MOScout Daily Update: Roe to Trump? - Humphreys Not Dark Money Source - MO NRA Endorsements - COVID Scare for Reps? and more...
eMailbag: Yikers!
From a state representative last night… [Lobbyist] tested positive for COVID-19 on July 1. He appeared at several fundraisers in JC the day before… Many are frustrated because no one found out until tonight… Who knows how many legislators and lobbyists he came into contact with last Tuesday. Several of us getting tested tomorrow just in case…
Roe in the White House Mix?
From Vanity Fair yesterday… Meanwhile, Trump continues to discuss shaking up his campaign. According to a source, former Ted Cruz campaign manager Jeff Roe is in talks to join the campaign as a strategic adviser, effectively taking over for embattled campaign manager Brad Parscale. A source said Parscale has threatened to resign if Roe joins. (Parscale did not respond to a request for comment.) Some question the wisdom of bringing on Roe. “Jeff Roe is a religious-right guy. That’s not what Trump needs. He needs someone to go broad,” a prominent Republican said.
Humphreys Not Funding VFGG
There’s speculation about the original source of the $390,000 contribution made to Voters For Good Government which is making its way into a couple of state senate races already. I’m told that “David [Humphreys] is in no way associated with any contribution to that Pac. In this time of crisis, David’s full attention and resources are focused on helping his business, his community, and the charities that he and his family support. He believes that now is a time we should all come together. Accordingly, he is not allocating resources to political campaigns.”
MO NRA Endorsements
The NRA’s Political Victory Fund released their Missouri endorsements. See them here. Incumbents with a good voting record get the nod over challengers without a record. Sole endorsements in the Senate primary races…
· Elaine Gannon – Senate 3.
· Bill Eigel – Senate 23
· Jeff Shawan – Senate 25
· Mike Moon – Senate 29
Non-incumbents who won endorsements in the House Primary races…
· John Hurlbert – House 12 (Ken Wilson termed)
· James Kalberloh – House 125 (Warren Love termed)
· Macy Mitchell – House 130 (Jeff Messenger termed)
Senate GOP Primaries
· In Senate 3, Missouri Times reports on accusations of yard sign stealing and bad blood between the Joshua Barrett camp and Kent Scism camp. See it here.
· In Senate 29, the pro-Caleb Rowden PAC sent $50K to the pro-David Cole PAC. This comes a day after Onder Law Firm (the brother of Sen. Bob Onder) sent $50K to the pro-Mike Moon PAC. It feels like the proxy war is heating up here.
· In Senate 31, Rick Brattin’s latest mailer (see it here) shows his campaign is taking on the “outsider” message, with no mention of his time as a state representative. He’ll be casting Jack Bondon as a favorite of lobbyists and Jefferson City.
Mask Debate from Town to Town
· Joplin Globe reports: After hearing recommendations from both local hospitals and doctors who are treating COVID-19 patients, as well as three hours of public comments Wednesday night, the Joplin City Council voted 6-3 to enact an amended ordinance requiring people to wear face masks or shields in public… Jeremy Drinkwitz, president of Mercy Hospital, said, "We have seen a huge rise" in cases since the council turned down a mask requirement two weeks ago….
· Springfield News-Leader reports: CoxHealth's leaders are urging the Springfield City Council to pass a masking ordinance as soon as possible to stop surging caseloads and subsequent hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19. In a letter to Mayor Ken McClure on Tuesday, Cox President and CEO Steve Edwards wrote "the time is now" for leaders to require people to wear face coverings in public as hospitals in northwest Arkansas are "gasping" and Joplin "appears to be in the throes of a near similar surge." When asked at a news conference whether measures were being taken quickly enough, Edwards said there was probably a "sweet spot" for passing an ordinance. He said while science shows there would be no harm in enacting measures early to stop the spread before cases surged, there may not be a public desire to follow the rules without a tangible threat…
What It Means
· The medical community’s role in de-politicizing the act of wearing a mask is critical.
· Current projections from DHSS show Southwest Missouri (page 6) with a upward trajectory in hospitalizations. See it here.
· Will the Cape area be next? (Page 7 shows their curve).
Help Wanted
Missouri Charter Public School Association seeks Director of Advocacy. “The Director of Advocacy will support the Association’s advocacy and engagement objectives (local and statewide) working collaboratively with our executive director, board of directors, members and contract lobbyist. This position reports directly to the Executive Director.” See it here.
$5K+ Contributions
Missourians for Healthcare - $50,000 from Missouri Coalition for Community Behavioral Healthcare.
Missourians for Healthcare - $16,209 from The Fairness Project.
Committee to Elect Tom Van Camp - $5,678 from Committee To Elect Tom Van Camp 4th District.
Missourians for Healthcare - $200,000 from Health Care Issues Committee of the Missouri Hospital Association.
House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $19,000 from 417 PAC.
House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $25,000 from Ozark Gateway Leadership PAC.
Southwest Missouri Conservative Values PAC - $50,000 from Missouri Forward PAC.
MO Society of Anesthesiologists Political Action Committee - $25,000 from Ozark Anesthesia Associates.
Page PAC - $10,000 from O'Brien Law Firm P.C.
Page PAC - $10,000 from I.U.O.E. Local 513 Political & Educational Fund.
Heartland Action PAC - $10,000 from The Driscoll Firm, P.C.
Van Kelly For Missouri - $16,150 from Van Kelly.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Ron Fitzwater, and Don Ruzicka.