MOScout Daily Update: Big Scharf $$$ Continues - Senate Debates Landfill Bill - GOP Sens Sued - Conservative Policy Research Mystery and more…

Situational Awareness: It’s Opening Day in St. Louis… ceremonies begin at 2:30PM, first pitch at 3:15PM

Scharf Lands Another Whale Check

One week after two massive checks worth $1.5 million were recorded by the Club for Growth Missouri Federal Committee, another one has arrived.  This one, from Paul Singer, was for $1.5 million.  Club for Growth is supporting Republican attorney general candidate Will Scharf. 

There’s been talk since Scharf announced his candidacy that his national connections would manifest in huge financial support for his campaign. 

·       The last week has brought evidence that this wasn’t just talk.

Incumbent AG Andrew Bailey hasn’t been idle on this pursuit either.  He had $1.5 million in his PAC (as of last quarter), and has been putting big checks together himself.  Recent checks to his PAC: $100K from Rex Sinquefield, $100K from Ketchmark & McCreight, $50K from August Busch III, and $50K from Drury Development.

Still, the Scharf checks are on a different scale. And the initial notion sketched out by Scharf supporters months ago that Scharf’s fundraising would overwhelm Bailey is starting to come into focus.

Landfill Debated in Senate

The Senate spent nine hours yesterday on Sen. Mike Cierpiot’s “landfill bill,” SB 739.    It’s a narrowly tailored bill to prevent a new landfill from going in Jackson County near Cass County.  To accomplish this, it would change the statutory requirement for approval from being within a half-mile to being within a mile.

The department shall not issue a permit for the operation of a solid waste disposal area designed to serve a city with a population of greater than four hundred thousand located in more than one county, if the site is located within [one-half] one mile of an adjoining municipality, without the approval of the governing body of such municipality.

The debate was remarkable because it jumbled familiar alliances in the Senate.  Cierpiot, who has display disgust for the antics of the Freedom Caucus, was arm-in-arm with Freedomer Sen. Rick Brattin.

Some senators drew attention to Freedom Caucus’ willingness to discard their previously precious principles to come to the aid of their member, Brattin.

·       Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, who spent time filibustering the bill, noted on Twitter that changing the regulations to prevent a business from operating was pretty darn anti-free market. Hey @SpeakerTimJones, @andyroth, @MOFreedomCaucus is using the long arm of the government to pick winners and losers and close a highly regulated business.

·       Sen. Steven Roberts tried vainly to get Brattin to commit to give St. Louis City the same “local control” that he was claiming as a right for his constituents.

The bill was laid over without resolution.

What It Means

While a seemingly fruitless day, this was how a normal Senate functions.  The issue was given time on the floor, and reluctant senators resisted.  This should drive the two sides to find a compromise. And the issue can be brought back when that’s happened.

But that may not come to pass.  And this could be one more potential landmine with six weeks left. 

The budget looms.  That’s expected to be a flashpoint between the Freedom Caucus and their nemesis Senate Appropriations Chair Lincoln Hough.  There’s a potential battle over FRA.  And now, add the landfill issue to the combustible mix.  Brattin burned a day a few session ago on this issue, and that could happen again.

MRL $$$

The Missouri Right to Life PAC received $150,000 yesterday.  See the large contributions below.

My guess is that this money is meant to fight the pro-choice initiative petition which is gathering signatures right now, rather than being a pot from which to support pro-life legislators.  But we’ll see…

Lawsuit Against Freedom Caucus Members

I missed this yesterday, but Sens. Rick Brattin, Denny Hoskins and Nick Schroer have been sued by a man they labeled in tweets as the Kansas City parade shooter, saying he was an illegal alien. 

From the suit: At no time was Plaintiff an “alien”, an “illegal alien”, or a “shooter’, and the assertions to the contrary were false and were circulated widely among Defendant’s followers and Defendant’s false assertions about Plaintiff were reposted and widely circulated to more than 100,000 persons around the world who had interactions or engagements with Defendant’s false assertions about Plaintiff.

·       If you’re curious to read the lawsuit, I’ve uploaded the suit against Schroer here.  The suits against Brattin and Hoskins are substantially the same.

Conservative Policy Research Mystery

I saw this strange pop-up ad on the Post-Dispatch website yesterday.

It’s strange because it’s presumably an ad to help Sen. Bill Eigel.  After all, being pro-life is a boon in a Republican primary.  And yet, what’s the purpose of mentioning his donor?  Presumably personal injury attorneys are not especially popular with Republican voters.  I asked a few folks, but couldn’t suss out a motive for this ad. 

It’s paid for by the Conservative Policy Research Project LLC.  I couldn’t find that LLC registered with the secretary of state, and there’s no committee by that name with the Missouri Ethics Commission.  Clicking on the ad took me to an uninformative webpage.

$5K+ Contributions

Club for Growth Action - Missouri Federal Committee - $1,400,000 from Paul Singer (Palm Beach, FL).

Missouri Right to Life Political Action Committee - $100,000 from Raymond Ruddy (Dover, MA).

Missouri Right to Life Political Action Committee - $50,000 from John Sauer.

Missouri American Water Company Employees Political Action Committee - $15,000 from Goodwin Brothers.

Missouri American Water Company Employees Political Action Committee - $15,000 from Fred M. Luth & Sons, Inc.

Missouri American Water Company Employees Political Action Committee - $15,000 from JH Berra Construction Co., Inc.

Committee for the Future - $57,500 from Springfield Good Government Committee.

House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $5,005 from Rudolph Veit.

House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $5,100 from Missourians for Shields.

Lobbyist Registrations

Ashley Lawson added Jost Chemical and BB Civic Solutions.       

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Jessica Petrie Thelemaque, Theresa Garza, and Matt Villa.