Dan O' Connell

Strongly Agree

Agree

Strongly Agree

None.

Neutral

Strongly Agree

Our welfare office has far too much overhead and oversight. Every restriction on social welfare funding requires more bureaucratic oversight than it saves in denied benefits. Instead, we can institute caps on particular benefits to stem abuse, far less than the salary and pensions of dozens of bureaucrats we are paying to deny food to children. We already know benefits can be distributed electronically, why do we need so many buildings? It's time to simplify and modernize.

Agree

Strongly Disagree

Agree

Yes

Religious moral codes are an optimal lifestyle their followers should be constantly striving for. At their root, every religion inspires us to be the best we can be and generally be kind and generous to others. However, they do not make good legal systems. Laws should enable everyone to pursue their own happiness up to the limit that it infringes on someone else's pursuit of happiness. I believe in science, logic, and statistics and will not hesitate to pull primary research papers when studying any particular issue. My constituents will never see me use religious doctrine to justify my legislative choices. While my morals may be guided by my Catholic faith, they are rooted in humanity and a desire for the long-term public good.

Agree

I would stop allowing employers to provide major medical insurance to their employees. Under my system, everyone would be able to purchase insurance privately alongside their home and auto insurance. Households and families would be allowed to create groups, but we would no longer have to worry about illness or injury when we are out of work. Workers shouldn't have to risk their health when they take a new job or are unsatisfied with their current workplace. Since larger employers are required to provide health insurance, they also have easier access to the labor market, creating an unfair labor economy for small business owners that cannot afford health insurance. I believe pushing everyone into the will also bring down insurance rates across the board. Those that spend the least on healthcare are working for large companies, and they would now be added to the private insurance pool.

Strongly Agree

Strongly Disagree

Strongly Agree

This is a federal issue, and unfortunately there is very little that Missouri's legislature can do to curb illegal immigration. However, according to Bill Eigel, there are currently 7,500 undocumented students in University of Missouri schools. All he did in response was deny them in-state tuition. To me, this is a direct insult to every Missouri child that was denied admission to UM Schools. To me that is 7,500 US Citizens that were denied higher education for someone that is literally illegal for any employer in this state to hire. Fully documented international students are went through endless troubles to earn an educational visa and follow all the rules so they could pay 4x the in-state rates. All this tells them is that it would have been cheaper and easier to just break the law. You don't fix a problem by making it cheaper and easier to break the law.

Strongly Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Agree

I was born and raised Catholic, and look to the Catechism for moral and spiritual guidance. Part of my love of the Catholic Faith is the moral consistency in their doctrine. No exceptions for abortions, as the sins of the father should not pass to the son. While a neighbor may be living what you view as a life of sin, it is equally sinful to make their burden heavier. Faith alone is not enough, as words are easy to say. Instead of evangelizing we show our faith through actions and good works. However, religious and other moral codes do not make for good legislation. They are idealistic by nature, and enforcing morality always leads society down a dark road. Every Citizen has a right to pursue their own happiness to the point that it interferes with someone else's pursuit. Good legislation is that line. I will never use the bible or any religious code to justify legislation. Good laws stand on their own moral consistency based on logic and provable science.

Somewhat Conservative

I used to identify myself as a Constitutional Republican, as I believe in lower taxes, better jobs, the right to bear arms, and generally want the government to stay out of my business. As time went on, I kept seeing every politician I respected letting our rights degrade step by step as they gave into populist reforms. They seem to be more focused on "Stopping Leftists" instead of "Improving the Country". Instead of implementing reforms of their own, they stoke fear, regression, and hatred of 'the others'. I'm socially liberal, and fiscally conservative. I believe everyone working a full time job deserves a living wage, and should have access to affordable healthcare that is not provided by their employer. Economically, I want to see more focus on careers we can retire from, not just creation of more minimum wage jobs that lead to a spiral of poverty. Everyone in our society should feel safe, and have the chance at a meaningful future.

I have an MBA and Two Engineering degrees. This means I am the ultimate "Show Me" legislator. When researching policy, I will not hesitate to pull primary research papers and dig through statistics to find the truth. I’ve worked minimum wage jobs, where I saw first hand how the system can keep someone down no matter how hard they work. I’ve lived the life of an unskilled laborer, where I saw the value just a little bit of education can bring ton a worker and their economy. What I've learned is that an undereducated workforce is an unemployed workforce. We are in a global economy now, no matter how tall our walls are. The only way we compete is by having a healthier and better educated workforce. You will never see me call an inconvenient headline "Fake News" or blame my failures on the "Deep State" or "Antifa". Those are lazy excuses that show ignorance and keep our country divided.

No.

I chose to run because I have to believe that Republicans in this district want leaders that listen their issues, respect their vote, and want to hold their leaders accountable for their actions. In the last year our current Senator has: - Spearheaded efforts to help the Opioid crisis ravaging our state. - Slashed the education budget by hundreds of millions. - Started yet another Anti-Union initiative even though 68% of his own constituents voted against Right to Work in 2018. - Lead a movement to repeal key portions of the Missouri CLEAN act that 60% of his constituents supported. Meanwhile, our state's economy has crashed, our abortion rates have not changed, and children are not just hungry, but killing themselves because they feel there their futures are hopeless. Missouri needs new leadership that doesn't just tweet out platitudes, but takes action. We need leaders that listen to their constituents and actually represent their views.

Strongly Disagree

Strongly Disagree

No

All health insurance should include mental health visits and regular checkups just like Doctor's visits. I also will be putting forth gun "Pre-Check" legislation that would enable responsible gun owners to opt-in for faster and easier access to their constitutional rights. It would not be required for any gun purchase. It would simply make those purchases faster and easier. I do support any schools or private businesses that have voted to restrict carrying of weapons on their property.

Disagree

Agree

No Answer

1. We need employers out of healthcare. If everyone were to purchase their health insurance alongside their car and auto insurance, healthcare costs would be reduced across the board, and insurance companies would have a profit incentive to better serve OUR needs, not our employers. 2. I would subsidize trade school for anyone that wanted it. No program should discriminate by race or income level. We don't need more business managers. We need skilled laborers to attract factories and career jobs that workers can retire from. 3. Missouri's abortion ban has no consideration for the extra 200 unwanted babies that will be going into our foster care system PER MONTH once the Supreme Court overturns Roe V. Wade. I would increase foster care funding, and greatly subsidize the costs of adopting and fostering these children. I would make sure their schools are well funded and safe, so they have the same opportunities to succeed as I do.

Racism is and has been used to distract from bigger issues and keep us divided since the founding of our nation. Continuing to promote racial divides only keeps these flames well stoked and increases tension. This June students from every Fort Zumwalt High School stood on the steps of their schools and outside their city hall screaming with genuine fear that their life had no future, that they could be killed in their own home by those sworn to protect them and nobody would care. Our legislators responded by ignoring them, and saying nobody cared. I was there. I heard their cries. I listened to their stories. Their demands? Access to the guidance and crisis counselors we were already paying for. That's all. Within a day I had their leader in front of the school board. Within a week every student had a number they could call. I wasn't even their legislator. No child should fear for their safety in their own home, or school, or anywhere in our state.