Missouri Times Magazine - Winter 2018

The Missouri Times celebrates 5 years

MAGAZINE WINTER 2018

STATESMAN OF THE YEAR

Mike Kehoe

TheSteelmans

The Long Play 5 FEATURES OF 5

POWER COUPLES, WONDER WOMEN, CAMPAIGNS TO WATCH AND MORE

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Best wishes to the General Assembly in 2018!

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MRTA is over 27,000 strong.

We have strength in numbers!

WHO IS MRTA? MRTA Legislative Day will be February 13, 2018

Missouri Retired Teachers Association and Public School Personnel (MRTA) consists of over 27,000 members who together make the largest education retiree organization in Missouri.

THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS! MRTA is the only retired educator associaition whose #1 priority is to promote and protect pensions, programs, and benefits of all retired public school personnel.

Org. 1960 www.mrta.org 1-877-366-6782 2

MRTA, a 501(c)(4) not-for-profit corporation, is a grassroots advocacy association. MRTA is independent and nonpartisan.

MAGAZINE CONTENTS

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

INFRASTRUCTURE 6 FIVE WAYS THE LEGISLATURE IS

CONSIDERING IMPROVING I-70 6 I-70 TAKES SPOTLIGHT IN INFRASTRUCTURE DISCUSSION BUDGET 8 WHAT THE NEW TAX LAW MEANS FOR FARMERS

AND RANCHERS 10 HOW WILL FEDERAL TAX REFORM AFFECT MISSOURI? 13 GREITENS’ COO TELLS CABINET

POWER COUPLES 14 17 18 22 24

WONDER WOMEN

27 28 30 32 TO PREPARE FOR $300 MILLION IN 34

REDUCTIONS

KYNA IMAN RYAN BURNS TRICIA WORKMAN KATE CASAS DANA MILLER

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STATESMAN OF THE YEAR

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5 RACES TO WATCH IN 2018 5 PEOPLE TO FOLLOW ON TWITTER

THE MISSOURI TIMES

THE HAHNS THE HEMPHILLS THE STEELMANS THE LAKINS THE AUBUCHONS

MIKE KEHOE

PUBLISHER Scott Faughn EDITOR Rachael Herndon Dunn S TA F F Benjamin Peters, Alisha Shurr PHOTOGRAPHER Hannah Beers ADVERTISING INQUIRIES TO RACHAEL DUNN AT RACHAEL@THEMISSOURITIMES.COM 3

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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n the marble stairs on the north sides of the building, you can see indentations where hundreds of thousands of Missourians who have walked up and down the stairs hundreds, if not thousands, of times. As the Capitol is shaped by each and every person who has walked through the halls, so is each person changed by the Capitol.

This edition started out with word counts, which some writers are better at than others. How any publication that is fortunate enough to learn from and write about fascinating, brilliant people within a constraint is still beyond me, even as I enter my fourth year at the Missouri Times.

The Missouri Times team sat down and decided we wanted to recognize some of the outstanding relationships and individuals in the building and how they shaped to honor our 5th year anniversary this January.

As I enter my second year of marriage, the way spouses in the building talk about their spouses strikes me. Honestly, it may be one of the fastest routes to learn someone’s character and how they may honor other relationships.

A marriage with both spouses working in and around politics impresses me, especially as I watch colleagues, subscribers, and readers (and myself) who work in the Capitol and try to explain to their spouses how crazy this building can be.

One couple I wanted to personally highlight who truly understands how crazy the building can be is Richard and Audrey Hanson McIntosh.

Richard, president at Flotron & McIntosh jokes often about marrying up. Married to Audrey Hanson McIntosh, who has done public and private law and now serves as an Administrative Hearing commissioner, the pair somehow make time to have an enviable passport.

Perhaps not the most romantic setting, the McIntoshes met in then-Attorney General Jay

Nixon’s office. Richard wrote a program to help Audrey import a backlog of 40,000 workman’s compensation cases.

“I liked him instantly,” Audrey said.

The pair eventually married and have nurtured a marriage that is symbiotic at work and home.

“It’s complementary,” Richard told me. “It was an asset having her around between her law degree and her experience.

I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

To anyone who’s never had a candid conversation with Richard, you’re missing out.

But, when asked how they have made their marriage work, the answer is intentions - and reflects the same sentiments as some of the answers inside this edition. Like the professional lives the two have lived, the pair constructed and work on their marriage intentionally.

“We built a good life together. We love each other,” Richard said. “We have similar interests and the same value set.”

The couple live and work in Jefferson City, where they’ve raised their two sons.

On parenting, Richard says they “hauled our sons’ butts to church,” which he attributes to helping avoid some of the parental heartache often seen, heard, and talked about.

Audrey’s marriage advice for any Capitol-oriented couple is to be flexible.

“It’s always a revolving door,” Audrey said.

“From week to week, it changes so much.”

The busy-ness inspired by the building can only be punctuated by the perspectives brought by each person, a concept my other selfish hold, Becky Lohmann, can explain better than anyone.

She’s in her fourth session and I’m proud to call her my #moleg podcast co-host.

Whereas, we have specifically chosen to highlight five women in this edition, all five of which are truly Wonder Women in their own right. But, like me, Becky doesn’t believe women are treated differently in the Capitol because they’re women.

We both believe everyone is treated differently because each and every person is different.

“Everyone is uniquely positioned because of who they are,” Becky said. “Different perspectives are a good thing. Let’s embrace them and not shy away from the differences.”

Like the McIntoshes, Becky did not hesitate to denote how the Capitol climate is a trove of intense professionalism.

“I was impressed with the sacrifices everyone makes to come to the Capitol,” Becky said. “It’s a part-time legislature that meets for less than half the year, yet people work year round.”

Becky works at the Catalyst Group, a lobbying group that has solidified their mark on politics between their work on the transportation networking company bill, or the “Uber” bill, to their work for Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits.

“It’s easy to spend the hours we do because we believe in what we do,” she said. “My sister is at Mizzou and knowing she has safe rides home thanks to the transportation networking bill. I had a hand in that and that is a good feeling.”

She’s humble, but in four years, Becky has quickly jumped in with both feet and hit the ground running.

“I have to give credit to my team at Catalyst,” Becky said. “I was lucky to come into a respected, hard-working team and I benefitted from that.

They let me get my hands dirty. It’s a great working culture.”

One difference readers will notice between our featuring of Power Couples and the Wonder Women is the couples never compete with each other, while the women featured are happy to work tirelessly to fight for their respective causes.

“I like to win,” Becky, a former athlete, said.

Of course, thank you for reading.

Rachael Herndon Dunn Editor, The Missouri Times

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#MOLEG

I-70 takes spotlight in infrastructure discussion BENJAMIN PETERS THE MISSOURI TIMES

St. Louis has long been called the “Gateway to the West”, a title forever monumentalized by the 630-foot Gateway Arch. Throughout the nation’s history, the Show-Me State played a key role in the transportation of ideas, goods, and services, and to this day, it still serves as a centralized hub for people and businesses alike.

But every Missourian knows that being the center of the nation means playing a role in interstate commerce. At the very heart of travel from coast to coast is the iconic highway, Interstate 70.

The road itself spans from Maryland to Utah, but here in Missouri, it holds a special distinction, being the key route connecting the two largest cities in the state, two historic icons in Kansas City and St. Louis.

Few highways can claim some of the distinctions that I-70 has held over the years, including a World Series in 1985.

But I-70 now serves as a constant reminder of Missouri’s need to address an aging highway infrastructure. The Missouri Department of Transportation faces a growing number of challenges in maintaining the seventh largest transportation system in the country, amounting 33,873 miles of highway and more than 10,000 bridges.

And the money needed to even maintain that is, simply put, not there.

Testifying before the House Budget Committee in 2017, Director Ryan McKenna told lawmakers that the state is, essentially, “treading water.”

“Our revenue per mile is just over $50,000, while the national average is $216,000,” McKenna said.” That disparity causes two situations that we address through our management: a struggle to maintain the system

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in the condition which it is in today, and hinge on increasing taxes somewhere. an inability to invest in new projects that So, one suggestion is to simply raise the increase economic development opportufuel tax. The Missouri fuel tax is one of the nities.” lowest in the nation, and hasn’t been raised It’s an issue that lawmakers and officials since 1996, when it was raised to 17 cents have known about for quite some time, but per gallon. According to Messenger, if Misone that has been lacking an answer. But an answer will have to be forthcoming sometime soon, with many suggesting that the issue of transportation funding • Widen and increase the lanes will be taking the front • Truck only lanes seat in the upcoming 2018 legislative session. • Billboard reform Over the course of • Improve funding for longterm improvement through the past year, several attempts to find solugas tax increase tions have been made, • Create a parallel parkway, see Scenic Missouri’s chief among them proposal at scenicmo.org being the work of the 21st Century Transportation Task Force.

“It’s the key economic thing we can do souri increased our gas tax by 10 cents per in our state,” Rep. Jeff Messenger said while gallon, that would generate more than $400 presenting data in a meeting of the Missou- million in additional revenue for MoDOT. ri House Policy Development Caucus.

Another suggestion would be to inThe question is this: how can Missouri crease the general sales tax, which currentfind the funds needed to address the transly sits at 4.225 percent. That proposal has been voted down in the past, but could be brought back out again for another shot.

Other options include increasing the motor vehicle sales tax, raising a flat rate for motor vehicle and drivers licensing fees and alternative fuel decal fees, raising the consumer price index, transferring low volume roads to the cities and counties to maintain, or opening tolls at the entrances into the state.

