District 12 state Senate candidates focus on education, agriculture

Oct. 16—For the first time in nearly a decade, there will be a new Missouri state senator in District 12.

Rusty Black and Michael Baumli are facing off for the spot after Dan Hegeman leaves the Legislature. One factor highlighted by both candidates was education.

Thinking about education on a state level means making sure there are enough educators in place. It would be the first priority of Republican candidate Black if elected, who is a former teacher and the state representative for Missouri's 7th Representative District.

"It touches stuff with retired teachers working in schools and limitations around that, trying to get older teachers to stay in the classroom a little bit longer, as we're trying to build up a better supply of people coming in to teach in schools," he said.

Democratic candidate Baumli is in his first time running for a state office. While he is a college graduate, he said it's important to understand that path isn't for everyone, and that options like technical schools can serve as a major asset for the state and residents themselves.

"The tools that I received from my high school, from my college, from my additional college, have helped me to build more and do more," he said. "I think that, even regardless of if it's a trade school, a tech school ... I think we need to invest in that and, basically, give our kids the tools they need to survive the future, be as adaptable, think as critically as possible."

Both candidates bring an experience base with small farms and tout the continued importance that has in Northwest Missouri and the state as a whole.

One of the biggest factors Black pointed to was a bill that passed the Missouri House of Representatives earlier this year, allotting $40 million in tax cuts to farmers. It's an example of changes designed to benefit the small and corporate farmers alike, Black said.

"As a politician, I can try to make it sound like, 'Well, the low guys get nothing, the big guys get everything', or vice versa, 'The little guys get everything, the big guys get nothing out of it,'" he said. "But on the whole, I see those tax credits as an opportunity for somebody like me, as well as for somebody that farms larger than I do, in the fact that it tries to open up and create more markets with more access."

After being raised on a farm, Baumli diverted from the lifestyle to pursue a cybersecurity profession, and that blend of experience drives his desire to allow for farmers to repair their own equipment. That's particularly important as technology and farm equipment evolve, Baumli said.

"As these implements become more complex, the components behind them become more closed off from everyone else and their capability to repair them," he said. "I want to promote legislation to, kind of, open that up so we can get any the ordinary Joe ... Tim the tractor guy, to get in and repair what needs to be repaired."

Alex Simone can be reached at alex.simone@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter at @NPNOWSimone.