MOScout Daily Update: STL Police Board Hurting Butz? - Willett’s Ag Leaders - Where VLT $$$ Might Go - Blouin’s Anti-A5 Committee and more…
Senate 4: Police Board Hurting Butz
The Post-Dispatch reports on Governor Mike Kehoe’s appointed St. Louis City Police Board acting like bozos again.
Police officials defied subpoenas to appear before aldermen on Wednesday, another volley in the ongoing budget battle between the cops and the city. Instead, a lieutenant dropped off letters calling the subpoenas invalid, plus binders stuffed with hundreds of pages of documents referenced in the letters. “They’re playing stupid,” scoffed Alderman Rasheen Aldridge, who chairs the Board of Aldermen’s budget committee.
What It Means
In the Senate 4 race, former Rep. Gina Mitten has been hitting Rep. Steve Butz over his vote for state control. In a close race, the board’s continued shenanigans may end up making Butz collateral damage.
CD-5: Burks Ad Buy Coming?
Word is that Taylor Burks will be making his first ad buy soon. The rumored buy is substantial enough – $250,000? – to send a message to naysayers who doubt that Burks is willing to spend his $900,000 personal loan to the campaign.
CD-6: Willett’s Ag Endorsements
Nathan Willett unveiled his Agriculture Steering Committee Chairs.
· One Willett supporter: “Blake Hurst, Brian and Glenn Klippenstein, Brian Munzlinger—these are huge names in Missouri Agriculture and the types of endorsements that actually lead to votes in local communities.”
VLT $$$
Over the past month we’ve seen serious money hitting the large contributions filings, coming from companies involved in the VLT battle…
· $600,000 Torch Electronics.
· $260,000 J & J Ventures.
· $120,000 Warrenton Oil Company.
Where will that money end up flowing? Looking at Senate primaries and general elections, who people voted on Rep. Bill Hardwick’s bill in the House this year might give an indication where they are the on issue and if they’ll receive support or opposition…
AYES
Steve Butz – Senate 4
Tricia Byrnes – Senate 10
Bill Hardwick – Senate 16
Jon Patterson – Senate 8
Melanie Stinnett – Senate 30
NOES
Betsy Fogle – Senate 30
Keri Ingle – Senate 8
Brad Pollitt – Senate 28
Rudy Veit – Senate 6
Anti-A3 Kicks off
Missouri Independent reports on the campaign opposing Amendment 3,
· The coalition, called Stop the Ban Missouri, has already amassed nearly $4 million, including a $2 million donation from the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation on Wednesday. Its first ad leans heavily into the idea that voters are being asked to revisit a decision they made less than two years ago.
· “In America and here in Missouri, we believe our vote is sacred. That the people are the ones who decide. And in 2024, the people of Missouri decided to stop Missouri’s abortion ban,” a voiceover in the ad says.. “But now, politicians are trying to overturn the will of the people and ban abortion again.”
AFP-MO IEs
In the latest non-committee expenditures filings, Americans for Prosperity shows buying digital ads and sending mailers for their favored primary candidates.
· House 52: Israel Baeze
· House 127: Brenden Kelly
· House 140: Jamie Ray Gragg
· House 144: Chris Dinkins
· Senate 8: JP
· Senate 18: Ed Lewis
· Senate 20: Curtis Trent
· Senate 28: Brad Pollitt
· Senate 32: Ellen Nichols
· Senate 34: Mike Jones
SCOMO Affirms NAACP Decision
The Missouri Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s ruling Governor Mike Kehoe was within his authority to call the special session regarding redistricting.
Contrary to NAACP’s contention, article IV, section 9 of the Missouri Constitution does not include language suggesting the governor’s discretion to call an extraordinary session is limited in any way.
It was a unanimous opinion. See it here.
Bitcoin Reserve Fund
Rep. Ben Keathley’s HB 2080 proposed creating a “Cryptocurrency Strategic Reserve Fund” and allowing the state treasurer to “receive, invest, and hold digital assets.”
Marquette University’s David Krause has a paper titled “From Rainy Day Funds to Digital Gold: The Politics and Prudence of State Level Bitcoin Reserves.” It looks at Texas’ limited experience doing something similar and notes that the Bitcoin Texas bought at $85,000 now trades about 15% lower at $74,000.
From the paper’s conclusion: The available evidence suggests that current state initiatives are more politically symbolic than financially substantive… Public finance professionals remain predominantly skeptical, with surveys indicating that a substantial majority do not view cryptocurrency as an appropriate public investment... The tension between the democratic legitimacy of elected officials making innovative investment decisions and the fiduciary obligations owed to taxpayers is unlikely to be resolved quickly.
Read the paper here.
New PACs
No Everything Tax was formed. It’s a campaign committee to oppose Amendment 5, the Kehoe Tax plan. Its treasurer is Amy Blouin. See the filing here.
· Blouin is the executive director of the Missouri Budget Project.
Good Cleared
The Missouri Ethics Commission dismissed a complaint against Derrick Good. The complaint alleged that Mr. Good used his official position to benefit his private law firm; that he used confidential information obtained through his role as President of the Jefferson County Port Authority… the investigation found no evidence that he used his official position to obtain financial gain for himself or his firm.
Lobbyist Registrations
Nexus Group added Vantage Group (US) Ltd.
Jay Reichard and Olivia Wilson added Navigate Building Solutions.
Angie Schulte deleted Natera, Missouri Health Connection, and Heidner Properties Inc.
Noel Torpey deleted Heidner Properties Inc.
Amy Blunt deleted Bemiston Acquisitions LLC.
$5k+ Contributions
Stop the Ban - $2,000,000 from American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Inc (New York, NY).
Missouri American Water Company Employees PAC - $10,000 from Tarlton.
Missouri American Water Company Employees PAC - $15,000 from Fred M. Luth & Sons, Inc.
Local 41 Political Action Fund - $31,205 from Missouri PAC Federal Committee.
The Rowdy PAC - $30,000 from J & J Ventures Gaming of Missouri LLC (Effingham, IL).
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Elijah Haahr, Olivia Wilson, Robert Sauls, and Daniela Velázquez.