Connie Steinmetz

Civil Rights

I’m working towards legislation that establishes more protections for LGBTQ Missourians and strengthens consequences for those committing hate crimes and/or using hate speech. Learn more

Economy

Another cause of rising costs is greed on the part of corporations and their executives. We’ve seen prices for food, household items, and other basic necessities go up and up and up, while corporations boast greater and greater quarterly and annual profits. Executives get exorbitant pay raises while their employees struggle to get by, and consumers struggle to afford items at the grocery store. We must fight corporate greed by making sure they pay their fair share of taxes and pay all of their employees a professional, living wage, and make sure corporations are not price-gouging consumers. Legislatures need to improve supply chain disruptions that drive up the cost of everyday items. Learn more

Education

Missouri’s public education professionals have two of the best pension systems in the country in PSRS and PEERS. We must diligently protect those systems from efforts that would interfere with how these systems function and gut the guarantees they provide to education professionals. Learn more

Child care is another hurdle for working parents. Child care costs can often be the bulk of a parent's paycheck. I’ve been fighting to make child care more affordable for working parents. This includes fighting for universal pre-K and child tax credits, increasing eligibility for child care subsidies, improving access to before- and after-school child care, and ensuring child care workers are professionally compensated to help address issues with understaffing that make quality child care hard to find. Learn more

Missouri's school districts deserve to be properly and fully funded. Our tax dollars should not be used for private school vouchers that will only truly benefit a small percentage of students and families, while continuing to drain public school resources. Charter schools should be strictly monitored to ensure that they meet standards commensurate with local public schools. Learn more

Missouri's students deserve curriculum and materials that are developmentally appropriate, historically accurate, and that reflect the diversity they see in the world around them. We should be teaching them how to evolve and thrive in our ever-changing world, rather than focusing on standardized tests. Learn more

Guns

As your State Representative, I’m fighting for gun violence prevention legislation. Learn more

Healthcare

I believe that every person has the right to high-quality, affordable, comprehensive health care. This includes preventative care, treatment for acute and chronic conditions, reproductive health care, mental health care, vision, hearing, and dental care, medications, medical supplies and devices, and accessibility tools and infrastructure to make it easier to navigate homes, public places, and transportation. Learn more

Housing

The 87th District is a great place to live. However, for many of us, rent payments have increased dramatically in recent years, and it’s become harder for people to become homeowners. As a legislator, I’m trying to preserve existing affordable housing, create more affordable housing, and ensure that landlords aren’t taking advantage of tenants by overcharging or inflating rent. I’m an advocate for subsidies to help people manage their rent or mortgage payments, especially for first-time homebuyers. Learn more

Taxes / Budget

Taxes are crucial for funding vital public services in our communities, but all too often, our lower- and middle-income residents pay more than their fair share in taxes, while wealthier citizens and corporations often skate by without paying what as they should. I will vote to ensure the tax code is fair for all Missourians, with an emphasis on cutting taxes for lower- and middle-income residents. I will keep fighting to ensure that corporations and our wealthiest individuals pay their fair share of taxes. Learn more

Wages / Job Benefits

I am in firm opposition to “Right to Work” (RTW) laws. While Missouri voters overturned the Missouri General Assembly’s Right to Work law in 2018 by a two-to-one margin, that hasn’t stopped legislators, corporations, and lobbyists from trying to bring a RTW law back to Missouri almost every year since. RTW laws have negative impacts on workers, communities, and unions. These laws often result in lower wages and reduced access to health and retirement benefits–for both union AND non-union workers. They enable corporations and executives to have more power and keep a larger percentage of the money. Without a union presence, job sites may have lower safety standards. This may lead to more accidents and injuries on the job. “Right to Work” laws won’t help Missouri workers. Learn more

I’m fighting hard to ensure that people are able to take care of themselves and their families with increased wages that reflect their professional background, protect employee pension systems and Social Security benefits, and promote and support access to programs such as WIC to help support their family’s nutritional needs. Learn more