Issues

Supporting our public schools is something we can all agree on. Our school system in District 140 is not only our largest employer; it is a great source of pride in our community, and a significant driver of our property values. Our public schools are critical in developing the future leaders of Christian County and beyond. 

Our students should have access to free, dependable, public education. Our teachers should be able to make a living wage and feel respected as the professionals they are. Our students' parents should feel engaged as partners in the school community. As your representative, I will work to ensure that we fully support our commitment to our kids, teachers, and community to continue providing quality public education. 

We all feel the burden of rising costs. Whether it be groceries, utilities, childcare, housing, or healthcare, our day-to-day expenses are continually growing. I know that Missourians want to work, but many jobs are not offering livable wages. Missourians deserve necessities that don't eat entire paychecks. 

I will work to ensure a stable economy that allows everyone to thrive, not simply survive. The state budget needs to be balanced, that much we know, but I will work to do so by advocating for my constituents' needs, not the needs of corporations. 

A community is made safe in many ways. Emergency services are essential to our community's safety. Firefighters, paramedics, and police officers are the first on the scene for any emergency, putting their lives at risk for our safety. For that, they deserve our respect and support. On top of that, communities are safe when leaders invest in long-term efforts that prioritize violence prevention, crisis response, and community-based programs. 

As state representative, I will work to support our emergency services while looking to expand other community safety programs. In order to truly enhance safety, we must look to address and prevent crime and violence rather than only react to it. 

Christian County, like much of Missouri, is home to beautiful nature and wildlife. We are lucky to have areas like Busiek State Park, the Finley and James Rivers, Mark Twain National Forest, and more right in our backyards. Conservation is not only important from an ecological standpoint, but also for recreation, tourism, and the economy. Through conservation efforts, we are able to keep these areas clean and thriving, which ensures that Christian County is not only a desirable place to live but also to visit. 

Conservation is important as ever, with new data centers popping up in our state. Data centers are known polluters who increase energy costs for residential consumers and deplete the water sources in surrounding areas. As state representative, I will work to safeguard our parks and waterways to ensure that Missourians are the ones benefitting from our nature, not facilities like data centers.