Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Butler Sues to DQ Vescovo
The Democratic candidate in House 112, Mike Butler, has sued to disqualify incumbent Republican Rep. Rob Vescovo. The Casenet # is 16JE-CC00542.
From Butler’s release: The petition alleges that State Representative Vescovo is not qualified to appear on the ballot because he is delinquent in paying taxes… Butler, Vescovo's opponent in the November election, who is bringing the case, said, "I find it troubling that Representative Vescovo signed a sworn statement that he had no outstanding taxes. He clearly knew this was not true."
Missouri Case.Net lists sixteen judgments against businesses owned by Representative
Vescovo. These cases have been brought by the Missouri Department of Revenue, the
Division of Employment Security, and the Collector of Revenue for Jefferson County.
According to information taken from Missouri Case.Net and the Jefferson County
Collector of Revenue's office, eight of the judgments have not been satisfied…Additionally,
the Jefferson County Collector of Revenue confirms his business personal property taxes owed for 2015 have not yet been paid." stated Butler.
The release provided links to the delinquent taxes: Vesco Courier Inc. Vesco Logistics. www18graphic.com. Hypercalm Investments.
SurveyUSA Shows Tight Missouri
A SurveyUSA poll conducted at the beginning of the month – just after the primary – shows Donald Trump ahead one point on Hillary Clinton in Missouri, and Chris Koster only leading Eric Greitens by two points. See the poll – which was commissioned by Everytown for Gun Safety and includes gun related questions – here.
MDP Running Greitens Primary Ad Against Him in the General?
The Missouri Democratic Party released a digital ad which was essentially an edited version of Eric Greitens’ primary ads. See it here.
And
The latest Greitens ad. It’s entitled: “Eric Greitens Saved My Life.” See it here.
Schmitt Line of Attack?
The assumption for many months has been that if Sen. Eric Schmitt were matched against Judy Baker in the treasurer’s race, he would make her support of Obamacare a central attack line. Yesterday it was pretty much confirmed as Missourinet reported that the Schmitt campaign had secured www.judybaker.com and put a big close-up of Baker with the words “Missouri’s Obamacare Architect.” Baker was employed to help implement the program in Missouri.
Schlichter Contra Universities
St. Louis Business Journal reports that Jerry Schlichter, the architect of the historic preservation tax credits and a Democratic donor, is taking aim at “big-name universities.” See it here.
Pull Quote: [Schlichter] has won more than $300 million in settlements in the last decade, including a record $62 million last year from Lockheed Martin. Since Aug. 9, Schlichter Bogard has filed lawsuits against 403(b) retirement plans — so-called because of the tax section that authorizes them for nonprofits and many public institutions — sponsored by 11 universities, the Wall Street Journal reports. Initial lawsuits against New York University and Yale 403(b) plans, as well as a lawsuit over Massachusetts Institute of Technology's 401(k) plan, were followed by suits against prominent schools including Cornell, Northwestern and University of Southern California, the publication reports.
The lawsuits target the $900 billion market for 403(b) plans, the Journal reports, alleging some aren't moving fast enough to streamline the offerings from which participants must choose and to cut fees following recent regulatory changes…
Court Wanna Bes
Pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 10.28(d), the Twenty-First Circuit Judicial Commission releases the following information relating to applicants for the associate circuit court vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Joseph Dueker to a circuit judge position: Monique D. Abby, Michael A. Becker, Amy E. Bender-Levy, Kenneth M. Brison, Sreenivasa Dandamudi, Dennis M. Devereux, Ellen Dunne, Daniel P. Finney, III, Jay D. Fisk, Mondi L. Ghasedi, Mary W. Greaves, Peter E. Gullborg, Heather Heffner, Bruce F. Hilton, Paul Horgan, B. Joyce Kelley, David C. Knieriem, Gary J. Krautmann, Jacqueline Kutnik-Bauder, Julia P. Lasater, Henry F. Luepke, Amanda B. McNelley, Brandi Miller, Diane M. Monahan, Mary D. Morris, Susan Petersen, Krista S. Peyton, Kenneth R. Schwartz, Dean Stark, Dana W. Tucker, Colleen J. Vetter, D. Kimberly Whittle, and Nicole S. Zellweger.
