Missouri governor candidate interview: Crystal Quade

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

ABC 17 News is interviewing candidates for Missouri governor ahead of the primary election Tuesday.

State Rep. Crystal Quade (D-Springfield) is seeking the Democratic Party's nomination. Quade has served as Minority House Floor Leader for six years in the Missouri House of Representatives.

LINK: Interview with Democratic candidate Mike Hamra

Lucas Geisler: What is your, what's your both your political background and your background before you got involved in politics?

Quade: So I am currently the Democratic leader in the Missouri House of Representatives. I've been serving in the state House for the last eight years, representing District 132 out of Springfield and six of those as the Democratic leader. Prior to that, I was a nonprofit social worker in Springfield, Missouri, for several years, and I have also spent some time working for the United States Senate and on the Obama campaign team.

Geisler: Fantastic. What, what made you want to run for this job?

Quade: So serving in Jefferson City, the last eight years have been pretty frustrating, to be honest with you. What we've seen each year that I've been there is it has grown more divisive and we are seeing from the leaders in charge just more trying to run against each other in these primary elections and campaign fodder instead of actual investment and work in Missouri's citizens and into our state. You probably know that we had the least amount of bills passed in Missouri's history last year, and it's been really frustrating when we have so many citizens who are struggling to get by and so many businesses that are passing over our state when we have leaders who aren't paying attention to the things that matter. And so that's why I wanted to jump in, is because we deserve better.

Geisler: Let's talk about business in Missouri. What is your plan as governor when it comes to your priorities for taxes in the state and also for government spending, as the governor has a huge part in determining determining that part of the state?

Quade: Absolutely. So, you know, year after year in Jefferson City, what we have seen are tax cuts for the wealthiest in our corporations in our state. Again, meanwhile, when our small businesses and families are really struggling. And so I would love to see a conversation around taxes in our state that are more fair, that are looking at ways that everyday Missourians could be saving, whether it's grocery taxes or getting rid of taxes on things like feminine hygiene products or diapers, you know, day-to-day things that impact the lives of our citizens.

And so that's really where I would like to see those conversations starting in the tax structure in terms of the budget of our state. You know, I say often that we really should be looking at the budget as a moral document. And by that, I mean as you know, investing in things that really are impacting the day-to-day lives of our citizens and doing that in a moral and just way. You folks probably have seen all of the headlines, whether it is the fact that we have some of the lowest-paid teachers in the country, the fact that we've lost 18 rural hospitals in the last decade or that folks are on wait times of upwards of four hours when they're trying to get through to Medicaid, waits at the DMV that are astronomical and that don't make sense to folks' day-to-day lives. You know, these are all things that as a state we should be focusing on. And instead of again, making sure that the priorities are doing the basic services that we have promised to our citizens. We've seen these, our leaders in Jefferson City, just try to out-extreme each other to get headlines for flamethrowers on whatever national television show they're trying to get on. And I really want to be a governor that is focused on making real investments that impact our folks day-to-day lives.

Geisler: Could you elaborate when you say you'd like to see the conversations around some of these things? And we're talking about taxes, conversations you said you'd like to see around making it more fair. What does that look like as far as whether it's policy or or the, you know, the work in the powers that you have as governor? How do those conversations, how do you get those going or what does that look like to you?

Quade: Yeah, of course. You know, what folks probably get really tired of is seeing these, seeing candidates say I'm going to do all of these things when the reality is we actually have to work with the legislature to get this done. I am the longest-serving leader for either party in Missouri since term limits have been enacted. And that is great for this job because we do not need to have someone who's learning on the job. We have to be ready on Day One. And so I know what it means to be a Democrat working with Republican leadership, to be in the room, negotiate, adding and finding pathways for compromise, which is and it shouldn't be a dirty word, but it has become one. Right. And so I will go in on day one ready to have negotiations with these folks and talk about the things that we know are impacting folks all the time.

And it's not partisan, right? Every corner of the state I'm talking to, Democrats or Republicans or independents are all saying that these things, whether it's public education, health care affordability, being able to make ends meet, those aren't partisan issues. And so I will be excited to get in and be able to start those negotiations with folks on day one.

Geisler: Some of your colleagues, particularly on the on the Republican side of this ticket of this race, have made China a major issue in their campaigns. I am curious, though, on your take on this, too, what do you think is the appropriate relationship between the state of Missouri and Chinese-owned companies?