Whatever the case, legislators seem primed for some long discussions on how to find some solution, but in the end, the fight may be more centered around what voters portation funding issues? will approve.

Lawmakers have suggested a number of potential solutions, most of which seem to

FIVE WAYS THE LEGISLATURE IS CONSIDERING IMPROVING I-70

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OPINION

What the New Tax Law Means for Farmers and Ranchers ERIC BOHL MISSOURI FARM BUREAU

After years of negotiations and political horse-trading, Congress has finally passed a tax cut and reform bill. Unlike many previous tax bills that phased in over a longer period, most of this law goes into effect January 1, 2018. So what does the final bill mean to farmers and ranchers?

Over 94 percent of farms are organized as “pass-through” businesses. This means income from the farm is not taxed as a business, but rather on the owner’s personal tax returns. To prevent corporations from getting an unfair advantage over passthroughs, the new law allows pass-through businesses to take a deduction equal to 20 percent of business income. This should be a significant benefit to the vast majority of Missouri farms and ranches.

One of the less-discussed items that will affect farming and ranching operations is a change to the Section 1031 Like-Kind Exchange rules. Currently when a farmer sells land, equipment or livestock, they can defer any capital gains taxes if they purchase replacement property of a “like kind.” This allows farms to essentially trade one piece of property for another without triggering a tax payment.

The new law continues to allow such exchanges for real estate and buildings but eliminates it for other kinds of property.

This could pose some problems for breeding stock or some equipment, but most other such items do not appreciate in value and therefore will not be affected. There had been some discussion of eliminating 1031 exchanges all together, which would have

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had devastating effects on the farm real estate market, but this final compromise will cause much less disruption to farming operations.

Some of the effects of this change may be offset by an increase in the ability to write off the cost of new and used machinery, equipment and livestock under the Section 179 Small Business Expensing provision. The new law doubles the current deduction to a $1 million cap and indexes it for inflation. Rules for immediate expensing are also expanded and will now allow full and immediate expensing of business investments, also known as “bonus depreciation.”

In farming circles, perhaps the most welcome news is the dramatic reform of the Estate Tax, often called the “death tax.”

The first $11 million of an individual’s estate (and the first $22 million of a couple’s estate) will now be exempt from the Estate Tax, indexed to rise with inflation over the next eight years. At the end of 2025, this provision expires and the law reverts back to current law. While a permanent change would have been preferable to help families plan ahead with more certainty, this provision makes an enormous difference in the number of family farms that will be impacted over the next eight years.

The details are thick and complicated, and there are many more changes than these top-line highlights. Below are some additional resources:

Eric Bohl, of Columbia, Mo., is director of public affairs for Missouri Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization.

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Congratulations to The Missouri Times on its five year anniversary!

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BUDGET

How will federal tax reform affect Missouri?

BENJAMIN PETERS THE MISSOURI TIMES

The U.S. Congress has crossed the I’s and dotted the T’s with their latest version of tax reform legislation, and the signature by President Donald Trump has officially finalized the $1.5 trillion federal tax overhaul package.

The sweeping reform is some of the largest cuts in the nation’s history, the largest rewrite of the federal tax code since the Reagan administration. The tax reform package could mean most Americans will see a tax cut starting next year, bringing rate cuts for American companies and doubling the deductions that millions will claim on annual returns. President Trump is calling it an early Christmas present for hard-working Americans.

According to the Tax Policy Center, an estimated 80 percent of taxpayers will see a tax cut next year, but Democrats have called the measure a scam, saying it will benefit the wealthy.

Under current law, the standard deduction for an individual is $6,300, and $12,600 for a married couple. The proposed tax reform being debated at the national level would roughly double those numbers, up to $12,000 for individuals and $24,000 for married couples. The individual tax cuts carry a sunset clause for 2026.

The final bill that was passed out of the bicameral legislature also slashes the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, which will be a permanent addition to the code.

“You’ve ended the over-regulation of the American economy,” Sen, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

“This is an historic occasion,” said Ray McCarty, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Missouri (AIM). “We look forward to the economic stimulus that will be provided by this significant reduction in tax burden on American businesses and all taxpayers. Some so-called experts are against the bill because the reductions in the individual income tax are temporary.

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This is a bit disingenuous as it is very unlikely any Members of Congress, including those voting against the bill today, will allow these tax cuts to expire. That would be an act of political suicide. We suspect the root of the opponents’ objections to the bill is there will be less money for the government to spend and more money in the pockets of American workers and job creators. For some, that is a problem. For the rest of us, it is cause for celebration.”

But the passage of the reform has also left many wondering about the effects it will have in the ShowMe State, particularly its state budget, as so much of the state’s tax laws are tied into the federal code. Some have expressed much concern over the new changes, calling it a giveaway to special interests that will be paid for with higher taxes on working Missourians and cuts to services.

“This is a one-two punch for working families, kids, seniors, and people with disabilities. Calls to cut nutrition assistance, disability insurance, and health care are a slap in the face to struggling families when Congress just voted for a bill that will increase the deficit by nearly $1.5 trillion,” Amy Blouin, Executive Director of the Missouri Budget Project, said in a statement.

“Missourians want little more than to provide a better future for their families. But cuts to the safety net that helps Missourians meet their basic needs will make it harder for families struggling to provide for their children. And because proposals to cut federal spending almost always involve shifting costs to state and local governments, it will put even more pressure on Missouri’s already stretched budget to fund community services that benefit everyone.”

Some have speculated that an increase in the standard deduction could mean a potential loss to the tune of up to $1 billion, and state leaders are still trying to figure out what exactly the effects will be, but that is easier said than done, as Department of Revenue Director Joel Walters will tell you.

“So when you look at all of those things, based on what we’ve seen, I think it probably narrows it down to within a relatively narrow band of plus or minus $100 million.”

JOEL WALTERS

MISSOURI DOR DIRECTOR “One of the things we keep talking about is that the ink is still wet. Everybody is still going through line by line and thinking about how this affects different things that can go in different directions,” Walters said.

“We still have work to do before we have it completely locked down. In fact, it’s probably fair to say that we’ll have to see how this unfolds over time.”

And with such little time to analyze the new reform changes, all 1,100-plus pages, it can be hard to develop any exact numbers.

Calculating the new changes and their effect is a complicated task, one that will take some time to see the full picture. But Walters says that a rough preliminary idea is that the federal tax changes could result in a loss – or gain – to an upwards tune of $100 million in Missouri tax revenues.

As Walters explained during an interview with the Missouri Times, Missouri is one of 20 states with laws that automatically link the federal tax code to the state tax code. Missouri utilizes rolling confor-

mity, meaning they follow the federal law for both individual and corporate income taxes, and the changes at the federal level are immediately changed at the state level as well. Other states use static conformity, which means they conform to the rules according to a given date.

“That’s why the changes at the federal level will have an immediate impact,” Walters said. “This bill is a little different because it is designed on a static basic to lose $1.5 trillion… that’s sort of makes it different from the usual situation, which is why we have the discussion not just about how big of an increase this is, but actually what is it and what direction it will go.”

Walters noted that 71 percent of general revenue in the state of Missouri comes from the individual income tax, so anything that changes that calculation could drastically change things.

“So people naturally look at that and say it must be a really big impact, and it is,” Walters said, explaining why so many people might be nervous about the effects.

“But then you remember that it’s an 1,100 page bill, and there are things that go both directions throughout the bill. And as a result, the impact on the state of Missouri is the net impact of all of those changes. So you start with a big decrease in general revenue from the standard deduction, but then there’s a loss of personal exemptions as well, and businesses are allowed to deduct less of their interest expense, and companies are required to bring back their overseas earnings in a lump sum payment. You start looking at all of that, and they all go the other direction and start increasing taxable income.

“So when you look at all of those things, based on what we’ve seen, I think it probably narrows it down to within a relatively narrow band of plus or minus $100 million.”

“Overall, I think it’s a good step, but by no means a perfect one. It’s a step in the right direction,” Carl Bearden said. “You get people arguing that the rich are getting a bigger tax cut, but they’re not, they just pay more because their dollar amounts are more.”

Bearden is a former Speaker of the Missouri House and budget chair, and pointed out that the revenue in question is not the state’s money, but belongs to the citizens.

But he agreed with Walters’ assessment, echoing his analysis.

“At the state level, because we’re linked to the federal very closely, a lot of our stuff flows with it. Our state reflects things because we pick it up off of the federal form, which is where people are saying we will

lose all of this money. But what they’re not looking at is the reductions in deductibles.

And once you get all of the mechanics out of it, there’s some that will cost the state money, but others put money back in. And when you balance all of that out, I think you come pretty close.”

Both men agree that there’s always more work that could be done, but the benefits

ments work to find out just what all will be affected, Walters said that his department will be doing their best to inform the citizens of the changes and help them navigate through it all and put resources on the website and embedding instructions in the documents to explain the changes from before.

He also noted that the Department of Revenue recently opened back up its Jefferson

WALTERS PHOTO/DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE over the longterm could be quite great if it lives up to the expectations of the GOP leadership.

Walters said that the federal reform could serve as a springboard for more reform, particularly items that were discussed by the Governor’s Committee for Fair, Simple, and Low Taxes earlier in the year, and emphasized that room to grow in addition to these changes could mean more economic success, that the state revenues could potentially see a boost if the tax changes lead to an economic boost as President Trump has stated.

“I think there’s actually an opportunity to do more,” he said. “If we still do those things, it’s even more impactful in the state of Missouri. I don’t think it changes the direction, it just makes it more powerful if we get something done in that space.”

