Following are some brief thoughts about some of the major topics I have heard discussed during the years I have served as your state representative. These are representative of what I think are core issues and policies we need to continue to work together to improve upon in our great state for the benefit of all Missourians. I want you, the voter, to focus on my competencies in creative collaboration, negotiation, innovation and the ability to get things done. I am committed to bipartisan dialogue and prioritizing issues that have a large impact on our state and communities, including education, health, and the economic engine.
HealthcareWorkforce issues—I will continue to raise visibility and call for a systematic approach to development of the health-care workforce to meet the needs of the aging population.
Addressing the challenges of the uninsured—The cost of the uninsured continues to drive up costs for the health-care system as a whole. I will continue working on the issues that drive these costs up: overuse of the ER for primary care, delay of treatment, lack of prevention care, abuse of the system by those able to pay, need more universal delivery of high quality, coordinated care, and adequate public health efforts
Reducing administrative costs—More than 30 percent of health-care costs are due to pushing paper around. I will continue working to address this waste and seek ways to make records more accessible and less costly to produce.
Privacy—The increased implementation of electronic records brings with it many privacy challenges. I will continue to work on the issues related to securing our records for individual and directed use. (Top)
Preparing Future Generations
Increasing health literacy should be an important goal in our education and healthcare agendas so that our future taxpayers and workers will make prudent decisions that keep health-care costs more manageable. Young people who do not feel empowered about their own health and their own bodies do not have the sense of personal security and confidence they need to be successful in life. This spiral can lead to problems like teen pregnancy, substance abuse, crime, homelessness and an overall cycle of dependency that ends up costing all of us much more in the end than if we continue to overlook this great societal need. (Top)
Teen Drivers Safety—I will work to create access to driver’s education with an online course developed by DESE and also promote good driving habits by restricting cell phone use for teens with an intermediate license. HB609
Physical Education—Promote healthy habits in our children by requiring a certain level of physical activity and the teaching of self-assessment skills ( BMI, resting heart rate, perceived exertion and goal setting). Promote physical activity as a strategy for achievement enhancement.
Addressing the needs of challenging schools—I will continue to work on a program of School Intervention and Reform, or SIRG, grants that will fund proven educational reform strategies for schools that are provisionally unaccredited. HB859
Promote Social and Emotional Learning Strategies for schools—School-based mental health strategies through interagency work with the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and Department of Health and Social ServicesHigher Education
Higher education is a great investment with high returns in producing an advanced society and mutual understanding. Access is dangerously eroding, with inflation of tuition costs passed on directly to students and their families. We must find ways to contain the cost of higher education, find innovative ways to deliver quality education, and make it affordable for any student willing to work hard and succeed.
I also am disturbed by the trend for Missouri’s public higher education institutions to carve out regional “territories” and compete for increasingly scarce state resources rather than look for ways to collaborate to meet the educational needs of our citizens. This development specifically is threatening to the University of Missouri-Columbia, whose statewide mission of teaching, research and service needs to be affirmed and funded appropriately in order for the University to be competitive with its peers on a national level. I support stronger central coordination of the state’s higher education system as it pertains to emphasizing and funding the designated mission of each institution and encouraging the wise use of resources through collaborative programs.
Life Sciences
A life sciences corridor in mid-Missouri would create a synergy between higher education and the private sector that would both build on the impressive accomplishments of MU faculty researchers and serve to support further efforts in life sciences research. Such industry is desirable for economic and community growth. We must continue to explore and promote this potential. (Top)
Economic Engine
While jobs are on the rebound in Missouri, the shrinking of the middle class and an increase in poverty remain a great threat to a robust economy. In order for Missouri to adequately support a business-friendly climate and attract both domestic and foreign investment, we must be willing to invest in infrastructures that make for positive economic outcomes. There is a delicate economic balance between spending and investing, and we must be wary of the overzealous budget cutting that has occurred during the past few years at the state level. I will prioritize support of policies that recognize the contribution of working families, invest in road rehabilitation and promote work-force development to ensure expansion of Missouri’s economic engine. (Top)
Energy Policy
Promote alternative energy modifications through a low-interest loan program (Missouri Renewable Energy Loan Authority). HB1263
Establish the Renewable Energy Act, which would require the Department of Natural Resources and Missouri Public Service Commission to establish renewable energy requirements for utilities. HB 1176
Require sellers of newly constructed residential homes to disclose to initial purchasers the energy efficiency rating of homes based on the Energy Star rating system. HB 1175
Require state agencies to engage in energy conservation and state buildings to meet the International Energy Conservation Code. HB 1069 (Top)
Environment
As rising gasoline prices have shown us, our reliance on fossil fuels makes us vulnerable to an uncertain future. I am committed to exploring alternative fuel sources and balancing all sensible solutions for integrated and conservative delivery of energy. Additionally, I would like to see growth in the good habits of recycling goods and resources. I would support initiatives that broaden the practice of recycling.
Also, storm water runoff is a serious and contentious environmental problem for a rapidly growing city of Columbia. Socio-economic forces have intensified the push for development in the Columbia and Boone County. People continue to come to Columbia creating economic opportunities for developers, builders, businesses and jobs.
Water quality protection and land disturbance is regulated by several state and federal laws that attempt to limit and mitigate the most obvious and serious sources of water quality degradation and potential threat. Water-quality protection and development are rancorous issues that strike deep to the heart of economic and environmental concerns. Property rights of the individual and the rights of society held in common meet head on.
What is needed is increased communication and education between those concerned and knowledgeable about the environment and land owners who are planning for the future of our city and attempting to reasonably accommodate growth. Perhaps the educational programs we currently supply for farming would be a good model to adopt for developers.
One thing is certain; everything in the environment is ecologically connected to everything else. Make one change somewhere, and everything is changed eventually.
There is no free lunch. Somebody will have to pay, and something in the landscape will be lost. The question is, “How much can we lose in the environment before it is too much for future generations to overcome?” These are questions I will continually keep in mind while influencing policy and weighing options. (Top)