Interview with Adrian Plank, candidate for Missouri’s 47th House District

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Democrat Adrian Plank wants to return to the Missouri House.

Plank, who was elected just two years ago to represent the 47th House District, is running for reelection this year against Republican John Potter. Plank is a union carpenter whose platform focuses heavily on economic issues.

Plank suffered defeat twice in campaigns for the House before districts were redrawn ahead of the 2022 election.

Nia Hinson: You're obviously running for District 47 again. Tell me your thoughts behind why you're rerunning?

Adrian Plank: Why I'm rerunning? Well, this is my fourth run so I put in the work and I think if I wasn't running, I'd probably be helping the next person do the running. So, I might as well just do it myself. Right? And there's a lot of things that as you know, the state didn't get a whole lot accomplished last cycle as far as session is concerned and there's things that need to be accomplished.

Hinson: What are some of those things you're referring to?

Plank: Well, like I tried to get some money and budget for the 47th District, Sturgeon and Harrisburg and Rocheport. They've got some infrastructure issues, projects that are millions of dollars and I think that's important you know, especially with the expansion of I-70 to make sure these outlying, small communities have the infrastructure they need to grow their communities.

Hinson: And then how has the campaign been going so far? And kind of when you've been talking to voters, what kinds of things have they been telling you?

Plank: Well, you know, after the presidential race changed hands as far as who was running, the attitudes changed more positive, hopeful. You know, I think all the anxiety with at least the top of the ticket and who could or couldn't be the president in the future you know, with Kamala running, it gives people a little hope and a little relief, mental relief, right? So, I think that's been the biggest thing I've noticed knocking doors is people are a little more excited and relieved.

Hinson: What would be probably your first priority if you are reelected?

Plank: Well, my first priority as it should be, anybody's as a state representative is their district, so that infrastructure issue will be a budget issue. It's hard to get things in the budget. And so it needs to be done because those small communities don't have the tax base to raise their taxes to an extent to pay for those projects. And if you're like everybody else, they don't want their taxes raised anyway.

So, if we can get it in the budget at the state House, then those are projects that will help their community grow. You've got Sturgeon that has a wastewater treatment plant that needs expanded. So does Harrisburg. Sturgeon also has an ash tree issue, and they have five miles worth of asbestos water lines that need replaced. And so those projects cost a lot of money and when your community's as small as they are, there's just not enough people there to create enough tax revenue. And if you did, you have to raise a bunch. And like I said, the goal is to get those projects funded, whether it's through grants or through the budget so they can grow their communities. And I think that's if every state representative that represented their districts were not worried about the top of the ticket all the time think we'd be a lot better state.

Hinson: When you look at your platform, what are some of the things that you would say you kind of stand for?

Plank: Well, I mean obviously, you know, we're going to have women's rights and medical rights on the on the ballot this year. I think, I believe that the Republicans will probably try to minimize those as far as bodily autonomy and being able to do what you need to do medically, regardless of the procedure, or when it comes to birth control, or whatever the case may be. I think they'll still come after and try to minimize the effects of giving women their rights back so, so that'll be something we'll have to address in due time.

You know, I'm kind of a clean-energy guy. I think that comes with diversity, with clean energy but also I think it comes with farming practices. When it comes to regenerative farming practices, this is sustainable farming right now we've got a system that's monopolized. Our meat industry is controlled by just two or three major food entities, Smithfield, JBS, places like Tyson Foods. You've got three companies that control 85% of our meat industry and so we've seen in the state House where they've allowed for foreign ownership of Missouri land, which helps monopolize that system. And that's not what a free market is all about. You got to have competition. And I hate to sound like a Republican, but that's the truth, right? We've got Republicans who've worked hard to monopolize that system because it's easier to pander to big money. And so when you can pander to just a few, then that makes their job easier but it also makes prices higher and the markets get controlled by the big ones. And I think people had enough of that too.

Hinson: And then you kind of mentioned Amendment 2. I did want to talk about that. What are your thoughts on that and kind of the initiative petition? You know, there's obviously been a lot of controversy over that.

Plank: The initiative petition process?

Hinson: Yeah.

Plank: You know the issues you know, we've had that process for many, many, many years. And so what's happened is the people in charge, who have been in charge more than 20 years now are not happy with people's choices. And so whenever they don't like a certain policy that comes through the initiative petition process, then they try to change it.

So, they're getting tired of having to change it and we're tired of them changing it because it is the will of the people, you know. And you know, when they overturned Roe v. Wade they say, "well we're going to put it to the states." That didn't mean put it to the politicians. That means put it to the people.

