By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
State Rep. Sean Pouche of Kansas City is running for his third term in the Missouri House.
The Republican incumbent of House District 13 is being challenged on the November ballot by a Democrat with plenty of experience in political campaigns who has decided to run in her own right.
House District 13 covers much of Platte County and southern as well as eastern Buchanan County.
Pouche and his challenger, Democrat Andrea Denning of Platte City, answered a variety of questions during the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce candidate forum this week.
On education, Pouche stated the state needs to examine its education budget and how it is being spent by local school districts as it attempts to improve teacher pay.
“I think there’s room for improving it,” Pouche said. “And we did this last year with the governor raised it, but I think there’s more we can do, for sure.”
Denning stated teacher pay needs to be improved immensely.
“I believe the funding can be found somewhere currently or we can increase it through budgeting from the state,” Denning said.
The two discussed the implications of child care and housing on state economic development.
Pouche said, sometimes, tax credits can be seen negatively in Jefferson City, but could well be the key to solving the housing problem.
“Tax credits in this case and in other cases, if they’re done correctly and they’re checks and balances on them, will help promote (housing),” according to Pouche. “And there is big investment from the private side in order to obtain these, but there is checks and balances and I think this is one that works well.”
Denning suggested to look to Kansas City as a model on how to creatively approach the problem.
“It is vital for our city, it is vital for our schools, it is vital for our workforce to have good, affordable housing,” Denning said.
The Missouri General Assembly wrapped up the legislative session in mid-May, passing only 28 bills not related to the $47 billion state budget. Republican in-fighting, especially in the Missouri Senate, killed an untold number of bills.
Pouche expects that to not be the case in 2025. He pointed out some of the most outspoken senators who ground the legislative session to a halt throughout the 2024 session lost in the Republican primary as they sought higher office.
Also, Pouche said a new session will bring new leadership.
“With the new Speaker of the House, I guarantee that there will be push (to put) the pressure back on the Senate to work together and across lines, bipartisan, to get the will of the people done instead of personal priorities,” Pouche said.
The problem is the personal priorities, according to Denning, who says she can be effective in the legislature even if as a Democrat she finds herself in the minority.
“Very important to talk to the other side,” Denning said. “We have got to come together. Dysfunction is because you have too much self-interest. We need to communicate with the others; come to a consensus on things.”
Republicans hold a 111 to 51 majority in the Missouri House and a 23 to 9 majority in the Missouri Senate.
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