OWENSVILLE — Candidates for Missouri’s 26th District Senate seat and 61st District House seat took to the stage Oct. 8 at the Showboat Community Theater in Hermann. A crowd of about 50 people gathered for a moderated forum that gave each candidate a short period to articulate their position on a handful of prominent topics.

The candidates in attendance were incumbent Rep. Bruce Sassmann, R-Bland, and Stacy Bax, D-Linn, competing for the Missouri House of Representatives District 61, as well as Rep. Ben Brown, R-Washington, and Victoria Wors, D-Union, who are competing for the Missouri State Senate District 26.

The forum did not allow for debate between candidates or for questions from the crowd, to the consternation of some in attendance. Near the end of the forum, one attendee asked loudly what exactly the candidates were afraid of discussing. The crowd in attendance was largely in support of the Democratic candidates, based on the timing and duration of the applause.

Colleen Murphy, Hermann Area Chamber of Commerce president, moderated the forum. All the candidates kept their oratory cordial and respected the allotted time for speaking, focusing on their platform and specific stance on the topics.

“Our goal tonight is simple: to give each candidate an equal opportunity to share their views, discuss important issues facing our communities, and help voters make informed decisions,” Murphy said.

Each candidate was given a four-minute opening statement, two minutes to respond to each of three questions from the moderator and two minutes for closing remarks.

Sen. Ben Brown used his opening statement to speak about his background in the restaurant industry and how it led him to advocate for small businesses. He said he would focus on topics like election integrity and supporting legislation that would expand healthcare access, especially in rural areas of Missouri. He said he is working on a bill that would reform the state’s prior-authorization system.

Wors spoke about the rising costs and stagnant wages that many in Missouri face. She said she would have a focus on increasing resources and funding for education. She said her decades of consulting for small and medium businesses, and the negotiation of over 80 labor agreements, have given her the experience to help improve Missouri’s economy. She, too, pointed to the closing of rural hospitals as a top issue.

Sassmann spoke about his long history in the local area, from working at the funeral home his family operated for multiple generations to his former roles as a mayor, councilman and member of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission. He said he has been in public service for most of his life and that should he be elected, it would be the last two-year term he could serve before reaching the eight-year term limit. He spoke about how he still works hard every day to respond to all the feedback and questions he receives from any of his constituents.

Bax spoke about the importance of public education and her experience working for the Missouri State Highway Patrol for nearly a decade and leaving to focus on her family, especially her son, who was diagnosed with autism. She pointed to 20-plus years of community advocacy, especially for disabled children in schools. She said that, as a representative, she would help all her neighbors or community members, regardless of political affiliation.

The first question from the moderator concerned data center development and what role the state government should take as communities attempt to balance the potential economic benefits with concerns about negative environmental impacts and the use of tax breaks as incentives.

Brown believes “that the state should have a role as far as at the very least setting some basic regulations.” He said he previously chose not to vote to approve a bill that would have allowed for the approval of construction work on energy projects to be expedited. He said that the tax breaks being offered to data center companies and the amount of energy they use could potentially outweigh any of the benefits that a community might experience.

Wors said that she is not anti-technology, but that she has serious concerns with the lack of research and planning prior to the approval of data centers. She would like to see better environmental studies, so that communities know exactly what they are risking should they approve use of their land. She noted how some local commissions have approved data centers despite public opposition, and suggested that the state government should play a role in preventing that division.

Sassmann took a different approach than the other candidates. He asked how much people want the federal and state government involved in decisions specific to their local communities. He said that a one-size-fits-all approach would be better for some counties than others.

“I think we should be in control of our own lives. Manage your own communities, manage your own counties, and take control of your own governments,” Sassmann said.

Bax said that “the state really needs to step in and put some kind of limits on these data centers.” She was concerned that large corporations were receiving tax abatements to build facilities in communities where many people are struggling economically. She also addressed zoning laws and noted that the state would need to carefully weigh the impact of creating blanket zoning laws. She also said that the building of data centers should not increase the utility rates citizens pay.

The second question concerned public education and what candidates can “do to stop the decline of rural schools and by extension, the communities they serve.”

Wors focused on a need to balance the state’s budget in a way that prioritizes education. Brown suggested that the budget is adequate, but that the state needs to focus on analyzing what drives quality education outcomes. Like Brown, Sassmann pointed to the fact that Missouri spends more on education than its constitution requires, but said he has and will continue to fight for whatever needs local schools bring to his attention. Bax said that most superintendents in her district complain of over-mandating without funds to meet those demands. She also said that private schools should be meeting the same regulatory and compliance standards as public schools.

The final question concerned issues with access to healthcare in rural communities.

“What specific steps would you support to improve access to healthcare in rural Missouri, and to help rural hospitals and providers remain available?” Murphy asked.

Brown spoke of the work he has already done in the Senate to reform prior authorization. He said that they haven’t been able to get enough votes to approve a bill, but that the “insurance lobby is a tough adversary to go up against at times, but I continue to fight for it.”

The bill he supports would create incentives for doctors to reach high rates of approved authorizations, which could allow facilities to spend less money on navigating that system, potentially lowering costs and improving access. He has also worked on a bill to broaden the work some nurses are allowed to perform. He said that access to healthcare is a topic he is very passionate about.

Wors said that we need to rethink the way money in the healthcare system is distributed. She suggested that far too much money is going to insurance companies and executives who make salaries worth millions of dollars. She said that we already have “the greatest program that’s ever come around to show that government insurance works, and that is Medicare.” She thinks we can use that as a model that would decrease the incentives of profit, and that legislation could be passed that would create incentives for doctors to stay in Missouri.

Bax expressed concern that Medicaid cuts beginning in January due to the One Big Beautiful Bill will have an especially negative effect on rural communities. She said she would focus on working to keep facilities open. Bax said that “if that hospital cannot stay open, it does not matter what insurance is in your wallet.”

She suggested that improved access to telehealth services could help improve access to things like mental health services and follow-up care. She said that she has plans to meet with the CEOs of local hospitals to learn more about what they think can help improve the situation.

Sassmann noted that of the entire state budget, “50 percent of that goes to Medicare, social services, mental health and senior services,” but he believes that the system needs serious improvement.

Sassmann said that healthcare reform is going to take constant communication and work every day as the obligations on the system grow and continue to exacerbate the issues. He said that it should not be a partisan issue, because it is going to take everyone working together to keep rural hospitals open.

In the closing statements, the prevailing sentiment from Wors, Brown and Bax was a desire to reach across the aisle and work for every citizen in the district and with other politicians, regardless of their political affiliation. Sassmann said that Missouri should avoid a larger government, and that communities and counties should be enabled to work on their own problems.

As the forum wrapped up, Murphy said that candidates would be available afterward to speak personally with attendees and to address their questions. One man in the audience took exception to that choice.

“Why not now,” he asked. “Why are you afraid of the public asking questions?”

Both Sassmann and Brown spoke with the man and another attendee for several minutes after the forum ended.