MOScout Daily Update: Pro-Hoffman PAC - Robbins Joins SCC - Haahr's Hyperloop - Greitens and Tisby - Biden Organizing MO and more...

Pro-Hoffman PAC

One reader notes that there are indications that Dems are serious again about House 96.  One such clue is that a PAC has been set up to help their candidate, Erica Hoffman.  Women for Justice PAC has the same treasurer, Tom Madden, as the pro-Doug Beck PAC, Doug PAC, and Protect Missouri Workers PAC.  I’m told Madden lives in this House district.

The Republican incumbent, Rep. David Gregory, also has a PAC, Show Me Growth PAC, which has been active.

eMailbag on Tisby Trial

The March 30 Tisaby trial date comes one day before the close of filing for the August 4 Republican primary for governor. Presumably, Eric Greitens will be subject to a deposition prior to trial in which he will finally be questioned under oath. And, presumably, he will be called to the witness stand to testify under oath. That timing and scenario is not politically helpful to Greitens, who will have to testify at risk of perjury. And the whole thing is a reminder of the Greitens chaos. There is no political upside for Greitens.

Haahr’s Hyperloop

Yesterday Speaker Elijah Haahr threw down a “slick and professional” rollout for the Hyperloop, traveling the state joined at different stops by a who’s who of up and coming leaders (Quinton Lucas, Mun Choi, Caleb Rowden, etc).

In a world of small-ball initiatives (adding a dozen officers or lawyers to help with St. Louis’ crime problem, shaving the income tax by another .1%), the hyperloop seems positively bold.

What’s Next?

Look for this to be on the speaker’s agenda this session.  There may be some a “financial component”, and also some changes in law to enable a public-private partnership to create the test track.

Robbins Joins Tilley’s Firm

The press release: Strategic Capitol Consulting is announcing Brittany Robbins as its new communications and advocacy strategist.  Brittany is an award-winning public relations and communications strategist. She has more than a decade of experience in the public and private sectors with a focus on civic engagement, government, corporate communications, issue event planning, earned and owned media strategy.

As communication strategist, her focus will be public relations, earned media strategy, public policy messaging and rapid response communications.

She will manage the firm’s client correspondence, messaging strategy and public relations.  We encourage you to use her services as an additional resource at SCC….

Biden Organizing in MO

The Missouri Coalition for Biden held their first organizational meeting in Missouri yesterday. The Kansas City meeting was convened by Congressman Emanuel Cleaver and Kevin O’Malley, the former Ambassador to Ireland under President Barack Obama. Adam Sachs of Husch Blackwell hosted the meeting. Attendees included local elected officials and Democratic donors. John McCarthy, Deputy Political Director, and Tom Berry, Iowa Out of State Volunteer Director, briefed the group on the campaign.

Ambassador O’Malley is heading up the Biden effort in Missouri to identify key endorsements, donors , and volunteers for the Iowa Caucus and the Missouri Primary. He will be hosting the St. Louis organizational meeting on November 8.

eMailbag MO + KS = USDA

“USDA’s location in Kansas City was successful because of a bipartisan and bi-state effort by the congressional delegation in Congress. KS and MO MOCs worked collaboratively to win. And while the actual location is in KCMO, it is basically on the KS/MO line which benefits the real estate market in both states as employees will have an easy commute from either state they chose to locate in. The so-called border war was not in evidence.”

Who Lost the Docs?

From earlier this month in the Wall Street Journal… an article about how physicians – once “stalwart” Republican donors – have turned more Democratic.  See it here.

In 1990, 61% of national political campaign contributions by physicians went to Republicans, while 38% went to Democrats, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from the Center for Responsive Politics. By last year, those numbers had essentially flipped, with nearly two-thirds of physician campaign contributions going to Democrats while one-third went to Republicans.

A 2016 Gallup poll found that 35% of doctors considered themselves Democrats while 27% were Republicans and 36% identified as independents…

Doctors are clustering in big cities where other Democrats reside, exacerbating a shortage of physicians in rural areas. They are urging lawmakers to restrict firearm access and expand reproductive health services. And some are backing Democratic proposals to create a U.S. single-payer health system…

The political drift of physicians accelerated in 2016, when Donald Trump clinched the Republican presidential nomination. Voters with four-year college and advanced degrees moved toward the Democratic Party, while those without a college degree flocked to the GOP and helped put Mr. Trump in the White House….

New IPs

Deirdre Hirner filed yet another marijuana legalization initiative petition.  See it here.

$5K+ Contributions

Page PAC - $10,000 from Western Anesthesiology Associates Inc.

MO Opportunity PAC - $50,000 from August A Busch III.

Lobbyists Registrations

Daniel Pfeifer, Alex Eaton, Rebecca Lohmann, Greg Porter and David Willis added Missouri E-Raffle.

Rebecca Lohmann added VC Missouri 3 LLC.

Ric Telthorst deleted Missouri Telecommunications Industry Association.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rep. Mike Henderson, Cara Hoover, Gail McCann Beatty, Chip Casteel, and Ewell Lawson.