KENNETT, Mo. - Two state legislators were on hand here Monday and addressed a meeting of the Dunklin County Missouri Farm Bureau.
Both Missouri District 150 State Rep. Cameron Bunting-Parker and Missouri Dist. 25 State Sen. Jason Bean informed the group about legislation and activities of interest at the state level.
“I think I’ve been a Farm Bureau member for about 20 years,” Bunting-Parker said. “You guys are a great organization.”
Bunting-Parker introduced herself to the group and said she’s proud to represent her district, proud to support agriculture and proud to advance business in Southeast Missouri.
The state rep has one two-year term under her belt. She’s up for re-election this cycle and drew a Democratic challenger, Kennett resident Kay Collier.
“I’m pro-life,” she said. “I’m pro-Second Amendment.
“I believe in quality education,” she continued. “And I believe I’m the best candidate for the job.”
Bunting-Parker said her second year at Jefferson City was just as exciting, fast-paced and rewarding as her first year in office.
“This year the most exciting, the craziest thing that happened was not in the Senate,” she said. “It was right in the House.
“We had a pro-Palestinian group came in and … got to screaming, yelling and throwing banners,” she continued. “It was scary because I didn’t know what they were doing. Every year something very unusual happens when you’re trying to work.”
The state rep said the most important accomplishment this session was Missouri’s balanced budget.
“We had a $50.1Bn budget,” Bunting-Parker said.
“And we passed a balanced budget.
“That’s important, especially when you’re fiscally conservative,” she added. “We’re trying to bring taxpayers dollars down to Southeast Missouri.
“But we also want to have enough money to do the things that we need to do throughout the state,” she continued. “We still have $1Bn in the budget in reserve. So I was really proud of that.”
She said the legislature continues funding infrastructure projects with respect to roads and bridges.
“And we’re looking at continuing to try to do the expansion for 412 South,” the state representative said. “We need to continue to do our four lane South.”
She noted SB 727 and SB 2278 addressed education and teachers’ compensation.
“Any time that I can vote to raise teachers’ pay, I’m going to do that,” she said. “Every time.
“Our schools are important,” she added. “Our children our important. Our teachers are very important.”
Bunting-Parker emphasized local efforts still will go toward teachers’ salaries.
“This is YOUR taxpayers dollars going back to YOUR public schools,” she explained. “All the talk we heard about 727.
“‘Don’t vote for it,” she continued. “That bill was 168 pages long. There were a few things in it I didn’t like at all. But I thought the benefit to our teachers, to our local schools and funding that will help all that outweighed the detriments.”
Bunting Parker said the legislature fully funded the education and transportation formulas.
“A lot of times the school district is the largest employer in the community,” she noted. “Take towns like Holcomb and Clarkton.
“We gotta continue to have our public schools,” the state rep continued. “We’ve got to keep supporting our teachers and being a voice for them in Jeff City.”
Bunting-Parker noted broadband projects were funded and a $5Mn healthcare allocation was added for Dunklin County.
“Your senator carried and pushed that,” she said. “He was instrumental in getting that done.
“And I supported that,” she added. “Nobody wants to travel 30 minutes to help if there’s an emergency. So with Senator Bean leading the charge, he got that done for Dunklin County.”
She said HB 1803 adds capital into a pool of money that area farmers might access in terms of loans.
“It was $800Mn,” Bunting-Parker explained. “Now it’s $1.2Bn.
“So I think that helps us locally,” she continued. “If you can get a loan like that, this is the time. And it would increase that pool to get that money.”
Bean took the floor and joked that he could “just say ditto,” and be done.
“Thank you Farm Bureau for endorsing me four years ago,” Bean told the crowd. “And thank you for endorsing me now.”
Bean is up for re-election this cycle and drew an opponent, Democratic Party challenger Chuck Banks.
“I currently represent 10 counties in Missouri,” Bean said. “From Thayer all the way over to Steele.
“From the south part of Sikeston, Charleston, Dexter and Poplar Bluff,” he added. “One thing’s the same in all those districts. Agriculture is No.1. Whether it’s timber and cattle or row crops.”
Bean serves on the Transportation and Public Safety Committee, the Commerce Committee, and Gubernatorial Appointments Committee.
“And I serve on this little committee called Appropriations,” Bean said. “That’s very, very important to be on.
“That’s how we’re able to leverage a lot of our funds coming back to the Bootheel,” he continued. “I’m the chairman of the Agriculture Committee. Also I serve currently in Leadership as the Assistant Majority Floor Leader. I’m running for Majority Floor Leader in the Senate. Senate Leadership races are really interesting. There are 24 Republicans currently in the Missouri Senate. To tell you how a Senate Leadership race can go, I might have 23 out of 24 votes on a Wednesday night and Thursday morning I might have one. We’ve been doing our due diligence because leadership is so important when it comes to bringing funding back here to Southeast Missouri.”
Bean said District 25 received the most funding of any district this year outside of normal funding.
“Historic funding,” Bean said. “A lot of that was in transportation infrastructure spending”
The state senator said his relationship with Farm Bureau enabled him to in the past offer legislation dealing with property rights as they apply to imminent domain.
“That was a priority of Farm Bureau,” Bean said. “To reform how imminent domain is used.
“When transmission lines come across the state, if imminent domain has to be used to take that property, it’s going to be used correctly.
“They said I could never pass it,” he added. “It hadn’t been passed in eight years. I did it in my second year. I did it at 4:30 in the morning. I’d had COVID. So I tell you I was wore out. I was tired. But we were able to do that.”
Bean emphasized that property rights are important to all Missourians.
“One of the fundamental rights of the citizens of our country,” he said. “Being able to pass that legislation was really important.
“I appreciate the work of Farm Bureau,” Bean added. “They were there at the Capitol the whole night we worked through that bill.”
Bean continued his remarks by describing the excitement and energy at Milwaukee, where he served as a Missouri delegate at the Republican National Convention.
“Truly an amazing experience,” Bean said. “The energy level after the assassination attempt on President Trump was incredible.
“Truly an honor to be there,” he added. “Truly an honor to be a part of history.”
The state senator concluded by emphasizing the importance of both November’s general election state elections and recommended Mike Kehoe be elected as Missouri governor.
“Something we need so much is common-sense leadership,” he said. “The Missouri Senate was really a mess this year.
“People were using the Senate floor for campaign speeches,” Bean added. “They were basically stopping legislation over personal vendettas. It was just awful and not a good environment at all. So passing that balanced budget was really a big accomplishment.”
Bean recommended Mike Kehoe be elected as Missouri governor.
“People like Mike Kehoe, who have been in the senate and who have been lieutenant governor, that’s what Missouri needs,” Bean said. “Common-sense leadership.”