MOScout Daily Update: Rex Sends Kehoe $250K - Also Backs Dinkins - PSC Revises TOU and more...

Quick Friday Update…

Sinquefield Adds to Kehoe PAC

Retired businessman Rex Sinquefield gave another $250,000 to American Dream PAC, which supports Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe’s gubernatorial bid.

It’s the third such check Sinquefield has sent to the pro-Kehoe PAC since Kehoe began his campaign.

The Kehoe PAC also received $50,000 Missouri Law Enforcement for Good Government PAC, a political organization backing state takeover of the St. Louis police force.

What It Means

·       These checks make it exceedingly likely that Kehoe will extend his cash on-hand lead over Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft when the next quarterly reports are filed in October.  As of the last quarter, Kehoe’s PAC had $1.5M more COH than Ashcroft’s.

·       The deadline for contributions recorded on that filing are tomorrow, September 30.

And

It was a much smaller amount, but significant still… Sinquefield sent $25,000 to the pro-Chris Dinkins PAC, Red Hawk PAC.

Dinkins is running in Senate 27 to replace Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder.  Team Dinkins expects that they’ll have the backing of pro-educational choicers.  Sinquefield is clearly in that camp.

·       The Sinquefield check will help Dinkins’ quarter, but it also could be followed with more checks as the campaign unfolds over the next ten months.

PSC Revises Time of Use Implementation

The Public Service Commission revised the implementation of Evergy’s time of use rate plans, taking only an incremental baby step toward demand-driven rates.

The new default rate for Evergy customers will now be one which is almost the same as the old Evergy rates.

The revision was passed 3-2.  Perhaps crucially when it comes to confirmation time in January, Kayla Hahn, the governor’s latest appointee, was on the majority side.  This should defuse what I imagined was a potential flashpoint between the Senate and governor’s office at the start of next session.

The change was cheered by Senate Floor Leader Cindy O’Laughlin who has been a vocal critic of the plan, and warned that the legislature would take action against the PSC.

·       O’Laughlin, on Facebook, changed her target to the OPC: The behind the scenes lawyers (in the PSC office) called the Office of Public Counsel is not going to like this. We obviously need to look at replacing the progressives in the OPC with lawyers who represent Missourians.

eMailbag on GOP Primaries

The primary against Bill Eigel in 2020 opened the Pandora’s Box on GOP Senate primaries. Until Eigel had that primary in 2020, not a single GOP incumbent had a serious challenge in 20 years of Republican control.  Lots of Jeff City folks like to blame Jim Lembke or grassroots or voting records. But on July 1st, 2020, when $300k of Brad Lager dark money showed up to attack Eigel, every future GOP senator was put on this path…

$5K+ Contributions

American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $250,000 from Rex Sinquefield.

American Dream PAC - $50,000 from Missouri Law Enforcement for Good Government PAC.

Red Hawk PAC (pro-Dinkins) - $25,000 from Rex Sinquefield.

Southern Drawl PAC (pro-Rehder) - $19,000 from Robinson Construction Company.

Southern Drawl PAC - $7,500 from Charter Communications.

Physician Led Anesthesia Care PAC - $34,000 from Western Anesthesiology Associates, Inc.

MO Society of Anesthesiologists Political Action Committee - $28,000 from Western Anesthesiology Associates, Inc.

Independence PAC (pro-McMullen) - $5,001 from Another Viceroy PAC.

Faith and Family PAC - $7,600 from Tyson Schilling.

Lobbyists Registrations

Rockne Miller added Lake Economic Alliance for Development.

Gamble & Schlemeier deleted Create Every Opportunity.

Tim Green deleted Saint Luke's Health System.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Erin Brower, Brad Jones, Sam Gladney, Benjamin Terrell, and Rich Magee.