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Rural Missourians Vote in Large Numbers
To Restore Ethics and Strengthen Rural Economies


Missouri Rural Crisis Center
Columbia, Missouri


October 29, 2018

"We're not waiting on the politicians and lobbyists to fix themselves.
We can all see how big money drives the agenda in Jefferson City,
and we've had enough."
-- farmer Jeff Jones from Callaway County  

Big wins for reigning in corporate money and helping restore ethics in our legislature and strengthening rural economies.

On Tuesday, rural Missourians across the state sent a loud and clear message:

They are tired of business as usual in our legislature and Big Money’s influence on our lives and how our laws are made.

Rural Missourians voted in large numbers throughout the state for Amendment 1 to clean up state politics by limiting the money, gifts and influence that corporate lobbyists use to drown out the voices of Missourians, both urban and rural.

Rural Missourians also showed powerful support for Proposition B that will gradually raise the minimum wage to $12 per hour by 2023. Of the 677,000 Missourians who will benefit, over 460,000 of those live outside the city of St. Louis and Kansas City (more than 2 out of 3).

Rural Missouri voted 58% to 42% for Amendment 1 and 57% to 43% for Proposition B, and rural Missouri comprised 50% of the “Yes” vote for both initiatives.

The bottom line: Our state legislature has had many opportunities to address these urgent issues facing urban and rural Missouri but have chosen to listen to corporate lobbyists and campaign contributors instead of their constituents.

Rural Missourians sent the strong message that they are done waiting for politicians to fix themselves and that we need to work together move Missouri forward.

The Missouri Rural Crisis Center is proud to have been a part of these campaigns and will continue our work for independent family farmers and rural communities and economies.

Published in In Motion Magazine November 22, 2018