MO Ethics Decisions
The Missouri Ethics Commission handed down some more decisions. Among them, they dismissed a case against Urban League President Mike McMillan for his role as treasurer of Friends of Saint Louis Public Schools campaign committee. See it here.
They also dismissed a complaint Brad Ketcher and We Deserve Better Inc, ruling that their use of a loophole to delay filing reports was legal. See it here.
And they fined Thomas Quinn, Republican candidate for House 132, $100 for a failure to put a “paid for” disclosure on his literature. See it here.
Willard, Abrajano Lead Trump Effort in MO
The mighty Jason Rosenbaum reports on Twitter that Aaron Willard and Todd Abrajano are leading Donald Trump’s efforts in Missouri. See it here. Willard is Sen. Ryan Silvey’s chief of staff; Abrajano ran Bev Randles’ unsuccessful lieutenant governor campaign.
Follow-Up on Greitens’ Resume Fudge
KMOX’s Charlie Brennan thinks that “fudge” is the wrong word for Eric Greitens changing Croatia to Bosnia when he talks about his past. Brennan thinks it’s lying. Hear the segment here.
Sims Passes
Former state senator Betty Sims passed away. She was 80. See the Post-Dispatch article here.
Pull Quote: As a senator, Sims represented one of the most affluent districts in the state. She served as an assistant majority floor leader and was the first woman in Missouri history to serve as majority leader. In a 2013 interview for a State Historical Society of Missouri oral history project, Sims called the mostly male Senate “a big boy’s playpen” and decried the imposition of term limits on lawmakers…. Funeral services are Friday, Aug. 26 at 11 a.m. at St. Michael & St. George Episcopal Church in Clayton. Visitation is Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Lupton Chapel, 7233 Delmar Blvd., University City.
No School Board Elections for Ferguson
Post-Dispatch reports that “A federal judge has barred the Ferguson-Florissant school district from conducting school board elections, ruling that the current political process is stacked against African-American voters.” See it here.
Bits
In the non-committee expenditure reports, the Fannie Lou Hamer shows how they spent money in the primary elections… going three for four. Not bad. See it here.
Big tobacco is spending $30+M plus fight a $2 per pack increase in California. And here in MO they are spending millions for an increase. Strange days indeed, most peculiar momma.
President Barack Obama named 213 mathematics and science teachers as recipients of the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Winners of this Presidential honor receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation to be used at their discretion… The educators will receive their awards at a ceremony in Washington, DC on September 8. Missouri teachers honored were: Nancy McClintock, Center for Creative Learning, Science; Katherine Schack, Lakeview Elementary School, Mathematics; Carol Robertson, Fulton High School, Science; and Deanna Wasman, David H. Hickman High School, Mathematics.
Post-Dispatch reports that Mizzou has its smallest freshmen class “in almost a decade.” See it here.
Today’s Events
From Mary Scruggs’ indispensable events calendar:
House 47 candidate Susan McClintic Reception – Les Bourgeois Tasting Room – Rocheport – 5PM.
Changes in Lobbyist Registrations
Jorgen Schlemeier, Kathryn Gamble, Sarah Topp, William Gamble, Cynthia Gamble, Jeffery Brooks and David Jackson added Saint Louis Zoo Association.
James Harris added Four Corners Development LLC
Harry Foster, and Jeff Grisamore added The Meyer Companies.
L.P. (Louis) Hamilton added Louis P. Hamilton.
$5K+ Contributions
United Food & Commercial Workers Local #655 Elect Political Action Fund - $6,514 from UFCW Local 655.
Teamsters Local Union No 688 Political Action Committee - $10,721 from Teamsters Drive Committee.
Missourians for Fair Taxation - $25,000 from MO Independent Bankers Association PAC.
Greitens for Missouri - $25,000 from James Boswell.
Greitens for Missouri - $5,001 from Scott Leiendecker.
Missouri Corn Growers Association State Political Action Committee - $10,000 from Missouri Corn Growers Association.
Missouri Freedom PAC - $100,000 from Republican Attorneys General Association.
Baker for Missouri - $100,000 from CHIPP Political Account.
Koster for Missouri - $20,000 from Pipe Fitters Local 533 Volunteer Political Fund.
Teresa Hensley for Missouri - $10,000 from James Nutter.
Teresa Hensley for Missouri - $10,000 from Claire McCaskill.
Teresa Hensely for Missouri - $10,000 from RedCard.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to Neil Swanson.