– $2.35 million.

In less than a week, St. Louis investor and area multi-millionaire Rex Sinquefield has single-handedly infused $2.35 million into a television ad blitz and ground campaign urging the General Assembly to override Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of House Bill 253, legislation that would slash taxes for Missourians broadly and more specifically for higher earners.

Last week, with $1.3 million, Grow Missouri launched to coordinate advocacy efforts urging lawmakers to override the bill. Bankrolled by Sinquefield, the committee is ran by Aaron Willard, a former aide to House Speaker Steve Tilley. Along with that, Sinquefield sent $100,000 to the Associated Industries of Missouri and $200,000 to the Missouri Chamber of Commerce as they launched ad campaigns calling for a veto.

And on Wednesday, soon after the Missouri Club for Growth announced yet another statewide ad campaign regarding the tax cut, a $750,000 check appeared on the Missouri Ethics Commission website.

Sinquefield is also applying his influence beyond the television screens. Four lobbyists who work for Sinquefield’s own lobbying firm, Pelopidas, have been registered with Grow Missouri, including Sinquefield’s chief lobbyist, Travis Brown, Kristen Starner, Brent Hemphill, and (added on Wednesday) David Jackson.

HB 253, one of 29 bills vetoed by Gov. Jay Nixon, sought to impose a reduction for business income on personal tax returns and reduce the corporate income tax. The bill includes a trigger mechanism to go into effect, but Gov. Jay Nixon has already begun to withhold revenue from state budget items in fear of a legislative override.

It is unclear whether Republicans will be able to sway enough members to change their votes in order to override Nixon’s veto. It passed the House 103 to 51, six votes short of an override (it passed the Senate 24 to 9).