JOPLIN, Mo. — Among the nearly 20 legislative contests under way in Southwest Missouri, Doug Harpool, a Springfield attorney and former legislator, said he’s keenly interested in the one in Joplin, where Shelly Dreyer and Bill White battle for the GOP nomination for the 129th House seat being vacated by Ron Richard.

It’s a big-money showdown with Dreyer backed by many attorneys and White receiving widespread support from the medical community.

“I’m fascinated because of the amount of money being spent, and that so much seems to be coming from narrowly defined groups,” said Harpool, who served in the Missouri House from 1982 to 1992, and sponsored legislation creating the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Dreyer has received at least 70 donations from people identifying themselves as attorneys, or from people affiliated with law firms or legal groups.

White, a lawyer himself and married to a physician, has about 80 contributors identified as doctors or affiliated with the medical community or hospitals.

There are some in the medical community giving to Dreyer and some attorneys throwing in with White, and a few people hedging their bets by giving to both candidates, but a search through the donations reported by both candidates to the Missouri Ethics Commission makes it clear that the two professions are lining up behind different candidates.

$220,000 so far

According to the two candidates’ latest filings with the Missouri Ethics Commission, nearly $220,000 has been pumped into their campaigns in advance of Tuesday’s primary.

As of July 29, Dreyer had received nearly $136,000; White had received nearly $84,000.

And that is just for the primary. It does not include donations yet to come in for the general election.

Richard, who became speaker of the Missouri House, said he has seen House races hit a quarter-million dollars before.

“It’s not unheard of; it’s a little over the top for Joplin,” he said.

According to the National Institute on Money in State Politics, which tracks state races, the average House race in 2008 in Missouri cost $41,264. In 2000, the average house race in Missouri involved less than $20,000.

Both candidates dismiss the doctors-vs.-lawyers characterization, noting they have support across all backgrounds.

White said he’s received a lot of support from individuals who are not doctors, especially in smaller amounts.

“A lot of her (Dreyer’s) money is coming from outside the district,” he said. “The Missouri Medical Association didn’t give me $55,000 last month. We got very little in terms of PAC contributions.”

Dreyer got at least $56,000 in money and in-kind support from Missouri Freedom, a Political Action Committee of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys.

Dreyer said: “If you add up the amounts, a lot of the total comes from lawyers, myself included, but I have lots of individual contributions from lots of different people.”

Dreyer said 65 percent of her contributions are from Southwest Missouri, and that she has received contributions from lawyers across the state she knows from law school or from practicing law.

“I’ve been a judge and I’ve taught continuing education legal courses, and I’ve become friends with attorneys across the state,” she said. “These are my colleagues; Mr. White has received support from his wife’s colleagues.”

White’s wife, Ellen Nichols, is a neurosurgeon.

Dreyer said her support from lawyers represents all aspects of law  — judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys.

“I’m amazed at the support I’ve received from lawyers I’ve opposed in court,” she said. “But the assumption is being made it’s all trial lawyers, and that’s not the case.”

Dreyer also said she has no agenda in favor of lawyers.

“I supported tort reforms made in 2005 and there’s no intent by me or other legislators to make changes,” she said.

“I especially supported the ban on venue-shopping to allow lawyers to choose which county to file in,” she said. “I’ve never agreed with that. I’m not a medical malpractice attorney, that’s not on my radar.”

White noted efforts in the last legislative session “to chip away” at tort reform, including a proposal to extend the statute of limitations to five years from two.

“It didn’t get far, but it’s a concern,” he said. “I do think we need to make it harder to file frivolous lawsuits, but that’s because of the impact it has on the people and businesses in general, not just doctors.”

Describing himself as a “pretty conservative Republican,” White said Missouri needs reforms in the legal and tax systems “that will benefit businesses and individuals.”

“It’s one of the factors we need to be competitive with other states,” he said.

Money pressures

Despite disclaimers from the candidates, former legislator Harpool said contributions can create expectations for candidates that they will line up on one side on particular issues.

“When so much money comes from such narrow groups, you do have concerns about what commitments, if any, have been made by the candidates,” Harpool said. “No matter which candidate wins, in reality, the doctors aren’t always right and the lawyers aren’t always right. We need public servants who don’t always side with one group or the other, but will objectively evaluate issues on their own merits. To be fair, the receipt of money doesn’t mean a candidate can’t do that. But given the pressures of raising money, it certainly raises the concern.”

Supporters speak

Michael Holzknecht, a Stockton attorney, has given at least $350 to Dreyer.

He said the race “is a microcosm of what is really going on in Jefferson City.”

He fears businesses and others want “special protection” and caps on lawsuits, and they’re going to Jefferson City to get it.

He characterized himself as a personal injury lawyer who “represents people, not insurance companies or careless health care providers.

“They are looking for special protection when they hurt people,” said Holzknecht, who ran for the state Senate two years ago.

Richard, who endorsed White and gave him money, said he thinks the 129th seat is attracting a lot of money because, “It looks like there is an opportunity for trial lawyers to gain an opening.”

“It appears to me there is a significant amount of dollars from trial lawyers from Kansas City and around the state. The other side is trying to combat that.

“It’s the same battle we fought when we were doing lawsuit reform to keep doctors in Missouri,” he said.

Tim Dollar, a Kansas City attorney who contributed to Dreyer, said trial attorneys are traditionally considered supporters of Democrats. He said at the federal level, 95 to 97 percent of the money the American Association of Justice, formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers, gave in the past two election cycles has gone to Democrats, but he said that’s not always the case.

“I am a trial lawyer, and I am a conservative, pro-life.”

He said Dreyer is “conservative, pro-life, pro-gun” and has integrity, and he has known her for years.

“I just want conservative candidates who support everybody’s right to fair access to the courts.”

Dr. Ramona Chapman and her husband, Bob Paschall, who live in the 131st District, gave Bill White $1,000.

“He’s conservative,” Paschal said. “We are independent, but we are conservative independents.”

Paschal is a retired military and commercial pilot who also has worked for medical staffing and financial firms.

Paschall also said he’s had two back operations with Bill White’s wife, a neurosurgeon.

“If he is as good as she is, as a person and a professional, it’s a no-brainer,” he said.



Democratic finances

Jim West, Joplin, the only Democrat to file in the 129th, has collected more than $7,000, much of it from unions.