The Democratic candidate for the 122nd District seat in the Missouri House of Representatives wants state troopers and teachers to be paid better.
Retired math teacher Lisa McCarthy is new to politics and will represent her party in the newly drawn district in the eastern two-thirds of Phelps County, including Rolla and St. James. In addition to the trooper and teacher pay issue, she wants the state to work on making housing more accessible and affordable.
McCarthy is facing Republican Tara Peters on Nov. 8. Peters is a Realtor and pumpkin patch owner and also new to politics. She also recorded an episode of Politically Speaking that you can hear here.
Here’s more of what McCarthy had to say during the show:
- She thinks Missouri has not kept its pledge to fully fund education, and only claims that it does because it reduced the definition of full funding in 2017.
- It was wrong for the legislature to cut the state income tax rate while state troopers, teachers and conservation agents make among the lowest salaries compared to other states.
- She wants federal infrastructure money coming to the state to be spent equitably, with a fair share going to the most rural areas of the state.
- McCarthy would like to see data from other states that have legalized recreational marijuana before making up her mind on the ballot initiative that will go in front of voters in November. She said there might not be enough time to get and evaluate that information.
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