Terry Burgess and Phil Amato are seeking to fill the seat held by Dan Shaul, who has reached his state’s term limits standards. Shaul is running for the Missouri Senate District 22 seat.
No Democrat filed for the seat, so the winner of the primary will be sworn in to a two-year term in January.
District 113, the boundaries of which changed during redistricting following the 2020 Census, includes Arnold, Kimmswick and parts of Imperial and Barnhart.
State senators and representatives currently receive a $37,711 salary, plus mileage and a per-diem payment for expenses for each day the General Assembly is in session.
BURGESS, 40, of Barnhart is a member of a Laborers Union. He has one child and is expecting another with his wife, Jessica. He attended high school and trade school.
Social media: Facebook page: Terry Burgess
AMATO, 68, of Arnold retired as a manufacturer sales representative for Lorillard. He is married to his wife, Deb. He graduated with an associate degree in sales and business from St. Louis Community College at Meramec.
Website: amatoforjeffco.com
What experience do you have (elected office, civic organizations, volunteer work, etc.) that might serve you well in this position?
Burgess: I have volunteered on several campaigns and ballot initiatives. I also volunteer at my church and in the community helping the homeless and less fortunate.
Amato: I was elected to the Arnold City Council, where I championed conservative reforms and pro-business policies. I chaired the committee that established the Arnold and Windsor libraries. I have served on the board of the library district for 30 years, currently serving as vice president. I have served as board president of the Arnold Food Pantry since 2016, which helps those in need throughout Jefferson County.
What specific needs exist in your district, and how would you address them?
Burgess: Lowering gas prices by putting a permanent holiday on the gas tax. Working with local, county and state government to bring good paying jobs to Jefferson County by using our rail, river and road systems. Lower our crime rates by holding the criminal justice system accountable and holding bad career criminals accountable as well. Jefferson County residents and Missourians need relief from rising cost and inflation and need better paying jobs now.
Amato: I want to make sure Arnold and northern Jefferson County qualify for matching grants regarding state roads and bridges. I have an idea for crime prevention legislation that I would like to pursue to keep us safer. I also would like to entice additional industry into the county that hopefully could take some of the tax burden off our residents, increasing construction and factory employment. We need to raise the threshold of the food pantry tax credit, so more people with the wherewithal are able to deduct donations from their state tax return and are able to help the unfortunate.
According to recent polls, the majority of Americans want stricter gun laws. Do you support gun law reforms, and if so what changes do you support? For example, do you support raising age limits to buy guns, more stringent background checks, requiring waiting periods when buying guns, prohibiting types of guns, ammunition clips or ammunition?
Burgess: Criminals do not follow gun laws or any other laws for that matter. I fully support the Second Amendment and will not vote to limit law-abiding citizens from possessing a firearm in any manner. I strongly feel that law-abiding citizens should be able to carry concealed or open carry by their preference. We need to hold bad career criminals accountable instead of letting them out onto the streets after they commit a horrible crime almost immediately after they commit that crime.
Amato: I will always protect your Second Amendment rights. As a young man, I was held up at gun point and learned early on about the value of being able to defend yourself from those who seek to cause you harm. The next night after my robbery, the two responsible committed murder. Criminals cannot be the only ones with guns, but we need to make sure schools are completely secure from mentally ill intruders who want to harm our children. We must finally recognize that student mental health in schools is a top priority, to make sure we avoid the unimaginable.
Some people question the validity of the last presidential election. Who do you believe won the election and why?
Burgess: I do question the validity of the election in 2020. COVID-19 played a major role with mail-in voting and absentee voting. I feel the election was stolen and a lot of what went on in 2020 was very odd and off. I feel Donald Trump won the election in 2020 as I did vote for him myself. To vote you should have to present a valid photo ID in every state. We need to work extremely hard in ensuring our elections are safe, secure and 100 percent accurate.
Amato: The one aspect of the U.S. that separates us from the banana republics is our smooth transition of power. After the last presidential election, there were questions of fraudulent ballots being cast, and with our system of checks and balances, this afforded the appeal process to the courts for a remedy. The courts found no widespread issues that would have in their opinion swayed the outcome of the election.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Burgess: I want to bring more new ideas to the constituents in District 113. I have worked hard to get to know as many constituents as possible and listened to their concerns. I feel listening is very important. I look at this position as the taxpayers of District 113 are all my bosses, and I work for them. District 113’s state office is your office, and the door is always open.
Amato: I will defend parents’ rights of local control in schools and protect people’s rights concerning the Second Amendment. I have been endorsed by Missouri Right to Life. My experience of successfully crafting legislation while on the city council will also give me an advantage serving in my first year as a state representative. An example of this is my sponsoring the “fast tracking” ordinance that cut the red tape for the permit process, enticing factories to Arnold and encouraging plant expansion. This ordinance created millions of dollars in construction jobs and real factory employment.