MOScout Daily Update: Trump Shrugs At AG’s Race - Ed Groups Duel in Senate 27 - Tax Slice Coming - Bell Gets STL Biz Group - Late Spends and more…

Trump Can’t Decide on AG

In his latest non-endorsement “endorsement,” Donald Trump “endorsed” the only two people running for the Republican nomination for attorney general. 

What It Means

While it seems like a wash, it’s actually a big win for Andrew Bailey because it takes away Will Scharf’s biggest talking point during this week for closing arguments – that he’s tighter with Trump.

24-Hour Expenditures Watch

PACs must report expenditures of over $250 with 24-hours of their outlay.  Here are some recent moves according to the reports…

·       Gov: The pro-Mike Parson Uniting Missouri PAC sent $100,000 to Mike Kehoe’s American Dream PAC.  It’s an interesting twist in that the money came from the Holland Law Firm which gave $375,000 at the outset of the gubernatorial campaign.  Uniting Missouri also spent $597,000 on digital advertising, but the filing didn’t disclose if it’s for or against any candidates.

·       LG: The pro-David Wasinger Missouri First Conservative PAC spent $280,000 on mailers.

·       LG: The pro-Holly Rehder Southern Drawl PAC spent $87,000 on a media buy.

·       SOS: The pro-Mary Elizabeth Coleman PAC, Missourians for Conservative Solutions, spent $150,000 on a media buy.

·       Senate 27: The MO-NEA PAC spent $42,000 on mailers to oppose Chris Dinkins.  Meanwhile, on the other side of education issues, AFC Victory PAC spent $28,000 to support Dinkins.  They also spent $25,000 supporting Aaron McMullen (Senate 11), and $13,000 opposing Gary Bonacker (House 111), and $9,000 against Rep. Kyle Marquart (House 109).

·       Senate 29: The pro-Mike Moon Life and Liberty PAC spent $72,000 on mailers.

·       Senate races: The pro-Rob Vescovo Might Missouri PAC sent small ($10,000) checks to several candidates: Cody Smith (Treas), Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway (Senate 3), Aaron McMullen (Senate 11), Doug Richey (Senate 21), Phil Christofanelli (Senate 23), Chris Dinkins (Senate 27) Brad Hudson (Senate 33)  as well as a couple House candidates.

Hospitals Hit Richey, Hudson

I wrote yesterday about the Missouri Hospital Association picking sides in a few Republican state senate primaries.  Here are those ads…

·       Anti-Doug Richey in Senate 21: Richey Big Insurance. Clay County politician Doug Richey is the puppet of big insurance and drug companies and that’s bad news for your family and your bank account while Doug Richey’s friends make record profits…

·       Anti-Brad Hudson in Senate 33: Big Insurance. Politician Brad Hudson is not on your side. He’s on the side of big insurance and drug companies…

Biz Group for Bell

In CD-1 there’s been a lot of talk about AIPAC’s huge ad spend.  But if Wesley Bell is able to upset incumbent Cori Bush next week, it won’t be because of any one constituency.  It will be that she enabled a perfect storm but alienating multiple constituencies.  The Jewish community for sure with her vote against condemning Hamas.  But also, large chunks of the organized labor defected because of her vote against Biden’s infrastructure bill.  And similar reservations have brought the business community to Bell’s side as well.  The latest on that front is this late endorsement from Greater St. Louis Inc.

Bell is focused on building strong relationships and restoring common sense in Congress. Most importantly, Bell would fight to ensure that St. Louis receives its fair share of federal resources to address urgent challenges in our community. Residents of the First Congressional District send hard-earned tax dollars to Washington. We need a member of Congress who will fight every day to bring those dollars – and more – back to St. Louis…

More on Missouri Priorities PAC

I wrote yesterday about Missouri Priorities PAC helping various House candidates as a Rex Sinquefield vehicle.  But he wasn’t the only donor to the PAC.  He gave $225,000.  Other donors: Missouri Charter Schools Action ($24,000), Quality Schools Coalition ($5,000), and pro-Rusty Black’s Great Northwest PAC ($5,000).

Kunce Ad

Democrat Lucas Kunce released his TV ad, “Rebuild Missouri.”  While he’s been focused on Josh Hawley, Kunce does first have to get by Karla May in next week’s primary.  See the ad here.

Growing up, my sister was born with a heart condition and my parents went bankrupt. We got by with the help of neighbors and church friends. I became a Marine to honor them. After Iraq and Afghanistan, I saw our bought-off politicians waging war back home. Deciding how we get to live. Stripping towns like mine for parts. In the Senate, I'll fight back. Reject corporate money. Restore our freedom. Rebuild Missouri.

Tax Cut Coming

Pres release: Governor Mike Parson announced that Missouri's robust economy and continued revenue strength has triggered an additional income tax cut under Senate Bills (SB) 3 & 5, approved by Governor Parson in 2022. This income tax cut lowers Missouri's top income tax rate to 4.7 percent and marks a more than 20 percent decrease in Missourians' income tax burdens during the Parson Administration.

I’d expected no tax cut this year because net general revenues were below (barely) the $200 million trigger.  But I failed to comprehend the fine print…

Section 143.011, RSMo defines net general revenue collected as all revenue deposited into the general revenue fund, less refunds and revenues originally deposited into the general revenue fund but designated by law for a specific distribution or transfer to another state fund.

MOScout Schedule

I’d expected to have a fresh state senate poll for y’all this morning, but we seem to be running behind.  Maybe two tomorrow?

$5K+ Contributions

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

American Dream PAC - $7,000 from ASA Midwest PAC.

Liberty and Justice PAC (pro-Bailey) - $250,000 from Ketchmark & McCreight, P.C. (Leawood, KS).

Liberty and Justice PAC - $25,000 from Missouri Cobalt, LLC.

Liberty and Justice PAC - $20,000 from Cheyenne International LLC.

Liberty and Justice PAC - $15,500 from D & R Morgan Property, LLC.

Ozark Gateway Leadership PAC (pro-Cody Smith) - $95,000 from Prosperity Alliance, Inc. (Fairfax, VA).

Ozark Gateway Leadership PAC - $10,000 from MO Majority PAC.

Missouri Values PAC (pro-Schwadron) - $75,000 from Fab Tech Wastewater Solutions llc.

Lincoln PAC (pro-Hough) - $18,000 from CB Engineering.

Cultivating Freedom PAC (pro-Richey) - $8,000 from Mighty Missouri PAC (pro-Vescovo).

Jackson County Leadership PAC (pro-Cierpiot) - $8,000 from PENN Entertainment, Inc. (Wyomissing, PA).

Electrical Workers Voluntary Political Education & Legislative Funds - Missouri - $21,420 from IBEW Local One.

House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $10,000 from Missouri American Water Employees PAC.

International Brotherhood of Teamsters Missouri PAC - Federal Committee - $85,000 from International Brotherhood of Teamsters DRIVE (Washington, DC).

Club for Growth Action - Missouri Federal Committee - $20,000 from Missouri Patriot PAC.

Stop Gun Violence Now PAC - $10,000 from K.D. Christian Construction Company, Inc. (Stillwell, KS).

Missouri Freedom PAC - $50,100 from Republican Attorneys General Association (Washington, DC).

Citizens For Jim Arnott - $10,000 from Brent Davis.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Liz Henderson, Samantha Davis, and Rodney Gray.