Ross enters race for the 33rd Senate seat

Reprinted with permission of the West Plains Daily Quill.

After eight years of representing all of Texas County, the southern halves of Phelps and Pulaski counties and the northeast corner of Howell County in the Missouri House of Representatives, 142nd District Rep. Robert Ross has announced plans to run for the 33rd District of the Missouri Senate.

The seat is currently held by Sen. Mike Cunningham (R-Rogersville), who has reached the maximum number of terms served allowable by law for a single in the office, and will retire in January 2021. 

Ross, also a Republican, said he has the legislative experience to move to the next level in state government and has served on the state’s Joint Committee on Capital Improvements and Leases Oversight, the House Budget Committee and the House Professional Registration and Licensing Committee. “I’ve had a great legislative career,” Ross said. “And I want to continue serving the people of the Ozarks and fight for our shared values.”

He said his first area of focus, if elected, will be to pass a bill to require students competing in Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHAA) events to participate under the gender assigned on their birth certificates. 

Second, he said, he wants to focus on accountability with the handling of the state’s budget. His third priority, he added, will be to protect property and gun rights.

On the issue of education, Ross said he has worked hard to improve funding and believes in continuing quality education, especially in underfunded rural areas. He said he wants to make school budgets and per-student expenses more equal between urban and rural school districts.

“I graduated high school in Summersville, and I know what it’s like going to a rural school,” Ross said. 

According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, public school funding for each district is determined by a formula that looks at several factors such as attendance and test scores, but also local property taxes and federal funding. 

Statistics provided by the Children’s Education Alliance of Missouri show the West Plains R-7 School District spends just over $9,000 on each student, while Richards School District spends a little under $7,000 per student. 

Times editor’s note: The website ceamteam.org shows these expenditures per pupil for Ozark County schools: Bakersfield $10,179; Dora $9,385.97; Gainesville $8,002.65; Lutie, $15,350; Thornfield, $9,169.91.

On health care, Ross said he wants to increase the number of nurse practitioners in rural areas and use technology such as virtual doctors’ visits to help decrease costs.

“I’m also 100% opposed to Medicaid expansion in Missouri,” Ross said. “It hasn’t worked for states that have done it, and it is too expensive.” 

According to 2017 American Community Survey statistics, about 124,000 Missourians fall within what is often referred to as the Medicaid gap, meaning they make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to receive health insurance subsidies from the Affordable Healthcare Act. As a result, the statistics show, many low-income families, elderly or disabled persons spend more on private health insurance or go without health insurance.

However, Ross said he disagrees with that assessment and believes expanding Medicaid will make people too dependent on government assistance.

Ross said he greatly favors workforce and economic development in the state and is a strong supporter of the Fast Track Program introduced by Gov. Mike Parson in August. But he strongly feels that government can get in the way of businesses with burdensome regulations.

“The government doesn’t create jobs,” Ross said. “But it does lose them.”

To date, Ross is running against 155th District Rep. Karla Eslinger in the Republican primary. Eslinger has received Cunningham’s endorsement for his seat.