Follow-Up on Possible MCFG Picks

Yesterday I wrote about who Missouri Club for Growth may support in Republican Senate primaries based on stances of education policy.

One reader who follows the issue closely added a few thoughts…

·         In Senate 25, the choice is not clear because Rep. Jeff Shawan is also a supporter of education reform.

·         In Senate 33, Rep. Robert Ross is the “clear choice there” for MCFG to pick.

Brattin PAC Gets $100K From CL PAC

The battle-lines in Republican Senate primaries are starting to be drawn quite clearly.  The Conservative Caucus’ CL PAC – funded primarily by St. Louis businessman David Steward – is backing former Rep. Rick Brattin.

Yesterday CL PAC sent $100K to a new PAC called “Brattin Brigade PAC.”

Buckle up….

Englund Will Run for Treasurer

Former Rep. Vicki Englund says that she’s formed a committee to run for state treasurer.  (It has yet to post to the Missouri Ethics Commission website).

And that she will make a formal announcement in “the next week or so.”

MOScout Poll: Gun Laws

Conducted September 11-12. 1,678 likely 2020 General Election voters. Margin of Error is +/-2.4%.

Q1: Would you support or oppose requiring background checks of all potential gun buyers?

Support: 77%

Oppose: 14%

Not sure: 9%

Driving the Day

10AM this morning in downtown St. Louis Attorney General Eric Schmitt will hold a press conference to release his report regarding allegations of clergy abuse in the Roman Catholic Church.

Leading the investigation was First Assistant to the Attorney General Tom Albus.

Early Childhood Proposal in STL?

On the heels of Kansas City’s failure to advance a tax support early childhood education, St. Louis is exploring something similar.

They’re polling now to weigh the public’s appetite for additional taxes for a new early childhood fund.  It would cover both St. Louis City and St. Louis County.

MEC Takes SNAP Challenge

Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman is not afraid.  She’s taking Empower Missouri’s SNAP Challenge.  In fact, she’s taking the challenge for a week instead of three days…

Intended to highlight the difficulties faced by Missourians who rely on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to put food on the table, the challenge will ask participants to shop for a three-day supply of food for a family of four using only the amount of money available to families from the program.

Lager Hearts Parson

In the large contributions Herzog Contracting contributed $250K to Uniting Missouri PAC.  That’s the PAC aligned with Governor Mike Parson.

Stan Herzog passed away recently.  Former Sen. Brad Lager is directing the political giving from Herzog’s companies.

• For all the talk last year about Parson getting a primary, this is one more indication that MOGOP has closed ranks behind the governor.

Driving the Day… Rehder Kicks Off

This morning Rep. Holly Rehder officially launches her campaign for state senate with a new video, first seen here. It’s largely a biographical piece, telling her life story.  See it here.

I grew up poor – we survived on welfare and food stamps. At 15, I had to quit school to help take care of my family.  Not long after I was a high school drop-out married and pregnant

I could have chosen a life on welfare, but I didn’t want that for my daughter… I wanted the American Dream.

Hospital Association Adds $250K to Expansion Campaign

The Missouri Hospital Association added $250,000 to Missourians for Healthcare.  That’s the campaign committee formed to advance Medicaid expansion through an initiative petition.  And it shows the financial muscle behind the movement.  They’ve already reported over $1.6M in contributions just days after announcing the formal campaign launch.

Walsh on Steward’s Agenda

Minority Leader Gina Walsh tweets about David Steward’s big check… Last year, Republican Senators pushed to change Title IX laws to make things harder on victims of rape and campus assault. Thankfully, they failed. But now, the money behind the Title IX effort is being funneled into a secret PAC to elect more Republican Senators. Coincidence?

Steward Joins Mega-Donor Ranks

David Steward, CEO of World Wide Technology Inc, sent $735,000 to CL PAC yesterday.  This comes on heels of a $100K contribution to the same PAC the day before.

Together with previous contributions of $150K to Bill PAC (associated with Sen. Bill Eigel) and $50K earlier in the summer to CL PAC, it puts Steward’s total giving to over $1 million.  He’s now a mega-donor.

Medicaid Expansion Campaign Launches Today

Today the campaign to expand Medicaid will formally launch.  See the website here.

Progressives have been buoyed by recent success with economic issues at the ballot box.  They won an increase in the minimum wage and also trounced right to work.  Nationally, other states have expanded Medicaid by initiative petition as well.

Merideth on Online Sales Tax

On Facebook, Rep. Peter Merideth makes the case for an online sales tax…

We are now one of only two states in the country that hasn’t yet passed legislation to start collecting sales/use tax from online purchases from out-of-state vendors. That’s millions of dollars we’re losing in state and local revenue for vital services, while giving out-of-state retailers a huge advantage over our local brick and mortars.

Brattin in Senate 31

I heard from a few folks that Rep. Mike Haffner dropping out of Senate 31 doesn’t clear the field for Rep. Jack Bondon… Look for former Rep. Rick Brattin to step up and enter Senate 31.

Liberty Alliance Hits Skelton

Liberty Alliance, the new Republican organization which debuted at the Governor’s Ham Breakfast, is making an initial foray into Senate 19.They’ve put out a recording on Facebook of Democratic candidate Michela Shelton talking about making Columbia a “sanctuary city.”See it here.

Fundy for Beck

The Dems’ Senate 1 candidate, Rep. Doug Beck, will hold a fundraiser next week, Thursday September 5.  The host committee includes members of the Roofing & Siding Contractors Alliance, as well as Sen. Scott Sifton and some big labor leaders.  The event will be at roofing magnate Eric Kirkberg’s “Car Barn” in St. Louis.

In the Field

I heard from someone that they took a twenty-minute live poll on their cell phone yesterday about abortion rights and the gubernatorial race.

• The abortion debate could vie for the center ring of Missouri’s 2020 cycle. 

• It has stiff competition. 2020 will most likely be a referendum on Donald Trump; or it could be defined by the “economy, stupid.”

• But there are clearly forces mulling a strategy to put abortion rights before voters, and mulling its broader electoral impact.

PAC Formed to Support Page

  County Executive Sam Page appears to be following a now well-worn path of having a third-party PAC.  The treasurer is Brad Bakker, who lost (to Rep. Wiley Price) in a primary for House 84 last year.

Quote of the Week

Lobbyist: Was at [at event this week]… [Business executive] introduced the governor as “Parsons.” It just makes me cringe….