Elect Melissa Jo Viloria

Reproductive Freedom – The Dobbs case, which reversed Roe v. Wade in 2022, resulted in women in the United States losing their federally protected right to access safe abortions, allowing states to establish their own reproductive rights precedents. Many states, including Missouri, have enacted some of the nation's most restrictive reproductive healthcare guidelines. These restrictions have eliminated options for abortions in cases of rape or incest and medically assisted abortions, even when the pregnancy threatens the mother's life or health, effectively prioritizing the unborn over those compelled to carry to term. This stance is not pro-life; it is pro-birth. Women in Missouri deserve better. They have the right to discuss their healthcare and reproductive choices freely with their doctors. Victims should be shielded from the burden of carrying a child conceived through assault. What becomes of the mothers' rights in such situations? Often, these victims are minors themselves, yet they are forced into parenthood. This unchecked assault on women's rights must end here. With the reversal of Roe v. Wade, the next targets could be IVF and birth control, with Alabama already seeing challenges to IVF. These issues—abortion, IVF, and birth control—significantly affect women's lives. Yet, many of these legislative decisions are made by men, most of whom are neither healthcare providers nor involved in women's medical care. What qualifies them to legislate on these matters? The underlying motive appears to be control. These rights—abortion, IVF, and birth control—do not physically affect a man's life, but they do affect a woman's. That is the critical difference. There is no equivalent legislation restricting men's access to prostate or testicular care. Furthermore, the reversal of Roe v. Wade has jeopardized privacy protections, including medical and marital privacy, potentially leading to the rollback of medical privacy protections beyond abortion, affecting even protected diagnosis codes.

Every person should have the autonomy to make decisions about their body and their life. Republicans have passed extreme abortion bans in recent years, limiting access to abortion even in cases of rape, incest, or medical need.

Mothers die from childbirth in Missouri in numbers far greater than the rest of the industrialized world, and instead of promoting healthcare, Missouri legislators have placed burdensome restrictions on it.

Republicans have gone so far as to pass legislation that costs hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to defend against Constitutional challenges, while at the same time blaming budget shortfalls for lack of funding for essential items like school transportation.

As your state rep, I will stand with women for the right to make the best decisions about their healthcare for their own lives.

State governments must prioritize public education, and Missouri's legislature has been criticized for underfunding and maligning its public schools. Currently ranked 49th in the nation for teacher salaries, Missouri has emphasized school vouchers, which critics argue diverts funds from public to private schools under the guise of 'school choice.' To thrive, Missouri's public schools require financial support for maintenance, teacher recruitment, and technological and curricular innovation. A well-educated workforce can generate employment, increasing tax revenue to benefit community development. Incentives for first-year student teachers in rural areas are essential to enable these schools to compete with larger institutions. Moreover, the option of a four-day school week should be reconsidered, as there is no evidence to suggest it leads to higher teacher applications or improved student performance. Every child in Missouri deserves access to free, high-quality public education.

As your representative, I will work to strengthen our public schools and fully fund our commitment to our kids.

I will support universal early childhood education, because investing in our kids from an early age is the best way for us to invest in our future. I will also support investment in higher education and workforce training, to ensure all Missourians have the opportunity to gain the skills to compete in our economy.

In Northeast Missouri, we have 3 major colleges (Hannibal LaGrange University, Culver-Stockton College and Truman State University and 2 community colleges (MACC & SEC). We need to reach out to these establishments to cultivate a culture of growing industry and commerce in the area. Expanding innovation in technology, science and agriculture can vastly promote job creation if given incentives to do so.

Offering expansion to Vo-Tec programs to include local business owners that can then recruit from local students and off an alternative to four-year university.

A strong economy is one that works for everyone. As your state rep, I’ll fight for those who truly build up our economy—our workers—for the wages, benefits, and protections they deserve. I’ll support investments in educational opportunities to support a 21st century workforce.

I’ll work for policies that support local businesses who provide good jobs in our state and keep our economy growing. And I’ll work to bring new businesses here that want to capitalize on our skilled Missouri workforce and quality of life. But I’ll always put workers’ interests before the special interests of large corporations.