Farmington representative: My vote can't be bought by a rich guy from Joplin

(From Rep. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington)

I am excited to be back in Jefferson City for the 2016 legislative session. This is the second half of the 98th General Assembly so referring bills to committees has already started and we will have committee hearings next week.

There has already been over 600 bills filed on the House side. This is a ridiculous amount as very few of these bills will pass and yet each one will cost the taxpayers, and there is always a fair amount of frivolous bills filed. I have filed two pieces of legislation and will need to file a few more that will be required to do the business of the committees that I chair. I will highlight these bills in future Capitol Reports.

I have had many constituents ask me about some negative ads they have heard or seen lately so I want to address this. This past September during our Veto Session we had a veto override vote on the “Right to Work Bill”. 

 The majority of my district is adamantly and overwhelmingly against it. Both polling and constituent contacts have confirmed this. I represented this majority by voting NO on the override. I knew my vote would draw fire from certain “well-to-do” people (who do not live in our district) and was pressured by being told that I would have tens of thousands of dollars spent against me because of this vote. 

 Recently a fund setup primarily by a multi-millionaire from Joplin, David Humphreys, has been running attack ads on radio and the internet for voting the way the majority of my district wanted. 

Mr. Humphreys owns Tamko Building Products and is extremely anti-union. So extreme that he has put up approximately $1 million of his own money to run negative ads against any representative who voted against the Right to Work legislation. 

 The accusations are endless and I invite anyone to check the Missouri Ethics website (www.moethics.mo.gov) on the fact that I do not take trips, gifts, meals or anything from lobbyists. 

On occasion and for convenience a charge will show up on my ethics account but I in turn have always paid back the amount and the account reflects this payback. Also, the ads refer to money in my campaign account that will be used for my upcoming re-election campaign. I am proud of my work in the Missouri Legislature, both the House and the Senate, and I have nothing to hide. I have served with honesty and integrity and Mr. Humphreys is using politics and money to smear good people with good reputations who simply disagreed with him. Basically Mr. Humphreys is mad because he was on the losing side of “Let the Majority of the People Rule”.

Thank you for all that have called or emailed your support. I truly appreciate it. Throughout this session I will continue to represent the people of my district. I will not be bullied, pressured or threatened, and my vote cannot be bought or coerced by a rich guy from Joplin. No matter how much is spent against me I will not capitulate!