MOScout Daily Update: Senate 15 $$$ - Schroer Stays - New CD-2 Ads - Finneran Dinged on Taxes - Williams Violated Sunshine and more...

More Money to Senate 15

In the large contributions (below), another $230K+ is headed to the pro-Andrew Koenig PAC, Freedom’s Promise.  One assumes this money will get quickly routed into another batch of last-minute ads as Koenig tries to fend off Democrat Deb Lavender.  It’s a hot race!

But

Interesting to note what we haven’t seen in the past week or so during this final stretch… big Republican money coming into Senate 1.  It appears that the GOP is circling their wagons around the incumbents in Senate 15 and 19.  And hopes of knocking off a Dem seat have fallen by the wayside…

Schroer Stays on Ballot

Post-Dispatch reports that Rep. Nick Schroer won his battle to stay on the ballot after his family moved out of the district he represents; Schroer claims staying in someone’s basement.  See it here.  Read the judgement here.

New CD-2 Ads

·         Congresswoman Ann Wagner’s new ad returns to a big issue in this race: preserving pre-existing conditions protections.  This ad features a testimonial from a constituent vouching for Wagner.  See it here.

·         Sen. Jill Schupp’s new ad doesn’t address a specific issue, but rather sounds Biden-esque in its message of escaping partisan noise/Trump fatigue.  Watch “Turn the Page” here.

Special Session Outlook

Here’s an intriguing message I received from a House Republican in regards to the upcoming special session… “The way the House ended on such a high note killing the previous special session, no one will cry if a lame duck special session never happens.  Hard to argue the Governor doesn’t already the ability to use the CARES funds so if the House does come in, expect the Budget Committee to go beyond the call in where the money goes...the Governor already got a blank check so now the GA will take back control.”

Children’s Division Change

Word circulating among child care advocates is that “Cindy Burks of DSS is no longer in charge of the subsidy program at Children’s Division.”  This a big deal for some folks in this space because there’s been controversy about the state’s subsidy policies. 

Finneran Dinged on Delinquent Tax

Springfield News-Leader reports that “the Democratic candidate for state attorney general paid delinquent personal property taxes this week, avoiding potential disqualification from the November election. Rich Finneran, a former federal prosecutor challenging incumbent Republican Eric Schmitt, had not paid $837 in 2019 personal property taxes on two Acuras and associated fees to St. Louis County as of Tuesday evening… A reporter contacted Finneran asking about the unpaid taxes Tuesday following a basic background check into candidates on the November ballot. Finneran said he would pay them as soon as possible; St. Louis County records show his personal property taxes for 2019 and 2020 were paid Thursday.”

·         “Amateur hour,” remarked one Republican.  This is the sort of thing most statewide candidates clean up months before they even start talking about filing.

MOIndy on MMJ Lawsuit

Missouri Independent has an article up this morning about a lawsuit surrounding the marijuana licensing process.  Read it here.  Couple of interesting nuggets…

·         The Callicoats’ attorneys questioned [Randall] Williams in early October, where under oath he admitted that he conducted state business through texts on his private cell phone — a fact that had never been revealed during the course of the lawsuit. “Dr. Williams further acknowledged that he never took any steps to save his text messages discussing state business to a state computer,” the motion says, “even though that is expressly required under the Sunshine Law.”

·         If the Callicoats’ lawsuit is successful, it would lift the cap on the number of licenses the state can issue, allowing any applicant who met the minimum standards to be able to go into business.

Lobbyists Registrations

Harry Donald Bozoian added US eDirect.

$5K+ Contributions

Freedom's Promise PAC (pro-Koenig) - $225,000 from Missouri Senate Campaign Committee.

Freedom's Promise PAC - $5,250 from Lincoln PAC (pro-Hough).

Keep Government Accountable (pro-Galloway) - $100,000 from Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local 36 Voluntary Political Fund.

Uniting Missouri PAC (pro-Parson) - $50,000 from Missourians for a Responsible Budget (pro-Fitzpatrick).

Uniting Missouri PAC - $10,000 from Drury Development Company.

Uniting Missouri PAC - $10,000 from Spire Missouri Inc.

Uniting Missouri PAC - $10,000 from GSLAA PAC.

Page PAC - $10,000 from GSLAA Political Action Committee.

Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $50,000 from Blaine for Congress.

Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $30,000 from Franklin County Leadership PAC (pro-Schatz).

Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $20,000 from Citizens for Schatz.

Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $20,000 from Northwest Missouri Leadership PAC (pro-Hegeman).

Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $7,500 from Kansas City Chiefs Football Club.

MO Opportunity PAC (pro-Schmitt) - $10,000 from American Federation for Children.

Clean and Accountable (pro-Dem) - $109,500 from Missouri WIN.

Protect Missouri Freedom (pro-Dem) - $10,000 from Protect Missouri Workers PAC.

House Democratic Campaign Committee - $14,000 from Crystal PAC (pro-Quade).

Freedom Incorporated - $10,000 from Jackson County Democratic Committee TPAC.

Freedom Incorporated - $6,000 from John McDaniel.

MO Republican Party - $11,156 from Fair Missouri.

CWA-COPE Political Contributions Federal Committee - $75,212 from Communications Workers of America- COPE PCC.

UAW Region 5 Midwest States Political Action Committee (PAC) (MO) - $6,000 from UAW Region 5 Exchange Account.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rebecca McClanahan, Bryan Pratt, and Kenny Murdock.