MOScout Daily Update: Zimmerman in for STL Exec - Creepy Spreadsheets - Missing Hoffman PAC - Hyerloop Hurdle? - Scism Adds $100K and more....

Zimmerman Hops Into STL County Exec Race

St. Louis County Assessor Jake Zimmerman announced he’s running for County Executive.  The current incumbent is Sam Page, who was select by the County Council when Steve Stenger resigned.  Both Zimmerman and Page are Democrats, and former state representatives.  The Democratic primary will be next summer.

See Zimmerman’s announcement video here.  And his website here.

Zimmerman has over $500K in his campaign account, but Page is a terrific fundraiser who will likely quickly close that gap. 

Instant reaction from one MOScouter will a front row seat of St. Louis County Democratic politics…

·         People like [Zimmerman] but there is very little rationale for him running…

·         [Page] will own the news cycle for a couple weeks as the police board plays itself out…

·         [If they deplete their] resources in a Democratic primary, it could allow a well-funded Republican to slip through….

Why It Matters

There are 114 counties in the state of Missouri.  St. Louis County may only be one of them, but it’s the largest by population, and it’s by far the largest by economic activity. 

·         It produces over a quarter (about 27%) of the state’s entire output.

Spreadsheet on Women’s Menstrual Periods?

In the words of Sen. Lauren Arthur, it’s “creepy, invasive, unethical.”

Kansas City Star reports that “Missouri state health director, Dr. Randall Williams, testified at a state hearing Tuesday that he kept a spreadsheet to track the menstrual periods of women who visited Planned Parenthood, an action that one lawmaker has called on the governor to investigate.  The spreadsheet, which was made at Williams’ request by the state’s main inspector, helped to identify patients who had undergone failed abortions…”

See it here.

What It Means

·         This plays into the Democratic playbook for this cycle – Republican extremism on women’s health issues.

·         With President Donald Trump’s boorish behavior already turning off college-educated suburban women, this will be one more affront to that target group.

·         This revelation is a made-for-political-commercial moment. 

·         It could be useful for Dems in specific races like Senate 15 and Senate 19.

·         But… in the hallway there’s great skepticism of Dems’ ability to capitalize and execute in a way that translates into winning campaigns.

Hyperloop  Hurdle?

One MOScouter reminds me that running a hyper-track across the state of Missouri will almost certainly require some eminent domain.  If the past is any indicator, that could face some tough opposition in the state legislature.

No Pro-Hoffman PAC on MEC

That pro-Hoffman PAC I wrote about yesterday?  Women for Justice PAC, which was an indication that Democrats are serious about challenging Rep. David Gregory in House 96?  Well, it ends up there’s no record of it on the Missouri Ethics website…

Stay tuned…

Scism Adds $100K to Campaign

In Senate 3, Kent Scism added $100,000 to his campaign committee, Scism for Senate. 

·         Scism has a successful car dealership and appears able and willing to self-fund.

·         Other Republican names have been mentioned. 

·         This contribution may be timed to dissuade those considering a primary bid.

Bits

·         Governor Mike Parson appointed M. Brandon Baker as Circuit Judge for the 27th Judicial Circuit. He will fill the Circuit Judge vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable James K. Journey.

·         Post Dispatch reports that Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association “wants Missouri health officials to issue strict rules on vaping additives, testing and labeling…”  See it here.

·         And who says Boone County isn’t full of tree-huggers… See it here.

New Committees

Missouri Patient Advocacy Council PAC was formed.  Its treasurer is Gary Dey.            

Excelsior PAC was formed.  Its treasurer is Scott A Turk.

Victor Abundis formed a candidate committee (Friends For Vic Abundis) to run for House 13 as a Democrat.   The current incumbent is Republican Vic Allred.

Jamie Burger formed a candidate committee (Committee To Elect Jamie Burger Hd # 148) to run for House 148 as a Republican. The current incumbent, Republican Rep. Holly Rehder, is running for state senate.

Michael Davis formed a candidate committee (Friends Of Michael Davis) to run for House 56 as a Republican.  The current incumbent, Republican Rep. Jack Bondon, is running for state senate.

$5K+ Contributions

Missouri Patient Advocacy Council PAC - $25,000 from Jefferson City Medical Group, PC.

Scism For Senate - $100,000 from William Scism.

MO Majority PAC LLC - $8,500 from Strategic Capitol Consulting LLC.

Lobbyists Registrations

John Gaskin added ICSolutions.

Scott Penman, Kaycee Nail, Mike Gibbons and Tricia Workman added Parents As Teachers National Center.

John “Greg” Gregory Mermelstein added Missouri State Public Defender.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Kyna Iman, Vince Schoemehl, Rep. Bruce DeGroot, and Mark Parkinson.