Walters also noted that the lower federal corporate tax rate could mean some businesses will restructure their classifications, and potentially generate more corporate taxes for Missouri.

And as Missouri’s legislators and depart-

City Tax Assistance Office, which he says will be able to provide assistance if needed.

Walters summed up his assessment of the bill, particularly those who have expressed concern about the sunset clauses.

“Would it be better without sunsets?

Sure it would. Would it be better if there were some other aspects to this in terms of spreading out benefits in slightly different ways? Sure. But the U.S. was fundamentally uncompetitive. Things had to change, and this changed, so the U.S. will be way more competitive from a business environment perspective, so you could say ‘Wouldn’t it be better if?’ to a lot of things, and the answer would be yes to a lot of questions, but boy, it’s a long way down the road to getting what we needed.”

He said that perhaps the best way to wrap it up was to echo one of his former PwC partners, Pam Olson, who quoted The Rolling Stones: “You can’t always get you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need.”

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BUDGET

Greitens' COO tells cabinet to prepare for $300 million in reductions BENJAMIN PETERS THE MISSOURI TIMES

Missouri’s state departments are looking into ways to tighten the proverbial belt in advance of the 2019 fiscal year’s budget, at the request of the top officials in the Governor’s Office. And it seems to be an indicator of what remains to come in future years.

In an email, obtained by the Missouri Times through a Sunshine request, sent to the heads of the state departments and members of the Cabinet, the state’s chief operating officer, Drew Erdmann, thanked the departments for their first response to a call for “potential reductions.”

“However, we have a long way to go,” he wrote. “Your first wave yielded ~$108 million in potential additional reductions. We need to prepare for ~$300 million of additional reductions given our Missouri tax revenue situation and the prospects of federal tax reform and rising mandatory expenses (especially in healthcare).

And we will continue to face these pressures in the years ahead.

“This is our new normal.”

Before taking office, Governor Eric Greitens had run on a platform of change, promising to reduce the

size of government and cut back on spending in addition to reducing the “red tape” and decreasing taxes.

In an effort to identify areas of spending that could be reduced or cut entirely, the Governor created the new position of Chief Operating Officer, selecting Erdmann for the task.

One year later, and the Republican-led executive office is once again looking to reduce costs and spending, asking the departments to take a look at ways to address the issue of increased spending and

potentially lower revenues.

In his email, Erdmann told the Cabinet members it was up to them to make tough decisions to stop some programs, noting that the Department of Health and Senior Services had proposed eliminating Home and Community-Based Services for individuals in residential care and assisted living facilities, freeing up $9,279,827 in general revenue.

Erdmann’s letter, sent out on Dec. 11, 2017, asks the cabinet members to regroup their budget teams in order to revise their suggested core reductions and submit them to Dan Haug and the Budget and Planning team on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017.

Erdmann recommended that the departments consider their strategic priorities, their FTEs, how to be more efficient with the staff and resources they already have, as well as options where they might transition duties and responsibilities to a nonprofit or private service provider.

“Thanks to you all for tackling this unpleasant challenge. We are all in the same boat here as State leaders and citizens,” he finished.

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POWER COUPLES

Marriage alone is something lauded as rewarding, but constantly challenging. Coincidentally, so it politics. The Missouri Times Magazine went on a venture to find a variety of noteworthy power couples in the building, couples who you can only wish to be a fly on their dining room wall.

The Hahns MICHAEL LAYER FOR THE MISSOURI TIMES MAGAZINE

B

efore Jay was one of the founders of Hahn O’Daniel Government Relations, and before Kayla was part of the Senate Research team, they were both students at Missouri State University.

As Political Science majors, both often had classes together where they met. From their common interests, they both decided to intern in the Missouri Senate during their college career as part of the Missouri State University internship program, albeit during different years.

Upon Jay completing his internship and graduating college, he was quickly offered a position with the Missouri Optometric Association in governmental affairs and eagerly accepted.

As time passed, he was able to grow in his position, in his healthcare policy expertise, and in his relationships with legislators and fellow lobbyists. This enabled him to take on additional clients and eventually found Hahn O’Daniel Government Relations. “When I started the firm, it was incredibly challenging.

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The time commitment was more than I anticipated,” Jay said. Currently, he is the managing partner of his firm and loves his profession and colleagues. Nowadays, Jay focus’ on overseeing a growing lobby firm by ensuring their client base is well represented with attention to detail and the highest level of integrity.

While Jay was growing in his career around the Capitol, Kayla pursued her academic interests at the University of Missouri, earning her M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science. Prior to finishing graduate school, Kayla joined the Missouri Senate, Division of Research as a Research Analyst during the beginning of a legislative session. She recalls the cliché “drinking from a firehose” when thinking back to that particular year. “I definitely got a real education in a hurry,” Kayla said. In Research, Kayla was responsible for staffing the Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources Committee, as well as the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment. Staffing such committees and working with legislators on a wide variety of topics allowed her to

learn quickly about several policy areas.

During the 2017 legislative session, she was promoted, along with the colleague, to the position of Assistant Director where she currently serves. She attributes her high job satisfaction in the Senate to her colleagues, of which she could not do without.

Now, both Jay and Kayla share hallways in the Capitol. While Kayla still works diligently for the Senate, answering calls, wording legislation, and fielding questions, Jay uses his charm, relationships, and charisma to educate legislators on his clients’ policy topics.

Though they have a proverbial Chinese Wall on discussing policy issues, they enjoy running into each other in committees and around the building.

They just welcomed a new baby girl named Clara and are excited for her to join either Senate Research or Hahn O’Daniel Government Relations in the future. That is still a hotly debated topic in their Household.

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POWER COUPLES

The Hemphills B

MICHAEL LAYER FOR THE MISSOURI TIMES

efore Brent Hemphill and Deanna Hemphill became one of the highest profile lobbying couples in Jefferson City, they would start out in two different paths. The two have been lobbying in the Capitol since 2007 and together they have seen it all.

Brent started his political career in the nineties at the Attorney General’s Office working with William Webster, spent time as a staffer in the Legislature, and then worked for the Rhoads Company as a lobbyist. In 2001, he would later leave to create his own lobbying group, Brent Hemphill & Associates.

Brent Hemphill & Associates represents a number of trusted Missouri brands: BJC, AT&T, Missouri Pork Association, Missouri Propane Gas Association, Ameren, and Missouri Speech and Hearing Association.

“I’ve always been a go-it-alone individual,” Brent said. “I have had my own firm and most of my clients have been with me for a long time and I take great pride in that.”

Brent would only go-it-alone until 2007, when he met Deanna. At the time,

she just started working for Michael G. Winter Consultants - before eventually transitioning over to Gate Way Group in 2013. While she and he were both lobbyists in the same building, usually at the same time, they rarely interacted because of their differing client interests. Brent clarified that they would eventually meet because of how close the Missouri political community is.

“It’s a fairly small community where there are contract lobbyists in the building, so it’s not hard to run into each other, especially for young attractive people,” he said.

Deanna agreed and specified that “Actually, I invited him to lunch in the cafeteria. That’s where it started. He graciously accepted and it kind of went from there.”

As their relationship grew, they would spend more and more time together.

Deanna recalled a couple instances over education where she was able to get the upper hand on Brent. She added, however, it took a trusting relationship to distinguish a work life from a home life.

“Those first few years, we were on different sides on what I would say 75 percent of education issues,” Deanna said. “So there was time where we had heated discussions, but we did our best just to leave work at

work and when we come home, we’re at home.”

Brent agreed and added that skilled lobbyists like themselves are able to understand the appropriate contexts for certain conversations. He was grateful that his wife was not only so talented, but so understanding.

“I’ve had so many people ask me, ‘how do you become a lobbyist because it looks so easy.’ It’s not easy. It’s extremely challenging. You get to deal with a multitude of issues, a multitude of egos and that can wear on you,” he said. “I’ve had a positive outlook that we all have different ideas and we all need to respect our differences.”

Deanna is thankful that she is able to spend so much of her personal and professional life with Brent. It requires a trusting relationship to be able to see her professional colleague and her life partner in so many different settings.

“I think it’s great. I love my husband and I enjoy being around him. He’s a friend as well,” Deanna said. “When it’s 2 A.M., he’s there. When they’re in session, my husband is there and if they’re in session, I’m there.

It’s just nice. We’re under the same roof.”

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POWER COUPLES

The Steelmans T H E L O N G P L AY

RACHAEL DUNN THE MISSOURI TIMES

An hour with both David and Sarah Steelman is the Missouri political reporter’s dream. The former state treasurer, now commissioner of the Office of Administration, has been married to the former House majority floor leader, trial attorney, and now University of Missouri Board of Curators chairman for 31, no 33 - 32 years. To lead the five featured power couples, it became overwhelmingly clear how successful politics is much like a successful marriage.

In what could only be appropriate reviewing the Steelmans’ lives beyond careers, in which David calls himself a “gadfly in the Republican Party,” the Missouri Times Magazine is pleased to present some raw interview and some traditional feature in exploring the Steelman’s marital journey over the past 32 years.

MAGAZINE: Sarah, how has the first year been over at OA? SS: It’s been challenging, absolutely challenging. I say it’s a cross between state Senate and state treasurer except on steroids because you have everything. It’s executive, but you do have to deal with the legislature, and legislation, and there’s just a myriad of different decisions that have to be made on a daily basis.

M:: I feel like you are lucky, you got to walk in - you already had a lot of contacts, a luxury a lot of the other cabinet members do not have.

SS: Yes, I do feel lucky, I understand how state government works, and the political process in the Capitol and I do have, I believe, a greater understanding of that, having been part of the process for as long as I was.

