former State Rep. Rebecca Roeber Archives

Mid-Missouri Republican to chair House education committee (AUDIO)

December 5, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The new Missouri House education committee chairman is focused on educational choice, and says the committee’s aim is to ensure that every young person in Missouri has access to a quality education.

State Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on February 20, 2019, as House Speaker Pro Tem John Wiemann looks on (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, has appointed State Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, to chair the Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee.

Basye replaces former committee chairwoman Rebecca Roeber, R-Lee’s Summit, who died in July after suffering serious injuries in a head-on collision in March on Highway 50 in west-central Missouri’s Syracuse. Basye had served as Roeber’s vice-chair.

Chairman Basye tells Missourinet that parents should have as many options as possible for what they believe is best for their children.

“And whether that be the public school or a private school or a religious school or even a home school environment, I think the parents should have that opportunity to choose what might be best for their children,” Basye says.

While he supports educational reform and education choice options, Basye emphasizes that he will not attack public education. He attended St. Charles High School in eastern Missouri.

“I’m a product of public ed, my wife works for the Columbia public school (CPS) system, my grand kids are all public school children,” says Basye.

Missourinet also asked Chairman Basye about charter school legislation. He believes State Rep. Mike O’Donnell, R-Oakville, will file charter school legislation for 2020.

Charter school legislation was Roeber’s top priority. Current Missouri law limits charter schools to St. Louis, Kansas City and any unaccredited school districts.

They are state funded and operate independently of traditional public schools.

Basye’s sprawling district includes Boone, Cooper, Howard and Randolph counties. He’ll be serving his sixth year in the Missouri House.

State Rep. Dottie Bailey, R-Eureka, will serve as the committee vice chair in 2020, and State Rep. Judy Morgan, D-Kansas City, is the committee’s ranking Democrat.

The 2020 session begins on January 8.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and newly-appointed Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee Chairman Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, which was recorded on December 2, 2019 at the Statehouse in Jefferson City:

Six Missouri House seats to be filled in special elections on Tuesday

November 4, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Voters across the state in six legislative districts will head to the polls on Tuesday to cast ballots in races for the Missouri House.

The Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City (file photo)

Republicans currently control the House 113-43, with seven vacancies.

Governor Mike Parson called Tuesday’s special election to fill six seats, due to the resignations this year of State Reps. Scott Fitzpatrick, R-Shell Knob, Jean Evans, R-Manchester, Brandon Ellington, D-Kansas City, DaRon McGee, D-Kansas City, Cora Faith Walker, D-Ferguson and Bruce Franks Jr., D-St. Louis.

Of the six seats on Tuesday’s ballot, one is uncontested: Democrat Rasheen Aldridge will be the next State Representative to replace Representative Franks. The district is entirely in St. Louis City. Franks resigned this summer, after an emotional House floor speech in May about his struggle with anxiety and depression. Franks received a bipartisan standing ovation, after that speech.

Three of the other districts are Democratic strongholds, one is a GOP stronghold and another is getting attention from both parties.

Lawmakers in both parties have been canvassing in the 99th district in St. Louis County, a seat formerly held by Representative Evans. Republican Lee Ann Pitman of Ballwin is facing Democrat Trish Gunby of Manchester. This will be the most closely-watched race on Tuesday. Evans won re-election to the House last November but resigned in January to become the Missouri Republican Party’s executive director.

In southwest Missouri’s Barry County and small parts of Stone and Lawrence counties, voters will choose between Republican Scott Cupps of Shell Knob and Cassville Democrat Lisa Kalp, to replace now-Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick won re-election to a fourth House term last November. However, Governor Parson appointed Fitzpatrick as State Treasurer in December, and Fitzpatrick was sworn-in in January, after Eric Schmitt was appointed as Attorney General.

In Kansas City, voters Tuesday will decide between Democrat Yolanda Young, Republican Tammy Louise Herrera and Green Party nominee Jeff Francis in the race for Ellington’s former House seat. Ellington, the House Minority Whip, resigned from the House this summer, after being elected to the Kansas City Council. This district also includes parts of Jackson County.

In Kansas City’s 36th House district, voters will decide between Democrat Mark Sharp and Green Party candidate Roberta Voorhees for a seat formerly held by Representative McGee. He resigned in April, after allegations of sexual harassment against a former staffer.

In St. Louis County’s 74th District, voters will choose between Democrat Mike Person and Libertarian Nicholas (Nick) Kasoff for a seat formerly held by Representative Walker, who resigned this summer to become St. Louis County’s policy director.

The winners of the races are expected to be sworn-in in January, when the 2020 legislative session begins in Jefferson City.

The seventh House vacancy will be filled at a special election, at a later date. State Rep. Rebecca Roeber, R-Lee’s Summit, died in July. She suffered serious injuries in a March head-on collision on Highway 50 in west-central Missouri’s Syracuse.