When Rep. Elijah Haahr ’05, and Rep. Ken Wilson ’89, were elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in November, the number of Missouri Western alumni in the Legislature doubled. Elijah and Ken, whose offices are just around the corner from one another, joined fellow alumni Rep. Pat Conway ’73, and Sen. Rob Schaaf ’78, at the statehouse in January.
Ann Pearce said she was happy to hear that. She represents Missouri Western with the General Assembly and the Executive Branch in Jefferson City, and spends a lot of time at the capitol during the legislative session, sharing Missouri Western’s thoughts, needs and concerns. “It’s great to have people in the Capitol who know the university and can stand up for us and provide information when we’re not there,” she said.
Elijah, who serves the 134th District, which includes part of Springfield, noted that Missouri Western is not as close to Jefferson City as some of the other state colleges and universities, but the four alumni are there to be a resource for any questions about Missouri Western. “We make that presence known every day we are here,” he said.
Ann said there are three main issues regarding higher education in this legislative session: state appropriations and the development of a higher education funding formula, bonding for capital projects, and hopefully, the sunset clause on university land leases.
Missouri’s higher education system does not currently have a funding formula, and legislation passed last year requires one. “It’s an extremely daunting task,” Ann said. “and, the Joint Committee (working on the formula) has been open to our comments and concerns.” Legislation requires that the formula go into effect in Fiscal Year 2015, and the final committee report came out this spring.
Elijah earned an associate degree from Ozark Technical Community College in Springfield, his bachelor’s degree from Missouri Western, and his law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He noted that although he doesn’t serve on any higher education committees, he is sensitive to the funding issues because Ozark is one of the lowest funded two-year schools and Missouri Western is one of the lowest funded four-year institutions. “There has to be a way to make sure some schools don’t get left behind when funding issues come up.”
Ken said there is a lot of support for higher education in the House.
The second issue in the Legislature this session is bonds for capital projects at colleges and universities across the state. Because of tight finances for the past decade, legislators have not been able to appropriate annual funds for capital projects, and Missouri’s universities have tremendous needs, Ann said. The General Assembly is looking at bonds as a way to pay for capital projects, and Missouri Western is very supportive of that initiative.
The Legislature is also looking at eliminating the sunset clause on university land leases. Currently, regional higher education institutions can only lease land until 2017, which makes it difficult to develop land when they cannot offer a long-term lease, Ann said. Missouri Western has several acres that it could potentially develop if the sunset clause was removed.
Ann said our local delegation, which includes Rob and Pat, has been very supportive of Missouri Western. “They are wonderful to work with and very open. It’s a pleasure to work with people who strongly support us. We are very fortunate,” she said. “The university appreciates their service, and the service of all our alumni legislators, to the institution and to the state. They are all truly servant leaders.”
Rep. Pat Conway ’73 – 10th District
Rep. Pat Conway ’73, began his studies at the St. Joseph Junior College, got drafted, and earned his degree from the new four-year Missouri Western when he returned from the Vietnam War. He served as Buchanan County Clerk for 27 years before being elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2010.
Pat says it is exciting to watch how Missouri Western has grown over the years. He remembers helping Glenn Marion plant trees on the emerging campus. Glenn was chair of the engineering department at the junior college and created much of the landscaping on the new campus. “It’s always a good memory to come out on campus and see how much it has grown and changed,” he said. Pat received Missouri Western’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2003.
He became involved in politics as a student, and the interest continued throughout his career. Pat was friends with Sen. John Downs ’35, Sen. Ron Reed and Sen. Truman Wilson ’47, who all played significant roles in the creation of the four-year Missouri Western.
Pat is a Democrat whose district includes part of St. Joseph. His background as a county clerk led to interest in legislation relevant to elections, such as absentee voting, early voting, voter ID, etc. And as a veteran, he focuses on veterans’ issues, as well. He and his wife, Mary, have five children.
“I take my responsibility to Missouri Western very seriously as a legislator and an alumnus. All of us who have connections to Missouri Western see the need to help the institution grow.”
