MOScout Daily Update: Roorda Rumor! - Rex Gives $250K to Fitz PAC - New Franklin Co Sen Candidate - MEC Files TX Lookalike Bill and more...

JeffCo Rumors… Roorda for Senate?

The departure of Becky Ruth and Rob Vescovo from the Jefferson County race has shaken up the Jefferson County senate race.  Lots of moving parts here…

The big new rumor: former Rep, and controversial police spokesman Jeff Roorda as possible candidate in the senate race.  As a Republican!  Roorda was a Democrat when he was a state representative last decade.  JeffCo source: “He is setting the ground work… Roorda is banking the old Jeff co labor families that the Dem party left will vote for him. 12 years ago everyone was a Democrat. Now everyone that voted Dem votes R... the argument is that the Dem party left me too…”

·         Meanwhile, that same good source says that Ken Waller isn’t a likely candidate.  In fact, he might end up not running for state representative as there’s now talk of him taking a city manager job.

All together: we’ll see….

And

Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman continues to burnish her pro-life cred.  Yesterday she pre-filed an anti-abortion bill modeled on the Texas law which has caused a stir.

Press release: “State Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman is once again leading the charge to protect the lives of the unborn. This week she pre-filed the Empower Women, Promote Life Act (HB 1987)… The bill also contains language similar to the Texas Heartbeat Act that took effect in Texas in September. Coleman’s bill would prohibit most abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. It also would provide private citizens with the ability to bring a civil suit against abortion providers who violate Missouri’s pro-life laws and anyone who aids a women in getting an unlawful abortion procedure. Additionally, the bill includes provisions to prohibit dilation and evacuation, also known as dismemberment, abortions, and to protect children who survive a failed abortion attempt…”

Rex Gives $250K to Fitz PAC

In the large contributions (below) Rex Sinquefield sent $250,000 to the pro-Scott Fitzpatrick PAC, Missourians for a Responsible Budget.

A few quick takeaways on this…

·         Current fundraising quarter ends in two weeks.  But looking in the rearview mirror, last quarter Fitzpatrick and his primary opponent Rep. David Gregory were tied with cash on-hand in their candidate committees ($445K vs $435K), while Gregory held a $350K lead with his PAC.  This contribution helps Fitz narrow that gap.

·         But… it’s worth stepping back and wondering how much this is all going to matter unless one of them really brings in real dough (millions).  It’s going to be hard for them to get much visibility with the hot US Senate primary taking center stage.

·         Team Fitz thinks if they match Gregory, they will ultimately win because Fitz starts with higher name ID.  Still, the MOScout polls have consistently shown huge amounts of undecideds in this race. 

Jones for Senate

Bob Jones announced for the Franklin County senate seat.  Press release: Longtime Franklin County businessman Robert (Bob) C. Jones has announced for the State Senate seat currently held by retiring Senator Dave Schatz…

·         Jones received a B.S. degree in Education from University of Missouri and a Master of Education from the University of Missouri St. Louis. Prior to starting his business, Jones taught high school social studies for over a decade..

·         In 1977, Bob, along with his brother Jim and their wives, started J & W Cycles. J & W Cycles was named a Top 100 motorsports dealer for 20 consecutive years and as the Top Polaris dealer in sales in the world for four consecutive years. He sold his interest in the business a few years ago. “My success in business was because I listened, and I always put my customers first. In the Senate, I will follow those same principles. I will listen, and I will put the people of our community first - not special interests, lobbyists and not government bureaucrats.”

·         Jones has been active in the community serving on the Washington Town & Country Fair Board for nine years, as Fair Chairman, Bank of Washington Community Advisory Board, and attending the Immanuel Lutheran Church.  Jones has been married to Nancy (Tiemann) Jones for 55 years and has two children, Doug and Jennifer. Jones also has four grandchildren.

What It Means

Scott Dieckhaus’ name is on the press release.  So one assumes Jones will have Palm as his consultant.  Jones is presumably the Griesheimer replacement.  He’ll be the Franklin County business community’s candidate, someone more in line with Dave Schatz than the insurgent Ben Brown.

JC Legislators Push Pay Plan

Sen. Mike Bernskoetter, and Reps. Dave Griffith and Rudy Veit penned a letter to their fellow legislators arguing in favor of Governor Mike Parson’s pay plan for state employees, saying our current pay scale is “the lowest in the nation.”

“We’re able to invest millions of dollars and offer massive tax credits to KEEP a GM factory in Missouri, but why can’t we really invest in ourselves?”

Cerner for Sale?

Wall Street Journal reports that Oracle is in talks to buy Cerner.  “An agreement could be finalized soon, some of the people said, assuming the talks don’t fall apart or drag out… Kansas City, Mo.-based Cerner designs software that hospitals and doctors use to store and analyze medical records and other healthcare data. It has a market value of around $23 billion. With a typical takeover premium, a deal would be expected to value the company at something like $30 billion, though exact terms being discussed couldn’t be learned…”

·         Cerner’s lobbyists in Jefferson City are David Frantze, and Jewell Patek.

COVID Hospitalizations Up Sharply

Here we go again… Nearly 2,000 Missourians are currently hospitalized with COVID; 256 of them are on ventilators.  Be safe out there, folks.

Lobbyists Registrations

Richard McIntosh, David McCracken, and John Gaskin added Missouri Community Action Network.

Jeff Howell added Missouri State Orthopaedic Association.

Elizabeth Lauber added MERC (Missouri Education Reform Council).

John Schillo added Lundbeck LLC.             

$5K+ Contributions

Missourians for a Responsible Budget (pro-Fitzpatrick) - $250,000 from Rex Sinquefield.

Uniting Missouri PAC (pro-Parson) - $7,500 from AGC OF MO PAC.

Legal Missouri 2022 - $7,500 from Vertical Enterprises LLC.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Kristian Starner, Talibdin El-Amin, and Sam Komo.

Saturday: Mike Grote, Kevin Elmer, and Derrick Good.

Sunday: Rep. Nick Schroer, Josh Haynes, and Greg Porter.

MOScout Schedule

No weekend editions this weekend.