State Rep. Chuck Basye is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast. The Rocheport Republican talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about some of his accomplishments during the 2019 session — and some agenda items that remain unfinished.
Basye represents portions of Boone, Howard, Cooper and Randolph counties in the Missouri House. He was first elected to the General Assembly’s lower chamber in 2014.
Basye is a Marine Corps veteran who spent roughly 30 years as an air traffic controller. The St. Charles County native also was the president of the Columbia Pachyderm Club, which often hosts lunches featuring prominent political figures.
Basye entered the electoral arena in 2014 when he challenged Democratic Rep. John Wright. Wright spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money in 2012 to win the 47th House District, which includes counties that are historically Democratic.
In one of the closer results of the 2014 election cycle, Basye ended up defeating Wright by less than 200 votes. He’s since won re-election in 2016 and 2018.
Basye is the chairman of the House Veterans Committee — and the vice chairman of the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee. He is planning to run for House majority leader along with a number of others, including Reps. Dean Plocher, R-Town and Country, and David Gregory, R-Sunset Hills.
Here’s what Basye had to say during the show:
- Basye talked about legislation aimed at getting additional developmental disorders added to Missouri’s autism insurance mandate. He says this bill, which Gov. Mike Parson signed into law on Thursday, will make treatments much more affordable to Missourians.
- He also discussed a measure that sets a later start date for public schools across the state. That move could help tourism throughout Missouri, but it’s sparked opposition among some school administrators.
- One of the big accomplishments of the Missouri General Assembly this year was passing a bonding plan for bridges. Much of the plan is predicated on getting funding to replace the Rocheport Bridge on Interstate 70, which Basye said is a major priority for mid-Missouri.
- Basye discussed why parts of mid-Missouri have become more hospitable to Republicans over the past few election cycles. Some of the counties that Basye represents, including Boone and Howard, are traditional Democratic strongholds that have gravitated toward the GOP in recent years.
The podcast is sponsored by the St. Louis-based law firm of Capes Sokol.
Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum
Follow Chuck Basye on Twitter: @ChuckBasye47
Music: “Morning Bell” by Radiohead
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