MOScout Daily Update: Parson Pivot to Crime Continues - $$$ Flows to PACs - Brattin Gets CWA and more...
Parson Pivot Continues
Post-Dispatch reports on Governor Mike Parson’s travel schedule this week. See it here.
Gov. Mike Parson is scheduled to launch a statewide fly-around Monday to promote his call for new laws addressing violent crime. But while the election year tour that includes St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield is aimed at convincing the public of the need for changes, his primary hurdle is a skeptical Legislature that had been more focused on the Aug. 4 primary and the spread of COVID-19. On Monday, before he leaves for an event in Kansas City, Parson is holding a conference call with GOP members of the House and Senate.
We’ll see whether Parson is successful in making violent crime in Missouri’s urban areas the crisis du jour while COVID flares up increasingly in rural Missouri. Because just talking up crime doesn’t make the coronavirus go away…
· Springfield News-Leader writes about Governor Mike Parson’s mixed messaging on masks. See that here.
· And see his “dang mask” line from the Cattlemen’s Fry here. It was a big applause line. But there’s a definite political risk in arguing that public health is beyond the scope of government.
Money Race
Large dollars are still moving in with just over two weeks until the August primary.
· In Senate 27 and Senate 33 the PACs of Axiom clients Reps. Holly Rehder and Robert Ross, recorded $100,000 from Missouri Senate Conservative Fund.
· In Senate 25, Axiom client Eddy Justice’s PAC also received $15K from that committee as well as $5,500 from North Missouri Leadership PAC which incidentally has the same address as Missouri Senate Conservative Fund.
· In Senate 33, Van Kelly added $80,000 to his campaign account. He had initially seeded his campaign with $100K, so this is round two of personal funding.
Senate 31: Brattin Gets CWA
Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) has announced its endorsement of Rick Brattin in the 2020 State Senate race for the 31st District.
What It Means
Not sure how many votes it gets him, but it does hep define him as the more conservative of the two Republicans in the primary.
eMailbag on the Growing Conservative Caucus
I had a thought on the conservative caucus question [Hallway Index]. A lot of this is how you label folks. I label the Conservative Caucus as the group that obstructs the Senate Leadership…
Conservatives can and do compromise and engage in reasonable discourse. Obstructionists only believe in a single solution with a single intervention and deviation is the enemy…
To be clear I think the left has these individuals as well and if they were in power we would likely see a similar dynamic in Missouri.
I look at the CC as a group led by Eigel on most days with a group willing to follow him including Onder/Koenig/Hoskins/O’Laughlin/Burlison. I would not put Rehder or Ross in that camp; although they will have a strong conservative tilt and Ross will be a nightmare for Conservation. I don’t believe either of these individuals will work toward obstruction. I also don’t think they will be reliable for Eigel.
Gubby Appt
Governor Mike Parson appointed the Honorable Rick Roberts as Circuit Judge for the 1st Judicial Circuit. He will fill the Circuit Judge vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable Gary Dial. Judge Roberts, of Kahoka, is currently an Associate Circuit Judge in Clark County. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Truman State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.
eMailbag on Senate 27 Poll
I guess the old rule of “you have to be from Cape Girardeau to win” means you have to also win in Cape if you’re from Cape. Remember, some doubted Sen Luetkemeyer’s campaign because he wasn’t from St Joseph, too. With the right candidate and the right message, geography matters less.
eMailbag on BLM Mailer
Look at the flyer. All of those BLM signs and "Defund the Police" sayings, however there is nothing citing [Swan’s] votes on these issues. This is clear race baiting in Southeast MO.
New Committees
Timothy Gartin filed an exemption committee to run in House 78 (Rasheen Aldridge district) as a Republican.
$5K+ Contributions
Holly PAC - $100,000 from Missouri Senate Conservative Fund.
Team Robert PAC - $100,000 from Missouri Senate Conservative Fund.
Justice for All PAC - $15,000 from Missouri Senate Conservative Fund.
Justice for All PAC - $5,500 from North Missouri Leadership PAC.
Van Kelly For Missouri - $80,000 from Van Kelly.
Western Missouri Leadership Fund - $22,000 from The Madison PAC.
Voters for Good Government - $35,000 from Taxpayer in Support of Public Education.
Voters for Good Government - $15,000 from Ketchmark & McCreight.
CLCP PAC - $10,000 from Chris Hammeren.
Terry Dotson for Cass County Sheriff - $50,000 from Robert Cutler.
Green for Circuit Judge - $10,000 from Daniel Green.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Brad Lager and Dick Fleming.