MOScout Daily Update: APR Day - Roe Exits DeSantis PAC - China Disinvestment Debate - Why Fearless and more...
Good morning, we’re entering the backside of December. Candidates trying to close out their quarterly fundraising, lobbyists and legislators warily eye the start of the next legislative session, and a lot folks X-out days on the calendar to be out of the office…
Driving the Day: Annual Performance Report
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is publicly releasing the annual performance reports (APRs) for Missouri schools. This is the second year using the new standards, MSIP 6 (Missouri School Improvement Program).
Look for each side to find numbers among the data sets to bolster their case for how Jefferson City should address education policy.
Roe Out at DeSantis PAC
Jeff Roe, whose Axiom Strategies firm reps scores of Missouri legislators, resigned from the Ron DeSantis SuperPAC over the weekend amid escalating political drama. The Iowa presidential caucus is just weeks away.
Read the New York Times article here.
· “I can’t believe it ended this way,” Mr. Roe wrote in a statement he posted on X on Saturday night…
· His decision to quit followed comments from the new chairman of the super PAC’s board, Scott Wagner, a DeSantis loyalist and appointee in Florida. Mr. Wagner had explained to The Washington Post why the previous chief executive and two others — all of whom had worked for Mr. Roe — had been fired.
· Mr. Wagner accused them of “mismanagement and conduct issues” as well as “numerous unauthorized leaks.” The Post reported that a lawyer for those employees contacted Mr. Wagner, who then revised his statement to add hedges to those accusations.
· From the start, Never Back Down has been something of a Frankenstein’s monster in its composition, with Mr. Roe and some of his top lieutenants forced to coexist with a decision-making board comprised primarily of longtime friends and loyalists of Mr. DeSantis. The arrangement has raised questions about how closely the campaign and the super PAC have adhered to rules barring coordination.
Winton Group Engaged on Internet Safety
In the lobbyists registrations, The Winton Group signed on to rep Patriot Voices. It seems an odd addition to the Winton portfolio. Aside from its corporate clients, the firm generally takes on center and left-center non-profits (Goodwill, Missouri Food Bank etc).
The group, founded by former Senator Rick Santorum, looks more conservative than their usual clients. But Winton is focused on a single issue for the organization: internet safety for children, which obviously has had bipartisan support.
Why Fearless
Nearly state senate candidates have political action committees that can raise money without the contribution caps limiting candidate committees.
Often the PACs have part of the candidate names, or highlight an important issue they’re running on. Democrat Joe Pereles has Fearless PAC. And his latest email blast offers the explanation…
My name is Joe Pereles (rhymes with my nickname, “Fearless”) and I am a Democrat running for the Missouri State Senate (District 15 in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri)—an open seat and rare flip opportunity in 2024…
My friends call me ‘Fearless’ because I have been known to take on tough challenges and never back down.
The Longer View
One reader thinks that while disinvesting from China might make good near-term political sense, it’s ceding critical intellectual ground that will haunt Republicans in the future…
I am reminded of the 1980s when Republicans would argue against sex education in schools by saying that parents are the proper teachers about morality. They gave up that position when they came to power, instead arguing for abstinence only education. Once they conceded the debate about whether or not morals should be taught in schools, the only question for voters was “whose morals” would be taught.
Every election the conversation moves more and more to the left with debates about the propriety of sexual orientation and gender identification. But here’s the catch, Republicans can’t go back to the days of saying don’t teach any of this in schools, they conceded that argument with the rise of the Moral Majority and Christian Coalition in late 80s and early 90s.
Now with regard to MOSERS, Republicans have for decades opposed using state retirement funds as a political tool. The argument was always simple, we have a fiduciary responsibility to maximize returns for state employees and taxpayers. Even to this day, we see these arguments against ESG investing coming from the very people arguing to divest from China.
Now that Republicans have found a suitable political wedge to target with investment funds, they have thrown out their principles for the political score of the moment. Once they have conceded the debate about whether or not state employee pensions can and should be used for political purposes, the only question left for voters is whose political purposes will be served.
Lobbyist Registrations
David Winton, Jessica Petrie, and Chase Campbell added Patriot Voices.
Dena Ladd added St Louis Fashion Fund, and Law Enforcement Legislative Coalition.
Rich Chrismer and Keeley Briscoe added Citigroup Washington Inc.
Rich Chrismer added PLUS Communications, LLC.
Jake Silverman deleted Micron Pure LLC.
$5K+ Contributions
Smith Victory Fund - $10,000 from Clement Smith.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Mike Grote, Merri Berry, Derrick Good, and Kevin Elmer.