MOScout Daily Update: New Greitens Hit? - Possible Dogan Issue in STL? - Kunce Rolls Out Team - Open Container Cost and more...

Greitens Hit Previewed?

The US Senate Republican primary is starting to look cookie-cutter.  It looks like all the candidates will claim to be tremendous Trump supporters and will accuse their opponents of being soft on China.

The hit against Attorney General Eric Schmitt for his “China Hub” proposal is well known.  But surfacing last weekend on Twitter was a hit against Eric Greitens for cozying up to Chinese leaders during his brief tenure as governor.  See it here.

And conservative Hugh Hewitt – who torched Greitens in an early interview – comments what many Missouri Republicans echo: Eric Greitens will lose the seat to Democrats if the MO GOP nominates him…

STL County Exec Poll

The MOScout/Remington poll on St. Louis County offered sobering news to Rep. Shamed Dogan’s aspirations to become the next county executive – but it also hints at a possible path.

Dogan trails incumbent Sam Page by 19 points.  Aside from the partisan slant of the county, Page is also wining with Independents at the outset.

But the poll asked about corruption…

Q2: Former County Executive Steve Stenger was convicted of three public corruption felonies. Do you think this was a one time episode, or do you think there still is corruption in St. Louis County government?

One time: 22%

Corruption still exists: 49%

Not sure: 29%

Republicans felt corruption still exists strongly 64% to 13%, maybe not surprising because of their skepticism of Democratic control.  But even Dems think so, albeit by a narrower margin, 41% to 27% with 32% undecided.

·         Given the Democratic tilt of the county, Dogan will be crossover issues to win Democrats and Independents. Corruption may be such an issue.

Kunce Team

Lucas Kunce is rolling out his campaign team, including a slew of major hires to continue building on its digital might and setting the stage for launching on-the-ground organizing in the next quarter.

Campaign Manager: Caleb Cavarretta

Grassroots Fundraising Director: Emma Dillon

Digital: Elizabeth Bennett and Kenneth Pennington (Middle Seat)

Finance: Angela Bingaman (STL) and Evan Ashley Barker (National)

Mail: Ally Letsky and Adnaan Muslim (Deliver Strategies)

Political Organizing Director: Larry Davis

TV/Media: Kaitlin Fahey and Bill Hyers (The Win Company)

Deputy Campaign Manager/Comms Director: Connor Lounsbury

Polling/Research: Jason McGrath (GBAO Strategies) and Ian Mandel (Jones Mandel)

KCUR Looks at Highway Funding

KCUR looks at the consequences of Missouri’s open container law.  See it here.

As a penalty for ignoring federal safety laws, Missouri has diverted millions of dollars in road construction funds to safety programs…. Unlike most of the country — and despite evidence on roadway safety — the state lets passengers drink in moving vehicles...

An investigation by KCUR found that, since 2001, Missouri has given up roughly $370 million in highway construction funds for failing to comply with federal safety policies….

In 1998, Congress established federal standards prohibiting open containers of alcohol, as part of the wide-ranging "Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century." Safety researchers have found that enforcement of open container restrictions reduces drinking and driving by 17%.

However, Missouri and several other states continued to allow open containers. So under federal law, they are consequently required to divert a percentage of construction funds from the National Highway Performance Program and the Surface Transportation Block Grant program to fund safety initiatives… Currently, this penalty sits at 2.5% —about $22.7 million per year.

Around $17 million of that goes to infrastructure improvements like guard cables, shoulders, rumble strips and friction treatments. Nelson explains this funding pays for most of the safety features on major roadways like I-70. The remaining $5.7 million is used for behavioral campaigns, primarily DWI enforcement and DWI paid media.

JC Rentals

Post-Dispatch reports one the dwindling situations of lawmaker renting from lobbyists.  See it here.

·         Lobbyists are no longer leasing housing to lawmakers in the capital city — with one exception. State Rep. Adam Schwadron, R-St. Charles, is the only state legislator renting from a registered lobbyist, according to disclosures filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

·         Schwadron has been renting space in a house owned by lobbyist Tracy King’s LLC since Jan. 1, according to ethics commission records. She said Schwadron pays a fair market rate. King works for Strategic Capitol Consulting.

·         Leases between lobbyists and state officials have drawn scrutiny in the past and have been less common in recent years: Between 2016 and 2018, lobbyists reported renting to a dozen lawmakers and state officials, according to ethics commission records.

eMailbag: Senate Leadership Needs a Plan

Ask yourself how yet again the senate was such a mess, when clearly any observer could have predicted it would be an issue in the run up to veto session, yet it seemed as if the senate leadership had no plan for how to handle the conservatives.

New Committees

The Leadbelt PAC was formed.  Its treasurer is Amber Watson.

Real Legalization MO was formed.  It’s a campaign committee to support a marijuana legalization initiative petition (see it here).  Its treasurer is Benjamin Hartley.     

Lobbyists Registrations

‘Ms. Regina’ Turner added HOPE Advocates United with Faith, Peace, and Love.

Andy Blunt added Revolution Global.

$5K+ Contributions

Legal Missouri 2022 - $ 12,500 from KCC CO LLC.

Southwest Missouri Patriot PAC - $8,500 from Invenergy Transmission, LLC.