Politics

Kansas City medical research tax supporters near $1 million in contributions

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– Nearly a week after the costly fight over a statewide tax cut ended, supporters of a Kansas City-area sales tax increase effort were just beginning. 

In August, the Jackson County Legislature approved a plan to place the 20 year, $40 million-a-year sales tax increase proposal to fund a new medical research and development institute in Kansas City. The institute would be a collaborative effort between the Children’s Mercy Hospital, Saint Luke’s Health System, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute.

Since the proposal was approved by the Jackson County Legislature in a party-line vote, the group has raised nearly $1 million from 23 big donors – including $100,000 from Hallmark CEO Donald Hall, $100,000 from the J.E. Dunn Construction Company, $25,000 from Kansas City Power and Light, and more from a handful of lawyers and some of the hospitals involved.

Jackson County voters must approve the plan in order for the half-cent sales tax increase to go into law. The campaign over the $800 million proposal is likely to pick up over the coming weeks, as Jackson County voters near a special election on November 5.

According to an analysis of reports filed for contributions over $5,000 in the third quarter, the Kansas City-area’s group’s three-month haul was second only to that of Grow Missouri, which raised $1.3 million from St. Louis billionaire Rex Sinquefiled behind his effort to overturn Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of legislation that would have slashed corporate taxes and provided a fractional tax cut to most Missourians. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce was the beneficiary of $200,000 of that, coupled with another $200,000 from Sinquefield. Sinquefield also put thousands of dollars into the Associated Industries of Missouri and the Missouri Club for Growth, totaling $2,350,000 in public dollars behind the failed effort.

Aside from that, the following six committees raised the most in large contributions between July 1 and September 30:

  • + Committee For Research Treatments And Cures was established in August by Kansas City attorney James C. Thomas, III. It claims to fight on behalf of an effort to put a half-cent sales tax increase on the ballot for 20 years to help lure medical researchers to Kansas City.
  • HEALTHPAC, the political arm of the Missouri Hospital Association, raised at least $249,800 in the third quarter, as they ready to reengage in the Medicaid debate.
  • In Springfield, lawyer and doctor Brad Bradshaw set up a PAC last quarter called “Citizens for Responsible Research.” He placed more than $106,300 into the committee, but has not stated his intention.
  • The Springfield-based Lewis & Clark group raised $95,000 from five donors in the same time period. They contributed $25,000 of that to Republican State Auditor Tom Schweich, who is up for reelection in 2014.
  • Missouri Roundtable for Life raised more than $92,500 from its financier, anti-abortion activist Fred Sauer.
  • Stand Up Missouri, a group which opposes reform to payday loan laws, raised more than $87,300 from seven companies.