DS: You know, if I can add to that - I think some advantage you have, but I also think it’s something that I try to keep in mind on the board of the curators, is I also understand what’s like to represent constituents

in the House and the Senate and I think sometimes we are too hard on people in those positions, in Senate or House because they’re balancing a lot of things. 95 percent of the people I know in the House and the Senate, the past and today, have nothing but the best intentions and so I do think it helps me to understand that even when there were legislators chewing on the University, it’s not an adversarial situation, or shouldn’t be, that we got to work together.

SS: Definitely see this.

DS: I really respect the people in the House and the Senate and the job they have to do because I’ve been there.

SS: I find that a lot of people feel like it’s more of an adversarial relationship between the General Assembly and the executive branch, but in reality, it’s not. We’re all there to accomplish the same thing. We just have, see it through slightly different filters.

DS: Or it shouldn’t be, put it that way, it should not be adversarial.

SS: No it should not be and I keep saying that to, you know to legislators as well as state employees, “Hey look, we are out to accomplish the same goals,” and so this is not an adversarial relationship. This is a partnership. And I think if people look at it like that, I think you can accomplish a lot of good things.

DS: I’d say that to the university all the time.

M:: You’re now chairman of the board. Is this the same feeling you have?

DS: I will say, I think part of it is an indicator of what has happened in our broader society and that there is some desire, and I don’t know how it gets happened to divide people up, when we are really working towards the same thing. The people in the legislature, there is no question in my mind that the ones I know and talk to have the best interest of higher education at heart and I don’t know how it developed or this idea developed that there should be some adversarial relationship between the university and the legislature because we need each other. I mean the state needs the uni-

versity and the university needs the state.

M:: That makes sense. Is the University’s outlook on the upswing?

DS: Well you know everything has to be worked at, just like 32 years of marriage.

The university has a great deal of work. It has to put a lot of effort into both explaining to the state, both the executive branch and the legislative branch, what we do and why we’re important, for a variety of reasons to the state. On the other hand, they have expectations of us how to how we spend our money, which we get a huge amount from the state, and so we have to work on that. So is it here to stay? I think it could be, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work by a lot of parties.

CANDIDATE/SPOUSE Both David and Sarah have been candidates, electeds, but not at the same time - and they both agree being the spouse is harder.

“Things can roll off your back when you’re the candidate and when some of the things that are in politics today are directed to, you know, the person you love and the mother of your children, it’s hard not to take ‘em personally,” David said. “It just is much more difficult, psychologically, being the spouse of the candidate, than being the candidate. I think Sarah will tell you, when I lost in ‘92, I don’t think it affected me for 30 days. But Sarah was down about it for, she was down about it for a while, and then when Sarah lost that primary for governor, I don’t think it affected Sarah for two or three weeks. I thought that Sarah was horribly mistreated by the Republican establishment and I will say that had me down for a while.

It’s just more difficult being the spouse.”

Also coincidentally, both David and Sarah have won elections and lost elections.

The lesson learned? What to do next and looking at the good things - like a future daughter-in-law.

“How to pick myself back up again 19

and go on,” Sarah said. “You know, I also learned there are good things that can come out of actually losing a race, one of those being that Sam and Courtney got together, they met in the race for U.S. Senate and now they’re engaged.

“But the U.S. Senate race was kind of a disaster, but you know what? I’d do it all over again, because Sam and Courtney got together and that honestly is such a blessing, to me.”

“That’s true,” David says.

Sarah said the best thing David did to support her campaigns was to support her.

SS: He was my biggest contributor.

DS: It all comes back to the donations!

SS: And he supported me with strategic decisions. You know, he helped manage the consulting aspects of the races, but he also sacrificed a lot. Mom time. A lot of his own career.

DS: I don’t know whether I sacrificed in my own career. I did go to a lot of Lincoln Days.

SS: Just all around supportive.

M: And David, you had young kids whenever you ran for office in ‘92, what was the best thing Sarah did whenever you were running?

DS: You know we always tried to include the boys and, of course, Michael wasn’t even there in ‘92, but we always included the boys in the campaign. Sarah would bring the boys in parades, they would ride bicycles in the parades. I would say the best thing she did, and somehow despite the fact that I was off running around, we’ve managed to get three great sons. So, she gets all the credit for that, or 90 percent of it.

HOW DO YOU MAKE IT WORK? “It’s a commitment,” Sarah said.

“I think commitment - and we’re very lucky,” David said. “We have a lot of shared interests. We always have had. We’re not as similar, I think, that sometimes think, politically. I’m much more libertarian. We have a lot of great –“ “He puts words in my mouth.”

“I put words in her mouth. Frankly, we’ve spent a lot of our lives, not just discussing but arguing about politics and enjoying every minute of it.”

HOW DID THEY MEET? David and Sarah Steelman have been married 33 years.

31?

32. They were married in 1985.

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Like any long-married couple, David and Sarah had to think for a second about how long they’ve been married, but unlike the average couple, they note marriage milestones based on political events.

It all started in 1977. 1976? David met Sarah while he was still in law school.

“I can actually remember the first time I met her, but I don’t know why because nothing came of it,” David said. “I met her on the steps of Tate Hall when she came by to see her brother Tom Hearn, my close friend along with David Limbaugh. David Limbaugh, Tom Hearn and I were on the front steps of Tate Hall and she came up and said hi and he introduced her and I never thought anything about it but I remember that meeting.”

“I was trying to think of the first time I met David, but all could I remember is having great fights with him,” Sarah said. “I was for Reagan and he was for George H.W. Bush. I just could not believe it.”

Sarah converted David to Reagan before the Republican nomination for president.

“She’s very passionate, very dedicated, and she has a lot of drive,” David said.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Sarah was hooked on David for similar reasons.

“His intelligence is what got me, and his willingness to fight for what he believed in,” Sarah said.

Their marriage has been punctuated with elected public service and campaigns, with David serving as a state representative from 1978-1984, representing the Rolla area.

Sarah served in the state Senate from 19992005, then serving as state treasurer from 2005-2009. David ran for attorney general in 1992. Sarah ran for governor in 2008 and U.S. Senate in 2012.

“David ran in 1992. I ran in 1998,” Sarah said. “And then I had always had the interest in public service, and politics. I emphasize ‘public service’ because that is de-emphasized today. I grew up in Jefferson City and my dad taught me the value of public service, and the duty to your country and state and community. Public service had always interested me and this opportunity presented itself.”

The Rolla area was a battleground for Republicans as they fought for the majority and the Steelmans became targeted candidates.

“David Barklage and Peter Kinder were trying to take over the state Senate,” Sarah said. “I think 4 years before, Peter had come to me, we had talked about running that year, and David running for state Senate that year but I couldn’t. I had little boys and I think I was pregnant again.”

When Sarah ran for state Senate, she was running against the incumbent appropriations chair. After filing, she learned she was 40 points down, only to turn around and win by 20 points, earning her first publicly elected position.

ELECTED, TO APPOINTED SERVICE M: Has your service helped you serve better in your appointed positions?

DS: No question in my mind that it helps me. It doesn’t mean I’m better at it than someone who wasn’t elected, but for me the perspective I have, from having run for office and understanding the pressure that puts on and demands it puts on people, helps me as a curator and there’s no question that it has helped me in the trial of lawsuits, too. Sarah?

SS: Oh, absolutely, it has helped me. I hope people think it’s for the better, but it’s definitely helped me understand the bigger picture and as David pointed out, in having served myself in the state Senate, I know what people are thinking. I know it’s important to them to serve their constituents well and, you know, when we get asked questions from legislators that, to some people, in like my department, they think they’re unreasonable, I remind them it’s not unreasonable. This is their job to look at and ask questions and understand what we’re doing and that we need to provide them with more information as opposed to less, so I mean I think there’s just a lot of advantages in having been on both sides of the equation.

PARENTING WITH THE STEELMANS Not too long ago, David was coaching football and Sarah was allegedly cussing from the sidelines. Now David says scheduling Christmas is “more complicated than a major class action lawsuit.”

“It gets, unfortunately, more and more difficult,” Sarah said.

The Steelmans are parents to three sons: Sam, Joe, and Michael, who were all raised in Rolla.

“I do think we have three great boys but we are very significantly different in our approaches,” David said. “I was raised by a very hard-nosed greatest generation kind of disciplinarian dad and I think that is to an extent how I’ve raised our boys. Sarah has always been very compassionate and empathetic, so maybe that’s the key. We have, we approached it very differently.”

David coached Joe and Sam in soccer, Joe and Michael in football.

“He took off a couple months of work,”

POWER COUPLES Sarah said.

“I mean, literally, I took that football coaching seriously,” David said. “We had a very complex play book.”

Classroom parties? Room mom? Weekly soccer, basketball, football games while sponsoring ballot measures or divesting terrorism?

“I don’t think she missed any of that,” David said. “She was, I don’t know how she did it but she would do all of that.”

“I really felt like I wanted to,” Sarah said.

“I didn’t want to miss anything. Luckily, I could drive back and forth to Jeff City, so yeah, I pride myself actually in having made lunches for them in the morning, home made lunches and getting them to school, being at their schools, taking them to practice, watching their practice, getting them to their games. I really tried not to miss anything.

“I don’t think you missed one football game of either boys, and hardly any soccer or basketball games.”

“I will say when you’re in the political scene like that up in Jeff City, you know the networking part of holding office,” Sarah said. “I just didn’t participate in very much because I’d rather be with the kids.”

Did a senator, then state treasurer, mom intimidate the other parents?

