Elect Mark Gray

Join me in the fight against the inhumane conditions and the suffering of innocent animals in Missouri’s notorious puppy mills. Stand with us as we push for change and advocate for the voiceless. Together, we can end this cycle of cruelty and ensure a compassionate future for our furry friends. Act now—every moment counts!

ARE THERE LAWS? Yes, Missouri has laws in place to regulate puppy mills, but they have been criticized for being insufficient. According to a report, Missouri is often referred to as the “heart of the puppy mill industry” and has topped the list of worst puppy mills for several years.

In 2010, Missouri voters approved Proposition B, which required large-scale breeders to provide sufficient food, clean water, housing, space, necessary veterinary care, regular exercise, and adequate rest between breeding cycles. However, the language of these regulations was altered by the state legislature after the initiative passed, which led to the weakening of protections for animals.

Current laws require breeders to use elevated flooring with solid resting areas, treat animals with serious illness or injury promptly by a licensed veterinarian, provide continuous access to potable water that is not frozen, and meet spacing requirements based on the number of dogs. First-time violators of the new law can be guilty of “puppy mill cruelty,” a class C misdemeanor, which carries a $300 fine and up to 15 days in jail. Subsequent violations can result in a class A misdemeanor, with up to a $20,000 fine and a year in prison.

Despite these laws, advocacy groups like the Humane Society of the United States continue to push for new legislation and stronger enforcement of humane laws to address the ongoing issues with puppy mills in the state.

HOW YOU CAN HELP!

There are several ways you can help combat the puppy mill problem in Missouri:

1. Educate and Raise Awareness: Share information about the realities of puppy mills. You can organize events, volunteer at local shelters, conduct bake sales, or set up information booths at local events.
2. Support Local Legislation: Advocate for stronger laws against puppy mills. Contact your state representatives and urge them to support legislation that protects animals.
3. Report Abuse: If you suspect a puppy mill or animal abuse, report it to your state attorney general and local humane law enforcement.
4. Donate: Contribute to organizations like the Humane Society of Missouri, which rescues dogs and puppies from substandard conditions.
5. Adopt, Don’t Shop: Choose to adopt pets from shelters or rescue organizations instead of buying from pet stores or online sellers, which may source animals from puppy mills.

By taking these steps, you can make a significant impact in the fight against Missouri puppy mills and improve the welfare of animals in Missouri.

In Missouri, women’s reproductive rights have been significantly impacted by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. As a result, Missouri began enforcing its trigger ban on June 24, 2022, which bans all abortions except to save the life of the pregnant person. This has raised legal questions among the medical community and has already caused people experiencing miscarriages and other dangerous complications to endure further suffering and medical risk.

Missouri does not include express constitutional or statutory protections for abortion. Instead, the state’s policy is to regulate abortion to the full extent permitted by the Constitution of the United States, decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, and federal statutes. There is also an amendment proposed for the 2024 ballot that aims to provide the right to reproductive freedom, defined as the right to make decisions about all matters relating to reproductive health care, including abortion care.

The ACLU of Missouri and other organizations are working to protect and expand health and self-determination in the face of these attacks on reproductive freedom. The situation remains dynamic, with ongoing debates and potential legislative changes that could further affect reproductive rights in the state.

Republicans have gone so far as to pass legislation that costs hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to defend against Constitutional challenges, while at the same time blaming budget shortfalls for lack of funding for essential items like school transportation.

As your state rep, I will stand with women for the right to make the best decisions about their healthcare for their own lives.

Every Missouri child should have access to free, quality public education regardless of their zip code. And every Missouri Teacher must be compensated accordingly to their educational and professional experience. As your representative, I will work to strengthen our public schools and fully fund our commitment to our kids. Which includes the free choice of what they want to read. And FREE lunches for all children.

I will support universal early childhood education, because investing in our kids from an early age is the best way for us to invest in our future. I will also support investment in higher education and workforce training, to ensure all Missourians have the opportunity to gain the skills to compete in our economy.

Missouri’s ballot initiative process allows citizens to propose new laws or constitutional amendments and place them on the ballot for a public vote. This process is a form of direct democracy and can be used when there is a desire to bypass the state legislature on certain issues.

Missouri Republicans have proposed changes to the ballot initiative process, aiming to make it more difficult to amend the state constitution. They argue that the current process leaves the constitution “vulnerable to out-of-state money and special interests” and that their proposals are about protecting it. One of the proposed changes would require ballot initiatives to get a majority in a certain number of congressional districts for approval, in addition to a simple majority statewide.

This has become a contentious issue, especially with the potential for a ballot initiative to overturn Missouri’s abortion ban. Republicans see changing the rules as a way to defeat such measures, arguing that it ensures measures have broad support across the state rather than concentrated support in populated areas. However, opponents claim that this undermines majority rule and could allow a minority of voters to defeat measures supported by a statewide majority.

