MOScout Daily Update: Kunce Hits Hawley on Border - Gregory Unites GOP in Senate 15 - MM Questions IP Cert and more…

Kunce Hits Hawley on Border

A new ad from Democrat Lucas Kunce attempts to seize control of the border issue as a reason to vote against Josh Hawley.  It hits Hawley on opposing the border bill, and touts Kunce’s credentials to deal with the issue.

GOPers Unify for Gregory

An upcoming fundraiser for David Gregory at the Meadows Country Club in St. Louis will feature hosts from across the Republican spectrum… US Senator Eric Schmitt, LG Mike Kehoe, AG Andrew Bailey, Sen. Denny Hoskins and Floor Leader Cindy O'Laughlin.

·       This district went for Donald Trump in 2020 (+3%), but Dems feel good about their candidate, Joe Pereles.

·       One Republican: “No one is going to take it for granted with Life Amendment on ballot and Presidential race at top of ticket.”

MM: Which Congressional Lines?

Twitterer Missouri Mapper writes in a thread yesterday about confusion over which congressional lines are used to certify initiative petition signatures.  Read it here.

·       Yesterday, the SOS office found that the Sports Betting Amendment had reached that 8% threshold in 6/8 congressional districts - so what is the potential problem? Congressional Redistricting.

·       The 8% threshold for each CD changes depending on if one is using the old set of lines or the current set of lines.

·       For the Sports Betting Amendment, the SOS office used the old set of lines to determine if the Sports Betting Amendment met the signature threshold.

·       I don't know if the SOS office made a deliberate choice to use old lines instead of current lines. I could easily envision there being technical difficulties in creating exact counts of the gubernatorial vote under new lines (given precinct changes and difficulty allocating absentee vote), and past practice may also have been just to use the old lines.

·       While the signature threshold seems to be based on the old congressional lines, the actual signatures appear to have been collected and tallied based on the current congressional lines.

I have a feeling we’ll be seeing Chuck Hatfield make an appearance pretty soon…

Getting Passed Around

This New York Times article about a long-term effort by conservatives to outlaw IVF treatment is getting passed around.

As they see it, their challenge spans generations, not simply a single political cycle. And their approach — including controlling regulatory language, state party platforms and the definition of when life begins — reflects an incremental strategy similar to the one activists used for decades to eventually overturn Roe v. Wade.

·       Why It Matters: This plays into the Democrats’ rally cry that reproductive rights are at stake in this year’s election.

Charton Health Update

On Facebook, PR maven Scott Charton gives an update on his health adventures…

I had successful surgery to remove a malignant kidney tumor. It's gone, torched by microwave ablation through a tiny needle, guided with CT scanner, surgical skill and the grace of God.

Doctors found it during a recent regular screening following up on a similar successful surgery in 2013, so this isn't my first cancer rodeo. I'm feeling and doing great!

My prognosis is excellent, thanks to the terrific specialists and care team at University of Kansas Cancer Center in Kansas City. I am blessed to be back home in Columbia, Missouri, resting up for a couple of weeks ahead of a busy fall…

I highly recommend The University of Kansas Health System, located just west of State Line Road in Kansas City. Although I hail from Columbia, home of the Missouri Tigers, these Kansas Jayhawks' commitment to my care has been superb, cheerful and impressive.

One of my caregivers quipped before surgery, "For you, Scott, we're all Missouri Tigers today!"

Please shout it with me: Screw Cancer!

eMailbag on HRCC $$$

You would be remiss to fail to credit the HRCC Finance Director, Casey Burns, for their successful fundraising efforts.  The finance director oversees the summer caucus fundraising efforts and Burns’ ever-growing Rolodex has been essential in bringing new donors to the HRCC table this cycle.

New Committees

·       Values First PAC was formed.  It’s to support Rep. Tricia Byrnes.

·       Freedom and Liberty PAC was formed.  It’s to support Joe Nicola, the Republican nominee in Senate 11, one of the few battleground senate races this cycle.

Lobbyists Registrations

Katie Meares added TikTok Inc. 

Jake Silverman added Care for Everyone, LLC.

$5K+ Contributions

House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $30,000 from Bayer U.S. LLC (Pittsburgh, PA).

Missouri Democratic State Committee - $10,000 from Safer Families for Missouri.

Missourians for Healthy Families & Fair Wages - $13,962 from Missouri Jobs with Justice.

Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $10,000 from Elizabeth Mannen.

417 PAC (pro-Trent) - $10,000 from Another Viceroy PAC.

21st Century St. Louis PAC - $20,000 from Jerald Kent.

21st Century St. Louis PAC - $10,000 from John Tracy.

21st Century St. Louis PAC - $10,000 from Thompson Coburn LLP.

HNTB Missouri PAC - Federal Committee - $7,000 from HNTB Holdings Ltd. PAC (Sausalito, CA).

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rep. Rodger Reedy, and Jason Norton.