“Maybe at football games when I lost my temper and would try.”

“Sarah was a very radical football watcher, I will say.”

“And of course every football game was in my district. I hoped nobody was around me when I was watching my boys play football.”

“Yeah, we would hide her in the corner.”

“I tended to coach, but nobody heard me.”

“You tended to coach and to cuss.”

“Maybe a little bit of both.”

As far as their favorite hat to wear?

Commissioner, candidate, treasurer, senator, economist, mother?

“Of course it’s easy for me,” Sarah says.

“Mother and grandma. Grandma Gigi. I love being a mother. I love being a mother.”

Chairman, attorney, floor leader, representative, candidate, father?

“And I have to say that’s no question about it, being a father,” David says. “Of course, being a father is lucky because you get to not only be a father, but you get to be a coach and a golfing partner and a fishing buddy so it’s worked out good.”

THE LONG PLAY M: It seems like every few months someone who has been in politics for 5, 10 or 15 years says, “I’m frustrated, I have had enough.” They want out of politics or they want out of their marriage or they want out of whatever big commitment they have in their life. Have you ever had those moments, and if so why did you stay in politics? Why did you stay involved in public service and how does that extend to marriage?

DS: I don’t think it’s any secret that the establishment of the Republican Party has frustrated me and I have frustrated them, but I state the same thing about staying involved in public service, as I would about marriage. You get to a point in your life where you just simply understand everything is a long play. Nothing is a 24-hour

project. Nothing is a one-week project.

Nothing is a year-project. Everything is kind of a long, continuing process and then when you get to that point, you understand there’s no reason to be frustrated because there’s always another play tomorrow.

SS: I look at it kind of differently than David, actually. I have always been committed to what I thought made this country great, and so to me the political aspects of this have not been about personalities or particular people running for office or whatever.

It’s more about preserving our country, and the institutions that keep us free. And so I feel like if you’re committed to the cause, then you can, you have the will power to get past all the bumps and obstacles in the way, that politics itself presents and keep your eye on the things that are important for my little grandson, Graham, it’s like he has a similar experience as I had when I was growing up, so I mean that all sounds kind of trite, and whatever, but it’s the truth.

That’s what motivates me.

DS: You just said it better. You have a long term goal on the horizon and you got bumps and bruises and you’ve got waves and you get setbacks but you just gotta keep pushing towards the horizon and to me what has already been good to me is the idea that we can have a just society, and, by that, I don’t mean “social warrior justice.”

I think we need offices where people can get along and have level playing fields.

That’s why I believe in the market and why I’m a conservative and it’s all just pushing towards that level playing field.

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POWER COUPLES

The Lakins ALISHA SHURR THE MISSOURI TIMES

Not all people can work together, live together and still tolerate each other, particularly when politics are involved. So, how do the Lakins do it? Wine. And very complementary skills that make them a great team.

“A shared commitment to the clients and causes we represent makes it easy to work and live together,” Emilee said.

Joe and Emilee (or "Mudd" as Joe still calls her) met as Field Staff for the House Republican Campaign Committee during the 2008 election. Emilee needed Joe's help with precinct targeting and Joe needed an extra parade walker. They stayed friends while working in politics and started dating several years later.

Emilee grew up in a family where “Rush Limbaugh was gospel and Ronald Reagan walked on water.” On the other hand, Joe — a native of Iowa — has family members active in both political parties.

His family “values public affairs.”

It’s not surprising they got more involved in politics during college. The both attended Missouri State University and they both interned at the Missouri Capitol through the school's legislative internship program — Emilee in 2006 and Joe in 2008. Emilee is a founding member of MSU's College Republicans and Joe volunteered for Jim Talent's re-election in 2006.

It was through those experiences they “knew politics would become a profession.”

“The opportunity to work closely with Missouri lawmakers and have an impact at a young age hooked both of us to the process and the people involved,” Emilee said.

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Joe and Emilee currently work at Victory Enterprises, a full service political and corporate media and communications firm.

Joe worked closely with Dave Hageman, Wayne Yocum and the Victory Enterprises team through his first political jobs at the HRCC and continued to work with them through the 2010 and 2012 cycles on a variety of campaigns. He joined the team at Victory Enterprises in December of 2013.

Emilee worked with Victory Enterprises through her role as Finance Director at the HRCC and after marrying Joe in 2015, joined the Victory Enterprises team “because of their incredible record of electoral successes.”

“Our skills are very complimentary, making us a great team when executing a plan for clients,” Emilee said.

Not that working together and living together is always easy, but they make their relationship worked because of their shared values.

“We believe in the principles of hard work, execution of fundamentals and operating with integrity,” Emilee said. “We also share the same values outside of politics.

“We are driven by helping the clients and causes we represent achieve their goals.

There is no greater joy than helping a client navigate the political process and winning on Election Day or in the public policy arena. We also have been incredibly blessed with lifelong friends made throughout the long election years.”

Emilee and Joe are also passionate about friends and their family, which they added one more to their family in mid-January with the arrival of Baby Lakin.

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POWER COUPLES

The Au Buchons T

BENJAMIN PETERS THE MISSOURI TIMES

he first time that Rich and Betsy met, it was because of a contract for corrections medical services. Rich was working for the Office of Administration, while Betsy was representing one of the companies awarded a contract to provide mental health services to inmates.

The state procurement office had signed off on a contract, one that Rich said the state ultimately couldn’t afford. Rich intended to cancel the contract and start over, with at least $140 million at stake. That’s when Betsy marched into his office, and luckily, some savings were found within the contract and the wholesale cancellation wasn’t required.

“Betsy would say I was taking her client’s money and she won. But I would say it was never her money or mine but that of the taxpayer and ultimately the taxpayer won,” Rich said.

“We both took credit for the win, we both got what we wanted, and we both claimed it was our money at some point,” she said.

Rich said he shook her hand after that, and it wasn’t until years later that the two met again at Paddy Malone’s and got to know each other better.

“What I thought was a business dinner was actually a date,” Betsy said with a laugh.

Both Rich and Betsy have built an impressive resume over their years spent in the political realm. Rich, a native of the

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Capital City, might have lived a completely different life if not for two things: 9/11 and his eyesight, which prevented him from joining the National Guard as a helicopter pilot.

While waiting to recover from a corrective eye procedure, he took a job in the Attorney General’s Office, passed the Missouri Bar, all leading to an eventual interview with Mike Keathley, landing him as deputy commissioner for the Office of Administration. After that, he served as senior staff to Gov. Matt Blunt and chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder. AuBuchon has also served as counsel to the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Polsinelli, P.C. Now, he runs his own firm, having developed a sterling reputation as both a lawyer and lobbyist.

As for Betsy, the Alton, Mo. native got her start after earning three degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia – a bachelor of science in agricultural journalism in 1997 and her master of health administration and her law degree, both in 2000. She worked as a consultant and general counsel for Behavioral Health Concepts Inc. before serving more than a decade as a governmental consultant in the private sector.

She was hired by the Missouri Supreme Court in January 2012 as commission counsel for the state’s Judicial Finance Commission and legislative liaison and was promoted her nine months later to the newly created position of director of government relations and deputy counsel.

While there, the clerk of the Supreme Court took an interest in her, and took her under

his wing.

That resume became even more impressive in January of 2017, when Betsy took over from him, becoming the first woman to serve as clerk of the Supreme Court of Missouri, and just the sixth person to hold the position in the last century.

“I like to joke that I’m the only one who can tell the judges what to do,” she said with a laugh. “Sometimes they agree with that, sometimes not.”

Maybe no couple in the Capital City knows better what it means to juggle duties to both work and family. The Aubuchon Household, consisting of four children, one chocolate lab, and two cats, can be in a flurry and frenzy at any given moment, but that, Rich says, is where Betsy flourishes.

“Betsy operates best in a crisis… like a four-alarm crisis. She jumps into super woman mode when things get bad,” he said.

“It really helps knowing I can rely on her when things get bad.”

Betsy, however, says she loves the fact that Rich is rock-solid.

“He is one of those people where what you see is what you get. He’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met, and over-explains everything,” she said. “You always know that, while he doesn’t speak a lot, when he does, you can just take it to the bank. He’s the total package, as far as I’m concerned.”

Years later, the Aubuchons are still happily together, raising a family… but to this day, the debate over who won with that first contract is still unsettled.

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WONDER WOMEN

Ask any woman in the building and she’ll tell you, one, they have been treated differently because they are women, and, two, there has been an amazing amount of progress for women in politics in the last 5, 10, 15 years. The Missouri Times Magazine is thrilled to highlight five of the many women in the Capitol that work everyday to improve the state on behalf of their respective causes.

These women are not wonders because they are women, but wonders because of who they are and the assets, abilities, and drive they bring to the table. They just happen to also be women.

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WONDER WOMEN

Kyna Iman

FIGHTING WITH HEART

ALISHA SHURR THE MISSOURI TIMES Sure, joining the Circus may have crossed Kyna Iman’s mind as a child, but as she grew up she got bit by the political bug and now is a staple in Jefferson City.

“I feel right at home in the Capitol,” Iman said, “and wouldn’t want to do any other job.”

Iman, who graduated from William Woods University with a bachelor’s degree in English communications and a minor in dance, has been a lobbyist in Jefferson City for three decades.

“Whether its engineers, teachers, artists, or nurses, everyone has a story to tell,” Iman said. “The most rewarding part of my job is making sure the right people in power hear those stories and are moved to help make a difference.”

Iman’s first taste of government advocacy came while she was in college, for two years in a row she interned for lobbyists, Pam Rich and John Britton. Iman “got bit by the political bug.”

