The Issues

discover where jamie stands on the topics most important to you

Funding Education

Education is a critical issue, and I believe in the importance of providing our children with a quality education which means ensuring our public school system, which was never designed to compete in an “open market”, has the proper funding and resources they need and pay raises for teachers, who are currently ranked last in the nation in starting pay, to draw more educators to the state. Every child in our state deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential regardless of their parents’ socio-economic standing or life choices, which includes ensuring all children have access to meals, and we must invest in our schools to make that happen.

What Education Policies do I support?

Increase Education Funding: The legislature could allocate more state funding towards education, ensuring that schools have adequate resources for staffing, facilities, and educational materials.
Raise Teacher Salaries: Increasing teacher salaries to competitive levels would attract and retain qualified educators, improving the overall quality of education in Missouri. This could involve providing salary increases, bonuses for high-performing teachers, or implementing incentive programs to encourage teachers to work in high-need areas.

Invest in Professional Development: Providing ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers can enhance their skills and effectiveness in the classroom, ultimately benefiting students’ learning outcomes.
Support Early Childhood Education: Investing in early childhood education programs can have long-term benefits by preparing young children for success in school and reducing achievement gaps later on.
Address Infrastructure Needs: Addressing infrastructure needs in schools, such as building repairs and technology upgrades, can create a more conducive learning environment and support student achievement.

Expand Access to Pre-K and After-School Programs: Expanding access to pre-K and after-school programs can provide additional support and enrichment opportunities for students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Fair Funding Formulas: Maintaining fair funding formulas that distributes state funds equitably among school districts based on factors such as student population, socioeconomic status, and special needs could help address disparities in funding across the state.

Healthcare

We need to ensure that every member of our community has access to affordable quality healthcare. No one should have to choose between paying for medical care and putting food on the table. More than 550,000 Missourians are uninsured which prevents them from getting quality preventative care leading to serious and or chronic illnesses going untreated for longer periods of time. Which is why I support Medicaid expansion in Missouri, and focusing on policy that would lower the cost of medical care for everyone. I believe that every person has the right to make their own healthcare decisions without government intrusion into private decisions between patients and their trained medical teams.

“No one should have to choose between paying for medical care and putting food on the table or repairing their sole means of transportation. No one should have to live in substandard housing simply because they cannot afford anything better.”

Socioeconomic disparities in healthcare are systemic and pervasive issues in the United States, and Missouri is no exception. These disparities manifest across various aspects of healthcare, including access to care, quality of care, health outcomes, and experiences within the healthcare system.

Access to Care: Minority populations and those who live at or below the poverty line in Missouri often face barriers to accessing healthcare services. These barriers can include lack of health insurance, transportation challenges, and shortage of healthcare providers in minority communities and rural areas.

Quality of Care: Even when affected minorities do access healthcare services, they may receive lower quality of care compared to those in a higher socioeconomic standing.Studies have shown that racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to receive preventive care, such as cancer screenings and vaccinations, and are more likely to experience delays in diagnosis and treatment.

Health Outcomes: Racial disparities in health outcomes can be found here in Missouri. African Americans in the state experience higher rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, which can lead to poorer health outcomes and higher mortality rates compared to the average.

Maternal and Infant Mortality: Missouri currently has some of the highest rates of maternal and infant mortality in the nation in general. Perhaps one of the most concerning aspects of healthcare disparities in Missouri is the significant disparity in maternal and infant mortality rates between socioeconomic, racial and ethnic groups. African American women in Missouri are disproportionately affected by maternal mortality, experiencing much higher rates compared to other ethic groups. Similarly, African American infants have a significantly higher infant mortality rate comparatively.

Social Determinants of Health: Many of the disparities in healthcare outcomes can be attributed to social determinants of health, such as poverty, racism, lack of access to education, employment opportunities, and safe housing. These factors disproportionately affect minority communities and contribute to their poorer health outcomes.

Pro-Choice

I support the Missourians for Constitutional Freedom Ballot Initiative Petition to put abortion rights on the ballot in November.

After the Dobbs decision that over turned Roe v. Wade the Republicans implemented a nearly complete ban on abortion access in the state of Missouri. The results have been a disaster for our state. We now hear story after story of women who were denied access to life saving medical procedures because their wanted non-viable pregnancy had not become a medical emergency yet. This has caused our state to jump to #7 in maternal mortality and #1 in infant mortality. Part of my degree program for Medical Coding was learning about obstetrics and gynecology and learning the importance of these procedures. I support evidence-based life-saving healthcare. I believe in a woman’s right to choose, and I will fight against efforts to restrict reproductive rights or to dictate the private decisions that should be left between a patient and their medical team.

