MOScout Daily Update: Brattin OK with 6-2 Map - Ratliff Exits Team McCloskey - More SAPA Pushback - More Greitens Ammo - Schulz to YMCA and more...

Brattin OK with 6-2 Map

As a data point that the Senate GOP might not split over the congressional map, one reader offers this hopeful sign…

Sen. Rick Brattin went on the record in favor of a 6-2 map at a recent Cass County Republican meeting. He stated that his Senate colleagues are in agreement on this point. He did offer that a few in the House are in favor of a 7-1 map. While he observed that redistricting is a mess, his version is a little different than the narrative of conservatives for a 7-1 vs. everyone else that your e-update implies. Brattin serves on the redistricting committee as you know.

US Senate Updates

·         Each day bring more evidence that there’s a lot more to the oppo file on Eric Greitens than just the extramarital affair and the charge of swiping his non-profit’s fundraising list which led to his resignation.  Missouri Independent reports on an age discrimination suit filed against Greitens.  And from the NYPost, this disturbing article about one of his biggest donors last time around.

·         Key to the belief that Sen. Dave Schatz is a viable US Senate candidate is the notion that we’ll see a million-dollar personal contribution to his campaign.  Looking back a half-dozen years to his initial state senate campaign, that’s not a fantastical idea.  His first quarter fundraising for that state-level race, he anted up $350,000.  And folks will remember he had a stream of  checks from “real life” donors – not the usual Jeff City names, but folks from the business community in Sullivan.

·         Jonathan Ratliff is no longer with the Mark McCloskey campaign.  It’ll be interesting to see on his next report how much staff or outside help – if any – is still engaged with the campaign.

More SAPA Pushback

KCStar reports that “Missouri law enforcement officials are asking the General Assembly to revise the state’s new Second Amendment act,” floating potential fixes.

·         The law’s “wording and structure have caused confusion and potentially unintended legal implications,” the Missouri Police Chiefs Association (MCPA) wrote in an October letter to Republican legislative leaders and the bill’s sponsors.

·         In the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Star, the MPCA proposes specifying that the law would only apply to new federal gun restrictions approved after this past August, and that it doesn’t apply to suspects whom police encounter committing a crime.

FYI

Missouri Police Chiefs Association’s lobbyist in Jefferson City is Scott Swain.

Schultz to Join MO YMCA

Kelly Schultz, let go from her position as Child Advocate for the State of Missouri to make room for Rep. Becky Ruth’s appointment, is joining the Missouri State Alliance of YMCAs.

Press release: The Missouri State Alliance of YMCAs (MSAY) welcomes Kelly Schultz as its new Director of Policy and Partnerships. Most recently, Schultz was the Child Advocate for the State of Missouri. She was appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon and the Missouri Supreme Court in July 2011 and was confirmed by the Missouri Senate. Prior to being the Child Advocate, Kelly spent 12 years working in the Capitol. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science and her master’s in Public Administration from University of Missouri.

Schultz and her husband Loren are foster/adoptive parents and have helped to raise 17 children throughout the years and have six grandchildren. They currently have three teen daughters. Schultz is eager to join the Y team.

“I grew up playing basketball at the Springfield Downtown YMCA with my dad being the coach,” Schultz said. “The Y is a vital provider of safety, health and wellness for children and families across the state through its many programs and is often the community hub for services in more than 70 communities across Missouri. Joining the YMCA team was not only a natural fit for my career, it is like coming home.”

Shelf Life on Wentzville Plant?

Wall Street Journal gives Wentzville GM plant the spotlight as it reports on the whether the shift to climate-friendly technologies will produce huge investment write-downs.  Read it here.

·         At the end of 2019, General Motors Co. announced a $1 billion investment to produce a new generation of Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickup trucks at its factory in Wentzville, Mo.  Just over a year later, GM said it would go all electric by 2035. Analysts are worried that some of the new Wentzville machinery could end up on the scrap heap, adding to a multitrillion-dollar pile of assets that will lose value as the country shifts away from fossil fuels.

·         Nearly 200 countries at the U.N. climate conference this month in Glasgow agreed to curb their use of fossil fuels to address global warming. The result, scientists say, would stave off the worst impacts of rising temperatures. For businesses, the shift—and climate change itself—raises the risk that trillions of dollars of assets will become worthless.

·         A GM spokesman said the company doesn’t anticipate any write-downs as a result of its 15-year move away from gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles. Much of the Wentzville equipment could be repurposed to make electric vehicles, according to the spokesman.

New Committees

Tom Yeager formed a candidate committee (Citizens for Yeager) to run for House 103 as a Republican.  This is Rep. John Wiemann’s seat.  Yeager is an alderman in Weldon Springs.

Jay Swearingen formed a candidate committee (Jay Swearingen for Clay County) to run for Associate Commissioner Western District Seat 2 Clay County.

Citizens for Transparency PAC was formed.  Its treasurer is Larisa Tseona.  The deputy treasurer is former Rep. Stanley Cox.

Pride Through Excellence PAC was formed. Its treasurer is Steve Duncan. The deputy treasurer is former Harold Remley.

Let's Go Brandon PAC was formed.  Its treasurer is Chris Vas.

Lobbyists Registrations

Gamble & Schlemeier deleted Missouri Circuit Clerks Association.

Brad Ketcher added Leafly.

James Harris added Deloitte Consulting LLP.

$5K+ Contributions

Citizens for Yeager - $12,000 from Thomas J Yeager.

House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $10,000 from Missouri Soybean Association.

B PAC (pro-Brian Williams) - $10,000 from Ketchmark & McCreight, PC.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Brian Bunten, Sam Wiles, and Cynthia Davis.

MOScout Schedule

After tomorrow morning’s Update, I’m off until Monday.