The race for state representative in the 47th District is rather typical this
year. Incumbent Republican Chuck Basye is part of a consistent House
majority that has become too conservative. They have expanded on the
national party’s antipathy for government, rendering Missouri near or
at the bottom in several categories of needed public funding support.
Give them credit for reflecting what their constituencies want. Legislative
victories in rural areas have fostered a gerrymandered Republican
majority in the General Assembly even more pronounced than in the
national Congress. Once a natural conservative like Basye is elected,
he is bound to become part of a solid right-of-center bloc.
Central Missouri has typically elected one of the state’s more moderate
 legislative delegations. The 47th District has over time become more
balanced. In a very close vote four years ago, Basye wrested the district
from one-term progressive John Wright, changing the vote from the
district on several key issues.
Democrat Susan McClintic would go the other way on funding for
education, roads and expansion of Medicaid, to name three issues
that characterize the difference between them.
Being for the Democrat on such issues this year is far from an
uber-liberal choice. In their refusal to consider tax increases,
Basye and the Republican General Assembly have dangerously
abandoned basic state responsibilities.

Adopting today’s Democratic approaches would move Missouri
back toward the center in measures such as funding for public
schools, roads and Medicaid.
Republicans, with Basye’s help, not only failed to fully fund the public
school foundation formula; they reduced the formula standard for full
funding, a double whammy. They refused to consider expanding
Medicaid funding with federal subsidies, which would have added
hundreds of millions of dollars to the state economy and provided
needed healthcare to some 300,000 needy citizens.
The House failed to take up a modest motor fuel tax increase for
roads, a Republican leadership decision Basye says he disagreed
with.
Here’s the deal. Chuck Basye is a principled man from a very
conservative family. He should not be castigated for his actions
in the Missouri House, but the district and the state will
be better off with the approach of a Rep. Susan McClintic.
McClintic has been a Columbia Public Schools teacher and union leader.
Some opponents call her a “union boss,” a misnomer, as anyone familiar
with the situation knows. She knows how the political system works. She
is fairly critical of the legislature for handing out tax cuts instead of funding
schools. She explains opponents are wrong to say Medicaid is part of
Obamacare.
She recognizes the limitations the minority party has in the legislature but
says a somewhat enlarged group can bring more pressure on the majority.
She faults Republicans and Basye for jumping on the bandwagon criticizing
the University of Missouri during student protests last year.
The bottom line is the generic difference between today’s Republicans
and Democrats. Of course, it would be possible to go too far, but for the
foreseeable future the General Assembly needs more of the influence a
sensible Democrat can bring.
Susan McClintic for state representative, 47th District.