MOScout Daily Update: Meet YAL - Revenues Bounce - STL ECE Taxes - Hartzler PPP $$$ and more...
Meet YAL
Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) is a potential new power player in some Republican House primaries this summer.
YAL (see the website here) was formed in the aftermath of Ron Paul’s presidential campaign. It’s a youth movement with chapters in colleges across the country. Members follow in the Paul libertarian ideals – more socially moderate than social conservatives, less accepting of foreign entanglements than establishment Republicans, while fiscally conservative and free market oriented.
YAL’s goal it to elect 250 state legislators “who share our commitment to liberty.” To achieve that goal they make endorsements of candidates and place volunteers with the campaigns. They focus on the ground game. They aim to make 30,000+ door knocks for a candidate they’ve endorsed. According to their website, last cycle “Operation Win at the Door knocked on over 1.5 million doors and secured 56 victories.”
In Missouri, that included Reps. Dirk Deaton and Tony Lovasco who were supported by YAL.
The official endorsement list hasn’t come out yet, but a few candidates that are said to be favorites are:
· David Woody in House 8.
· Chris Sander in House 33.
· Jaret Holder in House 153.
FYI
Rep. Phil Christofanelli formed a YAL chapter at Washington University during his time as an undergraduate there, and has ties to the organization. However he’s made it clear that YAL’s endorsements are sometimes contrary to his own personal endorsements.
STL City and County Pursue ECE Funding
It looks like St. Louis City and St. Louis County each have groups attempting to put a tax before voters to fund early childhood programs.
· The City proposal would “increase the tax rate for the community children’s services from 19 cents per hundred dollars of assessed valuation to the maximum allotted by the state (25 cents)… If approved the tax increase would provide an additional $2.3 million dollars to the community children’s services fund administered by the City Mental Health Board. The funds would be used to provide early childcare services to children in the City aged five years and younger. This funding would increase and sustain quality programs and help build the capacity within the city of early childcare staff.”
· In the County, they were collecting signatures but when COVID hit they had to abandon their efforts. Now they are going to try to get the County Council to put something on the ballot as well. The County proposal (see it here) is a half-cent sales tax, the “Early Childhood Economic Development Sales Tax.” The revenue generated would “be used for economic development purposes by funding early childhood care and education programs for children 0-5 years old before they enter kindergarten, provided they reside within the geographical boundaries of the County; by funding improvements to early childhood care and education programs…” It would be overseen by a seven-member Early Childhood Economic Development Tax Board.
Hartzler Hand-Out
Politico reports on Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler not saying how much PPP money her family businesses received. See it here.
“Democrats have tried to pry free the list of recipients. But their push in the House to require disclosure of at least some companies was blocked on the floor late last month by Republicans — including Williams and Hartzler, who voted against the bill… Spokespeople for Williams and Hartzler declined to say how much money was provided under the loans to the privately held companies lawmakers own… While it is not illegal for lawmakers to apply for or accept the money, it has raised new questions about lawmakers’ potential conflicts of interest as they craft the next coronavirus rescue package…”
Revenues Showing Some Bounce
At the half-way point in the month, state tax receipts are showing a little life. That’s good news for budgeteers. As of the close of business June 15, sales tax receipts for the month were up 36% compared to last June, and individual income tax receipts were up 25%.
· But, with two weeks left in the fiscal year, net revenues are still off a little over 6%, or $550 million.
STL County Exec Endorsements
I’m honestly not sure if any of this matters. MOScout polling suggested that voters in St. Louis County are most interested in managerial competence during this turbulent time. But….
Jake Zimmerman received Fannie Lou Hamer Coalition Endorsement for St. Louis County Executive. “Jake’s agenda speaks to the needs of ALL St. Louis County residents. Jake believes in fairness, equal pay, job equality and equality in health. These are all of the issues that are important to North County. He also believes in being honest with us, and not giving pacifying answers so that we will just go away…”
And
· Team Sam Page unveiled their endorsement page. At the top are former County Executive Charlie Dooley and former St. Louis City Mayor Francis Slay. See it here.
· See Mark Mantovani’s endorsement page here.
Don’t Tread Gets Some Dough
Don’t Tread on Me PAC received $20K from the Chouteau PAC, one those hard-to-trace money PACs. Don’t Tread’s treasurer is Chris Vas who heads the Liberty Alliance. They made splash a few summers ago at the governor’s ham breakfast but have been relatively quiet since then.
Don’t Tread filed “limited activity” in April. Their January filing before that showed $497 on-hand.
New Committees
Mike Johnson formed a candidate committee (Michael L Johnson for State Rep) to run for House 23 as a Democrat.
$5K+ Contributions
CLEAN Missouri - $25,000 from Sue Fischlowitz David Roberts.
Don't Tread on MO PAC - $20,000 from Chouteau PAC.
DougPac - $10,000 from Laborers Union Local #110 Voluntary Political Fund.
Page PAC - $10,000 from Iron Workers Local No. 396 Voluntary Fund.
Lobbyist Registrations
Patrick Lynn added Mainspring Strategies, LLC.
Francis G. Slay added S. I. Warehousing Co., Inc. d/b/a Archway Fleeting & Harbor.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to Sen. Lincoln Hough, Rep. Michael O'Donnell, Sam Licklider, and Barbara Fraser.