JEFFERSON CITY — Creve Coeur’s push to collect taxes and fees from Netflix, Hulu and other streaming video services has won an initial round in federal court.

In a decision issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Ronnie White directed the case to be heard in St. Louis County circuit court, saying the state courts are the more appropriate venue for the taxing and regulatory questions to be answered.

“(T)he state court will be a better forum for certain defenses related to application of Missouri law and the Missouri Constitution because '[w]ithout question the state court is more familiar with Missouri's tax laws and the intent of the Missouri legislature,’” White wrote.

Creve Coeur wants streaming services and satellite providers to pay the same fees that cable providers are charged for using public right of ways. That would amount to 5% of the companies’ gross revenues, similar to what cable operators pay.

In addition, the lawsuit calls on the companies to pay the fees dating back five years, resulting in a potential windfall for municipalities.