Rep. Elijah Haahr ’05 – 134th District
Rep. Elijah Haahr ’05, holds the distinction of being the only member of the State House of Representatives who was homeschooled from kindergarten through 12th grade. And, at age 30, he is also one of the youngest Republicans in the House.
Elijah, whose district includes part of Springfield, grew up in the Springfield area. He transferred to Missouri Western after two years at Ozark Technical Community College, and earned a law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
As an attorney with Aaron Sachs and Associates, Elijah specializes in worker’s compensation claims, so he has an interest in that area in the Legislature, especially regarding the state’s Second Injury Fund. He introduced a bill early in the session that would allow the Second Injury Fund to meet its obligations.
Elijah, who served as president of the Student Government Association as a Missouri Western student, said his biggest challenge is balancing the legislative duties, his responsibilities at his law firm, and his family. He and his wife, Amanda, also an attorney, have a son and a daughter. His daughter was born two days after he was elected to the House.
While serving as president of the SGA, Elijah said the student group conducted a full-scale revision of the SGA constitution, which had not been done for several years. That experience helps him now, he said, as one of his committees is grappling with an overhaul of the criminal code.
“I have a very cool opportunity right now, and I never want to take that for granted,” Elijah said of his elected position. “I want to do anything I can to have an impact.”
Sen. Rob Schaaf ’78 – 34th District
Sen. Rob Schaaf ’78, a Republican, says he decided to run for political office after becoming frustrated trying to get his patients the care they needed. He was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2002 and served four two-year terms. He won his Senate seat in 2010.
Rob, whose district includes Buchanan and Platte counties, is the only medical doctor in the Senate and one of three in the General Assembly. That background has led to introducing bills related to healthcare practices and policies. He says he is most proud of legislation he introduced in 2004 that forced hospitals to post their infection rates online. That, he says, led to a “quantum leap in quality. It probably saved more lives than I did in my whole medical career.”
Rob, a Republican, grew up in St. Joseph and earned a mathematics degree at Missouri Western. In his junior year, he decided to become a doctor, and he said he was the only pre-med student at Missouri Western at the time. He earned his medical degree from St. Louis School of Medicine in 1983. In 2004, he helped form the Missouri Doctors Mutual Insurance Company and serves as chair of the board.
He received the Missouri Western Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award in 2011.
He and his wife, Deborah, have two children.
Rob calls his legislative experience a mixture of frustration and rewards. “You have to focus on the success you have,” he said. “You don’t really achieve a lot, but you are part of a team, and the team can have some success. That is very rewarding.”
Rep. Ken Wilson ’89 – 12th District
Rep. Ken Wilson ’89, has been a public servant throughout his entire career. After graduating with a criminal justice degree from Missouri Western, he worked for the Platte County Sheriff’s Department and served as Smithville’s Chief of Police from 2001 until he retired in 2012. He is in his first term as a State Representative and is one of three active ministers in the House.
Ken grew up on a farm near Trenton, Mo. and worked on the farm in Missouri Western’s agriculture program as a student. He was interested in criminal justice when he enrolled, and he says he was hooked after his first class in that department. He has also served as an instructor at Missouri Western’s Law Enforcement Academy for several years, teaching a unit on ethics and corrections.
The Republican’s district includes parts of Clay and Platte counties, including Camden Point, Kearney, Platte City, Ridgely and Smithville. As a legislator, Ken says his interests lie in the issues relevant to law enforcement.
Ken and his wife, Melissa, have two children.
“It’s been an incredible experience. The process works,” he says of the Legislature. “I’m proud to be here, and I’m proud to be an alumnus of Missouri Western.”
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about running for a political office?
Rep. Pat Conway It’s a great profession. Someone who gets involved needs to realize that with today’s technology, everything is on the table, not just you, but your whole family.
Rep. Elijah Haahr Plan a long time ahead for the campaign, and talk to someone who did it. Although I loved talking to people and hearing their stories, be prepared for the campaign to take about three times the amount of time you thought it would take.
Sen. Rob Schaaf Talk to legislators and shadow one. Learn as much about it as you can.
Rep. Ken Wilson Do your homework and be sure it’s a step you want to take. Campaigns are rigorous and expensive, but exciting. I wouldn’t discourage anyone to run.