MOScout Daily Update: MO Dark Money Tops $50M - New Ads - Smith ‘Still Resarching’ A3 - CNA Turnover and more…
It’s Columbus Day. State offices are closed.
Dark Money Tops $50M
Over the weekend, two more checks, totaling more than $2 million were recorded by the People Not Politicians campaign. They were from The Fairness Project, a liberal dark-money organization out of Washington, DC. The week before The Fairness Project sent $2.6 million to Stop the Ban campaign.
People Not Politicians has been opposing the redistricting map; Stop the Ban is the campaign against Amendment 3.
I decided to scroll through the large contributions this year and try to total how much dark money has flowed into Missouri this year. By my count: $50,633,604.
While the above examples support for liberal causes, the dark money has flowed to both sides. Nearly the entire $20+ million raised for the pro-A5 Missouri Promise campaign was comprised of dark money contributions.
No on 6 Ad
I’ve heard legislators talking about Amendment 6 in very “inside the bubble” terms, like how the legislature should vet new laws, and how we’re a republic, not a democracy, etc. This No on 6 ad eschews such self-serving rhetoric and uses the shotgun blast approach instead.
We’ve seen this before. Another Jeff City politician selling us a bill of goods. Just like last time, it’s to help their billionaire benefactors. This one wants Amendment 6 to make it virtually impossible to get rid of the tax breaks and kickbacks already written into our laws. Come on. Tell these guys: Missouri isn’t for sale. Vote no on 6.
· It’s paid for by MO Protect PAC. I wrote recently about a pair of contributions into that new PAC, but it’s unclear whether they’ll be able to raise enough to put the ad into wide distribution.
New Stop the Ban Ads
Stop the Ban released two new ads…
· “Misleading” features former Missouri Supreme Court Justice Mike Wolff. See it here. I've studied Amendment 3… The legislature banned transgender care for minors a couple of years ago. Misleading? That's what it is. Don't let politicians fool us into banning abortion again.
· “Life and Death” features Eunisha, a mom in St. Louis, Missouri. See it here. When I was pregnant, it was causing me extreme hemorrhaging. The doctors were telling me that it was medically necessary for me to have an abortion. It was life and death… The reason I'm voting no is because Amendment 3 is a ban on abortion. Women should be able to make their own decisions about their own medical care.
Campaign Rundown
· Senate 8 – At the Heartland Labor Forum, Rep. Keri Ingle sought to hang the unpopular Amendment 5 around Jon Patterson’s neck, repeatedly calling the income-tax phaseout an “everything tax.” JP didn’t appear at the forum.
· House 34 – At the same forum, Sean Smith, running in House 34 against Kemp Strickler, said he was “still researching” when asked where he stood on Amendment 3. Listen to the recording here. That question is around 39:30.
· House 17 – Rep. Bill Allen’s new ad (see it here) highlights his military service. In the U.S. Navy, Dr. Bill Allen took an oath to uphold our nation’s values. Today he’s still living out that promise… For 26 years, Bill Allen defended our freedoms abroad. The Northland can trust him to do the same here at home.
· House 96 – Rep. Brad Christ is talking property tax freeze. In two back-to-back 30-second videos (see them here and here) – which could easily be put into TV rotation – he touts his work on the issue: Brad Christ’s bill froze property taxes for seniors, but St. Louis County made them re-apply every year… Brad helped get that requirement dropped.
· House 106 – Former Rep. Chris Sander, after losing to Rep. Travis Wilson in the Republican primary, is now working against Wilson in the general, endorsing his Democratic opponent Jewel Kelly.
CNA Turnover
This striking chart is in the Department of Public Safety’s budget request. It shows the rising turnover rates that the Missouri Veterans Commission is dealing with.
Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are the backbone of Missouri's Veteran Homes. The Missouri Health Care Association reports CNA turnover in Skilled Nursing facilities in 2025 was 97.8%.
The challenge of staffing MVC Homes with a qualified, dedicated workforce has become increasingly difficult as wages across the healthcare sector and other sectors have increased, sign-on incentives can be and are offered in the private sector, and private facilities do not require minimum staffing levels which lead to mandatory overtime. Low pay makes it difficult to compete with other entry-level jobs. These recruiting factors, combined with demanding physical and emotional labor result in a reduction in the number of Veterans MVC can serve in its Homes.
Catholics Organize for A3
The Post-Dispatch reports on the Catholic Church’s “efforts in an ongoing ballot fight over abortion rights in the state.”
· "There's no question that the Catholic Church throughout Missouri has done much more than two years ago, and much earlier," said Sam Lee, a lobbyist for Campaign Life Missouri and a Catholic deacon.
· Parishes across the St. Louis area have urged passers-by to vote "yes" on Amendment 3 and have distributed yard signs to parishioners. Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski spoke in support of the amendment in a video posted online, and the Archdiocese of St. Louis has a web page dedicated to Amendment 3. Homilies in support of Amendment 3 have been distributed to priests and deacons.
Chamber Against A6
The Missouri Chamber of Commerce announced its opposition to Amendment 6. “If passed, Amendment 6 will create significant risk for Missouri businesses and the stability of our state’s economy,” said Kara Corches, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber. “Out-of-state billionaires will be able to use Missouri’s initiative petition process to pass laws that are detrimental to our business climate. Those laws would then be exceptionally difficult to change.”
Watching Corn Prices
New PACs
Concerned Parents of Eastern Jackson County was formed. Its treasurer is Ryan Johnson. See the filing here.
Lobbyist Registrations
David Sweeney deleted The StarWood Group, 3417 Grace LLC, and RS Land Development LLC.
$5K+ Contributions
People Not Politicians - $1,250,000 from The Fairness Project (Washington, DC).
People Not Politicians - $985,000 from The Fairness Project.
Missouri Enterprise Fund (pro-Hardwick) - $10,000 from Brad PAC.
Stop the Ban - $5,150 from Wendi Alper-Pressman.
Heartland Action PAC - $7,400 from McBride & Son, LLC.
Seniors Count STL - $25,000 from Ascension.
Protect Saint Louis Freedom - $10,000 from Leonard Drey.
Protect St. Charles County Freedom – $6,000 from Karen Edge.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Alexandria Cypert, Jeff Mazur, Mavis Busiek, Rick Francis, Jason Chipman, and Ken Menges.