“I was in awe of action and synergy in

the building,” Iman recalls of her first day working in the Capitol. “My interview was in Senator Jet Banks office which had baby blue velvet curtains and wallpaper. I’ll never forget that!”

As an intern for Britton, Iman helped pass a liquor control bill — she was only 20-years-old and hadn’t even purchased her first legal drink yet — and has been in the business of lobbying ever since.

After college, Iman landed a local lobbying gig with the Home Builders of Greater St. Louis lobbying the City of St. Louis and St. Charles County Council.

“However, my heart was always with the arts and lobbying on the state level, so I was fortunate when I started lobbying for the Missouri Citizens for the Arts in 1988,” Iman said. In fact, Iman still advocates for the Arts Council to this day, making them her longest client.

In 1993, Iman started her own one-person lobbying firm, Kyna Iman LLC. Iman has a very diverse client list that ranges from The Boeing Company to the Missouri Humanities Council, from the Missouri

Nurses Association to the Missouri Association of Campgrounds & RV Parks.

“My clients have all come from knowing someone with like-minded concerns and working together to address those concerns,” Iman said.

After three decades of lobbying, Iman shows no signs of slowing down or stopping anytime soon.

“Working with my clients and listening to their passion to make lives better is very inspiring to me,” Iman said. “My colleagues in the business inspire me….both elected officials and lobbyists who keep fighting the good fight.”

When the Missouri General Assembly is in session, life in Jefferson City can get very hectic and very business.

“There really is no such thing as a ‘normal’ day in this business – which is what makes it so exciting,” Iman said. “You just have to be prepared to hit the Capitol running and ready to face what’s coming at you. Carpe Diem! It helps to be very prepared and do your homework, too.”

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WONDER WOMEN

RyanBurns

EXCEPTIONAL COMMUNICATION

R

BENJAMIN PETERS THE MISSOURI TIMES

yan Burns’ time in the Missouri Office Administration only adds up to a little more than four years, but during that time, she’s quickly developed a reputation for being a hard worker, reliable, and efficient.

Burns entered the State Capitol in 2013 as the Director of Communications for the Office of Administration after working with the Jefferson City Convention & Visitors Bureau. For her, mid-Missouri is home.

She’s a native of Jefferson City, and after graduating from high school in 2000, she made the short trip north to the University of Missouri System in Columbia, where she majored in communications and minored in English and theater before venturing into the world of public relations.

Her job carries a variety of duties and responsibilities, from working with the media, writing press releases and speeches, managing social media, to researching or developing strategies to better communicate on any given subject.

At any given moment, Burns’ day can completely change simply by one question, one statement, or one event. Burns will admit it can be a whirlwind at times, but she seems to be a master of organized chaos, rolling with the punches and being whisked away as each new assignment or story changes and develops.

“You always have a plan and different projects and goals that you want to accomplish, but you have to be prepared to change that plan at a moment’s notice,” she said.

“You never know what is going to hit you.

Sometimes, that means things you would like to get done have to take a backburner.”

But it’s more than just having a plan. It’s about the right attitude, determination, and

passion. Most who interact with her will note that she seems to be ready to flash a quick smile and laugh. She somehow seems to remain positive and upbeat, even in the busiest and most stressful of times.

And it’s that demeanor, coupled with her determination to do her job well and serve to the best of her abilities… those qualities have proven to be the mark of Burns’ success in the Capitol.

Dealing with reporters is just a portion of the job’s duties, but a quick survey of journalists working in the Missouri Capitol will reveal a mutual respect and admiration for Burns. Many will tell you that she always seems to be ready with answers, but more importantly, if she doesn’t have them, she will get them in a short matter of time.

Simply put, Burns works in the field of communication, and she knows better than most that keeping the doors open and building relationships is a benefit to all. She understands the power of communicating effectively, and she excels at.

Those skills and understanding of her role were quite valuable to the previous administration under Gov. Jay Nixon, and while several departments saw change with the new Greitens administration, Burns has been a staple of the Capitol.

The skills honed during her time under former OA Commissioner Doug Nelson now serve the state as she aids current OA Commissioner Sarah Steelman. Her abilities have branched out, as well, as in recent months she has been given more projects and tasks to undertake, with more trust being placed in her.

One challenge that has been worked on has been the work between departments.

That was perhaps best showcased through the flood recovery efforts, with each department playing their role and a website being created and implemented in less than

a week to give people access to information and resources they may have needed.

And after the entry of the new administration, she was tasked with leading the public information officers for each state department, hosting meetings to share ideas and strategies to benefit all and better coordinate between all agencies.

“It’s really refreshing,” she said. “Previously, we’d meet maybe once a quarter, but this opportunity lets us feel a little more collectively like a team. But it brings its own challenges.”

Burns even lent a hand to the proposal the state submitted for the Amazon HQ2 project. She also delves into topics like the state budget, projects, purchasing, cybersecurity, meaning that her role is simply to know a little bit about everything.

But perhaps one of the biggest challenges these days is still figuring out the role of social media.

“As a public information officer, our main role is provide information,” she said.

“Social media plays a much bigger role than it used to. I get stressed sometimes if I’m away from my computer or Twitter for an extended length of time. You don’t want to be caught off guard.”

But how does she prevent that? Constant vigilance. She’s constantly following news and social media to make sure she’s as up-to-date and prepared.

“You have to look at it all from so many angles,” she said. “I just do my best to get the job done and keep moving to the next one. Things happen at such a frenetic pace these days that you don’t really have the time to sit back and reflect.”

Luckily, thanks to her multitasking, effective communications, and her relationships, she’s been able to not only bridge those gaps, but build further and continue growth in her field, to the benefit of the state.

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WONDER WOMEN

Tricia Workman GRACEFULLY ASSERTIVE

O

RACHAEL DUNN THE MISSOURI TIMES

n an almost chilly interim day, Tricia Workman walks into Coffee Zone in jeans knowing everyone in the establishment and stopping to speak to each of them in a tactful and assertive, yet somehow also casual and friendly.

Now walking into her 23rd session, Workman catches the eyes of new interns as #lifegoals. She navigates the Capitol effortlessly, bringing forth knowledge and determination that has solidified her place in the top tier of Missouri lobbyists.

“Every day is different,” Workman said. “I love the strategy, the challenge. I love communicating, using my legal skills, and the camaraderie the Capitol brings.”

She got her start in 1995 as an intern for John Bardgett and Associates.

“Bardgett taught me how to lobby right: pay attention, don’t let anything slide, and continue to be strong and a trailblazer.”

She opted to up her Capitol game and she went back to law school, joined Stinson Morrison Hecker, now Stinson Street, working alongside Mike Gibbons, Chuck Hatfield, and Jane Dueker. Gibbons and Workman founded Gibbons Workman in 2014.

Beyond delivering results for her vast clients, she’s taken an interest in mentoring incoming women to the Capitol.

“I hope to help facilitate and foster an environment that women want to work in,” Workman said. “I love seeing women in lobbying - it helps the process.”

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SUNDAY MORNINGS KANSAS CITY - 38 THE SPOT AT 10:00 A.M. ST. LOUIS - ABC 30 KDNL AT 11:00 A.M. SPRINGFIELD - MCN 22 AT 11:00 A.M. MID-MISSOURI - MCN 22 AT 11:00 A.M.

STREAM ONLINE AT TWMP.TV

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WONDER WOMEN

Kate Casas

HONESTLY ATYPICAL

MICHAEL LAYER FOR THE MISSOURI TIMES MAGAZINE If you’re trying to find Kate Casas, the easiest place you might find her would be at Yanis’ Coffee Zone filling up on Rocket Fuel, the drink, not the kerosene propellant.

If she’s not there, you should try her cell or email, because there is little chance you would be able to catch her on foot.

Casas is a lobbyist at one of the largest law firms on the planet, Dentons. She and a team of three other lobbyists are a part of the public policy and regulations practice group that represent not-for-profit and for-profit businesses in the education, healthcare, telecommunications, technology and local government sectors.

“I work really hard. In lots of ways, to do the things things that my clients want and need, but also work really hard at forging relationships that are meaningful and not just transactional,” she said. “What leads to is people knowing that I mean what I say; that I’m telling the truth; that I was going to do what I said I was going to do; that I’m not going to lead anybody down a bad path or not get them all the information they need to make a decision. That really comes from being willing to work really hard. ”

Because of her hard work, her clients had a successful year. One of the biggest successes was when the Missouri Legislature passed HB 130, which established regulations for transportation networking companies, like Lyft and other ride-sharing companies. She was also able to negotiate with legislators so that they would not pass what she saw as bad legislation.

“There is really not a typical day, but you know, we almost always have a client in the building, at least one. I think one day, we had like nine in the capitol so that was really an exhausting day.”

While she acknowledges the how her day starts with caffeine, it is hardly what keeps her going. What makes her such an unstoppable force in the Jefferson City capitol building is her tenacious will to do the best job for her clients and for herself.

“I would really hate to go home and think that I really needed to do this one thing for this one client because I was tired or I forgot,” she said. “They deserve to have their side of the issue heard and they deserve to have every aspect and every need from the state to be well represented. I take that really seriously.”

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WONDER WOMEN

DanaMiller

THE GATEKEEPER

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BENJAMIN PETERS THE MISSOURI TIMES

he name Dana Rademan Miller might not be familiar to those outside of the Capitol, but inside, she may be one of the most knowledgeable minds when it comes to the home of Missouri’s government.

