Welcome, Carolyn, and thanks for joining us. Tell us about yourself and why you feel you're a good candidate for the Missouri House of Representatives.
"Well, great. Well, thank you for having me. And I thank God for the opportunity and the freedoms that we have. You know, I'm not a politician. I'm a woman business owner and entrepreneur. I'm a realtor. And I'm already an elected official on the Branson School Board. I'm passionate about our community and what's important to the constituents of our district, and I've got a reputation of getting things done. So I am a mom of three children. I'm a wife to Michael. He works at Silver Dollar City, and I am passionate just about what's happening in Branson and the opportunities that we have in that area."
Which issues are most important to you and why?
"The time is now. You know, I can't wait another three years to not be at the table for conversation. I feel I can make a difference for our district in three ways. There's many more than three. But today I'll focus on the three. I'm running for the state representative, District 156, not as a career move, but as a way to serve the community at a greater level. It's where I live, and it's where I invest. I want to stop crime and fraud. I'm passionate about — to protect our most vulnerable, which is our children and our seniors. I want to enact laws that protect our children from online dangers, protect our privacy online reputation, and also protect our seniors from scammers."
Why did you decide to run for office?
"I see a need, and when I see a need, I fill it. I believe every voter should have a choice and a voice, and I want to make our community stronger. We do that by engaging in the process, talking about the needs of the community and saying, 'hey, I'm listening to you, I value you, and I'm going to take what's important to you to Jeff City.' And guess what? I'm going to come back and tell you what's happening. We need to have greater transparency and accountability for government, not only on where our taxes go, but for strong property rights. I want to tighten up our squatter laws, and I want to stop the overreach of government red tape that restricts business growth and opportunities, or maybe even restricts property use rights."
What do you think makes your district unique and how will you represent that in Jefferson City?
"That's a great question. I love our city of Branson and Hollister. I believe that our city is the best place in Missouri to expand the jobs of tomorrow. We have great infrastructure that's going to attract new businesses to our area, year round jobs. I want to expand, increasing — our tourism growth and ensuring that our infrastructure is improved across the district for water and sewer. But if we're talking about AI and technology manufacturing, I believe that Branson would be a great place to expand some of those new opportunities."
Running for office as a state lawmaker opens you up to a lot of scrutiny and criticism. Do you feel that the personal costs for you and your family are worth it, and why?
"There's a cost for freedom. When you are serving the military, you have a cost, and I'm appreciative to all of the men and women that have served in our military past, present and future. I believe that, for me, the way I can serve best is by standing up for our values that make Branson so great, our faith, family, flag, and of course, the firefighters want me to include in that. But I think that, for me, we can't sit back and do nothing. We have to stand up and be counted. And this is the way that I can do it by representing our constituents, our citizens of District 156."
How productive do you think the Missouri legislative sessions have been in recent years, and what would improve the legislature's productivity and effectiveness?
"Yes. So this past year has been really a do nothing Congress. I believe what the problem has been this year is a polarization. And, you know, South Pole to North Pole, when things are frozen, they can't find common ground. And that's what's been happening right now. The extremes on either side have caused this to be frozen. It wasn't designed like that. It was designed to be a robust debate, a respect for everyone's opinions and a respect for what the community is wanting. That has to be brought forward. We have to find middle ground. We have to find ways of getting the people's work done. And I think the focus this year has been not on the people but on other things. And I want to instill back to the process a robust debate and and a need for representation of what the people of the district want."
What's something you'd like to share with voters that most people don't know about you?
"That's a great question. I want to start with my grandparents. My father's from Holland, and my grandparents had a grocery store in Rotterdam on either side. I wanted to tell you about the fabric that I'm made of. And my grandparents had this grocery store. And when Germany invaded Holland, they took over. Government took over everything. Everyone lost every freedom in Holland. And my grandparents and my father had up front, center, center seat to that happenings. They were told what to do, when to do. They lost all their freedom. They fought, and they ended up being a part of that Wall of Heroes in the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. My grandparents names are right up there under the country of Holland. My father came to Canada and then came to America, and I am thrilled to be able to say that I grew up in a household where we understood freedom. We understood that you if you want freedom, you have to stand up for it. And that is the fabric that I'm made of, and I'm carrying that forward, of courage, integrity, transparency and passion."
Well, Carolyn, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me today.
"Well, I want to say thank you, I love NPR. I think that it's a great opportunity for everyone to understand they might not agree on everything, but we — it teaches us to think in different ways. And I appreciate you having me on as a conservative voice for Branson, and I hope that we carry it forward again."