And they're going to learn another lesson. You know, we had the issue was the right to work you know, put it to the people because they don't. I think Republicans have kind of basically you know, they profess it's a republic. Well, a republic is a representative government and so you get elected to represent the people and if you're not doing the people's work, and you're always trying to undercut them, then they can't, that kind of throws that republic out the window. So, we've seen an attack on the republic. We've seen that attack on the democratic process. We don't have a republic without a democratic process which is, which is a democracy. And so you can't have one without the other. And I think the willingness to not govern, as we've seen the last couple years, with the fewest bills ever passed in the state House is a testament to what they're trying to do to the government then, that's make it fail.

Hinson: As far as guns go you know, there was obviously the shooting at Georgia. There were a lot of threats at Southern Boone. What are your thoughts on that? And how can we keep these students safe in school?

Plank: Well, the gun issue is a big issue. You know, I've been a gun owner my entire adult life. My family, especially my aunt and uncle, they even do Civil War enactments and powder and all that sort of things. So, I've been around guns my entire life and the issue that I have with the gun culture now is we have this disconnect with rural communities in the urban and city atmospheres. The rural side says "well, I've owned a gun for such years and I know how to use it. I don't need any training. I don't need to know nothing." But in the cities where they don't have a place to really practice and you just buy a gun, you know, I think it's extremely important that we have training and maybe even recertification. So, if you get certified on a gun that you know how to use it and use it safely as a union carpenter ... get trained and retrained and re-certified on things that can hurt, kill, or kill others I mean that's to minimalize the deaths or the injuries. If we don't take guns that seriously, it's a failure on our part.

Hinson: As far as crime in Boone County goes you know, that's something that a lot of people have brought to our attention just working in the news with the kind of uptick in crime. What do you think can be done to address some of that? And do you think that crime has gotten out of hand over the years in Boone County?

Plank: You know, there's, there's always a crime issue. And you know, we try to tackle that with law enforcement and trying to be preventative and I think the preventative part's kind of where we fail. And so if we can get ahead of you know, when I go out and knock doors it's to earn people's votes, I can talk to them face to face. And if we had a more community-based police system where people could have trust in their law enforcement, because they've kind of lost a little trust over the years. Not necessarily you know, the media is a big part of that too you know. But in order to gain that trust, I feel this should be more face-to-face contact with the folks, especially in high crime areas, right? Is that a little more dangerous for the law enforcement? I would say so. But I think it's necessary just the same. So, if you can get ahead of the crime and create trust in the communities, I think those crime situations would go down.

Hinson: When you talk about building trust, do you think that maybe city leaders, like City Council or the mayor or anyone else needs to be more involved? Or do you think it's more so the people in the community and police officers?

Plank: Well the you know, the city gets funded, or the police department gets funded through the city and through some state budget issues too. But yeah, I think, I think the city council's involved, and they're aware of the situation. How much more can they get involved? I think they just need ,I don't know if they can get involved much more without maybe overstepping. But that doesn't mean that the law enforcement can't open up their eyes and say "hey, we can do something a little different."

And I think they're trying. I mean, they're also understaffed so that's an issue and that comes with distrust. You know, it's hard, it's hard for somebody to get involved in law enforcement in such a vile, disdain with law enforcement. That's part of that community outreach you know, so to regain that trust and realize that that police officer or that person behind the door that you're knocking is a good, trustworthy person, and so that you could talk to and have a conversation with, because the communication is the key.

Hinson: Just to be clear, when we were talking about the city council we were talking about Columbia City Council?

Plank: Yes

Hinson: As far as homelessness goes, that's kind of been another issue that some people brought up. Do you think that it has become an issue, and is there something that we should be doing to address it more?

Plank: You know, you see, you see more homelessness in areas that have more resources. And so whenever you have resources that the homeless, or people who just don't have the means, then they're going to find those resources. So, we see an uptick in homelessness and a lot of that's, a lot of it's mental illness and a lot of its ex-military veterans who just can't find their way after serving. And so, and I think Columbia has done an excellent job of trying to create some housing and some resources for those folks.

We have a mental illness crisis not just in Missouri, but in the United States. We don't take it seriously. You know, we talk about it at the Capitol all the time but we don't do anything. We don't put any funds towards any you know, we've got the Fulton State Hospital that's for mentally ill folks who need help. Well, it's understaffed so they can't take people. So, now we've got folks with a mental illness in our local jails and sheriff's department. There's no treatment there and so when you're just basically incarcerating them what good is it doing? None. So, there's many things that we can do but mental health would be a big gain if we could expand on that.

Hinson: Those are all my questions. Anything else that you wanted to add that people should know?

Plank: No, other than the last two years at state House were pretty rough. I'm looking forward to a lot of turnover. Sixty-plus seats will be turned over and to see the new ideas from new folks coming in who hopefully are looking to represent their communities, not stuck on national politics. I get tired of our time getting wasted based on national politics at the Capitol because we have a duty to our constituents. I think that's the biggest thing the State of Missouri needs to do at this point, is focus on Missourians.