Missouri House, 17th District: Medicaid, abortion, tax cuts divide contestants for open seat

Missouri’s 17th House District will have a new representative after this election. Republican Myron Neth, who was first elected in 2010, is not seeking a third term.

Democrat Mark C. Ellebracht and Republican Nick King are hoping to represent this district, which includes the Claycomo Ford assembly plant.

Both support some form of tax cutting, though Ellebracht said he opposes recent income tax cuts considered by legislators, including a bill enacted over Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto.

“They fall woefully short of meeting the state’s obligations to public education,” said Ellebracht, an attorney.

He would support income tax cuts for middle-class families but believes corporations and large businesses need to pay their “fair share.”

While King supports the Missouri’s tax cuts, he doesn’t think the state needs to mimic the extremity of its western neighbor, Kansas.

“Missouri’s tax cuts are a measured and incremental approach,” said King, a business owner.

While Ellebracht is solidly pro-Medicaid expansion, King is less sure.

“I support it economically because if we don’t expand Medicaid, we will be losing out on guaranteed federal money for the sake of politics,” Ellebracht said. “Expanding Medicaid is the fiscally responsible thing to do, and it is also the morally right thing to do.”

King said he’s not confident in relying on the federal government when it comes to Medicaid expansion and doesn’t personally feel that it’s “the right way to go.” If elected, he plans to discuss the issue more with constituents.

“What would happen if you added more Medicaid patients and there were no doctors for them?” he said.

The candidates found themselves more on the same page with historic tax credits. Neither said he would completely eliminate the tax credits for projects involving historic preservation but would support re-examining some of them.

The candidates come down on different sides of the abortion argument.

King, who identifies as “definitely a pro-life candidate,” thinks adding more time to the waiting period is appropriate. Missouri has expanded its waiting time to 72 hours, overriding Nixon’s veto.

“It doesn’t make sense not to have a cooling-off period before making the decision to end a life,” he said.

Ellebracht said he believes abortions should be safe, legal and rare.

“I oppose the 72-hour waiting period restriction, mostly because it seems arbitrary, misogynistic and stupid,” he said. “Its arbitrary nature is offensive, and its generally sexist implications have no room in a modern democracy.”

This story was originally published October 18, 2014 at 2:50 PM with the headline "Missouri House, 17th District: Medicaid, abortion, tax cuts divide contestants for open seat."