Alissia Canady: Missouri needs a lieutenant governor who will act to fight COVID-19
Kansas City has been hit hard. Not just by the pandemic, but also with record-breaking rates of gun violence, civil rights protests, a sluggish economy and an increasing number of hospitalizations from COVID-19. This is in addition to our existing challenges, such as underperforming schools, a shortage of affordable housing for working families, and trying to adopt socially responsible economic development policies.
Many of these issues overlap with one politically influential position in Jefferson City. Most people know that Missouri has a lieutenant governor, but have no idea about who holds the seat or the responsibilities of the office. It is a role that influences statewide policies and investments in affordable housing, early childhood education, economic development and public finance, as a start to its long list of duties.
Missouri’s lieutenant governor position is unique. As defined by the Missouri Constitution, it is the only statewide elected position that serves in both the executive and legislative branches, presiding over the state Senate and voting in the event of a tie. One of the primary responsibilities is to be the chief advocate for our senior citizens and veterans. The current lieutenant governor, Mike Kehoe, wasn’t elected into the position and arguably has not fulfilled his duties, which are many. This year, rather than working the Department of Health and Senior Services to create an action plan for seniors and veterans in assisted living facilities to protect them from COVID-19, he made news regarding his alleged undue influence in ambulance contracts to benefit his family business in Cole County.
To date, more than 650 elderly Missourians have died in nursing homes and veterans’ long-term care facilities. Thousands of staff members and seniors have tested positive — and worse, all of the residents were restricted from family visits for more than six months. Kehoe has failed these vulnerable populations, and that cannot be ignored.
The lieutenant governor should lead by example and use the position for positive influence, like encouraging people to follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on wearing masks and practice social distancing. We have to tackle the virus before we can talk about moving forward. This administration’s delayed action has slowed Missouri’s recovery in the state’s economy and public health alike.
We must issue a statewide mask mandate so that we can safely reopen for tourism. Instead, many minority-owned and disadvantaged businesses are at risk, and the tourism industry is struggling.
Nobody can anticipate how long we will be impacted by COVID-19 or what the long-term effects may be. However, it is apparent that our economy is transforming before our eyes, and Missouri must be at the forefront of innovation. As lieutenant governor, I would advocate for funding that provides comprehensive learning from cradle to career, and I would put a special focus on quality early childhood development and workforce training programs — both of which are proven to boost our economy and reduce the likelihood of people engaging in violent crime.
The challenges we face have exposed the underlying issues of inequality in health education and economic mobility in our nation, state and cities. We have the blueprint for how our system of governance should work — government by the people and for the people. All Missourians deserve a lieutenant governor who will work for them, not someone who caters to special interest groups. More specifically, they deserve a leader who is a strong advocate for our most vulnerable — our children, seniors and veterans.
Alissia Canady is the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor of Missouri.
This story was originally published October 28, 2020 at 9:12 AM with the headline "Alissia Canady: Missouri needs a lieutenant governor who will act to fight COVID-19."