The debate reflects a broader national trend where similar efforts to change ballot initiative processes have occurred in other states, though many have failed. The discussion in Missouri continues as both sides present their arguments regarding the democratic process and the integrity of the state constitution.

And it is you and your vote that will help us to protect your rights to initiate a Ballot Petition.

A strong economy is one that works for everyone. As your state rep, I’ll fight for those who truly build up our economy, our workers and UNIONS for the wages, benefits, and protections they deserve. I’ll support investments in educational opportunities to support a 21st century workforce.

I’ll work for policies that support local businesses who provide good jobs in our state and keep our economy growing. And I’ll work to bring new businesses here that want to capitalize on our skilled Missouri workforce and quality of life. But I’ll always put workers’ interests before the special interests of large corporations.

Quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare is every Missourian’s right. But every year Missouri families must make increasingly difficult decisions for how they prioritize spending on prescription drugs and medical bills over the basic costs of living.

At the same time, the Republican-led House has left millions of federal dollars on the table meant for expanding healthcare access to Missourians. Their inaction means less healthy communities, higher premiums for those with coverage, and the loss of hospitals, especially in rural areas.

As your state representative, I’ll support common sense measures like expanding Medicaid, so no Missourian is forced to choose between a decent job and keeping their healthcare.

Every year for the past two decades, the Missouri Non-Discrimination Act (MONA) has been filed, only to be blocked by Republicans. MONA would allow basic protections to our LGBTQ community by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to Missouri’s Human Rights Act.

Missourians should not have to fear losing their jobs or being denied housing for who they love—discrimination that is currently completely legal in our state.

Meanwhile, Republicans in recent years have also passed legislation that makes it easier for employers, landlords or businesses to discriminate based on race, age, religion or gender—more so than in any other state.

As your state rep, I will work for a Missouri that welcomes people regardless of race, religion, gender, age or sexual orientation, and protects all people from discrimination.

Central to the role of government is to fairly enforce the law, and to provide protection for its people. I will support our law enforcement officers in their difficult jobs, while also demanding accountability when they overreach.

I will support tough sentences for violent criminals, while also seeking ways to reduce our prison population and reintegrate folks into society after they have served their time. I’ll also support drug treatment courts and diversion programs that find alternative ways to punish and rehabilitate non-violent criminals without simply throwing them in prison.

No matter where you live in Missouri, the root causes of crime are the same: a lack of educational and work opportunities, along with drug addiction and poverty. Addressing these basic issues must always be central in any conversation about crime.

As a graduate of Saint Louis University School of Medicine Cannabis Science and Pharmacology program. I've come to know first hand that our prescription drug epidemic tragically touches too many families in every community across Missouri. Tracking the frequency of prescriptions filled for these addictive drugs would allow for a chance to intervene with high risk users and save lives. At the same time putting more responsibilities on the prescribing physician to monitor more closely the patients use and practices.

One critical tool our state can deploy to combat the misuse of opioids is the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). Missouri remains the only state in the entire country without a statewide PDMP, and I will support efforts to finally pass this legislation for our citizens.

Agriculture is the backbone of Missouri, and at the heart of it are our family farms—where many of us call home and why generations before us settled here. But passing down our way of life to future generations is becoming increasingly challenging.

Our local communities used to have a say in how farming was done in our backyards, but the Republican-led state legislature has passed bills favoring large corporate farms and pushing out family farms.

Last year, state Republicans passed a bill taking control from local communities to regulate certain large feeding operations known as CAFOs. This allows large scale operations to buy up local farms, push the production limits of the land, and pollute our communities’ treasured landscape without local oversight.

As your state rep, I’ll advocate for the state of Missouri to protect local control, giving ordinary citizens easier access to have their say on how farming operates in their community.

Government works best when it is closer to the people it serves. I respect the fabric of our local communities in Christian County and trust them to know best when it comes to overcoming the challenges, we as a community face.

In Missouri, we have seen many decisions influenced by special interests, circumventing the will of local communities on local issues by preempting local ordinances with state law or by diluting local opposition to matters by including state-wide votes.

I believe in the saying “show me your budget, and I’ll show you your values.” Our state’s budget serves as a moral contract with our citizens. Every year, it is up to the state government to allocate the tax dollars you pay to maintain and improve our quality of living.

But while our schools are underfunded, our healthcare costs are on the rise while our taxes increase, and we’re borrowing money to pay for our crumbling roads and bridges, corporations in Missouri are receiving tax cuts and incentive packages. And sending our National Guard to the Texas border.

We simply should not be handing out money to corporations or special interest groups hoping that prosperity will trickle down. As your state rep, I will be a careful steward of your tax dollars in Jefferson City.

I believe you and your family are the economic drivers of our state. Our budget should reflect that by investing in the things that will improve you and your family’s life, rather than lining the pockets of big businesses.