MOScout Daily Update: Sports Betting War Over $30M - Hough to Hold Early Budget Hearing - Predicting Eigel - Carter for St. Chuck Auditor and more…

Hough Plans Hearing

I’m told that Senate Appropriations Chair Lincoln Hough is considering holding a hearing in early November when senators gather in the Capitol for caucuses and office selection.  The focus of the Appropriations hearing would be to get a clear view of the state’s current financial picture and projections ahead of the start of the legislative session in January.

·       This comes as the state revenues are off to a sputtering start this fiscal year.

Money Watch

Huge Sports Betting $$$ – Nearly $12 million came into the sports betting war yesterday.  $5M came from DraftKings trying to pass the measure and $6.7M from Caeser’s Entertainment which is trying to sink it.

Since the start of August proponents have added over $20M to their war-chest while opponents are nearing $11M.

·       But… conventional wisdom says that it’s much easier (and less costly) to create doubts and persuade to a No vote than it is to pass something.

Carpenters Boost Nurrenbern – Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council Missouri-Kansas Area PAC sent $100,000 to the pro-Maggie Nurrenbern PAC, Northland Forward.

·       Nurrenbern’s seat is critical for Dems.  If they hold it, they are guaranteed at least a wash election in the Senate with two possible pick-ups in Senate 11, and Senate 15 to play for. 

Imagining Eigel’s Future

Yesterday’s news that Sen. Bill Eigel is exploring two different 2026 avenues – a congressional run, and a bid for St. Charles County Executive – didn’t dampen talk that he may still have one eye on a gubernatorial re-match against Mike Kehoe.

One capitol denizen predicts that “Eigel is going to run for St. Charles County Exec. They have no fundraising limits, bank a bunch of cash from the trail attorneys and primary Kehoe in 2028.”

What It Means

First, all this speculation is predicated on the assumption that Kehoe’s polling lead holds and he wins in November.

But the impact here is whether a possible Eigel primary would change the governing decisions of a Governor Kehoe.  No primary challenge means he’s looking at eight years with a fair amount of flexibility from a policy standpoint. The alternative is a governor who is looking over his shoulder (his right shoulder) concerned about a primary challenge.

Schmitt Envisions STL As Defense Leader

Post-Dispatch reports on U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt touring the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in St. Louis yesterday.

·       Schmitt’s quoted saying he Saying he wants St. Louis to become “the defense-tech capital of the United States.”

SCOMO Retention Targeted on A3 Issue

I’d be surprised if this gets any traction and makes a difference, but it’s starting to make the rounds…

Steward #84 on Forbes List

St. Louis Business Journal says that David Steward is the wealthiest Black person in America, according to Forbes’ latest listing.

David Steward, 73, founder and chairman of St. Louis-based IT giant World Wide Technology, jumped to No. 84 on Forbes' list of 400 richest Americans, with an estimated net worth of $11.4 billion…

·       His largest political contributions this year: $100K to the pro-Parson Uniting Missouri PAC, and $100K to the pro-Kehoe American Dream PAC (given AFTER the primary).

Panel Announced

Press release: The Appellate Judicial Commission has submitted to Governor Michael L. Parson its panel of nominees to fill the vacancy on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, due to the impending November 2024 retirement of Judge Kurt S. Odenwald.

The commission unanimously supports the three nominees. After approximately six hours of public interviews, approximately two hours of deliberations, and nine rounds of balloting, the nominees are Virginia W. Lay, Ellen S. Levy and Joan M. Lockwood.

Carter Starts New Committee

Mike Carter formed a committee to run for Auditor of St. Charles County.  I think this could be the break in Carter’s string of bad political luck. 

·       2024: Carter placed 3rd in Secretary of State Republican primary with 14%, just ahead of Dean Plocher.

·       2022: Carter placed 2nd in the Senate 10 Republican primary with 28.7%, about 700 votes behind winner Travis Fitzwater.

·       2020: Carter placed 2nd in the Lieutenant Governor Republican primary with 26% to winner Mike Kehoe’s 59.4%

·       2016: Carter placed 3rd in the Senate 23 Republican primary with 20.8%, behind both Anne Zerr and winner Bill Eigel.

·       2012: Carter placed 3rd in the Lieutenant Governor Republican primary with 8.2%, far behind Brad Lager and winner Peter Kinder.

·       2008: Carter placed 2nd in the Lieutenant Governor Democratic primary with 16.3% to winner Sam Page.

Lobbyists Registrations

Matthew “Rees” Empey added Libertas Institute.              

Trent Watson added American Institute of Architects of Missouri.

Courtney Curtis deleted MOKAN and Great State Strategies LLC.

Dena Ladd deleted Law Enforcement Legislative Coalition.

$5K+ Contributions

Winning for Missouri Education - $5,000,000 from DK Crown Holdings, Inc (Boston, MA).

Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment - $3,300,000 from Harrah's North Kansas City, LLC.

Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment - $3,400,000 from Isle of Capri Boonville, Inc.

Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment - $5,254 from Caesars Enterprise Services, LLC.

Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $125,000 from Herzog Contracting Corporation.

American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $10,000 from PED Capital Management, LLC.

Northland Forward (pro-Nurrenbern) - $100,000 from Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council Missouri-Kansas Area PAC.

Fearless PAC (pro-Pereles) - $60,000 from Doug PAC.

Freedom and Liberty PAC (pro-Nicola) - $15,000 from Life and Liberty MO PAC (pro-Moon).

Protect our Kids PAC (pro-Schnelting) - $10,000 from Paladin PAC.

Conservative Solutions for Missouri PAC (pro-Mary Elizabeth Coleman) - $25,000 from Rex Sinquefield.

NEMO Leadership PAC (pro-O’Laughlin) - $10,000 from Health PAC.

Real Action PAC (pro-Christ) - $5,001 from Another Viceroy PAC,

Another Viceroy PAC - $66,000 from J&J Ventures Gaming of Missouri.

Progress PAC - $10,000 from Advanced Environmental Services Inc.

Columbia Cares PAC - $30,000 from Missouri and Kansas Laborers' PAC.

Protect Saint Louis Freedom - $10,000 from             Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local Union No. 36 Political Fund – Local.

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

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to John Rizzo, Josh Foster, Zora Mulligan, and Maria Chappelle-Nadal.