Elect Deb Lavender

We are at a point in the evolution of our country and community that we will not survive in a world that is for you or me. Whether we talk about the environment, healthcare, education, or jobs, we need a world that works for you and me. For democracy to work, our communities must be successful. For communities to work, we need people to talk to each other instead of yelling at each other. We need leaders to bring people together so all voices can be heard and valued. We need policies that invest and empower people in Missouri to make our state the best it can be. I am committed and have shown through my actions, that Missouri needs to invest in our communities to ensure that they have what they need for you and me to be successful.

Decisions about pregnancy should be made by the person who is, or could become, pregnant. Politicians and the government have no place in these private choices.

Reproductive freedom means the ability to decide, without government interference, when and whether to have children. This includes the right to choose the birth control option best for you, the right to parent your children in a safe and healthy environment, and the right to choose abortion.

The Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that made abortion a legal right in the United States, resulted in abortion becoming illegal and inaccessible in our state. The Republican majority in Missouri's legislature have been obsessed with passing restrictions on not only abortion, but also on sex education and birth control. Last summer, Republican leadership tried to hold the state's federal Medicaid funding hostage in a failed attempt to ban birth control for Medicaid patients. Make no mistake, if given the opportunity, Missouri Republican legislators will not stop at banning abortion. They will next intrude on our other personal decisions.

I have fought against abortion bans and other attacks on reproductive freedom my entire career in public service. I will continue to stand for reproductive freedom if elected.

For more than a decade, Missouri Republicans have blocked Medicaid Expansion. Even after the passage of Medicaid Expansion in August 2020, the Republican-controlled legislature has attempted to sabotage expansion at every turn. We need elected officials who have committed to protect the will of the voters and ensure a swift and efficient roll-out of the Medicaid expansion program.

When I knock on doors and talk to voters in my neighborhood, access to affordable and quality health care - medical, dental, and behavioral health - is consistently a top concern. If elected, I will continue the work to hold colleagues accountable to the will of the voters and expand Medicaid coverage for our friends and neighbors.

Our children have lost the most during the pandemic. Especially in education; so many of our children have fallen behind in their school work and have missed critical social interactions with their classmates. Our teachers have been amazing - transitioning to and from virtual learning, welcoming students back to class under challenging circumstances, and now with the Missouri Legislature attempting to micro manage their classrooms.

Every Missouri child should have access to free, quality, public education. For too long we have quarreled about where tax dollars should go for education. As a state we are 49th in the nation for education funding. It is clear that our state needs to do more to educate and support our children. We must prioritize and strengthen our public schools and fund our commitment to our kids. We must support our teachers and school administrations so they know we have their back as they work to have each child be successful.

For too many years Missouri has been last in the nation for economic growth. Over the last decade Missouri has cut taxes for corporations and the ultra-rich in the hope it will create jobs in the state, yet our gains don't make up for our losses. Geographically, Missouri sits in the middle of this nation – our interstate highways and rivers should place us at the center of commerce - yet we languish with empty storefronts and factories.

It is time to invest in Missouri’s workforce and create opportunities for success. Working Missouri families are the backbone of our economy and deserve support. Our minimum wage should support a family. Every family should have access to affordable, quality child care -- without it many Missourians are unable to enter the workforce. Paid family leave would allow parents and caregivers to keep their job and economic security while welcoming a new child or caring for a sick spouse. The pandemic has demonstrated the inequity of access to broadband in both urban and rural Missouri.

These are challenges that need solutions--not to be ignored by our state's Republican legislature. I will advocate for a living wage, support affordable, quality child care, paid family leave, and expanding broadband to all our communities because the best thing we can do for the economy is support Missouri’s workers.

The effects of climate change can be seen every day. Floods and droughts, temperature highs and lows - in the same week – tornadoes and fires across our state and nation are happening at an unprecedented pace. We can no longer afford to elect leaders who deny climate change and refuse to address it through public policy.

Not only has the current legislature done nothing to address climate change, they have even fought to prevent clean energy from being transported across our state. Investing in clean energy would help reduce pollution and create economic benefits for working families. Missouri needs leadership to invest in reducing the effects of climate change for the future of our children.

I am proud to have earned the endorsement of the Sierra Club for my long standing advocacy for environmental protection. I will continue to use my platform to fight to stop climate change.

I believe in the saying “show me your budget, and I’ll show you your values.” Our state’s budget serves as a moral contract with our citizens. Every year, it is up to the state government to allocate the tax dollars you pay to maintain and improve our quality of living.

But while our schools are underfunded, our healthcare costs are on the rise while our taxes increase, and we’re borrowing money to pay for our crumbling roads and bridges, corporations in Missouri are receiving tax cuts and incentive packages.

We simply should not be handing out money to corporations hoping that prosperity will trickle down. As your state rep, I will be a careful steward of your tax dollars in Jefferson City.

I believe you and your family are the economic drivers of our state. Our budget should reflect that by investing in the things that will improve you and your family’s life, rather than lining the pockets of big businesses.

Republican leadership in Missouri has completely failed to take action to stop gun violence in our community. There are common sense policies supported by the vast majority of Missourians that would help keep guns out of the hands of those who should never have them. Closing the gun show and domestic violence loopholes are common sense measures Missouri could take.

Missourians deserve to feel safe on our streets and in our homes. Our children and their teachers deserve to go to school without fear for their lives. Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense ranks Missouri among the weakest states for common sense gun laws and among the worst states for gun violence. In fact, Missouri is #4 in the country for gun deaths. Time for action on stopping gun violence is long overdue.