Life

"One of the major reasons I decided to run for office was to work hard to make Missouri a state that honors and respects the life of unborn children. They cannot speak for themselves, yet they cry out. It is a dangerous thing to ignore the cries of the innocent. And as the fight for life has evolved to the defense of human embryos I will stand firm to protect these tiniest and most vulnerable of our children. I would appreciate the opportunity to be their voice in Jefferson City." Click Here to Learn about my legislative goals on Sex Ed and parents having to 'Opt-in' and on the limiting of abortion in Missouri.



I support the use of adult stem cells for medical research and these have been used successfully to develop treatments. However, I cannot support the use of embryonic stem cells for what amounts to a “clone and kill” procedure. There have been no breakthroughs using embryonic stem cells; but there have been many successes using adult stem cells. Because of this we are the Missouri 4th District organizers for cures without cloning and have worked toward outlawing this procedure in our great state.
Click here to read more on my position on cloning

Education
All of us want to provide the best possible education to our children so that they have the highest potential for success. I would be grateful for the opportunity to be part of accomplishing this goal at the Capitol while yet maintaining local control of our school districts.

Properly funding our school systems and finding ways to save our local schools money like Senate Bill 558 I presented on the House floor as a Representative. We removed the termination date on the statute that allows public and private schools in Missouri to bid together for their natural gas, and therefore, purchase gas at a This will save schools across the state $7,000,000 every year.
By far the greatest challenge facing Missouri’s legislature is finding ways to fix the failing public school districts of St. Louis and Kansas City.
Read my Education platform

Lower Taxes

As a small businessman and a state Representative I have seen the economic benefits of a balanced state government budget that requires no raise in taxes. Our economy is one of the best in the world when government does not interfere with the entrepreneurial spirit of its people. I am committed to keeping government small and focused on the priorities of law enforcement and infrastructure so Missouri can thrive economically no matter what happens in the stock market. read more.

Property Owner's Rights
A capitalistic free market depends on the confidence the individual has that he actually owns that for which he trades his time, money and energy. If we allow government to infringe upon these rights by use eminent domain; enforcement of overbearing codes and laws, and the limitation of the uses of our land then government ultimately ends up owning everything. I will work to cut off and limit the power of government over personal property and make more secure the rights of ownership by the individual. Our economy will benefit from securing those private property rights. I expect government to use eminent domain only when absolutely necessary and to drastically limit the laws and codes that infringe upon the free use of property. Because there are many small businesses that either operate out of homes or work the land, I see this as a protection for the small business operator in Cass, Johnson, Bates, and Vernon Counties as well as the homeowner.

Senior Citizens
I am committed to honoring our senior citizens and ensuring that our taxes and policies reflect this deference. Limiting property taxes especially for those on fixed incomes and keeping health care and drug costs down will be a high priority for me as your State Senator. Join me in protecting the legacy of our greatest generation.

Health Care
I will support legislation which includes tort reform, promotes competition between providers, enforces personal responsibility, allows portability of coverage between jobs, provides for full deductibility of health insurance premiums for the self-employed, and allows private medical savings accounts that are tax exempt. " Read More

Highways and Infrastructure
I believe that Highways and transportation infrastructure is the true domain of the state government and as such should be done and maintained with vigilance. As your Senator I will work to defend the funds set aside for our highways and make sure they are used for our highways. Taxes earmarked for road improvement and maintenance should be used on the roads not siphoned away for the use of special interest groups. Highways are a job the state must do for its people and do well.

Law Enforcement
"I believe one of government's fundamental responsibilities is to protect its citizens. To have good law enforcement, we must have and keep good officers; to have good officers, we must pay them a good salary. I believe in swift punishment of the guilty with prisons and sentences that are a deterrent to crime."

Family
"The traditional family- one man, one woman and their children - is the basic building block of our society. Strong families make a strong nation. Anything the government can do to build marriage and family bonds, strengthen the family's ability to function well in our society, promote family stability and responsibility, etc., should be governments first and foremost aim."

The Burdens of
Business Owners
"As a small business owner, I understand the frustration of trying to make a living while complying with the regulatory red tape and a burdensome tax code. I will hold the line on government intervention and will work hard to lighten the load for those who employ our workers."

An important issue facing businesses today is the ability to find affordable health insurance for employees. Five consecutive years of double-digit premium increases have hit employer and employee hard, particularly those who operate or work for small firms. The legislature addressed this issue by passing a bill that would allow small employers to team up with large employers to purchase health insurance. In this way, small employers can have the access to a host of benefits currently available to large employers. These changes should allow small businesses to offer quality benefits, experience lower administrative costs, and have more bargaining power in the bid process. The likely result – lower costs to offer health insurance – will give many more people access to healthcare that was previously unavailable or too expensive. The governor has signed this bill.

Local Control
"As a community volunteer, I understand that
our problems are best solved in our families
and communities, not in Jefferson City
and Washington, D.C."

HIGHWAYS, TAXES, AND STATE PRIORITIES:
In the last 10 years the State Government’s Income has grown from $9.3 billion to over $19 billion a year. In that time there has been a 72% increase in spending on Social Services, but only a 24% increase in education funding, and only a 5% increase in funding for transportation. I think the State’s spending has been out of priority. We can fund Education, we can fund highways, and we can fund our law enforcement properly without raising taxes. The state cannot continue to ask the people for more money. We must select the right priorities with the money we have.

2nd Amendment Rights
"Our founding fathers believed the right to own firearms were so important they made a bold and lasting testament to this right in the 2nd amendment to our constitution. When we limit and ignore this statement we make our country a place where the individual loses his power of defense against the criminal element. I will protect our rights to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitution." read more.

Illegal Immigration

We cannot allow those who would break our laws and thwart our government to reap the benefit of citizenship without penalty, we cannot allow amnesty for illegals. Our country still needs those hard working and law abiding people who wish to immigrate to our great country legally. I will work hard to empower law enforcement to detain and deport people who are here illegally and to protect and support legal immigration. read more.