MOScout Daily Update: Hamm for Kunce - Bailey for Trump - Harder for Tax Credit - Senate Grades - House Feedback and more...

Hamm for Kunce

Lucas Kunce unveiled a digital ad contrasting Josh Hawley’s writing about “manhood” with Kunce’s life experience.  It’s narrated by Missouri’s Mad Men star Jon Hamm.  That presumably helped send the video viral.  As of this morning Kunce tweet of the ad (see it here) had 1.4M (as in million) views.

What It Means

Kunce showed in his last race that he has the ability to create social media breakthroughs which garner supporters from across the country.  This is just the latest example of it.  It will yield yet another huge wave of small contributions to his next finance report.

·       The trick is converting those small dollar donations into Missouri votes.  It’s a trick we haven’t seen a MO Dem pull off in the last decade.

Bailey for Trump

Attorney General Andrew Bailey endorsed Donald Trump for President in 2024.  See his endorsement tweet here.

What It Means

Why not get out in front of the parade?

With Will Scharf’s consultant, Axiom Strategies, running the pro-DeSantis PAC, is Team Bailey teeing up a contrast for the Republican primary?  We’ll see…

Harder to File Property Credit Legislation

St. Louis County Councilmember Mark Harder plans to introduce legislation to allow St. Louis County to take advantage of SB 190’s provision allowing counties to grant a property tax credit to elderly homeowners to offset their property taxes increases.

·       Harder is running in Senate 15 to replace termed Sen. Andrew Koenig.

Senate Grades…

Caleb Rowden: B. 

The consensus: “A better pro tem than floor leader.”  Why the B? You try the job and then tell me exactly what you would do differently to mollify Moon/Eigel/Hoskins short of running the state off the deep end. All ears.

Cindy O’Laughlin: Incomplete.

She did the best she could, but in the end, the Senate whiffed in the critical final week.  Next session will be the true test.  Can she adjust strategies to avoid the same pitfalls?  Or will she just stay the course and hope for a better outcome?

Lauren Arthur: A

As she approaches the end of her Senate career, continues to be one of the chamber’s best-regarded members. Quietly effective, she stayed in the background while majority party Sens. Coleman and Gannon picked up her benefits cliff and post-partum health care batons and ran them across the finish line.

Lincoln Hough: A

Shows his savvy in his first year leading Approps. Stares down House firebrands on DEI language and wins. Same on libraries. Packs the budget full of goodies while shelving another massive tax cut ahead of next year’s budget uncertainty.

John Rizzo: A-

As one lobbyist succinctly puts it: “Kept all kinds of bad shit from happening.”  And also brought home the bacon for KC. He’ll likely have his pick of civic leadership posts when he terms out.

Bill Eigel: B+

Consistently draws the most eyerolls from lobbyists, but… he largely accomplished his main goal: getting his name out there and doing so on the right side of big conservative issues (i.e., dying on the personal property tax cut hill).

May: B+

Like Eigel, very adept at keeping her eyes on the prize.  In this case, that means lassoing her caucus into a commitment to stand with her against a state takeover of the police.  Her opposition had Senate Republicans pretty much conceding it wasn’t worth the fight months before the end of session.

Senate GOP Freshmen: B

A New Hope, to borrow a reference from the Senate from the 23rd.  This is a group that might end up putting the Senate back together again as an institution.  Schroer picked his battles more surgically than many expected based on his House (and Twitter!) behavior; Fitzwater kept his head down and until making a dramatic floor speech the last afternoon decrying Senate dysfunction; Coleman and Trent dug in, establishing themselves as strong conservatives who also know how to get things done.

Tony Luetkemeyer: C+

While the Judiciary chair displays subject-matter expertise, he irritates lots of colleagues on both sides of the aisle in both chambers by essentially refusing to negotiate on many items.

Andrew Koenig: C

First session in recent memory when Koenig didn’t get any of his education stuff done.

eMailbag on House Grades

·       I disagree on the House Leadership. Plocher deserves an A and Patterson all credit for working with him.

·       The grading system appears to be based on fuzzy math. House leadership delivered on every promise the Speaker made - delivering on IP Reform (for the 5th year in a row, and passed with 3 months left in session), three tax cuts (individual, social security, and corporate), omnibus crime package, transgender (living up to their end of the bargain to pass Senate version), and ed reform (open enrollment) - ALL passed with over a month left in session. The House negotiated in good faith, led by example, and methodically passed the conservative agenda the Speaker outlined on January 4. I think that would count as an A on most report cards.

·       I agree with your grade for Rep. Shields, but disagree with part of your comments.  She supports and voted for every caucus priority, she understands the process and works her legislation on both sides of the building. Sounds like a perfect fit for the Senate very soon!

$5K+ Contributions

Missouri American Water Company Employees Political Action Committee - $10,000 from Above Below Contracting.

Lobbyists Registrations

Jake Silverman added Fourthspan Infrastructure Services.

Courtney Curtis deleted DEAR M.A.M.A. (Mothers Assisting Mothers Association).

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Zach Monroe, Meredith Shadwick, and Taisir Yanis.