August 1, 2018: McCullough Retires

McCullough Retires

One hall-walker sends in this note: After lobbying for 23 years, Mo McCullough has officially retired.  In his 23-year stint, McCullough represented clients including the Missouri Chiropractic Physicians Association, Corrections Employees, City of Bridgeton, Missouri Association of Sheltered Workshop Managers, Missouri Society of Professional Land Surveyors, Missouri Psychiatric Association and the Association of Area Agencies on Aging.  For those who know Mo, they know he boasts a quiet but effective demeanor and is a true gentleman and friend to many.  Here’s wishing Mo and his wife Susan all the best as they embark on this exciting new chapter.

Roe Contra Solon

There’s been a third party playing in the House 9 Republican primary.  This is in St. Joe’s where former Rep. Shelia Solon (who moved from the Blue Springs area) is battling Mik Chester.  Chester ran eight years ago, losing to now-termed Rep. Delus Johnson.

The mailers from the Senate Conservative Fund have been in support of Chester and against Solon.

Who is the Senate Conservative Fund? According to MEC reports, it was established in June of this year.  And there has only been one donor it… Jeff Roe. 

Signatures Talk

Word is that Rep. Courtney Curtis didn’t gather enough signatures for his Independent bid for Senate 14.  

According to statue he needed 2% of last election’s total vote.  That would have been about 640 signatures.  And “the secretary of state or any election authority shall not accept for filing any petition for the formation of a new party or for the nomination of an independent candidate which is… submitted after 5:00 p.m. on the fifteenth Monday immediately preceding the general election…”  That was Monday.

Meanwhile a battle is brewing in St. Louis County where signatures were delivered to expand the smoking ban.  See the Post-Dispatch article here.  This appears to be why we’ve been seeing large checks from Penn Gaming into a PAC lately.

Pull Quote: The measure, a proposed county charter amendment, would end the exemptions for casino gaming floors and dozens of bars in the current county smoke-free law that went into effect in 2011. The signatures were turned in to the St. Louis County Election Board office in St. Ann by a coalition of health organizations led by the American Heart Association…. Meanwhile, a rival petition drive funded by the owner of Hollywood Casino in Maryland Heights wants to put a weaker ban before voters at the same election. That measure would deal only with casinos, barring smoking from 50 percent of gaming floors but allowing people to continue to light up in the remaining half.  Jeff Morris, a spokesman for Penn National Gaming — which owns Hollywood and is buying River City Casino in Lemay — says that drive’s signatures will be turned in by the Aug. 8 deadline.

Follow-Up on Walker’s Wowza Report

Folks are curious how Rep. Nate Walker is going to spend his sudden cash stockpile of $150K+.  One source in the district says that they hadn’t seen any mail from his campaign until this point.  Perhaps an avalanche in this final week, augmented with a blizzard of radio and TV spots?  We’ll see…

New IE Filings

Senate 16

Team Justin – $13,692 supporting Brown.

Team Justin – $6,846 opposing Franklin.

Team Justin – $6,846 opposing Frederick.

Senate 18

C-Red PAC - $10,500 supporting Redmon.

Missouri Club for Growth Political Action Committee – $17,715 supporting O’Laughlin.

Missouri Club for Growth Political Action Committee – $17,715 opposing Redmon.

Missouri Federation for Children PAC – $10,394 supporting O’Laughlin.

Missouri Federation for Children PAC – $5,197 opposing Redmon.

Missouri Federation for Children PAC – $5,197 opposing Walker.

Senate 32

Western Missouri Leadership Fund - $7,200 supporting White.

Senate 34

Missouri Club for Growth Political Action Committee - $57,741 supporting Leutkemeyer.

MCFG in House

Missouri Club for Growth Political Action Committee spent money helping these Republicans in House primaries…

House 55 – Mike Haffner - $3,794.

House 59 – Rik Combs - $5,084.

House 94 - Jim Murphy - $1,997.

House 110 – Dottie Bailey - $3,370.

House 137 – Georjene Tilton - $4,854.

House 162 – Robert Stokes - $2,710

And

$3,705 opposing Sheila Solon in House 9.

Ameren Rate Cut Hits Today

The press release: Ameren Missouri customers will see their electric rates decrease by 6 percent, thanks to legislation passed by the Missouri General Assembly and swift action by the Missouri Public Service Commission.  The $167 million rate cut stems from federal tax reductions passed by the U.S. Congress in December, which required actions from Missouri lawmakers and regulators to expedite these considerable savings to customers. The rate cut is the first benefit customers will receive as part of Ameren Missouri's Smart Energy Plan, made possible by the new energy law. Also as part of the legislation, the new lower base electric rates will be frozen until April 2020.

One Last Thing

Washington Post reports that educated women are leaving the Republican Party in droves.  See it here.

New Committees

Sarah Semple formed a candidate committee (Semple for State Assembly) to run for House 132 as a Republican.

Ist-Mo Nominee Pac Number One and Ist-Mo Nominee Pac Number Two were formed.  They are PACs.  Their treasurer is Michele Hornish.

It Starts Today Missouri was formed. It’s a PAC.  Its treasurer is also Michele Hornish.

Hornish runs a site which helps raise money for progressive candidates.  See it here.

Lobbyists Registrations

Roxsen Koch added Depot Square Apartments LLC, KWB LLC, Uptown Development LLC, Platform Ventures, and Opus Development Company.

Richard McIntosh added River City Construction.

Katherine Casas, Kelvin Simmons, Mike Gibbons, Tricia Workman, and Brian Grace deleted SHI International Corp.

$5K+ Contributions

We Are Missouri - $22,685 from CHIPP Political Account.

We Are Missouri - $534,412 from Committee to Protect MO Families.

We Are Missouri - $198,182 from International Union of Operating Engineers.

Missouri Senate Conservatives Fund - $25,000 from Missouri Alliance for Freedom – Grace River  PAC.

Missouri Senate Conservatives Fund - $25,000 from David Humpheys.

CLEAN Missouri - $6,000 from Action Now Initiative.

SaferMO.Com - $10,000 from Missouri Municipal League.

Committee to Elect Tom Doell - $10,000 from Matt Doell.

Carpenters Help in the Political Process (CHIPP) - $150,000 from Great Saint Louis.

Committee to Elect Cynthia Black - $6,500 from Cynthia Black.

Viceroy PAC - $15,000 from Golden Entertainment.

Committee to Elect Megan Seay Circuit Judge - $7,650 from Megan Seay.

Citizens for Steve Stenger - $13,750 from Regional Process PAC.

Team Justin - $20,000 from Missouri Senate Conservatives Fund.

Missouri Federation for Children PAC - $21,000 from Missouri Conservatives Fund.

Citizens for Gildehaus - $7,898 from Joseph Gildehaus.

We Are Missouri - $20,000 from ACT Ohio Foundation.

We Are Missouri - $100,000 from United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices for the Pipe Fitting Industry.

We Are Missouri - $300,000 from Eastern Missouri Laborers’ District Council.

We Are Missouri - $12,580 from International Union of Operating Engineers Local 148.

Housing for All - $24,000 from National Assoc of Realtors via American Strategies.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rep. Bill Reiboldt, and Shannon Weber.