MOScout Daily Update: Riddle Questions MRL Endorsement Process - Fitz Beats Bailey at Supremes - KC Tension and more....
Quick Friday update…
Riddle Questions MRL Endorsement Process
Former Sen. Jeanie Riddle sent a letter to the leaders of the Missouri Right to Life PAC in an effort to let other supporters know of her disappointment “in what appears to be a flawed and very much ‘insider’ approach” to their endorsement process. See the letter here.
· I am very disappointed by Missouri Right to Life PAC’s decision to issue a single candidate endorsement in the 2024 Governor’s race, and I strongly urge the board to clarify to the organization’s members why the established candidate endorsement procedures were not followed in issuing this single endorsement…
· It is clear other candidates were not offered any opportunity to complete a survey, clarify any questions regarding their voting record, nor sit for a candidate interview before this endorsement was made. In fact, the endorsed candidate has never even voted for a single pro-life bill, while the unendorsed candidates were on the front lines, leading the charge for important legislation like the heartbeat bill, or HB 400 (2013) which outlawed web-cam abortions in Missouri...
· To alienate so many of Missouri’s pro-life voters at this time in our history with a single candidate endorsement – when so much is at stake for the pro-life movement – is unconscionable and disrespectful to so many warriors for life who have paved the way to make Missouri one of the most pro-life states in the country…
Fitz Bests Bailey in MO’s Top Court
Missouri Independent reports on the Missouri Supreme Court ruling yesterday…
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s efforts to inflate the cost of an abortion-rights initiative petition were unanimously rejected by the state Supreme Court Thursday, just two days after judges heard arguments in the case. The quick verdict, which was written by Judge Paul Wilson, was scathing in its opinion of Bailey’s refusal to sign off on the work of Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, concluding that nothing in state law “gives the attorney general authority to question the auditor’s assessment of the fiscal impact of a proposed petition.”
· Team Bailey has insisted that political benefits of being a “fighter” for pro-life positions outweighs the image of legal incompetence. They may be right, I don’t know.
WaPo on Scharf Ally
Washington Post has an article about a “coordinated and sophisticated public relations campaign to defend and celebrate [Supreme Court Justice Clarence] Thomas.” Read it here.
It caught my eye because the campaign was “financed with at least $1.8 million from conservative nonprofit groups steered by the judicial activist Leonard Leo.”
Leo is a support of AG candidate Will Scharf.
The article that “Leo, a longtime executive of the Federalist Society, the influential nonprofit organization for conservative and libertarian lawyers, is well-known for his efforts to push the judiciary to the right. Using a network of closely related nonprofits over which he holds sway, Leo has led advocacy campaigns to help confirm every conservative Supreme Court justice over the past two decades.”
Why It Matters
Scharf allies like Leo are the reason some observers believe we’ll see a tsunami of money come flooding into Missouri next year supporting Scharf’s bid. And if that’s true, candidate committee fundraising numbers will miss the financial support that will ultimately be marshalled in that race.
White and Lucas Spar Over Assessments Blame
KCStar reports on tension between Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.
· In a letter to Lucas obtained by The Star through an open records request, White scolded Lucas for making statements that, according to White, “have, I fear, sown seeds of confusion and mistrust among our residents, and have misrepresented the legal and equitable necessity of our reassessment process.”
· White took umbrage at Lucas’ statements because the county does not have the power under state law to set up payment plans for taxpayers. He also was annoyed by Lucas’ implication, both publicly and privately, that the county could use more discretion in setting property values for tax purposes.
eMailbag on MRL
MRL’s non-endorsement of Kehoe is total BS. They endorsed him in 2020 for Lt. Gov and he hasn’t taken any votes since then. Was backing an unconstitutional map really their litmus test? Guessing they’re more worried about the abortion ballot measures and want to ensure Ashcroft stays in their pocket.
Lobbyists Registrations
Jay Hahn added MTX Group, Inc.
Jeff Howell added Missouri Gastroenterology Society.
$5K+ Contributions
Believe in Life and Liberty - BILL PAC (pro-Eigel) - $25,000 from The Simon Law Firm.
American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $10,000 from Branco Enterprises, Inc.
American Dream PAC - $15,000 from AGC of MO PAC.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $20,000 from AGC of MO PAC.
Majority Forward - $10,000 from AGC of MO PAC.
Majority Forward - $10,000 from Simmons Hanly Conroy.
MO Independent Bankers Assoc PAC - $5,710 from Bank of Old Monroe.
Missourians for Healthy Families & Fair Wages - $17,665 from Missouri Jobs with Justice Voter Action.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays Congresswoman Cori Bush, Christian Morgan, and Sally Faith.
Saturday: Sen. Rick Brattin, Caroline Miller, Jason Brown, and Eileen McGeoghegan.
Sunday: Tom Krewson, Bob Quinn, and Darrell Pollock.
MOScout Schedule
I’m off for the weekend. See you in your inbox Monday morning!