Tuesday, September 4, 2018: $3M for Minimum Wage Campaign - Unions to Rally Again in November? - McDowell at Teamsters Labor Day Event and more...

Sixteen Thirty Fund Gives $3M to Minimum Wage Campaign

BOOM.  Sixteen Thirty Fund – a Washington DC dark money organization on the left side of the political spectrum – sent a $3 million check to Raise Up Missouri over the weekend.  That’s the campaign committee for the November ballot issue to raise the minimum wage.  They had previously invested $500,000 in the campaign.

Politico did a story on Sixteen Thirty Fund last month.  They have been active all across the country.  See it here.  See the Sixteen Thirty Fund website here; it will tell you nothing.

I polled the minimum wage issue last month and it appears to be in good shape – especially now with its budget filled out.

Q: Do you want to amend Missouri law to increase the state minimum wage to $8.60 per hour with 85 cents per hour increase each year until 2023, when the state minimum wage would be $12.00 per hour?

Yes: 60%

No: 28%

Undecided: 12%

Here Comes the Bigger BOOM?

A well-funded minimum wage campaign will presumably help turnout among working men and women who would be expected to lean Democratic.  However the bigger turnout machine for Democrats is organized labor.  The Prop A thumping showed what labor can do when motivated and focused.

Some believe that organized labor won’t be very involved in November because they exhausted their resources on Prop A.

This is incorrect.  Despite spending millions on Prop A, one union source tells me that there is still money coming in.  “We haven’t decided what to use it for but there is quite a lot left.”

This jibes with what I heard recently that the full-employment economy is producing a steady flow of dues into the union coffers.  Far from being destitute, they are flush right now.

The case for union involvement in November isn’t that they’re going to miraculously vote in a wave of pro-labor legislators and have a working majority.  It’s that the Prop A victory will be short-lived if those who would vote for it again don’t see that there are potential political consequences for doing so.

I think that argument could move organized labor into the field in the coming months.  If so, look for their efforts in districts where the representatives voted for right to work, but Prop A failed by a large margin.

eMailbag: Is Senate 8 Potentially Competitive?

“Whoever compared the 8th to the 17th is a little off on their calculation. First that 8th takes in much more of the rural part of Jackson County. There are actually farms in the 8th to where the 17th is mostly suburban with a few city precincts. And traditionally much of the 8th has always voted more conservative than the 17th. Also Arthur ran as a much more mainstream Dem while Hillary Shields (Mike Cierpiot’s opponent) has more of the Bernie Sanders socialist vibe. By no means is this a sure thing for Cierpiot, but to say it’s a replay of the 17th just isn’t accurate…”

McDowell Avoids Challenge

The statutory deadline for one of Saundra McDowell’s opponents to challenge her qualifications passed without event.  However the weekend wasn’t without its zingers for McDowell. 

The KC Star’s editorial (see it here) landed a few punches: “The GOP somehow managed to land on a contender who would do just the opposite of inspiring trust and faith in the inner workings of state government. Lawsuits, court orders, debts and garnishments are all part of McDowell’s history… There’s also the issue of whether electing an auditor who has struggled with her own finances is wise. Someone who’s the subject of an audit might be interested in helping McDowell with those debts in exchange for looking the other way. With dark money so common these days, anything’s possible…”

And then she was lampooned on Twitter for oddly showing up to a Teamsters Labor Day Rally in Springfield where Senator Claire McCaskill was addressing he crowd.

As one MOScouters observed: she is apparently pro-labor, or has no idea what she is even showing up to.  The latter is the safe bet.

Scuttlebutt

One rumorer says that “for Josh Hawley’s debate prep, he is using his wife, Professor Erin Hawley, to play Claire McCaskill.” 

IP News From Last Week

On Friday at the University of Missouri Delta Research Center Field Day, US Senator Roy Blunt endorsed Proposition D, the transportation tax.  Governor Mike Parson and Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe had already endorsed.  This gives the Republican state reps and state senators political cover to hop on-board.

And Brad Bradshaw’s lawsuit against the New Approach medical marijuana ballot question was thrown out.  From NA’s statement: Our patient and veteran-centered approach stands in stark contrast to Amendment 3 and Brad Bradshaw, who is a coalition of one that is in this strictly for himself.

Bits

Check out the cool home of lobbyist Rich AuBuchon and SCOMO Chief Clerk Betsy AuBuchon here.  “This gorgeous home (and inground pool) on a cliff overlooking the capitol was originally built in the early 1990s by Supreme Court Judge Elwood Thomas as a modest ranch. 20 years ago, two local physicians bought the property and spent about four years creating this unique home with an architect out of Atlanta and Turk’s Construction in Jefferson City. About a year ago, Rich surprised Betsy by taking her to an open house for what would be their future home. Though the house was completely empty, the couple saw incredible potential in the artistic details throughout the home. They purchased the house and 15 of the 700 acres of land surrounding it.  This labyrinthine structure includes two floors with a multitude of rooms hidden by (mostly) sliding pocket doors….”

St. Louis City Committeewoman Marie Ceselski writes that her complaint about St. Louis City License Collector Mavis Thompson has been forwarded to the Missouri Highway Patrol for investigation.  And she runs through a scenario where Thompson resigns and Governor Mike Parson appoints her replacement.

Events

Hillary Shields (Dem, Senate 8) with special guest Jason Kander at The Well, Kansas City – 5:30PM.

Help Wanted

Enterprise Holdings seeks Government and Public Affairs Coordinator. “Enterprise Holdings an immediate opening for a Government and Public Affairs Coordinator. The Government and Public Affairs Coordinator will provide support for Government and Public Affairs activities. This position will also provide administrative support, coordinate and track meetings and events, conduct research, track legislation, and create written reports. In addition, knowledge of politics and public policy is a plus, but not required. This position is located at the Corporate Campus in Clayton, MO….”  See it here.

Lobbyists Registrations

Phillip Scaglia added AT Government Strategies LLC.

Jake Buxton added Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Ann Brand deleted St. Louis Community College.

Tim Alborg deleted Zagster.

LeRoy Grant Jr. deleted Renovate America.

New Committees

Joseph Thomas formed a candidate committee (Citizens For Joey Thomas) to run for Kansas City Council Person District 3.

MidMO Leadership Fund was formed.  It’s a PAC.  Its treasurer is Heather Grote.

Heartland Regional PAC was formed.  It’s a PAC.  Its treasurer is Debbie Schneider-McClelland.  Its deputy treasurer is Marc Ellinger.

$5K+ Contributions

We Are Missouri - $67,152 from American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.
We Are Missouri - $271,573 from United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC.

CLEAN Missouri - $6,000 from Action Now Initiative (Houston, TX).

Heartland Regional PAC - $105,000 from Grow Missouri.

House Republican Campaign Committee Inc - $5,001 from Bondon for Missouri.

Raise Up Missouri - $3,000,000 from Sixteen Thirty Fund (Washington DC).

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to former Sen. Jane Cunningham, and Emily van Schenkhof.