Elect Chris Hager

Every child should have access to free, quality public education regardless of their zip code. No public schoolteacher should have to spend out-of-pocket to stock their classroom, or ask for donations from the families of their students. As your representative, I will work to strengthen our public schools and fully fund our commitment to our kids.

I believe funding and support should be prioritized for public school systems with their guarantee of a desk for every child, rather than charter schools which fail their promise of open attendance by resorting to a lottery system. I oppose charter school expansion, and all charter schools in operation should be accountable to the elected school boards of the communities they serve.

Quality career preparation is more vital today than ever. I support investment in higher education and workforce training, to ensure all Missourians have the opportunity to gain the skills to compete in our economy.

Quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare is every Missourian’s right. I believe the American healthcare system should continue to evolve, to put the health of patients over the profits of the healthcare industry.

Every year Missouri families must make increasingly difficult decisions for how they prioritize spending on prescription drugs and medical bills over the basic costs of living. As your state representative I’ll support common sense measures like expanding Medicaid, so no Missourian is forced to choose between bankruptcy and healthcare.

Law enforcement plays a critical role in keeping our neighborhoods safe. My father was a police chief for over 30 years and in that time, I saw first-hand the importance of properly training, equipping and supporting law enforcement officers. It's a dangerous, often thankless job for which they deserve our support, our thanks, and our respect.

That same respect demands that, when an officer oversteps their authority, we also hold them accountable. This is necessary to maintain the integrity of the institution, as well as, restore the trust we must have in it. I will fight to uphold the ideals of law enforcement that my father worked hard to instill in his department.

I will support tough sentences for violent criminals, while seeking ways to reduce our prison population and give those who have served their time real opportunities to reintegrate with society. I’ll also support non-incarceration programs to discipline and rehabilitate non-violent criminals that are more effective and reduce the strain on an overextended prison system.

Faith in government and the political process is the cornerstone of a functioning democracy. As your state rep, I’ll fight to shine a light on those who conceal their donors and influence our politics with dark money.

In 2018, Missourians overwhelmingly voted in favor of Amendment 1, known as CLEAN MO. It capped contributions and limited the way money could move in and out of campaign coffers. It also authorized a nonpartisan committee to redraw district lines more fairly, ending politically-charged 'gerrymandering' that left Missouri with logic-defying district lines drawn solely to benefit one party or the other.

Special interests have continued to find loopholes around these laws, pushing ‘dark money’ further into the political process. Republicans are actively trying to undermine the redistricting committee, to maintain oddly-shaped districts that make no sense until you look at how they impact elections.

Our leaders in Jefferson City should respect the voice of the voters. As your representative I will fight to uphold the will of The People and provide more openness and insight into the government you and I elected.

The decision to have an abortion is intensely personal and the reasons are unique to every individual. As such, no one--including the government--can restrict a person from the right to make decisions about their body and their life. Despite this, Republicans have passed legislation in recent years that are effectively abortion bans, limiting access to abortion even in cases of rape, incest, or medical need.

At the same time, mothers are dying from childbirth in Missouri at a higher rate than most other states. These numbers are even more concerning among minorities. Instead of promoting unbiased quality healthcare and ensuring access to effective contraceptive and safe abortion services, Missouri legislators have placed burdensome restrictions on all fronts.

As your state rep, I will fight to preserve the right of women to make the best decisions about their healthcare for their own lives. I will also fight to provide mothers better care both before and after birth.

Every year for the past two decades, the Missouri Non-Discrimination Act (MONA) has been filed, only to be blocked by Republicans. MONA would allow basic protections to our LGBTQ community by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to Missouri’s Human Rights Act.

Missourians should not have to fear losing their jobs or being denied housing for who they love—discrimination that is currently completely legal in our state.

Republicans in recent years have undermined these protections by passing legislation that makes it easier for employers, landlords or businesses to discriminate based on race, age, religion or gender—more so than in any other state.

Missouri is stronger when it welcomes people regardless of race, religion, gender, age or sexual orientation, and I believe in protecting all people from discrimination.

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 support unions' efforts to ensure workers are earning their due so they can provide for their families.

Advances in technology change the skill needs of nearly every industry on a daily basis. I’ll support investments in educational opportunities that empower workers to grow their skills in order to remain valued contributors in the workforce today and tomorrow.

I’ll work for policies that support local businesses who provide good jobs in our state and keep our economy growing. But I’ll always put workers’ interests before the special interests of large corporations.

Agriculture is the backbone of Missouri, and at the heart of it are our family farms—where many of us call home and why generations before us settled here. But passing down our way of life to future generations is becoming increasingly challenging.

Our local communities used to have a say in how farming was done in our backyards, but the Republican-led state legislature has passed bills favoring large corporate farms and pushing out family farms.

Last year, state Republicans passed a bill taking control from local communities to regulate certain large feeding operations known as CAFOs. This allows large scale operations to buy up local farms, push the production limits of the land, and pollute our communities’ treasured landscape without local oversight.

I’ll advocate for the state of Missouri to protect local control over these decisions, giving the citizens who are actually impacted more say on how farming operates in their community.

My father raised my brother and I from a young age to respect the capability of firearms, and trained us on how to operate and store them safely. When I bought my own handgun and began going to the shooting range I learned that many gun owners are not given this same foundational training.

I believe the 2nd Amendment provides Americans the right to legally own firearms. But I also believe in an adequate standard of training and responsible ownership. As a gun owner, I support legislation that would establish these standards to ensure that gun owners exercise their right with confidence and an understanding of the responsibility they bear.

In 2017 Missouri legislators dropped qualification and permit requirements for concealed carry. Based on what I've witnessed at the range, the lack of a minimum training standard makes us less safe. I support qualifying standards and permitting for open and concealed carry. The state can coordinate with local shooting ranges to provide training and qualification, providing economic benefit for these businesses. This training should include secure storage education as well, to lower the rate of domestic violence, suicide, and accidents involving firearms.

I support comprehensive background checks that include auctions and private sales to close off avenues of illegal sales. I also support 'Red Flag' laws that empower law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms when an individual is deemed by a judge to be a danger to themselves or others. It's not only possible for gun owners to own and carry more safely without violating our 2nd Amendment rights; it's imperative.