GGFM August Meeting Update

Good Government for Missouri members met with five Legislators and candidates in August. These small, informal meetings sparked discussion with policymakers on a variety of issues of interest to GGFM members, including municipal reform in St. Louis, the CLEAN Missouri ballot initiative, healthcare, and senior services.

A key component of GGFM’s mission is proactively building relationships with current and future Legislators. Through this engagement, GGFM is able to educate policymakers on issues that matter to Missouri’s Jewish community and non-profit sector.

Last month GGFM hosted meetings with:

• Representative Shamed Dogan (R-Ballwin) – Dogan is the only African American in the Republican Caucus and has shown an independent streak, breaking with many in his party on issues like employment and police discrimination. In 2018, he successfully carried legislation on expanding community treatment for ex-offenders, allowing long-acting reversible contraception to be transferred between Medicaid patients, and easing professional licensure requirements on hair braiders.

• Representative Dean Plocher (R-St. Louis) – Plocher is Vice-Chair of the Utilities Committee and serves on the Economic Development and Urban Issues Committees. Plocher manages a law firm in Clayton and previously served on the Board of Directors for the Missouri Municipal and Associate Circuit Judges Association. This year he successfully sponsored a bill to expand insurance coverage requirements for mammography screenings.

• Representative Peter Merideth (D-St. Louis) – Merideth is one of the young, progressive Democrats elected in 2016. He is an attorney and serves on the Budget and Government Oversight Committees. He is very intelligent and extremely committed to supporting Democrat candidates.

• Brian Williams (D-St. Louis) – Williams won a hotly contested three-way Democratic primary in Senate District 14. He has an undergraduate degree in criminal justice and earned his Master’s in Public Administration and Legal Studies. He previously worked on staff for Congressman Lacy Clay. Williams is interested in addressing education, healthcare, public safety, and economic disparity.

• Kevin Windham (D-St. Louis) – Windham won the Democratic primary in House District 85 to replace Representative Clem Smith. Windham is currently engaged with the Neighborhood Leadership Fellows, works as an Education Policy intern with the Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis, and serves as the Director of Finance with Kiwanis Club in University City. He lists criminal justice, equity, and transparency as his top priorities.

During each of these meetings, GGFM members and policymakers had candid conversations about priority issues and legislation on the horizon for 2019. A central theme of the meetings was a focus on governance and solutions to pressing state needs, such as workforce and infrastructure, rather than contentious social issues.

All GGFM members are invited to legislative meetings, and members will receive updates on additional meetings scheduled in the coming months.