Quade: Yeah, so folks probably know that almost on every commercial we're talking right now about foreign-owned agriculture land. The reality is, just a few years before I got to Jefferson City, Republicans voted to allow foreign entities to purchase farmland. Gov. Jay Nixon tried to veto that. And then the Republicans said, 'no, we want to allow this to happen.' And so for the past decade-plus, we have seen the ownership and purchasing of our agriculture land increase. We don't know exactly the percentage of it, but we do know 20% or more of our farmland is owned by foreign entities, and that is of concern for citizens. And I've heard it from folks all across the state.

And quite honestly, when we went through COVID and we had empty grocery shelves, when folks would go into the grocery store and pass the cornfields or pass the places where our farmers were raising cattle and then not have access to the food was a scary thing, right? And so we've been hearing this conversation really shift. And now I'm grateful that Republicans are starting to talk about why this is problematic, not just for our food safety, but, you know, for national security as well. And so I have actually filed the bill the past few years in the legislature to stop the foreign purchasing of farmland. I think unwinding that is a difficult thing. And we need to be open and honest with folks about what that looks like. But what we can do is stop the continuation of that buying up and be able to protect our family farms and ensure that the folks who are growing our food right here have control over that food and where it's going.

Geisler: You think part of that? Do you have any particular thoughts as far as current divestiture of that? I mean, you mentioned that you'd like to see the sales stop. For operations that are already in the state, maybe they've been going for years and decades now. Do you have any thoughts as far as making those companies, making those groups divest or anything like that from ownership?

Quade: I think what's really important is that we understand that we also have local Missouri farmers who are in contract with these folks. And so it's not necessarily that the folks who are working the ground are not Missourians. It's who actually owns what we're making. And so I think it's really important when we talk about the future of any divestment that we're working directly with those local farmers to see what is feasible for them. We don't want these folks to go bankrupt. We don't want them to lose their home because we're mandating that they're pulling out or making those shifts. I think anything that we do needs to be gradual. Again, with the thought in mind of these local Missouri farmers and how it best benefits them.

Geisler: I'd like to ask you about crime in Missouri and how you foresee taking that issue on as governor. For starters, do you think it's safe to live in Missouri?

Quade: You know, I think that's a very tricky question, and it depends on where you are and what safety means, right? We could go down the path of talking about the huge mental health crisis that we have and the violence, most notably domestic violence that comes along with that and what that means for safety for individuals and, of course, suicide numbers and drug access. And, you know, it's a very complicated conversation.

As governor, what I will make a priority is working with our local elected officials and local law enforcement to give as much local control as we can to our folks on the ground. You know, I hear all the time from law enforcement officers throughout the state about how, you know, laws in Kansas City may need to be different than in Fordland, Missouri, where I grew up, because it's a different dynamic and folks need to have different access to things. And we as a state have been trying for too long, in my opinion, to do this one-size-fits-all when we're having conversations around our laws. And I think that local control around the conversation of crime is deeply important to to solving this and to move forward with some solutions.

Geisler: What are some solutions that you have seen out there that you think work and things that you would like to either expand as governor or invest further into?

Quade: So first and foremost, I would say the shortage that we have for law enforcement officials is a real thing. I mean, we talk about St. Louis City, right now. They are 300 officers short. The Missouri Highway Patrol is short and they are not fully staffed. We need to be making sure that we're fully staffing our law enforcement professionals and then providing them the tools that they need to be successful.

Some of those things that I hear about all the time are, you know, again, local control around some of our laws. I hear constantly from our law enforcement officers down in Springfield and of course, in some other places about juveniles having access to guns and the fact that they can, if they take these guns away from juveniles and they have to turn around and hand them right back. And this cycle that is continuously becoming a problem and some other things that I think we need to be talking about from a state lens beyond supporting law enforcement to be able to do their jobs and be successful is what other services can we be looking at, whether that's after-school programming, partnerships with our nonprofits that we know we're doing some great work in the communities and what can we do as a state to support that, but also partnering with our small businesses and our folks on the ground. Because when we talk about crime, we're not just talking about safety, we're talking about the economic impact that that can have as well. And I think that those folks need to be at the table when we're looking towards solutions too.

Geisler: Let's talk about education for a second in the state. What's the current state of affairs that you see of public education in Missouri?

Quade: So folks probably know that we have some of the lowest-paid teachers in the country, that we rank very low in, if not 49th, I believe, right now in education funding as a whole. I'm really proud to be the only candidate in this race who's endorsed by our educators across the state, tens of thousands of them. And that's because they know that I have been fighting alongside them for a very long time in our legislature to make sure that we are doing everything we can to support them. When it comes to what we do to solve some of this problem.