Pro-Union

I will fight to protect and strengthen the rights of workers in our state and their rights to collectively bargain. I support our Unions who fight tirelessly for workers in Missouri. The state of Missouri currently does not mandate sick leave for workers and there are currently over 200,000 Missourians who do not have access to a single hour of sick leave which causes huge burdens on them when it comes to maintaining their own health as well as the health and well-being of their families.

Why do I support our unions?

Higher Wages: Unionized workers tend to earn higher wages and have better benefits compared to non-union workers. Strengthening unions will help raise wages and improve working conditions for all everyone.
Job Security: Unions can negotiate for greater job security provisions, protecting workers from arbitrary layoffs and firings.

Health and Safety Protections: Unions often advocate for improved health and safety standards in the workplace, helping to reduce injuries and fatalities on the job.

Greater Workplace Democracy: Unionized workplaces tend to be more democratic, with workers having a greater voice in decision-making processes that affect their jobs.
Reduced Inequality: Strong unions can help reduce income inequality by bargaining for fair wages and benefits for all workers, regardless of their job title or background.

Small Business and Fair Taxes

Small businesses play a vital role in providing employment, boosting innovation, and driving economic growth, but they face significant challenges including a 0% corporate tax rate and loopholes that benefit large corporations putting strains on local economies and the working class put the burden of taxation disproportionately on the middle and working classes, while corporations continue to benefit from loopholes and tax breaks. We need to ensure that our tax system is designed to benefit everyone. By supporting fair taxes, we can keep more money in the pockets of working-class Missourians, support our local small business and stimulate economic growth.

Childcare

Childcare is one of the biggest costs facing Missouri families and I will support policies that focus on lowering the costs of raising a family in the state. To do this we need to place focus and funding into lowering the cost of early childcare for families and work towards introducing a public pre-k option within our school systems. We need to focus on lowering taxes on diapers, baby formula, groceries and real costs that affect every day Missourians.

Expanding early childhood education and pre-K access not only benefits students and the education system but also provides significant advantages to families, including reducing the financial burden of childcare costs by

Workforce Participation: Access to early childhood education enables more parents, to enter or re-enter the workforce. When parents have reliable and affordable childcare options, they are more likely to pursue employment opportunities, contributing to economic growth and stability in the community.
Educational Foundation: Early childhood education lays the foundation for future academic success by preparing children for school readiness. By investing in these programs, families can ensure that their children have a strong educational start, setting them up for lifelong learning and achievement.

Social and Emotional Development: Early childhood education promotes socialization and emotional development in young children, providing them with essential skills such as cooperation, communication, and problem-solving. Families benefit from knowing that their children are receiving holistic support that nurtures their overall well-being.
Long-Term Savings: Investing in early childhood education yields long-term benefits for families and society as a whole. Studies have shown that children who participate in high-quality early education programs are more likely to graduate from high school, pursue higher education, and secure stable employment in the future. This translates to reduced reliance on social welfare programs and increased economic mobility for families.

Expanding access to early childhood education and pre-K programs: not only enhances educational outcomes for children but also alleviates financial strain on families, supports workforce participation, and fosters the overall well-being and prosperity of communities.

Veterans, First-Responders, Social Services

As a veteran, and former law enforcement, I know the importance of taking care of our veterans and ensuring veteran services are properly funded and easily available. I also know the importance of ensuring our local and rural Fire Departments, Ambulance districts, and Law Enforcement have access to proper training, funding, equipment and staffing to be able to provide the highest quality of care and response to our communities. Having worked side by side with Children’s Division for years I see the danger of low pay, low funding and understaffing. It leads to the most vulnerable in our society, our children, slipping through the cracks and further cutting funding will only make that problem worse.

Equal Rights

I know that we must fight to protect the rights and dignity of every person, regardless of their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or socio-economic status. I believe that we have a responsibility to ensure that every individual in our community’s rights are defended and that they have access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. I have testified numerous times at our state Capitol against the flood of anti-LGBTQ, anti-trans, and discrimination in education bills filed by Republicans, and I have testified in support of, and continue to support, the Missouri Non- Discrimination Act.

I stand firmly against the republican push to remove DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion) language from within our state departments, and their radical push to remove state funding from any organization or entities that does business with the state of Missouri that has DEI language as a part of their organization. A move that was acknowledged by Governor Parson would be financially devastating to our state. Removal of DEI from our state is not only racist in nature, it’s harmful to the economic outlook of our state and will prevent future investments into Missouri.

