Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Your Move, Rex

David Humphreys dropped a cool $500K into the campaign account of John Hawley yesterday.  This continues a mini-arms race between Humphreys and Rex Sinquefield.  Humphreys have contributed a total of $875K to Hawley while Sinquefield has given Kurt Schaefer, Hawley’s primary opponent, $750K.

I’m pretty sure that Sinquefield’s liquid net worth far exceeds Humphreys’ but both can fund their candidate to the point of voter saturation if they wish.

For What It’s Worth

Some Schaefer detractors say that he won’t use his loan.  So though Schaefer has $2 million on-hand, if you back out his over $500K in debt, he’s at $1.5 million.

In my experience, most candidates do use their loans

And

Not to be overshadowed by Humphreys big check – two other interesting checks in the large contributions today (see below).

First, Hawley also snagged $20K from Koch Industries, a name well known as staunchly conservative.

Second, Ethelmae Humphreys, the matriarch of the Humpheys’ clan, apparently likes the funky weed, and is OK with folks having a little ganja to ease their pain.  She’s down for $10K to the New Approach group.

Meanwhile

With Sen. Dan Brown dropping out of the treasurer’s race, does he return the $250K that Humphreys gave him?  How does that work, anyone?

Voter ID

In a surprise move, the Senate perfected Voter ID last night.  Post-Dispatch has the story. See it here.

Pull Quote: Missouri Senate Democrats and Republicans have reached an agreement over a proposal that would require voters to show ID at the ballot box.

Under a version of the legislation adopted Monday, if voters don’t present a photo ID, they would sign a statement under penalty of perjury attesting that they are who they say they are. The voter would then have to present some form of ID, such as a university-issued ID or a utility bill…

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, said she was ill and had to go to the urgent care while the new language was debated. She said she was surprised and disappointed that she didn’t have a chance to weigh in.

Nasheed said she wanted to continue the fight against the legislation, but acknowledged it would be tough without the rest of the Democratic caucus on board.

Nixon Preps Veto

From the press release:  As part of an ongoing review of Senate Bill 586, Gov. Jay Nixon today issued a statement regarding the projected local impact of legislation that would cut the K-12 foundation formula. Senate Bill 586 would cut the target to fully fund Missouri's K-12 foundation formula by approximately $418 million….  "These projections demonstrate in stark detail the negative impact this bill would have on school districts across the state," said Gov. Nixon. "From Belton and Branson to Poplar Bluff and Pleasant Hill, Senate Bill 586 would cut the target for fully funding the formula by millions of dollars - increasing the burden on local taxpayers… I'm troubled that members of the legislature would renege on their commitment to the foundation formula, while at the same time working to pass special interest tax breaks for everything from deer urine to yoga."

Gov. Nixon has made public education a top priority of his administration….

McCain to Missouri

Next Monday U.S. Senator John McCain will be in Kansas City for a fundraiser.

From the invite: 7:30AM The Intercontinental Kansas City at the Plaza… $2,700 per individual [or] $5,000 per PAC… SEATING IS VERY LIMITED.  Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis….

Why is McCain in Missouri raising money for his re-election?  According to NewsMax his re-election is “unpredictable.”  See it here.

In The Papers….

New York Times reports on the problem of painkillers.  See it here.  Pull Quote: [The American Medical Association] opposed laws that require doctors to check databases before issuing a prescription for a narcotic painkiller. Such laws, which a growing number of states have adopted, are intended to help doctors identify patients who seek prescriptions from multiple physicians and to help doctors avoid prescribing dangerous combinations of drugs. Data shows that when such programs are voluntary, many doctors do not use them…Doctors say measures like checking prescription databases take up more time in days already filled with bureaucratic duties, and many express ideological concerns about government’s reach into medicine. And experts say many doctors believe that their practices and their patients are not responsible for the opioid problem.

Washington Post reports on folks getting killed by toddlers playing with guns.  Missouri is near the top of the list.  See it here.  Since there’s a certain paranoia about President Barack Obama wanting to take guns, the Missouri legislature will need a “Nixon to China” figure if there’s anything to be done about this.

Pull Quote:  Looking at a map of where toddlers are pulling the trigger, some states stand out sharply.  Georgia is home to the highest number of toddler shootings, with at least eight incidents since January 2015. Texas and Missouri are tied for second place with seven shootings each, while Florida and Michigan are tied for fourth, with six shootings apiece… Missouri and Georgia, for instance, have fairly lax laws regulating how guns are stored to prevent child access. On the other hand, New York has no such child access laws in place, yet only one toddler has shot someone there since 2015.

Perhaps other factors are at play as well. There could be cultural factors — norms surrounding gun use and ownership, for instance — that may make these shootings more likely in some areas than in others.

Bits

Hank Waters writes about Doug Crews retiring from the Missouri Press Association.  See it here.

Politico reports that Dems are working the battle ground Senate states with a message of the Republican Senate not doing their job to consider President Barack Obama’s supreme court nominee.  See it here.

Pull Quote: Obama spoke to outlets from states with Republican Senate incumbents — Iowa (Chuck Grassley), New Hampshire (Kelly Ayotte), Ohio (Rob Portman), Wisconsin (Ron Johnson), Arizona (John McCain) and Missouri (Roy Blunt) — about what he described as an "unprecedented" process…. Obama also said that many Americans agree with him, telling Fox 4’s Phil Witt in Kansas City, Missouri, that he has “done his job to nominate a consensus candidate,” but that the process must be followed through to completion.

Jo Mannies reports that Senator Roy Blunt won’t be in at the Republican convention this summer.  See it here.

Tomorrow First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden will visit service members and their families stationed at Fort Leonard Wood.

Help Wanted

The House has put out an RFP to upgrade the chamber’s audio system.  See it here.

$5K+ Contributions

New Approach Missouri - $10,000 from Ethelmae Humphreys.

Hawley for Missouri - $500,000 from David Humphreys.

Hawley for Missouri - $20,000 from Koch Industries.

New Approach Missouri - $65,000 from Drug Policy Action.

The Committee to Protect MO Families - $100,000 from CHIPP.

Progress KC PAC - $50,000 from CHIPP Political Account.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Sarah Steelman, Roy Temple, Joe Carmichael, Alvin Brooks, Steve Danner, Woody Overton, Susan Henderson Moore, and Michael Frame.

Congratulations

To Rep. Rob Vescovo and wife Amanda on the birth of their son, William.