MOScout Daily Update: The Case for Carter - Booming Revenues - Ashford on Midterms - Who Won the Pundit Contest and more...

Just a quick update before the long Memorial Day weekend…

Exclusive: Carter Ad

In the Senate 10 race to replace termed Sen. Jeanie Riddle, Mike Carter is an intriguing candidate.  I think he’s been too easily dismissed by many observers as a political maverick.  He ran as Democrat for lieutenant governor in 2008 and now here he is as a Trump Republican in 2022.

But here’s the deal: he loaned himself $500,000 and he’s spending the money.  It’s a six-way primary that includes three state representatives running and another former representative.  If no one else can put together similar money to reach the voters of the district, and Carter targets his message appropriately, he could pull this off.

·         Exclusive: See his television ad here. 

Booming State Revenues

As we head into the final stretch of the fiscal year, budget watcher Jim Moody writes: “we know that Fiscal Year 2022 is going to be an absolute blowout compared to any prior reasonable revenue estimate for Fiscal Year 2022.”

Ashford on Midterms

John Ashford (see bio here) met last week with midwestern business leaders to discuss the midterm elections. 

For business leaders, the midterm environment offers risks:

·         A GOP pro-populist, anti-corporate shift means that businesses can no longer rely on Republicans to support them.

·         The current environment of political polarization, extremism and lack of trust means more contentious issues will play out in public.  Engaging the public is going to be a crucial business strategy for managing risk.

·         If his predictions are right about a likely GOP Senate and a near-certain GOP House takeover, Washington will get even less done in the next two years.  A GOP Congress will refuse to do anything — except hold investigations of the Biden administration — until they can win back the White House in 2024.

See the presentation deck here.

Greitens v Greitens

Rudi Keller tweets that the Greitens child custody case hearing has been postponed.

Hearing in @SheenaGreitens v @EricGreitens set for Friday in Boone County has been continued after 'notice of mediation compliance' was filed by Eric Greitens atty; hearing would have aired Sheena Greitens' abuse claims, examined phone records…

Ross Wins “Chief Pundit” Contest

Before session I asked MOScouters to guess at twelve Yes/No questions.  Kenny Ross and Chris Roepe tied for first with 10/12.  Ross wins on the TAFP-ed tie-breaker.

Easiest question: Jeff Roorda will file for state senate as a Republican. All but one respondent answered YES.

Hardest question: Candidate filing dates will be modified. Only three correctly answered NO.

Re-live the quiz…

1.      At least one day of session will be cancelled due to COVID.          

2.      The much-rumored grand juries in Jefferson City will result in at least one indictment before the end of session.       

3.      More than six legislators/former legislators will be appointed to positions by Governor Parson and confirmed by the Senate during session.       

4.      Chief of staff Aaron Willard will leave the 2nd floor before the end of session.      

5.      The legislature will pass a new income tax cut.        

6.      The legislature will pass a Texas style anti-abortion bill.     

7.      The legislature will explicitly not fund Medicaid expansion.           

8.      The legislature will revise SAPA.     

9.      Candidate filing dates will be modified.       

10.  Mark McCloskey will file for US Senate.     

11.  Jeff Roorda will file for state senate as a Republican.

12.  A state senator will file to run against Congresswoman Cori Bush.

New Committees

ACEC Missouri PAC was formed.  Its treasurer is Bob Gilbert.

Lobbyists Registrations

Heath Clarkston, Doug Nelson, and Kurt Schaefer added Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis, and KC Fiber; and deleted Avenue Healthcare Development.

Doug Stone added PI Granby LLC.

Dick Wiles and Sam Wiles deleted Domaine Storage.

Chris Moody deleted Elara Caring.

Tom Rackers deleted Greenview Consulting Services LLC.

$5K+ Contributions

Association of MO Electric Cooperatives (AMEC PAC) - $8,000 from Fiber Path Technologies.

Hruza for Missouri - $5,300 from George Hruza.

American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $15,000 from Midwest Long Term Care Services, LLC.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Becky Lohmann, Bob Dixon, Debbie Monterrey, and Scott Leiendecker.

Saturday: Rep. Robert Sauls, Elijah Haahr, Olivia Wilson, and Daniela Velázquez.

Sunday: Rep. Kevin Windham, Chris Dunn, Chuck Banks, and Damon Porter.
Monday: Stacy Reliford, and Galen Higdon.

MOScout Schedule

I’m off for Memorial Day.  See you Tuesday!