MOScout Daily Update: Dems Claim Biden Up in MO - OK Votes on MedEx Today - MO Nears 1,000 COVID Deaths - End of Quarter Checks and more...
Dem Polling Has Biden Up in MO
Find a Galloway campaign polling memo by Garin-Hart-Yang here.
From the memo: Between June 16-22, 2020, Garin-Hart-Yang conducted a survey among 800 likely general election voters in Missouri. The survey, which was conducted online, has a margin of error of 3.5% and is representative of a November 2020 electorate…
· The survey finds that the political environment in Missouri has shifted slightly away from Republicans…
· Governor Parson has become a more partisan and polarizing figure and has negative ratings on the key issues like health care and education that voters rate as their top priorities...
· In the presidential race, Vice President Joe Biden starts with a 2-point lead over Donald Trump...
· Governor Mike Parson has a 7-point lead over State Auditor Nicole Galloway. The governor — who had a 14 point lead over Auditor Galloway in February 2019 — has seen that number cut in half in part because of his declining ratings among independents and Democrats…
· Only 18 percent of voters have confidence that Governor Parson is “working for affordable health care” — while 47 percent have doubts about the governor’s ability to handle the issue.
· Our survey finds that Missouri voters see Parson as tied to special interests in Jefferson City — and overwhelmingly doubt his ability to tackle corruption in government.
End of Quarter Checks
In the large contributions, see a steady flow of checks.
· The pro-Parson PAC recorded over $180K.
· The pro-Kehoe PAC recorded $70K
· The pro-Page PAC recorded $115K
Today is the last day of the June quarter so tomorrow’s list will likely be long too.
Driving the Day: OK Votes on MedEx
Politico reports: If voters approve a ballot measure on Tuesday, Oklahoma would become the first state to broadly expand government-backed health insurance to many of its poorest residents since the beginning of a pandemic that has stripped many people of coverage. At the same time, that could scuttle the Trump administration’s efforts to make Oklahoma a test case for its plan to transform the entitlement program into a block grant.
While ballot measures on Medicaid expansion in recent years have succeeded in other Republican strongholds like Idaho, Nebraska and Utah, the Oklahoma vote comes at a volatile time. Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt is warning the program would be unaffordable while the state suddenly confronts an estimated $1.3 billion shortfall. Voter turnout is also in question as infection rates surge…
The opposition to the Oklahoma ballot initiative is being led by the Oklahoma chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a Koch brothers-backed conservative group that recently launched a six-figure digital ad and direct mail campaign arguing that expansion would bankrupt the state….
The outcome of the Oklahoma ballot measure will be closely watched in Missouri, where voters on Aug. 4 will also vote on expanding Medicaid in their state. The ballot measure is strongly opposed by Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican facing reelection in November. Organizers of the Missouri ballot measure have similarly focused their messaging on the plight of the state’s hospitals, particularly those in rural areas. Ten hospitals have closed in Missouri since 2014, according to the state's hospital association.
“It’s about making sure Missourians can access health care in their communities,” said Jack Cardetti, a spokesperson for the group behind the ballot initiative….
COVID Update
· Missouri nears the 1,000 deaths mark. We will probably hit it today or tomorrow.
· According to a study released last week by WalletHub, MO ranks 6th in the fewest restrictions imposed on everyday life in order to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
· Hospitalizations remain stable, but stubbornly refuse to decline.
Once More With Feeling
From another reader, the case for signing SB 600…
The argument in favor of vetoing SB 600 is ridiculous. You need only look at the President’s daily Tweets of “LAW & ORDER!!!” or the campaign ads in nearly every Republican primary around the state focusing on the same message. Even the Governor’s PAC is running ads talking about him being tough on crime. There’s a reason for this--in a world of protests turned violent and the “defund the police” movement, the law & order message is the galvanizing issue of the Republican base. Polls show that.
Yesterday’s response suggesting the Governor can veto the bill because “he gets no new votes by signing SB 600” misses the point. It’s not about getting new votes, it’s about not losing votes. Whether it’s single or double digits, Trump will win Missouri. Galloway’s only path to victory is to get Missouri’s pro-Trump base to walk away from the Governor. A veto of SB 600 creates the point of division between the Governor and the Trump base that third-party groups can exploit. My prediction, he signs the bill
IE PAC List Updated
Find the evolving list of Independent Expenditure PACs at its usual place: here. Added to the list…
· Missouri Action PAC – Pro-Judy Baker.
· Patriot PAC – Pro-Joshua Barrett.
· Citizens for a Better District 1 – Pro-Dave Lenihan.
· NOVA PAC – Pro-John Simmons.
And
One MOScouter said of NOAV PAC, “Apparently Simmons may not be all in running for Senate, after Schatz, but may be building up a war chest for house leadership… they’re both essentially two years away from being open.”
Enter Al Watkins
Al Watkins, the colorful lawyer who enlivened the Grietens saga, was hired by the two anxious gun-toting lawyers who have become viral memes.
As Super Attorney Chuck Hatfield tweeted: I’ll say it again, it’s not a real party until the lawyers need lawyers.
One MOScouter texted: So when is Attorney Chuck Hatfield going to put out a statement on behalf of attorney Al Watkins who just put out a statement on behalf of attorneys Mark and Patricia McCloskey?
Hughes Retires
Catching up from last week… Missouri Foundation for Health President and CEO Bob Hughes announced today that he will retire from MFH next year… A national search, which is due to launch in the fall of this year, will be conducted for his successor….
eMailbag on Ruckus
Ruckus- Good riddance. The host picked topics a week in advance so we were always talking about old news. And the guests lately have said some of the most outrageous nonsense. It became a platform for spewing misinformation and hyperbole. Should have left the airwaves about 5-10 years ago.
New Committees
Stephanos Freeman formed an exemption committee to run for House 131 (Sonya Anderson termed, Springfield) as a Republican.
$5K+ Contributions
Uniting Missouri PAC - $25,000 from MACO Development Company LLC.
Uniting Missouri PAC - $100,000 from Centene Corporation.
Uniting Missouri PAC - $37,350 from Missouri Leadership Forum.
Uniting Missouri PAC - $25,000 from Missouri Soybean Association.
American Dream PAC - $50,000 from RSLC - Missouri PAC.
American Dream PAC - $10,000 from AGC of MO PAC.
American Dream PAC - $10,000 from GJ Grewe Inc.
Page PAC - $25,000 from Show Me Leadership PAC.
Page PAC - $10,000 from CV 411 LLC.
Page PAC - $15,000 from Snowhill Associates LLC.
Page PAC - $10,000 from Professional Fire Fighters of Eastern Missouri Local 2665 PAC Fund.
Page PAC - $15,000 from Laborers International Union of N.A. Local No. 42 PAC Fund.
Page PAC - $10,000 from UAW V CAP.
Page PAC - $10,000 from David Gochman.
Page PAC - $10,000 from Robert Clark.
Page PAC - $10,000 from Missouri Medical Political Action Committee.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Jeff Porter and former Sen. Pat Dougherty.