MOScout Daily Update: Blame Game as Chiefs Say ‘So Long, Suckas!’ and more….

Finger-Pointing Reigns As Chiefs Announce Relocation

Gnashing teeth and shaking fists covered social media after the Chiefs announced they’d be headed over the State Line to Kansas as soon as their brand-new stadium was finished.
The spectrum of responses…

·       Republicans blaming Democrats… Sen. Brad Hudson’s chief of staff Daniel Seitz: The continued loss of Missouri’s pro sports teams is at least, in part, directly connected to the total failure of the Democrat leadership in our state’s major cities… The exodus won’t stop with sports teams. If those cities don’t course correct, they will end up a shell of their former glory….

·       Democrats blaming Republicans… House Minority Leader Ashley Aune: Governor Kehoe’s mishandling of efforts to keep the Chiefs in Missouri is a major reason the team is poised to relocate across the border… in recent weeks, Kehoe has undermined the viability of [the special session incentives package] by calling for the elimination of state income taxes. With no income tax, the tax credits at the center of Missouri’s proposal would become largely worthless…

·       Feeling Played… Senate Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin: I don’t like the decision, I don’t like the thought that we were just a bargaining chip and I also don’t know for a fact that we WERE just a bargaining chip. It certainly seems that way at this moment and I know the Chiefs fans are going to feel they’ve been used and cast aside…

·       [Shrug]… Rep. Darin Chappell: I hate to see the Chiefs leave Missouri, but the bidding war with taxpayer dollars, when so many taxpayers can't even afford to go to the games, is not something I could ever support…

What It Means

While Governor Mike Kehoe will get tagged as the governor who “lost” the Chiefs, I don’t think it has much, if any, political impact. 

The bigger downside really would have been if they have stayed and a primary opponent could air commercials about a taxpayer giveaway to billionaires.

GOP Redistricting Committee Gets More $$$

Put Missouri First, the campaign committee that’s a vehicle for efforts to sustain the legislature’s redistricting plan, added $900,000 from two out-of-state organizations…

·       $450,000 from American Action Network Inc. (Washington, DC).

·       $450,000 from Securing American Greatness Inc. (Beverly, MA).

GSL

St. Louis’ business organization, Greater St. Louis, unveiled a website facelift.

·       Interesting to see that, as new topper Ron Kitchens shakes things up, several folks appear to have left the staff, including former interim leader Dustin Allison.

$5K+ Contributions

Put Missouri First - $450,000 from American Action Network Inc. (Washington, DC).

Put Missouri First - $450,000 from Securing American Greatness Inc. (Beverly, MA).

NEMO Leadership PAC (pro-O’Laughlin) - $25,000 from Caesars Enterprise Services (Las Vegas, NV).

NEMO Leadership PAC - $25,000 from Missouri Gaming PAC.

NEMO Leadership PAC - $7,600 from Paladin PAC.

NEMO Leadership PAC - $10,000 from Jim Walton (Bentonville, AR).

NEMO Leadership PAC - $7,500 from Ameren Missouri.

DougPac (pro-Beck) - $17,175 from Missouri Gaming PAC.

Tony PAC (pro-Luetkemeyer) - $10,000 from Airbnb, Inc (San Francisco, CA).

417 PAC (pro-Trent) - $10,000 from Jim Walton (Bentonville, AR).

Missouri Leadership PAC (pro-Riley) - $10,000 from Jim Walton (Bentonville, AR).

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

People Not Politicians - $50,000 from Tides Foundation (San Francisco, CA).

Stop the Ban - $50,000 from Beacon Reproductive Health Network.

KC Forward Progress - $25,000 from Civic Council of Greater Kansas City.

St. Charles Realtors PAC - $8,776 from Missouri Realtors PAC, Inc.

Taxpayers Unlimited, Inc. - $150,000 from IAFF, Local 42 FirePAC.

Friends of Tim Whitney - $25,000 from Citizens United to Back the Blue.

Professional Fire Fighters of Eastern Missouri 2665 PAC Fund - $8,656 from Professional Firefighters of Eastern Missouri.

Lobbyist Registrations

Anna Gourdin added St. Charles Realtors Association.

Steve Ahlers added Missouri Association of Counties.

Cade Tremain deleted Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Trent Watson deleted Kansas City Chiefs Football Club.

Heath Clarkston, Michael Henderson, and Doug Nelson deleted DailyPay Inc.

T.J. Berry terminated his lobbyist registration.

Happy Birthday

Happy birthdays to Mike Revis.

Christmas eve: Caitlin Whaley, Joe Palm, Paul Wieland, and Lindell Shumake.

Friday December 26:  Sen. Tracy McCreery, Todd Richardson, Ben Travlos, Allison Onder, Jacob Scott, and Stanley Cox.

Saturday, December 27: Jay Barnes, and Tricia Derges.

Sunday, December 28: James Harris, Luann Madsen, and Renee Hulshof.

MOScout Schedule

Back in your inbox on Monday.  See you then… unless you’re one of those folks who’s gone until January (good for you!).