By Joe Hadsall
Globe columnist
Missouri’s quarterly campaign contribution reports indicate Rex Sinquefield doesn’t read this column.
Last week, I reported that state Sen. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, received almost $10,000 from committees funded by Sinquefield, a retired financial analyst who champions school choice, among other issues.
Before Nodler received a dime of Sinquefield’s money, he expressed sympathy for the issue — he said in January that if the issue came up for debate on the Senate floor, he’d let it happen.
Nodler speculated that the January column was the reason he received those donations. But House Speaker-elect Ron Richard, R-Joplin, was also in that column, and he reported no donations from any of Sinquefield’s committees.
Nodler was singled out last week because he submitted his quarterly campaign fund-raising report before the April 15 deadline. A few days later, state Sen. Jack Goodman, R-Mount Vernon, reported Sinquefield donations that more than doubled those of Nodler.
According to documents from the Missouri Ethics Commission, Goodman hauled in $24,700 from 38 of Sinquefield’s 100 political action committees.
None of the other area representatives or senators reported donations from those groups, including Richard. A column written by Sinquefield reveals a possible reason why Richard may not have been a recipient.
The column attacks a piece of legislation that Richard has sponsored. The bill calls for tax credits worth $550 million for Bombardier Aerospace in order to entice the Canadian company to build a manufacturing plant in Kansas City.
Sinquefield argues that tax credits aren’t always a good idea because they don’t guarantee that extra economic development will replace the initial tax-revenue loss.
“While some projects may offer ... robust yields, there are no guarantees,” he and co-author Joseph Haslag wrote. “To bank on higher future tax revenues flowing from today’s tax credits is simply folly.”
Richard said that the bill will make history: It will be the first tax credit bill that compels the company to pay back all the tax credits, based on every airplane sold.
“Most tax credits are basically cash giveaways,” Richard said in March. “I don’t believe that’s fiscally responsible. We are the only state in the union that will have a tax credit bill that pays the state back on interest and principal.”
Wrap-up
Here’s a wrap-up of what area legislators raised in the last three months, even though none of them has an opponent in the upcoming election:
n Rep. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, collected $350 and has a warchest of $5,349.78.
He reported a single donation of $350 from Sprint Nextel, based in Reston, Va.
n Rep. Steve Hunter, R-Joplin, who terms out of the House this year, terminated his fund-raising committee in October.
n Speaker-elect Ron Richard, R-Joplin, collected $34,922.16 in donations, giving him a warchest of $158,845.43.
No individual donated more than the limit of $325. Many of his donations come from nursing organizations and medical-related organizations.
n Rep. Marilyn Ruestman, R-Joplin, received $3,250 and has a warchest of $80,231.95.
The biggest donation comes from the Crowell for Senate political action committee. She received $2,450 from it. The committee is for Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau.
n Rep. Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City, received $5,550 and has a warchest of $3,403.10. He received $325 each from Altria Corporate Services and American Family Insurance’s PAC.
The imbalance is likely because of $9,300 worth of loans he repaid in this period. He also donated $1,350 to gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Columbia.
n Rep. Kevin Wilson, R-Neosho, received $975 and has a warchest of $30,284.54.
His expenditures include contributions of $5,000 to the House Republican Campaign Committee and $500 to the Pearce for Senate PAC.
n Sen. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, received $11,575 and has a warchest of $106,458.23.
In addition to the $9,750 he received from 15 of Sinquefield’s committees, he received $1,000 from James B. Hebenstreit, of Mission Hills, Kan.
Nodler gave $10,160 to other committees, including an $8,000 donation to the Majority Fund, Inc.
n Sen. Jack Goodman, R-Mount Vernon, received $39,750 and has a warchest of $59,369.76.
In addition to $24,700 from 38 Sinquefield committees, Goodman reported a $6,500 contribution from the 29th Senate District Republican Committee, based out of Gainesville.
Address correspondence to Joe Hadsall, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, Mo. 64802 or e-mail jhadsall@joplinglobe.com.
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