Veterans

(Note: I serve on the Special committee On Veterans In The House)

Many active duty military personnel live in Jefferson County. When such people are deployed, they are unable to use their personal property, such as an automobiles or motorcycles, which remain in storage till their return.  

1.  Should the Missouri General Assembly pass a resolution allowing voters to decide if the personal property (cars and motorcycles) owned by residents who are on active military duty should be tax exempt? This exemption would only be in effect during the time the soldier is deployed.

Yes
No

Immigration

Some states have passed laws to try to make it more difficult to hire illegal aliens.  They have sought to impose fines on employers who hire undocumented workers.

2.  Should Missouri pass laws barring the hiring of illegal aliens?

Yes
No

Several states have adopted laws to make English the official language in their state. The Legislature has placed this issue on the Missouri November 2008 ballot.

3.  Should Missouri require English to be the official language of our state?

Yes
No

Higher Education

Some states have enacted caps on increases in public higher education tuition.  These caps are often, but not always, linked to the inflation rate. Proponents point out that the rate of tuition increases is steeper than the inflation rate.  Opponents believe caps limit a college's ability to respond to changing economic conditions and may lead to larger class sizes or fewer course offerings. They also note that the large tuition hikes in recent years have directly resulted from cuts to state funding for public higher education.

4.  Do you favor a law capping tuition rates at public colleges and universities?

Yes
No

Public Education

Missouri’s public school districts are suffering with higher gasoline rates the same as our families are.  Our own Northeast School District must scramble every year to meet the rising costs of health insurance for their employees, to repair aging infrastructure, to retain good employees and to keep up with the latest technology.  The budget we receive does not fully fund the State’s own school foundation formula.

5.  Should the state increase funding for public school districts as well as state colleges and universities?

Yes
No

Biodiesel Fuel

Biodiesel is produced at several Missouri facilities.  When blended with diesel fuel, it takes the place of sulfur and acts as a lubricant creating a cleaner burning fuel.

6.  Once an adequate supply can be produced in the state, should biodiesel fuel be required to be blended in all diesel fuel sold in Missouri? 

Yes
No

Health Care

Prior to my serving in the Legislature,  the Missouri General Assembly, made deep cuts to Medicaid services.  Over 100,000 Missourians, mainly the elderly, lost critical health care services.  This year some of those cuts were restored, but nowhere near the level of service many Missourians had come to count on.

7.  Should the state fully restore funding for Medicaid?

Yes
No

In the absence of leadership at the Federal level, some states are moving towards the adoption of statewide health insurance plans for those without insurance or inadequate coverage.

8.  Should Missouri look at the feasibility of providing health insurance with mandatory participation by those employers who currently provide no health insurance benefits?

Yes
No

HB 1055 would have required Missouri schools to teach only abstinence as the method of avoiding sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy.

9. Should teens in public schools be taught abstinence as the only method of birth control?

Yes
No

Stem Cell Research

(Note: I serve on the Health Care Policy Committee)

Last year Missouri voters approved a Constitutional Amendment that allows stem cell research and bars human cloning.  Debate continues as to whether replicating cells in a lab for research and the cloning of a human being are the same.

10.  Do you believe that replicating any human cells for research is the same as cloning a human being?

Yes
No

Abortion Restrictions

Restrictions banning partial birth abortions have been upheld by the Supreme Court.

11. Do you support the current restrictions on this procedure?

Some propose banning partial birth abortion procedures even if the life of the mother is threatened.

Yes

No

12. Should there be an exemption to the restriction of this procedure, if the life of the mother is threatened?

Yes

No

Crime & Punishment

Missouri defendants held under a sentence of death or life imprisonment, or who have been convicted of second degree murder, first degree assault, or forcible rape,   are not eligible for bail during the period of time their appeal of the verdict is pending. 

13.  Should Missouri exclude those defendants who have pleaded or been found guilty of any criminal sexual offense where the victim is younger than 17 years of age from receiving bail?

Yes

No

A 13 year old girl in Missouri committed suicide last year following harassment by an adult posing as a 16 year old boy on MySpace.  No State Law covered the offense and prosecutors have filed no charges against the adult.

14. Should we make harassment via the Internet a Class A Felony?

Yes

No 

Cleaning Up Government

(Note: I serve on the Joint Committee On Government Accountability)

The 183 license fee offices where you are required to obtain or renew driver’s licenses and vehicle license plates are operated by private individuals that are awarded no-bid contracts by the Governor.  Fee office operators typically are political supporters of the governor.  Legislation before the General Assembly would eliminate political patronage from the system by giving the contracts to local public school foundations or other charitable groups.

15. Do you favor eliminating political patronage from the awarding of fee office contracts?

Yes
No

16. Would you support the removal of mandatory term limits?

Currently an elected State Senator or State Representative is allowed a total of eight years in office.

Yes
No

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