New legislator to represent rural Buchanan County
Aug. 17—Rural areas in southern and eastern Buchanan County now will be part of Missouri House District 13 due to statewide redistricting, meaning a new legislator will be representing the area.
State Rep. Sean Pouche, R-Platte City, will represent District 13, which has added cities including DeKalb, Faucett, Agency and Easton.
Pouche is running in the November election unopposed and will serve his second two-year term. The district has shifted north due to growth around Kansas City.
Pouche said his district offers a high quality of life as well as good proximity to the airport and Kansas City. He said he looks forward to hearing the voices of his new constituents.
"I'm going to be out there getting to every little small town that I can, every rural section I can, obviously the the the parades and festivals ... Agency, Easton, Rushville and Weston, you know, just getting out there and meeting people," Pouche said. "And I think that and making myself available because I think that's what you should do as representatives."
Pouche said while sports gambling didn't reach the finish line in the last legislative session, he will support efforts to move it forward if the issue comes up again next year.
"Whether you believe in gambling or not, I think it's a viable resource that we could tap into," he said. "I think it needs to be done right, I think that's where the hang-up came at the end of the session last year.
Pouche said he wants to continue to work for tax cuts for Missourians as the legislature is expected to go into a special session.
"Looking at property taxes, let's try to minimize them, especially for the older Missourians, 65 and older or lower income ... let's give some people a break that way we can maybe work debt down lower," Pouche said.
He said he would like to see changes in initiative petition processes but not eliminate them. He also said he believes Missouri is an anti-abortion state and residents want it to stay that way.
Clayton Anderson can be reached at clayton.anderson@newspressnow.com. Follow him on twitter: @NPNowAnderson.
