District 2: candidates address issues

This week, the Index separately interviewed District 2 incumbent State Rep., D-Kirksville, Rebecca McClanahan and republican opponent Zachary Wyatt on relevant issues pertaining to the Nov. 2 election.

Here are their responses:

Index: How do you plan to represent student interests when confronted with cuts to higher education funding?

McClanahan:  I spent 30 years as a professor at Truman State University, as I'm sure you know. And so I have not only a deep appreciation for students and for higher education and specifically for Truman State University, and I've carried that with me since day one in my four years of service in the state legislature to date. I sit on the higher education committee as well, and so we really address policy issues related to higher education. But, I'm on the budget committee as well, the house budget committee, where we consider funding issues. You know, when I first was sworn in as state representative, Missouri ranked 47 on per capita funding for higher education. My understanding is that we've actually moved up a couple of points to 45, which is really based on this initiative that we've been able to do these last couple of years, of holding funding more stable, and in this current year we weren't able to actually hold funding stable, but we actually were able to hold higher education harmless, if you will. So that higher education didn't take as deep of cuts as other areas of state government.

And so I've been very gratified that we've been able to kind of hold the line on funding of higher education, and that is, of course, allowed us to move up in the rankings, because other states have not been as fortunate as we have to hold the line on that funding.

I have been working tirelessly, and I will continue to work tirelessly to assure that we reinvest in higher education in the state of Missouri. I think that is critical to having a well-educated workforce for in-demand, high tech jobs in particular, and many service jobs. And so I believe that's really critical for economic development and for job creation in the state of Missouri, to make that investment in higher education. So I'm absolutely committed to that.

I was very pleased that we were able to take action to equalize the Access Missouri Scholarship funding this last session, and that was something I have been working on since day one. So we've taken a situation where private students going to private institutions got twice as much scholarship money as students going to public institutions. And so we've been able to re-equalize that scholarship so that everyone will receive an equal amount. And when that program is fully funded, then students going to public institutions have the potential of increased funding. I just feel really strongly about that. I think it puts our commitment as a state where it should be, that is, in supporting our public institutions.

Wyatt:   I think I'll be able to represent you guys quite well because one, I'm of a lot of you guys' generation, and I know the hardships that come upon you guys when you go to school or are away from home. I just went through that phase of my life, as you guys are going through right now, and I think I'll be able to put a better perspective on what needs to be looked at within the budget.

Index: How do you plan to kickstart local business?

McClanahan: Well, I've been working really hard with local businesses to help kickstart those businesses. I had a meeting just within the last couple of weeks with a wind energy company that is working here in the area. There are some regulations or a regulatory process that is kind of holding up their effort to begin building wind turbines here in Adair County and across Sullivan County, and so I am working hard on trying to help resolve some of those regulatory issues that would allow that kind of initiative to come. So that's really a win-win. If we can bring jobs to the area, especially during the construction phase of a wind-energy project, and it can bring green jobs to North Missouri, then I see that as a win-win. So that's just one example, and something that I am currently working on.

I'm still working very closely with the folks that are working on the DNA forensics lab and that initiative, although working quietly behind the scenes, is still very much alive and well, and they are continuing to put together the funding that they need to start that initiative. I've been working very closely with them. So there are a number of other ways I've been working on those kinds of business efforts that will just make a huge difference in economic development in North Missouri.

Another thing that's kind of an indirect effort is even just my strong support for Caring for Missourians funding. And Truman has benefited from some of that funding, and it's allowed the expansion of the capacity of programs to prepare health care professionals. So the nursing program at Truman has benefited from that funding, and the communication disorders program has benefited. So that's really training for the workers of tomorrow. And those are high-demand jobs. We have critical shortages of health care professionals in the state of Missouri, so that funding is something that I have worked really hard to retain in the budget. Also, Moberly Area Community College just received one of the Training for Tomorrow grants, and that will allow them to sit practical nurses in transitioning to a, what is called a bridge program, toward preparation as a registered nurse. And so those are things that are providing the sort of training opportunities for high-demand jobs, right here in North Missouri. So that's a couple of other initiatives that I've worked really hard on.

Wyatt: Well, I think first we need to be able to cut all the red tape in order to start a business. There's so many different fees in order for them to start up that most of them can't even afford the start-up fee. You also have to look at the taxes as well, because you can't have a small business that is paying in so much more in taxes than they are making. You're not going to succeed in the business sector.