MOScout Daily Update: Lavender PAC Formed - Gross Hustling - St. Chuck Drama - Calzone Loses and more...
Lavender PAC Formed
Rep. Deb Lavender is the latest state senate candidate to have an independent PAC established to benefit her candidacy. Purple PAC was formed about a week ago. Its treasurer is John Scott McKellar.
Freedom Promise PAC is the PAC supporting her opponent, Sen. Andrew Koenig.
Recession Fears Again
The decline in long-term rates together with soft surveys from the manufacturing sector have revived concern about a recession.
State tax receipts have looked solid so far this fiscal year, but slower growth will certainly worry the Missouri budgeteers in both the legislature and on the 2nd floor….
Gross Hustling
Democrat Elad Gross sent this note to media this morning documenting his furious pace as he runs for attorney general… “We are releasing our preliminary data through the 3rd quarter. We have received over 1,494 donations, more than doubling the previous record for the office at this point in the campaign. We have participated in more than 220 meetings in Missouri in the past 10 months and have traveled over 25,600 miles - more than the circumference of Earth…”
Calzone Loses
Ron Calzone – a fixture of the capitol who refuses to register as a lobbyist – lost his court cases. The Supreme Court handed down its decision yesterday. It found that the legislation that Calzone sought to overturn did not violate the constitutional requirement to have a single subject.
Drama in St. Chuck
Post Dispatch reports: The Missouri Highway Patrol is investigating a harassment allegation involving a St. Charles County judge and Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar, Lohmar's lawyer said Tuesday.
Lawyer Travis Noble said, "It's a private matter between two individuals who have been in a relationship.” He said Lohmar is cooperating, adding that he expected the investigation to wrap up in a few weeks. Noble said Lohmar had been in a "lengthy, serious relationship" with St. Charles County Associate Circuit Judge Erin Burlison until this year…O'Fallon, Mo., police records requested on Monday by the Post-Dispatch show an Aug. 17 call to police reporting alleged harassment at Burlison's address. Police declined to release the report of the incident, citing an open investigation… Asked if it was appropriate for a prosecutor to date a judge, Noble said Burlison did not preside over cases handled by Lohmar's office….
Any Issues This Cycle Besides Trump?
As Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden unveils his “gun plan” today, one wonders whether any such specific issues will matter in this election cycle. It may just be a referendum on Trump and everything else is just window dressing.
Kick Off Videos
· Former Rep. Vicki Englund – running for state treasurer touts her bill to make help servicemen reclaim their medals, and says she’ll save taxpayers “thousands of dollars.” See it here.
· And Sen. Caleb Rowden quotes Winston Churchill in his kick-off video. He focuses on economy, education and crime, avoiding mention of his role as Majority Floor Leader for the Senate Republicans. See it here.
New Committees
Darrell Atchison formed a candidate committee (Citizens For Atchison) to run for House 153 as a Republican. The current incumbent, Rep. Jeff Shawan, is running for state senate.
Citizens For A Better District 1 was formed. It’s a PAC. Its treasurer is Mark Vincent.
Keep The Promise PAC was formed. Its treasurer is James C Thomas III.
Purple PAC was formed. Its treasurer is John Scott McKellar.
$5K+ Contributions
MO Opportunity PAC - $10,000 from EC I Fund LLC.
Catalyst PAC - $50,000 from Comprehensive Health Management Inc.
American Dream PAC - $20,000 from Missouri State Council of Fire Fighters PAC.
Uniting Missouri PAC - $25,000 from Ameren Missouri.
Grow Missouri - $100,000 from Rex Sinquefield.
Friends Of Scott Burnham - $50,000 from Scott Burnham.
Patterson For Oakville - $8,172 from Joseph Patterson.
Elad Gross For Missouri - $10,050 from Elad Gross.
Lobbyist Registrations
Gamble & Schlemeier added Visit KC; and deleted Missouri Sheriffs Association, and Fountain Lakes Land Holding LLC.
Mark Farnen added D&D Investments.
Sharon Geuea Jones added Jones Advocacy Group.
Steven Tilley, Jake Silverman, and Thomas Robbins added Kansas City Area Transportation Authority.
Jay Reichard and Noel Torpey added Orexo US Inc.
Jay Reichard deleted Barkley Inc., US Dealer Licensing, and All States Dealer Licensing Inc.
Trent Watson added AmeriHealth Caritas Family of Companies, and Metlife; and deleted Missouri Rising, and EDF Renewables.
Raymond Earl Williams deleted The Missouri Bar.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Sen. Eric Burlison, Rep. Jeff Knight, David Zevan, and Tim Remole.