal to restore the park’s Steinberg Skating Rink and transform it into a year-round destination. (St. Louis Business Journal)

Say that again
“We have a great, fun, dynamic neighborhood, and with that comes come some problems, and this is definitely one that we’re trying to address right now.”

That’s Nicholas Grunauer, the owner of Kansas City restaurant Grünauer. His Austrian-German restaurant is located in the Crossroads, a neighborhood that has seen a commotion of reckless driving. Street racing and sideshows have risen in prominence in the neighborhood in the past year, The Kansas City Star reports. The risky activity has disrupted businesses, as it is often an eyesore and dangerous. Property owners in the popular nightlife and dining district want the city to intervene with infrastructure updates and heightened security.

Know the name
Swade Cannabis

St. Louis-based Swade Cannabis is taking over operations and management of four BesaMe Wellness dispensaries in Kansas City. Swade Cannabis is owned by BeLeaf Medical, a major cannabis business in St. Louis. The new partnership marks Swade Cannabis’ first expansion into Kansas City, the Kansas City Business Journal reports. Swade CEO Kevin Riggs said it is important for Missouri cannabis businesses to expand to the western part of the state, since St. Louis-area dispensaries compete with Illinois businesses.

Post it

Gov. Mike Kehoe and his wife, Claudia Kehoe, toured Columbia’s Food Bank Market on Tuesday. The mid-Missouri food bank is missing out on roughly 240,000 pounds of food as a result of funding freezes affecting the U.S. Department of Agriculture. During Kehoe’s tour, the guide did not request any support from the governor, the Columbia Missourian reports. However, the Food Bank Market hoped the tour made Kehoe more empathetic for food-insecure Missourians.

Go figure
$569

Missourians living in the Bootheel pay $569 on average a year for earthquake insurance. Just 25 years ago, earthquake insurance only cost $57. Disastrous earthquakes are a real threat in New Madrid, a town in southeast Missouri. But the cost of insurance for homes has exploded since 2000. Inflation and shrinking demand for insurance explains the price hike, KBIA reports. Many residents are not worried about the possibility of an earthquake, so the government and researchers are looking for ways to incentivize Missourians to take financial precautions. An earthquake could cost New Madrid billions, which would fall on residents without insurance.

It’s been a pleasure doing business with you this morning.