Legislator will continue to involve constituents in issues

SIKESTON -- It has always been a priority of Rep. Ellen Brandom, R-160, to make sure her constituents are represented when it comes to legislation.

"I am really committed to having the voice in my district heard in Jefferson City," said Brandom, who will be sworn in for her second term on Jan. 7.

And that's why, even when she isn't in Jefferson City, Brandom is still active in meeting with others to learn more about their lives, or setting up forums with other legislators to hear what is important to those in the 160th District.

For instance, earlier this month, she invited the speaker-elect, majority floor leader, chairman of the budget committee and chairman of the rules to Sikeston. " I wanted them to meet with about 60 community leaders from all areas," said Brandom, noting those in attendance included city and school officials, those representing healthcare, bank presidents and business leaders, among others.

"I wanted to give them the opportunity to ask questions and share their input," said Brandom. "And I wanted the leaders to know how this community feels about different issues. We exchanged ideas and held discussions for about two hours."

From those conversations, four major issues emerged, which Brandom said she agrees are key for her district, and she will emphasize while in Jefferson City. They are, in order: the economy, energy, healthcare and education.

"In the economy, obviously the most important thing we can do is draft legislation that can help the people in Missouri right now with all the crises we are facing," said Brandom. She said that she's had conversations with other legislators about some income tax changes, that will help people bring home more of their paychecks.

"And we will work hard to help our businesses stay in business," she said. In addition, Brandom, who also serves as the vice chair of the economic development committee, said she wants to focus on job creation and attraction.

"But I want to emphasize small businesses -- we really need to spend some time on helping them," she said, calling those the backbone of the economy. "So many plans and incentive currently look to businesses that hire more than 30 people, but we have a lot of existing businesses that may hire three people, and they should get that help, too."

When it comes to energy, Brandom said looking at more efficient and low-cost methods is important for all, but especially people in this area. "Many people in our community do not realize that the cost of electricity is one of the greatest costs Noranda incurs," she said of the facility, which has recently laid off about 200 people.

So legislators will likely look at initiative concerning clean coal and the development of solar energy and hydroelectricity, she said.

"And I think we will really explore endorsing Ameren UE to develop a new nuclear energy plant," she said.

Brandom said she is ready to "hit the ground running" and is actually due in the Capitol on Monday morning to attend committee meetings. "It is critical that we get our legislation developed and hashed out and passed, and on the governor's desk as soon as possible," she said. "I plan to work nonstop to get this done."

And although the political climate will be different with a new governor and new representatives to work with, she is ready to work as a team. "We are going to work in a bipartisan fashion -- that is the only way to get this done," she said. "We're all concerned, ultimately, about the same things."

In the week after the Nov. 4 election, she met with Gov.-elect Jay Nixon's transition team regarding a proposal she is working on to gain additional money for the Sikeston medical community. "I feel like I was very well received and they understood where I was coming from," she said.

Brandom has pre-filed one bill, which will require drug testing for welfare applicants.

"I sincerely think it will pass," she said. "It came out of committee with 100 percent in favor and we just ran out of time last year."

The bill would allow testing for single-parent families on welfare if there is reasonable cause to suspect drug use. If the test returns positive, the mother's share of the check would be lost, with the rest of it governed by a third-party vendor, she explained.

Brandom does not yet know what committees she will serve on this session, other than the economic development committee she co-chairs. However, she has served the following: MO HealthNet (the new name for Medicaid), Ticket to Work, Banking and Finance and Agriculture Appropriations.

In her first term, Brandom said she learned quite a bit. "I think it's important to do plenty of research and not make hasty decisions," she said. "It's also important to get along with people."

She plans to take all that, plus constituent feedback, with her when she returns to Jefferson City.

The representative also encouraged those she represents to keep in touch.

"I encourage them to stay in contact with me and share their thoughts," she said. "I learn a lot from these people."

Brandom represents people in portions of Scott, New Madrid and Cape Girardeau counties. She can be reached in Jefferson City at 573-751-5471, or e-mailing Ellen.Brandom@house.mo.gov.