Socially, such policies can perpetuate discrimination and exclusion, sending a message that certain groups of people are not valued or welcome in the community. This can lead to increased marginalization, alienation, and decreased well-being among marginalized communities. It can also create a hostile environment that fosters division and conflict within society.

Economically, there are several potential downsides to these policies:

Loss of Talent and Innovation: Companies that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion often attract top talent and foster innovation. Removing DEI language and funding can discourage these companies from operating in the state, leading to a brain drain as skilled workers seek opportunities elsewhere. This loss of talent can stifle economic growth and innovation within Missouri.

Negative Perception: Businesses perceive a state that actively works against diversity and inclusion as unwelcoming or backward-thinking. This negative perception can deter companies from investing in Missouri or relocating their operations there, leading to a loss of potential job opportunities and economic development.
Loss of Business and Tourism: Discriminatory legislation can tarnish a state’s reputation and deter businesses, tourists, and investors who prioritize diversity and inclusion. Companies may choose not to expand or relocate to states with anti-LGBTQ policies, leading to a loss of potential job opportunities and economic growth.

Reduced Economic Competitiveness: In today’s global economy, diversity and inclusion are increasingly recognized as essential drivers of economic competitiveness. States that embrace diversity and foster inclusive environments are more likely to attract investment, tourism, and skilled workers. By contrast, policies that undermine DEI efforts can make Missouri less competitive on the national and international stage.

Legal and Reputational Risks: Companies that do business with the state may face legal and reputational risks if they are associated with discriminatory practices or policies. This can lead to boycotts, lawsuits, and damage to their brand reputation, ultimately affecting their bottom line.
Boycotts and Economic Sanctions: States that enact discriminatory laws may face boycotts and economic sanctions from individuals, organizations, and even other states. These boycotts can result in financial losses for businesses and industries that rely on consumer spending, tourism, and trade.

Income and Housing

In 2021 12.7% of Missourians lived at or below the poverty line, 1 in 9 adults and 1 in 7 children face food insecurity which means we are the 6th highest state for food insecurity and number 2, just behind Arkansas for hunger. According to data from Feeding America, it would have only cost $344 million dollars of our ~$2 billion 2023 budget surplus to endure every food insecure or hungry Missourian had the food they need. No one should have to live in substandard housing because they cannot afford anything better. I support funding access to affordable housing and removing restrictions that are preventing more Missourians from owning homes. I support building shelters for homeless Missourians that allow more people to get back on their feet, and access to resources that not only returns dignity but allows people to thrive and returning their voice and skills to our communities.

Several policies can be implemented at the state level to create affordable housing:

Incentives for Developers: States can offer tax incentives, grants, or subsidies to developers who build affordable housing units. This can include reducing property taxes, providing low-interest loans, or offering direct financial assistance.
Inclusionary Zoning: States can enact inclusionary zoning policies that require developers to set aside a certain percentage of new housing units for low-income residents or to contribute to an affordable housing fund.

Streamlined Approval Processes: Simplifying and expediting the permitting and approval processes for affordable housing developments can reduce construction costs and encourage more developers to build affordable units.
Land Use Policies: States can implement land use policies that encourage the development of affordable housing, such as allowing for higher density zoning in certain areas or reducing minimum lot size requirements.

Affordable Housing Trust Funds: Establishing state-funded affordable housing trust funds can provide financial support for the development and preservation of affordable housing units.
Housing Voucher Programs: Expanding housing voucher programs to provide rental assistance to more low-income households can make housing more affordable and accessible to tens of thousands of Missourians.
Public-Private Partnerships: Encouraging partnerships between state governments, non-profit organizations, and private developers can leverage resources and expertise to create more affordable housing.

Addressing poverty and food insecurity requires a nuanced approach that combines social policies, economic initiatives, and community support. Directing funding towards food assistance programs like SNAP, WIC, and school meal programs can have significant positive effects on our communities, through policy decisions such as:

Expansion of SNAP Benefits: Increasing the amount of SNAP benefits or expanding eligibility criteria can help ensure that more low-income individuals and families have access to an adequate amount of nutritious food. This not only alleviates immediate hunger but also supports better health outcomes in the long term, as adequate nutrition is crucial for overall well-being.
WIC Outreach and Education: Investing in outreach and education efforts for the WIC program can increase awareness among eligible populations, ensuring that pregnant women, new mothers, and young children receive the nutrition support they need. WIC provides nutritious foods, nutrition education, and access to healthcare referrals, which can have positive effects on maternal and child health outcomes.

