Capitol Report: The heart of Missouri

As the General Assembly paused last week for spring break, I welcomed the opportunity to spend a few extra nights at home with Stephanie and the kids as well as use every day to interact with Missouri’s hard working taxpayers.

While many of my colleagues use the time to get away, I use this time to hear directly from those who build the backbone of our communities. The determination, dedication and diligence of our private sector energizes me, and the success stories I heard inspire me to get government out of the way so that our state can prosper.

During my time in public service, I have watched as good people lost sight of the reason they ran for office. They become enamored with their position and become detached from life back home. As a result, their decisions are often made without any understanding of the effect they will have on people living and working in the real world. In order to avoid this terrible position, I believe it is imperative that elected officials maintain a first-hand perspective on the issues we face. In order to do our job well, we must have a clear understanding of how our actions in Jefferson City impact the lives of Missouri’s citizens.

The “can do” attitude I witnessed throughout the week was inspiring. Our shared values of self-sufficiency, personal responsibility and our ability to do more with less is a refreshing change from much of what we see and hear inside the Capitol. From the influence of special interests to the mandates passed down by the federal government, the scope and reach of government continues to grow. We need more of Missouri’s “can do” attitude in our state Capitol and less reliance on government.

As we return to Jefferson City, my resolve to fight for our future has been strengthened from what I experience last week. The entrepreneurs and innovators that I visited with reminded me why I am so passionate to better the business climate for Missouri’s job creators and all those Missourians who get up and work hard everyday. Your commitment to bettering the future drives me to restrain government spending and lessen the burden on Missouri’s taxpayers. Thank you for your help, support and dedication to making Missouri a great place to live, work, and raise our families.

(Brad Lager represents the 12th District in the Missouri Senate, which includes the following counties: Atchison, Nodaway, Worth, Harrison, Mercer, Holt, Andrew, Gentry, Daviess, Grundy, Sullivan, DeKalb, Clinton, Caldwell, Livingston and Linn. You may reach Sen. Lager at his Capitol room office: 573-751-1415.)