MOScout Daily Update: Readers' Poll Day Two - Rex Hearts Parson - Brooks on Session and more...

MOScout’s End of Year Readers’ Poll

Readers’ Poll results….

Best Upgrade for Constituents

Senate 14: Brian Williams for Maria Chappelle-Nadal…  55.5%

Senate 34: Tony Luetkemeyer for Bob Schaaf...  30.1%

Senate 30: Lincoln Hough for Rob Dixon…  9.5%

Senate 16: Justin Brown for Doc Brown…  4.7%

Recently Resigned Legislator Most Likely to Become a Successful Lobbyist

Jake Hummel… 36%

Kevin Corlew… 21.3%

Kirk Mathews… 21.3%

Jay Wasson… 21.3%

Courtney Curtis…  0%

Senate Republican Most Likely to Lead First Filibuster

Bill Eigel…   52.4%

Denny Hoskins… 18%

Eric Burlison… 14.7%

Cindy O’Laughlin… 9.8%

Andrew Koenig… 4.9%

Best Role Model for Your Children

Speaker Todd Richardson…75.4%

Pro Tem Ron Richard… 8.2%

Senate Minority Leader Gina Walsh… 11.4%

House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty… 4.9%

Incoming Freshmen Most Likely to End Up Speaker

Mary Elizabeth Coleman… 34.5%

Jonathan Patterson… 25.8%

Brenda Shields… 25.8%

Jeff Shawan… 13.8%

Bill Falkner…  0%

Senator Most Likely to Be Governor Someday

Caleb Rowden… 60%

Bob Onder… 11.6%

Scott Sifton… 11.6%

Dave Schatz… 10%

Jill Schupp… 6.6%

Representative Most Likely to Be Governor Someday

Elijah Haahr… 37%

Rob Vescovo… 25.8%

Cody Smith…17.7%

Dean Plocher… 12.9%

Crystal Quade… 6.5%

And Part Two Readers Poll Today – Lobbyists

You can vote on part two of the end of year “readers’ poll” here.

Today’s categories are Lobbyists.  Tomorrow will be The Year in Review.

And

Like yesterday for your vote to be counted, you have to sign it. No ballot stuffing this year.

Sinquefield Goes Big for Parson PAC

Rex Sinquefield sent a $850K check to the pro-Mike Parson PAC, Uniting Missouri.  Sinquefield previously have the PAC $150K, so this brings his contribution to $1 million.

The PAC now has had large contributions totally nearly $2 million since its inception this summer.  It’s a signal that Parson’s allies intend to enter the 2020 political cycle with ample resources.

Sinquefield is one of three heavy GOP donors who has shown a willingness to wade into state races and attempt to transform the playing field with a single or series of checks.  The other two are David Humphrey and Stan Herzog – though Humphreys is clearly the more aggressive of those two.

One observer’s take: “Missouri conservatives are unifying and smart players are in solidarity that they must build their own wall to hold back onslaughts – including inevitable erosion of Trump support even in Missouri as the POTUS situation grows more grim with a Democratic U.S. House takeover…”

Venue Tops Tort Reform Wish List

Among the legislative items that didn’t get passed in the Republicans’ landmark session last year was “venue reform.”  It’s considered to be a top prize for this session among those with tort reform on their agenda.  MOChamber’s Dan Mehan hits the issue in the latest publication of their magazine.  See it here.

According to a recent study, television viewers in Missouri see more legal ads than almost anywhere else in the country.

In the St. Louis market, trial lawyers spent $860,000 on nearly 14,000 television ads between April and June of 2018. That amounts to 153 ads soliciting legal claims or advertising legal services every single day. Things only get worse in Kansas City where there were almost twice as many televised legal services ads during the same time period, averaging nearly 10 ads each hour, according to the American Tort Reform Association.

These astonishing numbers beg an obvious question: Why are trial attorneys spending so much money to advertise in our state?

It’s really very simple — trial lawyers advertise in Missouri because Missouri is a great place to sue people…

Brooks on Upcoming Session

Phill Brooks looks at the upcoming legislative session.  See it here.

Another factor from the November elections involves a suggestion that Republican voters may not be so unified on some divisive issues as their leaders.

If Josh Hawley's results reflect a high GOP turnout, then thousands of those GOPers ended up voting for a minimum wage, legalized medical pot and came close to approving a tax increase for highways.

Will those results cause Republican legislators and their new leaders to moderate their agenda to avoid the bitter partisanship of past sessions?

Will Gov. Mike Parson, who's been extremely low key since he became governor, use the final two years of his current term to push through an agenda that can win over Democrats?

As a senator, he had a reputation for reaching across the aisle….

New Committees

Erica Hoffman formed a candidate committee (Friends Of Erica Hoffman) to run for House 96 as a Democrat.

Steve West formed a candidate committee (Stevewest4missouri) to run for House 15 as a Republican.

Mary Hill formed a candidate committee (Committee To Elect Mary Hill) to run for House 17 as a Republican.

Pat Hickey formed a candidate committee (Hickey For St Louis) to run for St. Louis City Alderman, Ward 10, as a Democrat.

Cassandra DeClue formed a candidate committee (Friends of Cassandra L DeClue) to run for St. Louis City Alderman, Ward 10, as a Democrat.

Randy Holman formed an exploratory committee (Committee To Elect Holman).

Great Outdoors PAC was formed.  Its treasurer is Bethanie White.

We Bellieve PAC was formed.  Its treasurer is Kenneth Strawbridge.

Missouri A/C and Mechanical Contractors was formed.  It’s a PAC.  Its treasurer is Robert Hoffman.

$5K+ Contributions

Uniting Missouri PAC - $850,000 from Rex Sinquefield.

Uniting Missouri PAC - $7,500 from RQC PAC.

Uniting Missouri PAC - $10,000 from MO DSV OAC.

Uniting Missouri PAC - $10,000 from HIS Benefit Systems LLC.

Uniting Missouri PAC - $7,500 from Brad Bedell.

Lobbyists Registrations

Shanon Hawk deleted Cummins Inc, and National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Rep. Jay Barnes.

And

One MOScouter tut-tuts that I missed Claudia Kehoe’s birthday last week… Missouri’s “Second Lady”