Of course, funding is a big part of this conversation, but it's not just about money. I think that we need to be having conversations about how we're supporting our schools and where public tax dollars are going. Folks may know that this past year in Missouri, there was an expansion of allowing public taxpayer dollars to go to private and religious institutions. That is not a thing I'm supportive of. And again, we need to be digging into how can we be recruiting our teachers and staff to work in these schools and what can we be doing to support them further. You know, where I grew up in Fordland, Missouri, at the time, I didn't go to those schools. I went to Rogersville School District. But where I lived, the public school was pretty much the only thing there beyond a gas station and the bank and the post office, right? And so it not only is the largest employer for a lot of our small communities, it's the community hub, whether it was chili dinners or bake-offs for things, you know, folks utilize our schools for so much and we as a state need to be making them a priority across the board.

Geisler: Why are you not a supporter of that, the sort of expansion of, I guess, charter schools is what we often say.

Quade: Vouchers, right? 

Lucas: Yeah. Why are you not a supporter of that?

Quade: Yeah. So again, I think public tax dollars should go to public institutions. And I say that because not only can we hold them accountable in a way that we can't ... with private institutions, we also know that oftentimes in our communities there is no other option. So many of our schools, again, the public school is the only thing there. And if you wanted to go to a private school, you'd have to drive over an hour and a half to get there. So when I talk, when I talk about this from a government lens, we need to be making sure that every kid has the ability to get a good, well-funded education that prepares them for the future regardless of where they live. And when we talk about these expansion things that we've seen the Republicans do, what that's doing is taking public money away from these small schools where there is no other option. And that's just not something I can support.

Geisler: Under a Quade administration, how do you ensure that student achievement is moving in the right direction? You said, you know, funding is a big part of it, but maybe not the whole thing when it comes to your plan on education. How do you make sure that student achievement is going the right way in the state?

Quade: Yeah, I think it really comes down to how we are assessing that. You know, there's been some conversation bipartisanly in Missouri about moving our accreditation standards outside of the current structure that we have now. Again, so that we can hold all of our schools accountable and make sure that we're scoring our kiddos effectively. I've had conversations with some of our educators about the way that we are scoring and testing our kids. You know, I'm a mom myself. I've got kids in public school and when we talk about MAP testing, it is this big doom and gloom that, you know, everyone is really frustrated by, whether it's the kids, the parents or our teachers.

I want to be making sure that our kids are successful on an individual basis. When a kiddo comes in to, you know, fourth grade and where their reading level is, we need to be testing that kid and what their growth is, not comparing that to kiddos who are so much further ahead from them. Of course, those, that data is important. But what I want to know is are our schools taking our kids and progressing them and making sure that they are hitting the thresholds that they need to on an individual level? And again, that goes back to this local control conversation. Too often we are seeing out of our government trying to do this one-size-fits-all for everyone. And that is not how education works. And so I really want to work hand-in-hand with our educators and our parents and make sure that we are making sure that those kiddos are successful on their own accord and that they're hitting the thresholds that are necessary for them.

Geisler: Well, another topic that your Republican colleagues in this race have made a big part of this is immigration. It's certainly been a big part of a lot of politics around the country, especially lately. I am curious what role do you see or what connection do you see, if any, between the state of Missouri and immigration that's happening, particularly at the southern border of the United States and Mexico?

Quade: So immigration is something that we're hearing about everywhere. And so I want to say that we understand that this is top of mind for a lot of folks, and people are really concerned about it. You know, the federal government has had a bipartisan immigration bill that would solve a lot of these problems that folks are talking about that's been sitting there and hasn't moved and hasn't been voted on. And so the role of governor for me is really partnering with our federal delegation and making sure that we're pushing those types of things forward.

You know, again, I mentioned this previously, and I think that this might be part of your next follow-up question, but the Missouri Highway Patrol is vastly understaffed and underfunded right now. And so when we talk about keeping Missouri safe, I'm hesitant to have conversations about sending folks in other places when we are struggling with safety right here in Missouri. And so for the role of governor, what we should be doing is partnering with our federal delegation, finding out what they need, and then working with them to be able to push this federal conversation forward.

Geisler: I will say that the arguments, or at least the things that you do hear from Republicans on this is the line where every state is a border state. I think we've all probably heard that a lot lately. I am curious to what to what degree or to what level you might agree or disagree with that statement with a lot of people sort of putting the blame on things like drugs and crime that we are experiencing in Missouri on immigration that's happening at the southern border.

