MOScout Daily Update: Pro-Wood PAC To Spend $20M - Page Aide Resigns - Budget Day - Justice for Committee Chair and more...

Wood Announces Senate Bid

John Wood announced he’d seek Missouri’s US Senate seat as an Independent.  Wood is answering the call of Jack Danforth who months ago said he saw an opening for a right-of-center mainstream Republican to run – and win – as an Independent.

·       Post-Dispatch reports that a newly formed Super PAC, Missouri Stands United, will plough $20 million into the race to support Wood.

·       See the PAC’s website here. It features a video of Danforth explaining his quest.  The website says it’s an ad that’s running.  It’s just Danforth talking to the camera for 90 seconds, so I assume it’s a digital ad on the internet.

What It Means

It’s a come-together message which doesn’t sound dissimilar in tone from Trudy Busch Valentine’s campaign.  But I still think there’s no doubt that these votes Wood votes will come from the Republican side of the ledger and should offer Dems some hope that the state will be competitive in November.

Page Aide Resigns

Post-Dispatch reports that a “leaked sex tape” is behind the resignation of St. Louis County Executive Sam Page’s chief of staff Cal Harris.

Councilman Mark Harder, R-7th District, said in a news release that he had received an anonymous video on June 22 of a male county employee in a sexual act with a woman in what appeared to be an office on the executive floor of the county building in downtown Clayton. The employee, whom Harder did not name, could be identified in the video because he was wearing a county ID badge with his name.

·       ROMO (Reminder of the Obvious): Re-election season is not a great time for sex tape leaks.

Driving the Day

Governor Mike Parson is expected to announce his actions on the budget today.  Folks are bracing for line-item vetoes. Most likely targeted: earmarks added by the Senate. We’ll see…

AG & Gov Say Plan B Legal

Saint Luke’s Hospital System reversed their decision to suspend giving patients Plan B after a clarifying opinion from the Attorney General’s office.  Missouri Independent reports on it here.

And –  Governor Mike Parson tweeted as well: Missouri law has not changed the legality of contraceptives. Contraceptives are not abortions and are not affected by the Right to Life of the Unborn Child Act.

Bernskoetter Fundy

Sen. Mike Bernskoetter held a fundraiser earlier this week attended by Governor Mike Parson, Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer and Floor Leader Caleb Rowden.

Bernsy’s re-election looks safe, but I’m told a lot of the chatter revolved around his leadership race.  He’s running against Sen. Bill White to replace Rowden as floor leader.  Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer’s name still comes up here and there as a potential candidate for that position as well. 

Justice Announces Committee Chair Bid

Here’s excepts from an email sent from Eddy Justice to members of the Missouri 8th Congressional District Republican Central Committee…

This email is to officially announce my candidacy for the Chairman of the 8th District Committee. I am starting my campaign by reaching out to you to ask for your vote when the committee gathers in the first full week of September.  You current Chairman, Ray Rehder, has moved out of the legislative district he lived in when he was elected and has told me he will not be running for re-election.

In the years I previously served as your Chairman, we were able to navigate some historic waters with the resignation of Congresswoman JoAnn Emerson and the nomination of now Congressman Jason Smith to be on the ballot to represent our Republican Party.  It was my pleasure to serve then and I look forward to the opportunity to serve again, if you elect me.

Due to my experience as your chairman for nearly a decade, I can tell you in good conscience, I am willing and capable to serve again and do the very best job I can…

I have the honor and the humble pleasure to be able to attach three letters of recommendation.  They are from Congressman Jason Smith, Senator Jason Bean and Christian Conservative Grassroots Activist from Texas County, Mr. Bob Green.  I ask that you review them and consider their recommendations.

Thank you for your service to our party and our principles and I look forward to speaking with each of you in the near future.

Lobbyists Registrations

Sam Beffa deleted TAS LLC.

Jean Evans deleted DSL Consulting Group, and Black Bear Fuels, LLC.

$5K+ Contributions

Committee for Liberty (pro-Ashcroft) - $12,500 from 1776 PAC.

Citizens for Common Sense PAC - $10,000 from RightPath PAC.

Missouri Conservative Alliance (pro-Tate) - $15,000 from Missouri and Kansas Laborers PAC.

Page PAC (pro-Page) - $12,500 from Midas Holdings, LLC.

JanePAC (pro-Dueker) - $10,000 from General Automatic Transfer Company.

Buchanan County Citizens for Al Purcell - $20,000 from Annie Purcell.

Missouri Conservatives for Truth - $55,000 from Rex Sinquefield.

RightDirection PAC - $100,000 from RightPath PAC.

Shield PAC LLC (pro-Carter) - $27,500 from Inter/Media Time Buying Corp.

Shield PAC LLC - $15,000 from Kyle McEvoy.

Missouri Forward PAC (pro-Rowden) - $7,500 from A Better Missouri PAC.

Missouri Forward PAC - $10,000 from Missouri Hospital Association PAC.

Missouri Forward PAC - $10,000 from Quality Schools Coalition.

Serve Missouri PAC (pro-McCreery) - $15,000 from LIUNA Local 110 PAC.

Serve Missouri PAC - $10,000 from Laborers' International Union of N.A. Local No. 42 PAC Fund.

Lake For Jackson County Executive - $10,000 from Stacy Lake.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rep. Jeff Coleman, and Pat Dougherty.

MOScout Schedule

There will be no MOScout editions during the Fourth of July weekend.