As a member of the House staff, Miller and the rest of the crew are in an interesting position because of term limits. Oftentimes, staff are the ones with the real tenure in the building, meaning that when it comes to the rules and procedures, they are relied upon to guide legislators through the processes. Oftentimes, they’re referred to as the Gatekeepers of the House.

“We’re not policymakers, but we help facilitate the process,” Miller said. “There’s nothing quite like being in session. Sometimes, it can be a circus. It’s the fourth largest stateHouse in the nation, and dealing with effects term limits, it can be a challenge at times.”

Their office processes every bill that is filed prior to each legislative session, which in recent years has numbered more than a thousand each time. Once it’s in the system, they track every activity and record it online, as the bills are read and sent to committees, amended, voted on, etc.

Simply put, once in session, they aid the committees and House to make sure that everything is handled in the proper way according to the state’s constitution and within the parameters of the rules.

Miller says that since taking the job, she’s continued learning more each day, but with that comes more responsibility. She is now in her sixth year as the assistant chief clerk, and she says that it’s all about growing and empowering the staff to take over.

“I’m not as hands on as I was once upon a time,” she said with a laugh. “It’s been an adjustment over the years, going from the front lines to working behind the scenes and helping assist and learning to delegate.

You kind of grow up in an office like this, and get a little territorial and possessive about aspects of what you used to do.”

But Miller is more than “just a clerk”, however; she wears a number of hats, one of the most important and potentially having the longest-lasting effect on Missouri is that of Chairwoman of the Missouri Capitol Commission.

Miller took the role a few years back, and since then, she’s owned the role, working diligently to preserve the 100-yearold building and all history encompassed inside. She’s always been interested in the history of the Capitol.

“I jumped at the chance, because I could see that the building was crumbling around us, and there were a lot of things that needed to be addressed,” she said.

When she came along, the commission wasn’t meeting, and didn’t have any money in the budget. With a coalition of like minds, she and some of the lawmakers began a working group, after which she was elected chair in 2013.

Under her leadership, the commission used a number of events and fundraisers to highlight the significance of the building, including the centennial for the iconic building. They even made a mandatory tour of the building for incoming legislators to raise awareness.

The work is still ongoing, but the changes that have taken place have already been significant, with the work to fix water leaks in the basement, cleaning the Capitol steps, upgrading the HVAC, and installing energy-efficient lighting that is safe for the priceless murals and art throughout the building.

Her work is all about ensuring that another 100 years from now, the building will still be standing in all of its stately and elegant glory. And while she may be a gatekeeper for the House, she also stands tall as a preserving force for the seat of Missouri’s government.

For her, that work is a labor of love.

“It’s the people’s House,” she said. “And it’s an honor to be able to work here.”

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STATESMAN OF THE YEAR

Mike Kehoe 36

Kehoe defining his legacy through infrastructure policy, patient dealmaking The Missouri Times presenting Kehoe with inaugural Statesman of the Year award after legislative lapse in his absence The Missouri Times presenting Kehoe with inaugural Statesman of the Year award after legislative lapse in his absence In celebration of the 5th Anniversary of The Missouri Times, staff, subscribers, people in the business community, and a group of longtime Capitol observers combined to select the 2017 Missouri Statesman of the Year. The inaugural honoree is Senator Mike Kehoe, Cole County.

We asked this collection of influential Missourians to help us identify someone who consistently worked on causes bigger than themselves, whose impact on the state will be felt after their career was over, and someone who worked to find compromise

on issues in the mold of the former great men and women who have served the state and preserved the traditions that have made Missouri the great state it is.

Senator Kehoe was the overwhelming choice.

“To me, a statesman is someone who puts the state ahead of themselves,” Missouri Times Publisher Scott Faughn said. ”We’re sometimes trapped in an era where leaders are always looking to their next office the day after winning their current one, some of our newest politicians only think as far ahead as the next Facebook post.

Senator Kehoe works on projects like highways and utility infrastructure - issues that require sacrifice and foresight of today’s generation for the benefit of the next generations of Missourians. To me, that is what a statesman does and that’s why we are proud to honor Senator Kehoe.”

This year will be his last in the Senate, due to term limits, but the impact he has

had on Missouri will be a long-lasting one.

Many people know his story of being raised in the St. Louis area by his mother, a single parent with six children. At the age of 15, he started washing cars for Dave Sinclair Ford, and worked his way up into sales management. After graduating from Chaminade College Preparatory School, he was given an opportunity to lead Osage Industries at the age of 25. After selling the company to the employees in 1992, he purchased a Ford and Lincoln-Mercury auto dealership in Jefferson City, which he still is involved with today.

“Mike Kehoe is one of the finest people I know,” Gov. Matt Blunt said. “He is an absolute personification of the American dream. His devotion to his faith, his family, and his country are sincere and real. Beyond all that he is a real leader and public servant who is not afraid to tell others the truth. I admire him greatly and am proud to count him as a friend.”

Kehoe’s first real venture into the political realm came when he volunteered in 2004 to help Matt Blunt’s 2005 gubernatorial campaign. After his successful campaign, Governor Blunt appointed Kehoe to the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission.

“That really got me interested into the goings on in Missouri,” Kehoe said. “It really opened my eyes to what was going 37

on. I thought Missouri needed a change.

We needed someone who understood that business friendliness in the state and what we could do to create jobs in the state all ties back to how we treat our employers, particularly our small businesses. I was an aggravated taxpayer, to be honest.”

He would ultimately leave the highway commission and, despite never having held an elected office, decided to run for State Senate to succeed the well-respected Carl Vogel in 2010, where he came out on top in a four-way primary to run unopposed in the general election.

“It’s almost impossible,” Kehoe said when asked about how one can replace a figure as polarizing as Vogel. “Carl was a

edge on a variety of topics, ranging from unemployment reform, workers’ compensation, transportation and various business matters, to use developing legislation.

“Sen. Kehoe is in a class by himself,” Rep. Mike Bernskoetter, a Republican candidate to replace Kehoe, said. “His understanding of the people and the businesses in the sixth district is remarkable. Really a tremendous statesman and an example to everyone in the legislature how to conduct themselves when going about the people’s business.”

Upon entering the Senate, Kehoe chose to take on perhaps the most complicated issue in state government: transportation.

He came well-versed in the issue, having

It’s not a business where you can draw a line in the sand and stop talking to people; you have to continue to communicate.

SEN. MIKE KEHOE friend of mine for a long, long time, almost as long as I’ve been in Jefferson City. To be honest, his service to the state and the people was inspiring, and when I decided to run for office, he was one of the people I talked to.”

Vogel’s shoes were large ones to fill, but once there, the Senator quickly established himself, putting his experience and knowl38

spent more than 30 years working in the industry. Kehoe would be praised by both sides of the aisle as one of the mature legislators offering real solutions to provide the much-needed funds to maintain the state’s more than 3,000 miles of highway.

“Mike Kehoe is a great friend and great public official,” U.S. Senator Roy Blunt said.

“He truly understands the importance of

transportation and infrastructure to our state and our economy, and has been an incredible leader on those issues. For Missourians, location is our greatest competitive advantage. Mike has worked tirelessly to ensure we have the infrastructure in place to maintain that advantage and keep our economy thriving.”

His counterpart, the Senate Minority Leader Gina Walsh echoed compliments for his work on infrastructure issues, “I have always appreciated and respected Sen. Kehoe’s willingness to work across the aisle with us on issues important to all Missourians.”

One of Kehoe’s most notable contributions to that debate was his handling of the constitutional amendment that would have raised the state’s sales tax for transportation – an effort that failed in August 2014.

“His work on the state’s infrastructure was one most often cited as a reason to honor him. Back in the 1850s, Governor Austin King began an infrastructure plan to build railroads that led to Missouri doubling in population,” Faughn said. “If Senator Kehoe is ultimately successful in updating the state’s utility and highway infrastructure, he will be remembered in the same vein.”

But Kehoe says that the good news about the transportation debate is Missourians no longer seem to question that more money is needed. Instead, he says, the debate is solely centered on how to get the money and how it should be utilized.

To that end, he takes hope, saying that a middle ground can still be found.

“Sen. Kehoe is a friend and colleague whom I’ve had the privilege of working alongside for nearly three decades,” Congresswoman Ann Wagner said. “In that time, Mike has become a conservative stalwart whose leadership is valued well beyond his district. He is a true citizen-servant who respects the values and traditions of all Missourians. Sen. Kehoe is responsible for the growth and strength of our Republican majorities and is the epitome of a statesman.”

Early in his career in the Senate, he was elected Assistant Majority Floor Leader, and later Floor Leader, a role that in the current climate of Republican supermajorities, requires an element of negotiating and diplomacy, as well as a firm hand all at the same time.

“There’s a lot of personalities in the Missouri Senate,” Kehoe chuckled. “You just have to wade through and work with everyone as best you can. I’d say that working in the car business teaches you a lot about that. It’s not a business where you can draw a line in the sand and stop talking to people; you have to continue to communicate. Even when you don’t sell a family a car this time around, you have to continue

working with them because maybe their kids will buy a car, so you have to keep those relations open. My goal is always to try to communicate and keep the ability to talk to me as open as possible. I’m human, but I try to keep an open mind and listen to as many points of view as possible and then figure out the path to get there.”

Perhaps the best demonstration of his influence in the Senate was this last session when, after another of the Governor’s attacks on the state senators, Kehoe, following heavy rains across the state, found himself flooded in at his family farm on the Gasconade River, unable to leave due to the water over the roadways.

