Local leaders push for regional advocacy in Jefferson City

Numerous leaders across Southeast Missouri, including Cape Girardeau Mayor Stacy Kinder, traveled to Jefferson City last week to further the idea of regional advocacy at the state level.

"The concept, really, is to better develop a common set of regional goals, of regional priorities, thoughts on legislation, better develop a regional personality, maybe, if you will, and advocate that on the state level," Kinder said.

The mayor echoed sentiments from the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, SE MO REDI and several state lawmakers from the region that Southeast Missouri must work together to receive help and awareness on a state level.

Kinder, and others, have said they believe this will help them lobby leaders across the state to help address issues such as public safety, economic development and infrastructure in the area.

Southwest Missouri is often held up as the benchmark for regional advocacy, Kinder -- and several lawmakers in previous comments to the Southeast Missourian -- said.

"The success of the city of Cape Girardeau is also contingent upon our region," Kinder said.

"We can't just expect to operate in a vacuum," the mayor added later.

On a national level, Rep. Jason Smith's district, which encompasses much of Southeast Missouri, is one of the 10 most economically depressed congressional districts in the U.S. It's also among the most rural.

On a state level, Missouri is broken down into 10 regions. Southeast Missouri -- which includes 13 counties -- is around the state average in unemployment at 4.4%, according to the 2020 census. In 2021, the region was more than $15,000 short of the average annual wage in the state, and around 25% of residents carry a higher education degree as opposed to the 38% state average.