Summer and Afterschool Meal Programs: Expanding summer and afterschool meal programs can help address food insecurity among children when school meals are not available. By providing nutritious meals during these times, these programs support children’s health and academic success while also relieving financial strain on families.
Farmers Market SNAP Incentive Programs: Supporting initiatives that enable SNAP recipients to use their benefits at farmers markets and receive incentives for purchasing fresh produce can promote healthy eating habits and support local farmers. These programs not only increase access to nutritious foods but also stimulate the local economy by supporting small-scale agriculture.

Emergency Food Assistance: Providing funding to food banks, pantries, and other emergency food assistance organizations can ensure that individuals and families facing immediate hunger have access to food. This helps address food insecurity in the short term while also connecting individuals with resources for long-term support and stability.
Nutrition Education and Cooking Classes: Investing in nutrition education programs and cooking classes for low-income individuals can empower them to make healthier food choices and maximize the impact of food assistance benefits. By teaching budget-friendly meal planning and cooking skills, these programs promote self-sufficiency and long-term food security.

Universal Free School Lunch Program: Instituting a universal free school lunch program ensures that all students have access to nutritious meals during the school day, regardless of their family’s income level. By eliminating the stigma associated with receiving free or reduced-price meals, this policy promotes equity and inclusivity in schools.

Enhanced Academic Performance: Hunger and malnutrition can impair cognitive function and academic performance. By providing students with regular meals, particularly breakfast and lunch, schools can support their ability to focus, concentrate, and participate actively in learning activities. Studies have shown that students who have access to school meals perform better academically and have higher attendance rates.
Reduced Behavioral Issues: Hunger and food insecurity can lead to behavioral issues such as irritability, aggression, and difficulty concentrating. By ensuring that all students have access to nutritious meals, schools can create a more conducive learning environment with fewer disruptions and disciplinary issues.

Promotion of Educational Equity: Universal free lunch programs help level the playing field for students from low-income families who may otherwise struggle to afford school meals. By providing free meals to all students, regardless of socioeconomic status, schools can reduce disparities in access to food and support educational equity.
Financial Relief for Families: Eliminating the cost of school meals can provide financial relief for families struggling to make ends meet. By reallocating funds that would have been spent on school meals, families can redirect resources towards other essential needs, such as housing, utilities, and healthcare.

Libraries

I am opposed to the banning of books from our libraries, and I oppose the unconstitutional defunding of our public libraries by stripping away all state funding. Our public libraries are essential institutions that provide access to information and resources for all members of our community. As your representative, I will fight to protect our public libraries and ensure that they have the funding they need to continue to offer their incredibly wide range of services to our communities.

Firearm Safety

According to Everytown for Gun Safety, Missouri currently scores 9 out of possible 100 for the strength of our gun law, which currently include allowing toddlers to carry firearms in public and discussions to allow firearms in schools, churches, government buildings, and public transportation.

We currently have a firearm injury death rate of 22.3 per 100k population which is higher than the national average of 14 per 100k. The rate of gun deaths has increased 59% from 2012 to 2021 in Missouri, compared to a 39% increase nationwide. This means that in 2021 there were 532 more gun deaths than in 2012. In Missouri, the rate of gun suicide increased 32% and gun homicide increased 100% from 2012 to 2021, compared to a 19% increase and 73% increase nationwide, respectively.

Addressing the concerning statistics regarding gun deaths in Missouri requires a multifaceted approach that considers both prevention and intervention strategies. Here are some policy recommendations that could potentially help improve the situation:

Safe Storage Laws: Require gun owners to securely store firearms when not in use to prevent unauthorized access, particularly by children and individuals at risk of self-harm.
Investment in Mental Health Services: Increase funding for mental health resources and services, including suicide prevention programs and access to counseling and treatment. Addressing the underlying factors contributing to suicides can help reduce the overall firearm suicide rate.

Community-Based Violence Prevention Programs: Support initiatives aimed at addressing root causes of gun violence, such as poverty, lack of educational and employment opportunities, and community disinvestment. Investing in community programs that provide alternatives to violence and promote conflict resolution can help reduce gun homicides.
Public Awareness and Education Campaigns: Launch public education campaigns to promote responsible gun ownership, safe storage practices, and awareness of the signs of suicide risk and interpersonal violence.