What do you make of that argument?

Quade: The first thing I would say is I'm a believer in facts and data. And when we talk about the conversation around drugs, you know, I personally have lost a stepbrother to addiction. And I know so many Missourians are deeply impacted by this conversation. And so I take it very seriously. But I will also say that when we look at those numbers, we know that it's actually American citizens who are bringing in the vast amount of percentage of the drugs. But separately from that, when we talk about every state being a border state, absolutely we are. But as governor for me, I will be looking at the fact that we are a border state at war with Kansas right now over things like the Kansas City Chiefs or the Royals, our small businesses who are opting to not start their businesses here, but go right across the border in Illinois or Kansas because they have they would prefer to live there because the public schools are better or because the roads and bridges are better. You know, I've been talking to so many business owners who are concerned about Missouri and wanting to stay here, let alone the folks who aren't coming in. And so as governor, again, I believe that our role is to make sure that Missouri is the best state to live in, to start a business and to raise a family. And that's going to be my priority. And the other things where we need to be partnering with the federal delegation, of course, will be at the table in those conversations and pushing forward, but that's where my priorities will be.

Geisler: I have a couple more questions regarding health care here, so I'll make it quick. We'll see in November if we'll have a ballot measure to vote on regarding abortion and reproductive health care in Missouri. I'd like to know your stance on that measure specifically and also what your thoughts are on the on the current legal landscape around abortion in the state.

Quade: I am very excited for the opportunity in November for Missourians to tell their government and politicians to get out of their doctors' offices. Folks probably know that we have the most restrictive ban in the country without exceptions for rape or incest and very limited life of the mother provisions. You know, I can't tell you how many women have personally called me while they are actively miscarrying and they go to the doctor's office and the doctors have to tell them "You're not close enough to death yet, I need you to go home and come back in a couple hours."

And people are terrified. And this truly is a life-and-death situation. And the government has no business being in our doctors' offices like that. And so as governor, I will make sure that the will of the voters is listened to and that when we pass this, every time that the Republicans try to come after it again, whether it's abortion access or access to birth control or IVF, which is the latest thing that we've heard Republican senators in Missouri say that they're coming for. As governor, I will make sure that we are we are standing in line with Missourians to have their own say and what's going on in their reproductive health care.

Geisler: And you did mention rural health care, rural hospitals earlier. So I'd like to give you a chance and get your thoughts on how we reverse kind of the trend we've seen of of rural hospitals closing in the last several years.

Quade: You know, the closure of our rural hospitals and access that we have right now is really a scary thing. I mean, I talk to folks who, you know, sometimes have to drive over an hour to get to an emergency room. And again, a life-and-death conversation here to get us back to a place where health care is accessible in our state is going to take a little bit of work and a little bit of time. Some of the conversations I want to look at is not just, I think that we need to start step one with recruitment for our nurses and our doctors. Folks may have seen a recent study that we have seen, you know, a 20% drop in applications, I believe it's 20% drop in applications for folks in the medical field here in Missouri. And we have some fabulous schools right? And so we need to figure out as a state how we can recruit folks here to get them to work and to get them to stay. I do think that the initiative in November is going to be helpful with that, but that's one piece of the conversation we need to talk about from a state lens.

You know, again, I think our state budget should be a moral document and health care access and affordability to me is a moral issue. It's not a partisan issue. It's not an urban or rural issue. No matter where you live in the state of Missouri, you should have access to care. And so you'll see from a Quade administration investments in our rural hospitals and our urban hospitals as well, making sure that they're accessible and they've got the maternity wards that they need. And the various provisions that that we're lacking as well. And so there's a lot of work to do in this space, but I'm really excited to dig in.

Lucas: Representative, that’s all the questions that I have. Anything that you want to add that I didn't ask?

Quade: You know, the one thing that I will say and you did sort of ask this, but when we're talking about the initiative in November, I'm really excited to be able to be part of this discussion, to move this forward. You know, I was in Jefferson City in 2019 when the abortion ban was passed that had triggers in it. I have personally shared my own story of sexual abuse and how these bills impact people like me. I'm a mom of daughters. You know, this is deeply personal for me, but I'm very proud to be the only candidate in this race who's endorsed by Planned Parenthood and Abortion Action and these groups who are working on this moving forward. We had 380,000 Missourians sign that petition in less than three months, which is just astronomical. And we know that regardless of party, folks are tired of politicians being in their doctor's offices. And so I'm really excited to get to be on the ticket with this, with this conversation and be able to push it forward.