Judy is from Cole Camp, Missouri. She and her husband are active members of the community. I met Judy and her husband in a church in Hughesville the other evening. We talked about their town; I'd been in a parade there last year. At one point, Judy was almost in tears.

Late last year, Cole Camp made the news for an interstate animal abuse scheme. A couple started a fake animal rescue. They transported pets from Texas to Missouri, promising the pets' owners that they would provide needed medical care. Complaints in Texas led officers to a warehouse with 270 animals. Two dozen were dead, and half of those remaining had to be put down.

When Benton County Deputy Sheriffs arrived at the Cole Camp home, they found another 160 animals. Only 38 were alive.

Before law enforcement had arrived, the state received complaints about the fake shelter. An inspector with the Department of Agriculture checked up a bit on the place, but couldn't do much at all. 

Missouri has a reputation for animal cruelty, and we are regularly listed as the puppy mill capital of the country. When voters passed a ballot initiative to significantly regulate puppy mills in 2010, the legislature reversed what we voted on in 2011.

A decade later and Missouri is still topping the list because we have not invested in investigation and enforcement. Investigation happens through the Department of Agriculture, enforcement from local prosecutors and the Attorney General. When inspection is underfunded, the system doesn't work.

Judy and many others in her community are organizing to do something about it. They're getting together to come up with a plan, to talk to their representatives, to see how they can change Missouri's laws. We talked for a while about that, and she asked me if I'd ever come by. Of course!

I met Judy in that church in Hughesville because my friends I met in Sedalia invited me to be there. When I first introduced myself, people were put off by me running as a Democrat. By the end of the night, I was laughing with a group of folks on the way out, in large part because I showed up and actually cared.

We don't change Missouri by staying where it's comfortable. We don't better represent folks by just talking to those we agree with. We don't learn how our state can be better for all of us by trying to do this the easy way.

I met Judy at the 365th event on this campaign. Soon, maybe somewhere in the 410s, I'll be back in Cole Camp to meet with Judy and her group. And when I've stopped counting and started serving as our state's Attorney General, I'll be back in Cole Camp again.

This is the campaign our state needs.

I hope you agree, and I hope you can help us get this done.