Yesterday, I presented to Missouri Farm Bureau delegates from all over the state in Jefferson City.
The first question I got:
Democrats don't normally come to these events, and politicians who disagree with us on issues try to hide the fact when responding to our questionnaires. But you didn't. Could you explain your criticism of the bill proposed to allow the Farm Bureau to offer health care plans?
I answered:
I'm running to sue scammers, not to be one. If we don't agree, I'll tell you that. But while we may disagree on some of the details, I think there's a lot more we do agree on.
Health care costs are hurting families, and I'm all for reducing those costs. What I'm not for is permitting Missouri families to be scammed out of their money. The last thing any of us wants when our family members are dealing with a health crisis is to think we're covered by insurance only to find out that our plan isn't covering our care. My main problem with the bill is that it needs to clearly permit the Attorney General to enforce our consumer protection laws and make sure Missourians are getting what they paid for, and we need better evidence that these plans will in fact reduce costs for Missourians. I'd be happy to work with you to get that done.
I got several questions after that.
About the initiative petition - I support it because the People of Missouri must be able to check the power of a legislature that continues to fail to represent Missourians, and I would support reforms to make the proposition process (as opposed to the amendment process) usable again. It's despicable that many of our legislators are willing to overturn the will of the People because they think they know better than us.
About Missouri's Sunshine Law - I will fully enforce our right to see what our government is doing with our money.
About foreign ownership of Missouri farmland - I oppose it.
The last question: "What about the Do Not Call List? Why do I keep getting all of these calls, and what will you do about it?"
"I'm going to sue a whole bunch of people."
I told this man that the Missouri Attorney General's Office used to be at the forefront of consumer protection in America. Jay Nixon started the Do Not Call List. The federal government thought it was such a good idea it adopted its own. But the Missouri Attorney General's office that once led on so many issues is playing from behind because our leadership isn't doing its job.
When I was an Assistant Attorney General, we had around 200 attorneys working there on behalf of the People of Missouri. That number is half of that today. It's the lowest staffing level since data is available online going back to 2007. It's not a matter of budget. Our Attorney General just won't fill the positions, instead making the office top heavy with highly paid supervisors and keeping the attorneys doing most of the work at the office severely overburdened.
That poor leadership is the cause of so many problems in Missouri.
We should have a Civil Rights Division to protect our civil liberties against government abuse, to enforce our rights on the job, to end the discriminatory practices that keep so many from accessing opportunity. Most states have one, but not Missouri.
We should have a Conservation and Agricultural Division that protects our land, air, and water and provides crucial services to our family farmers. We used to have one. Most other states do, but not Missouri.
We should have a statewide plan to address violence in our communities, one that is focused on preventing violent crime in the first place. But our Attorney General has no plan.
It doesn't have to be this way. Missouri can lead on so many issues again.
I told this man that as Attorney General I would create the Missouri Attorney General App (as soon as I made sure the acronym wasn't trademarked) so he could send evidence from folks violating the Do Not Call List right to our office and help streamline prosecutions. I told him I would go after the mega corporations price gouging rural Missourians. And I told him that, above all, he would finally have an Attorney General who will be there when he needs him, and that I will always have the backs of working families in Missouri.
I was under no impression that I would get the endorsement from the Farm Bureau, but I wanted them to know that we don't have to accept the crap passing for leadership in Missouri right now. I refuse to cede an inch to the corruption that has invaded our home. They won't get to deceive the public unopposed anymore.
I had quite a few folks reach out to me after that meeting yesterday. I've got a call with one this week.
And that's how the People of Missouri are going to win.