The Senate prepared to continue with business as usual, with Assistant Majority Leader Sen. Bob Onder filling in for Kehoe in his official capacity, but it quickly became apparent that little would get done as senators came forward with a list of bills they would agree to work on, a deviation from the norm, as the majority floor leader sets what will be taken up for action on the floor.

After a few days of nothing being accomplished, Kehoe returned, and the Senate’s business resumed. However, Kehoe simply says that he is one single member of the Senate, and chalks it up to having been involved in conversations that others were not privy to.

As a legislator, Kehoe has never shied away from working on difficult legislation, instead hoping to find the middle ground that could mutually benefit everyone.

While it did not proceed, Kehoe’s proposed ethics legislation served as an attempt to find a fix that was a calculated step toward finding an answer to the ethics conundrum that has been such a difficult matter to navigate. Kehoe sought to address the lobbyist gifts in a manner that allowed for a small price tag to be expended by lobbyists, or what he called “the cup of coffee” rule.

He says that his hope is to pass an ethics bill, because he is concerned about

correcting the perception of the Capitol.

2018, it seems, will be Kehoe’s final chance to push for legislation on that matter.

But the 2017 legislative session came with its own set of challenges: a new governor, new legislators, and adjustments to be made on all sides. But the changes, particularly new members with little or no prior experience, are something that Kehoe

says he likes, noting that he himself was once in the same position.

“Trying to do things differently is not a bad thing at all,” Kehoe said. “My least favorite answer in the private sector when you ask why they’re doing something a certain way is ‘Well, that’s the way we always did it.’ I hated that answer. And I think Governor Eric Greitens is hating that answer.

“But somewhere between here and there, there’s a path to get between those two points,” Kehoe said. You’ve got to try and thread that needle, and sometimes it takes longer.”

His advice, which he tries to follow every day, is simply to be patient.

“I like Mike, I knew him before,” Gov. Jay Nixon said in his recent retrospective with Faughn. “I mean, my kids were around Jeff City in sports and he was around, he’s one of the guys you know, was a buddy and a friend of mine, so I kinda knew Mike before he ran. Saw him around at a lot of stuff, he was obviously there. I’d always say to Mike, if I couldn’t get him to do some deal and we would get close, I’d say ‘if I gave you a free bed liner, would it work?’ Well, he’d come across there - he’s an auto guy, they’ll make deals with you,

but I think that at first, he was in a little hurry and could lose his patience. It’s the only time that Mike has trouble is when he loses patience and as a successful business guy, guys like him, Libla and Wayne Goode on the Democrat side, they would get really frustrated on how long it would take to get some stuff done. But I think that once he realized that the process of government would take a little longer sometimes, he became a heck of a senator.”

In a state that proudly carries the name of the “ShowMe State,” Kehoe has also shown himself to be a man of integrity, respected by his colleagues and peers for being fair and easy to work with.

“Life’s too short,” Kehoe said. “I’m trying to leave the building the same way I came in. I don’t want to leave the building with a reputation that you just weren’t square with people. I don’t want to be that way.

Sometimes, I give people an answer they don’t want to hear, because that’s the way things might be going, but I try not to ever mislead or lie to them.”

With one year left, the Senator from Cole is focused on what can still be accomplished, rather than looking to what’s next for his career. But as he begins the journey toward the door, he simply hopes for an effective legislative session that can benefit all Missourians, because he, too, is simply a Missourian.

“There are few leaders that I’ve had the pleasure to work with that are as humble, genuine and dedicated to the people they serve as Mike Kehoe,” Lincoln Hough said. “He is truly a statesman in an era that needs and deserves leaders like him.”

The Statesman of the Year Award will be presented at the Missouri Times 5th Anniversary Celebration on January 30 at 6:00 p.m. at the Millbottom in Jefferson City.

This was the cover story of the January 3, 2018 edition.

PHOTOS/COURTESY OF MIKE KEHOE

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5 RACES TO WATCH IN 2018 U.S. Senate This race has shaped to be one of the most high-profile races, not just in Missouri, but in the nation. It promises to be one of fireworks, passion, and most importantly, money. Millions of dollars will be poured into this race, from both sides of the political spectrum. Incumbent Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill has always proven to be a tough opponent, but while Attorney General Josh Hawley may be relatively new to the game, he has shown himself to be quite able as both a speaker and a fundraiser. That, however, doesn’t discount the primary that Hawley will have to win, where he faces competition for the bid from a number of conservatives.

Courtland Sykes has been a firecracker since entering the race, pulling no punches, no matter the issue. Former Libertarian candidate Austin Petersen has an extremely committed following on social media, and has been able to generate some significant attention, but he’ll need to find a way to fundraise in order to capitalize on it. And last, but definitely not least is Tony Monetti, who boasts a stellar resume of service as a B-2 stealth pilot, member of the NATO peacekeeping mission, small-business owner, author, and motivational speaker.

State Auditor For State Auditor Nicole Galloway, this is it. It’s the first opportunity the Democrat has to run for the position that she has held since 2015, when she first took over when Gov. Jay Nixon appointed her to the role. Since then, she’s been a tremendously talented leader of the auditing office, and has done quite well in fundraising - she currently leads all of her opponents in terms of campaign cash.

On the Republican side, David Wasinger, left, the husband of highly respected St.

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Louis County Council member Colleen Wasinger, is a CPA and an attorney from St. Louis County. He has never sought an elective office before and is proving that he will have the resources to compete in the primary. But he’ll be facing a strong opponent in the primary: Rep. Paul Curtman, right, who boasts a strong base of grassroots support alongside his legislative record of eight years in the House.

SD 34 Let’s face it: it’s going to take some significant talent and money to step into the shoes of the term-limited Sen. Rob Schaaf. This seat will likely be the hottest primary in the state, followed by the hottest general election race in the state.

Tony Luetkemeyer, left, is a stellar recruit: an attorney who graduated from Mizzou after interning in the Bush administration.

His wife currently works for the Governor’s Office, which might mean some help in terms of fundraising.

But Presiding Buchanan County Commissioner Harry Roberts, right, is no easy competition. He’s widely known, and has a strong base in his home county, not to mention the backing of several senators. And that doesn’t even mention Rep. Nick Marshall, right, who could prove to be a wild card like no one has ever seen.

In the general election, the winner of the primary will be facing Martin Rucker, the former MU football star. But even Rucker could have some competition in Rep. Pat Conway. It seems likely that Conway might run if Rucker looks like a winner, as this

seat might be the most legitimate Democratic target in 2018 SD 18 Did we just say it would be hard to fill the shoes of a senator?

Because stepping in after Sen. Brian Munzlinger will be one of the toughest things a legislator can do in 2018.

So far, this has proved to be one heck of a primary fight, with Rep. Lindell Shumake, Rep. Craig Redmon and Rep. Nate Walker running, as well as Republican businesswoman Cindy O’Laughlin.

Redmon has been working the district for years now, and has cast himself as the heir apparent to Munzlinger. He’s got the support of Munzlinger’s chief of staff, Pat Thomas.

Meanwhile, O’Laughlin has been playing the role of the outsider in this fight, and in the process, she’s built a sizeable lead in fundraising, adding the power of Axiom Strategies and the invaluable Aaron Baker assisting her.

Walker’s claim is that of a proven and consistent winner, and represents the western side of the district in a way that the others cannot. Shumake rounds out the four, but recent filing deadlines show little in the way of funding.

HD 109 Rep. Paul Curtman’s term as a state representative will come to an end, and there’s already nearly half a dozen candidates eyeing the 109th District seat.

Two men from Washington, Mo. announced their intent to run for the seat back in December: Lucas Dieckhaus, left, and Kevin Juergens.

Dieckhaus is the younger brother of Scott Dieckhaus, former state representative and principal at Palm Strategic. The younger Dieckhaus is a therapist and counselor.

His primary opponent, as of now, is a political newcomer.

Juergens, right, is a teacher at Rockwood High School, having worked as an educator for 26 years, and plans to retire and run for the seat.

Both Dieckhaus and Juergens join fellow Republicans Scott Bell and John Simmons, a chiropractic physician, in the primary race, from which the winner will face Democratic candidate and environmentalist Patricia Schuba in the general election.

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5 TO FOLLOW ON TWITTER Looking for a laugh? Something funny? Something insightful? Look no further than Twitter. In a 280 characters or less, users put their wit, sarcasm and knowledge on display for your enjoyment.

In the land of Missouri politics, particularly #moleg, some accounts just rise to the forefront as someone to follow. We went to the darkside of the Twitterverse and back to find a few of our favorite people to follow.

Jane Dueker @JaneDueker An attorney, mother, and former gubernatorial chief of staff who somehow still likes politics. It makes for intellectually hilarious tweets.

Alex Eaton @alexteaton A career in campaigns, now lobbying, has given this Missouri lobbyist a sharp tongue and a quick wit that translates well into 280 characters. He may or may not be a football fan.

Brian Grace @BrianJGrace This Missouri lobbyist has an inkling towards the NBA and politics. It makes for some interesting remarks, including highlights of the beloved Cork menu.

Jeff Mazur @jmaz Not even sure if he speaks English or just straight sarcasm, but it’s very clear this is a man with political insitutional knowledge and a passion for coding education.

Bryan Lowry @BryanLowry3 The lead political report for the Kansas City Star has an affinity for caffeine and sarcasm. He navigates the tightrope between journalistic integrity and entertainment with steady fingers.

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We should be doing more to help first-time homebuyers— not with government handouts but by providing incentives to encourage people to save more of their own money towards the cost of a home. That’s why we need to ask our legislators to approve the Missouri FirstTime Homebuyer Initiative.

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1/4/18 12:41 PM