MOScout Daily Update: Hamra's Strong Fundraising Start - House Ed Reformers to Senate - Eigel and Onder Stump for Turner - Red Flag IP and more...

Exclusive: Hamra’s Big Week

Team Hamra cheers a strong fundraising start… Mike Hamra surpassed Minority Leader Crystal Quade’s Q3 fundraising total in just a week, already collecting over $300K since his campaign launch.

Notable for savvy political observers…

·       This is his candidate committee; it doesn’t include any big PAC checks.

·       And this total doesn’t include any contributions from the candidate or his spouse.

Chatter: Bean Lands Aubuchon

Earlier I’d written the rumor that Kyle AuBuchon would be Sen. Jason Bean’s new chief of staff.  One Senate source confirms the news and adds, “I believe this bodes well for Bean’s re-election outlook. Aubuchon is not the kind of staffer that bounces around – 5 Senate Sessions, 5.5 years in the Governor’s Office.  It looks like he is investing in the future of Senator Bean, and that enhances Bean’s already announced candidacy for Senate Majority Floor Leader.”

1 Big Thing: House Will Stay Ed Reform’s Main Battlefield

Looking at the 2024 election cycle, it appears that the Senate is positioned to become more accommodating for education reformers.

And that same dynamic could make the House an even harder place for reformers to pass their bills.

Normally, it’s the Senate – with its filibuster – which vexes folks trying to pass bills.  But the House remains the most stubborn part of the obstacle course for ed reformers.

Reformers potentially moving to the Senate in 2024…

·       Doug Richey in Senate 21 (Hoskins’ seat)

·       Phil Christofanelli in Senate 23 (Eigel’s seat)

·       Chris Dinkins in Senate 27 (Thompson Rehder’s seat)

·       Mike Haffner in Senate 31 (Brattin seat)

But…

With each of these folks leaving the House, their successor may or may not be from the reform camp.  The House has struggled in the past to find 82 votes on school choice issues.  Every single vote counts there. We’ll see how well reformers can replace their ranks.

The SOS Tilt

Is it me or are Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s ballot summaries starting to sound more like Republican talking points than unbiased summaries?

Greta Bax submitted a “red flag” initiative petition.

OFFICIAL BALLOT TITLE AS CERTIFIED BY SECRETARY OF STATE

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to:

allow the state to prohibit persons from possessing, using, purchasing, manufacturing or otherwise receiving a firearm without due process…

·       It reads like an invitation for the courts to come in and rewrite it.

Turner in Senate 27

Jacob Turner, running in Senate 27 (Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder for LG), posted a picture on Twitter of a fundraising event last night in Cape Girardeau.  See it here.

It shows Sen. Bill Eigel and former Sen. Bob Onder both stumping for him.  That tells us a few things…

·       First, though Onder hasn’t formally announced, there should be no doubt that he’s running for lieutenant governor.  He’s acting like a candidate.  Consider him in.

·       Second, Turner appears to be ideologically aligned with the former conservative caucus.  Look for him to try to run to the right of Rep. Chris Dinkins in this primary.

Dean in 133

Citizens for Jeremy Dean was formed.  It’s a candidate committee for Dean, a Democrat, who lost a bid for city council earlier this year.

House 133 is a Springfield district.  The current incumbent is Republican freshman Rep. Melanie Stinnett.  It’s a battleground district…

·       Joe Biden nosed out Donald Trump in the district 48.7% to 48.4%

·       Nicole Galloway and Mike Parson tied 48.4% to 48.4%

Stinnett, a freshman, beat Democrat Amy Blansit in 2022 with a bit more breathing room (52.4% to 47.6%).

Chantelle PAC

Chantelle PAC was formed.  It’s in support of Rep. Chantelle Nickson-Clark, a freshman Democrat from Florissant.  See her bio here.  The treasurer of the PAC is former Rep. Steven Webb. 

·       In 2013, Webb was charged with stealing campaign funds.

eMailbag on Conservative Caucus Moaning

To whoever said conservative bills weren’t priorities last year clearly missed the Senate passing MIKE MOON’S TRANS BILL, or Hoskins’ very conservative priority of tax credits for movie studios.

Lobbyists Registrations

Ron Berry added clients of Steven Tilley and Thomas Robbins: Legal Missouri 2022, Midwest Roots, Tier One Tactical Solutions LLC, Conte Enterprise Holdings LLC,                                                                     Modern Health Alliance Missouri, Police Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 15, Curio Wellness, Active and Retired Missouri State Employees (ARMSE), Good Day Farms, Strategic Air Services, Warrenton Oil Co., mLogica, BesaMe Wellness Missouri Inc., Besa Hospitality Group LLC, Green Precision Analytics, Missouri Energy Development Association, Phoenix Home Care, Mission St. Louis, OHM Group LLC, Swamp East Growers, Protection Plus LLC, Bloom Medicinals, Koch Industries Inc., Transportation Employees Association of Missouri, Draiver, Beleaf Company, MoCann Trade, Osage Nation, St. Louis County Police Association, Tesla Motors Inc., Torch Electronics LLC, MyScholar LLC, Property Assessment Review, Central County Fire and Rescue, City of Arnold, Gardner Capital Inc., and Maco Development Company LLC.

Chris Liese, Jim Foley, Andrew Foley, and Tony Dugger added AirAnswers, Inc.                                                                    

Craig Redmon added Burton-Liese LLC.    

$5K+ Contributions

Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $25,000 from Health PAC.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rep. Bill Allen, Clint Zweifel, Kim Cella, Kevin McManus, David Linton, and Emily Waggoner.

Saturday: Amy Gunn, Tony Messenger, and Patrick Hamacher.

Sunday: Aaron Jeffries, Becky Willard, Brad Ketcher, Patricia Hernandez, and Angie Postal.

MOScout Schedule

Off for the weekend, see you Monday!