Name: Eric Schmitt joins Missouri race for U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Roy Blunt • Missouri Independent
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Eric Schmitt joins Missouri race for U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Roy Blunt • Missouri Independent

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7:15News StoryMissouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (photo courtesy of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office).on Wednesday, making him the second major Republican hopeful seeking to replace Roy Blunt.Schmitt’s decision comes after earlier this week. Both made their announcements on Fox News.“Washington, D.C., needs more fighters, needs more reinforcements to save America,” Schmitt said Wednesday morning.More recently, Schmitt has become embroiled in controversy over a robocall sent out by an arm of the the Republican Attorneys General Association that urged supporters march to the U.S. Capitol to “stop the steal” — a reference to former President Trump’s baseless election fraud claims.On Jan. 6, a day after the robocall, a violent mob stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s victory.Schmitt, who serves as vice chairman of the association, has denied knowledge of the robocall. But records show his office the day it was sent out.But a push by SchmittXby Jason Hancock, March 24, 2021by Jason Hancock, March 24, 2021Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt on Wednesday, making him the second major Republican hopeful seeking to replace Roy Blunt.Schmitt’s decision comes after earlier this week. Both made their announcements on Fox News.“Washington, D.C., needs more fighters, needs more reinforcements to save America,” Schmitt said Wednesday morning.After Blunt announced he wouldn’t seek a third term in 2022, began publicly considering running for the now open seat.&nbsp; Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft was considered the frontrunner, but he. Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe .&nbsp;Those moves opened the door for Schmitt, a former state legislator from St. Louis County who was appointed attorney general in 2019 and won a full term last year.&nbsp;He has long harbored ambitions to be a U.S. Senator.&nbsp;In 2017, as Josh Hawley was publicly waffling about whether to challenge then-Sen. Claire McCaskill, to discuss the race with leaders of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.He ultimately begged off when Hawley launched his campaign and became the clear frontrunner.&nbsp;High-profile lawsuitsSchmitt &nbsp;during his two terms in the Missouri Senate. But his politics evolved as the state turned a deeper shade of red over the last decade — and his ambitions turned toward a statewide race.And since becoming attorney general, through a series of lawsuits that have bolstered his conservative bona fides.&nbsp;Last year, Schmitt sued the Chinese government, accusing it of lying and covering up the danger posed by the coronavirus. And just as Blunt was announcing his decision not to run, challenging an executive order tightening regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.But his most controversial move as attorney general was joining the legal effort to overturn President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory.The lawsuits wereMore recently, Schmitt has become embroiled in controversy over a robocall sent out by an arm of the the Republican Attorneys General Association that urged supporters march to the U.S. Capitol to “stop the steal” — a reference to former President Trump’s baseless election fraud claims.On Jan. 6, a day after the robocall, a violent mob stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s victory.Schmitt, who serves as vice chairman of the association, has denied knowledge of the robocall. But records show his office the day it was sent out.He has also garnered headlines for his efforts to combat violent crime in the urban core, drawing praise for the “” — a joint effort he launched in 2019 between the attorney general’s office and U.S. attorneys.&nbsp;But a push by Schmitt to convince Missouri lawmakers to give him the power to prosecute certain homicide cases in St. Louis has been controversial, with critics contending he was simply trying to strip authority away from St. Louis’ first Black prosecutor, Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner.&nbsp;The bill never gained traction.Legislative careerDuring his eight years in the state Senate, Schmitt’s highest-profile victory came with legislation capping the amount of revenue municipalities could raise.The bill was inspired by abuses uncovered in the wake of the Ferguson uprising in 2014. An investigation at the time by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch detailed how to raise revenue for city services.&nbsp;Schmitt was also a champion during his legislative career for those with autism,, who is on the autism spectrum, is nonverbal and has epilepsy.He successfully pushed for legislation allowing a person with disabilities, or their families, to open a tax-exempt savings account for the purpose of paying expenses relating to disabilities, including autism. Another of Schmitt’s bills that became law required health insurance companies to pay up to $40,000 per year for autism therapy.He also sponsored a bill allowing cannabidiol, a cannabis extract, to be used to treat epilepsy patients who don’t respond to conventional treatments.And in 2015, after reports surfaced about in the Liberty School District, Schmitt threatened to derail state funding for the district unless it took steps to strengthen anti-bullying policies.&nbsp;But his legislative career, and , could also be a stumbling block for Schmitt in a GOP primary.Most notably, perhaps, was Schmitt’s push for the so-called “China Hub” legislation in 2011. The bill included $360 million in tax breaks intended to make Lambert-St. Louis International Airport a hub for freight flown between China and the Midwest.The bill, who bristled at creating a new tax credit program unless the state reined in other tax credit spending. The idea ultimately died after weeks of debate when a compromise couldn’t be reached between the House and Senate.is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: . Follow Missouri Independent on and .Copy to clipboard1RepublishOur stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.

7:15News StoryMissouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (photo courtesy of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office).on Wednesday, making him the second major Republican hopeful seeking to replace Roy Blunt.Schmitt’s decision comes after earlier this week. Both made their announcements on Fox News.“Washington, D.C., needs more fighters, needs more reinforcements to save America,” Schmitt said Wednesday morning.More recently, Schmitt has become embroiled in controversy over a robocall sent out by an arm of the the Republican Attorneys General Association that urged supporters march to the U.S....

Eric Schmitt joins Missouri race for U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Roy Blunt • Missouri Independent

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