From the Kurt Schaefer for Attorney General campaign:
Campaign Sets Record Straight on Negative Ad by Pro-Hawley Smear Group
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri agriculture groups and the campaign for Republican Candidate for Missouri Attorney General Kurt Schaefer today called on Professor Josh Hawley to immediately denounce the false attacks on Missouri farmers perpetrated by the State Conservative Reform Action PAC (SCRAPAC).
“We call on Professor Hawley to immediately denounce these false and disingenuous attacks on Missouri farmers and our rural economy,” Mike Deering, Executive Director of Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, said. “We and numerous other leading agriculture groups are supporting Kurt Schaefer for Attorney General because of his strong and principled leadership on Missouri agriculture issues. We know Kurt is on our side and voters should see through this shameful false attack.”
The SCRAPAC has been airing the negative ad throughout Missouri. The announcement follows yesterday’s news regarding another Pro-Hawley smear group being forced to remove their political ads from the airwaves this week after being determined categorically false.
“After seeing Professor Hawley’s war on Missouri agriculture it is no surprise Missouri’s farmers are standing strongly with Kurt Schaefer,” Schaefer Campaign Manager Scott Dieckhaus said. “Missourians are tired of seeing these shameful attacks by Josh Hawley’s special interest DC-insider allies and Professor Hawley should immediately apologize to Missouri’s farmers and our agriculture groups who are the backbone of our economy. There is only one pro-farmer candidate in this race and it is Kurt Schaefer.”
Kurt Schaefer has been endorsed by numerous leading agriculture organizations representing tens of thousands of Missouri farmers, including the Missouri Soybean Association, Missouri Pork Association, Missouri Cattleman’s Association, Missouri Federation of Animal Owners and the Missouri Dairy Association. Professor Hawley has received zero endorsements from Missouri agriculture organizations.
Background on Attack Ad from Pro-Hawley Smear Group SCRAPAC
By an overwhelming veto proof bi-partisan margin in 2013 the Missouri legislature passed a free market measure on behalf of Missouri’s agriculture groups that allowed for very limited foreign investment in Missouri agriculture lands. The economic measure was intended to increase investment in Missouri agriculture and agriculture exports, and created new economic opportunities and jobs for Missouri farmers and rural communities.
The measure limited the level of land ownership at 1% and included significant oversight, including an application and approval process with the Department of Agriculture.
During the 2014 Right to Farm Amendment campaign, radical animal rights groups like the HSUS and ASPCA used the measure as a reason to oppose Right-To-Farm, which was supported by every major Missouri agriculture organization.
