Smith says his values reflect those of people in district

Through Jason Smith's nearly four-month-long campaign, the 32-year-old Republican lawyer and native of Salem, Mo., has talked often of values. His, which are conservative, reflect those of people living in Missouri's 8th Congressional District, he says.

Since 2005, Smith has served as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives, and in recent years, taken on leadership positions. He currently is the speaker pro tem.

Abortion, embryonic cloning and stem-cell research

Jason Smith speaks after his nomination Feb. 9 in Van Buren, Mo. (Fred Lynch)

Smith has voted for restrictions on late-term abortions, allowing pharmacists to refuse to provide drugs that induce miscarriage and for legislation that would make it illegal to coerce a woman to have an abortion through abuse, violence or threats. Smith also co-sponsored a bill in 2009 that would have put a constitutional amendment before voters prohibiting the expenditure of public funds for abortion services, human cloning or related research.

One of Smith's opponents in the race for the 8th District, Democrat Steve Hodges, alleged during a Tuesday night forum that Smith has voted in support of human cloning research using stem cells. Smith's campaign denies those votes, and points to Smith's endorsement in the race by Missouri Right to Life.

A check with Hodges' campaign Wednesday showed the candidate made the assertion because Smith voted for appropriations measures during several years in the House that created the Lewis & Clark Discovery Fund. Money from the state's student loan agency, MOHELA, goes into the fund to help pay for building projects at colleges and universities and to the Missouri Technology Corp., which was to work with colleges to commercialize technologies. Missouri Right to Life feared the corporation would conduct embryonic cloning and stem-cell research and took a position against the bill that created the fund in 2009. The fund has taken a turn to providing mostly scholarship money under Gov. Jay Nixon's administration.

Gun control and Second Amendment rights

Smith most recently voted to pass a house bill that would eliminate the Missouri Department of Revenue's process of issuing concealed-carry endorsements. The issue was hotly debated in the Legislature after a Stoddard County resident filed suit against the revenue department, challenging its storing and sharing of information. Smith and other conservatives viewed the process and sharing of information from concealed-weapons permit holders with the Missouri State Highway Patrol and a federal Social Security agent as a direct assault on gun owners' rights and called it an attempt by the federal government to create a database of weapons-permit holders.

The National Rifle Association also has endorsed Smith in his current bid for Congress for a "solid and consistent pro-gun voting record in the Missouri House of Representatives."

During the most recent session, Smith voted to expand gun rights and declare all federal gun regulations unenforceable.

Taxes and spending

Smith sponsored a bill that passed through the General Assembly but was vetoed by the governor that would have created a committee to oversee the use of federal stimulus funds in Missouri.

In 2009, Smith supported a proposed constitutional amendment that would have replaced income taxes from individuals and corporations with a state sales and use tax increase.

In 2012, Smith did not support a bill that would have reinstated local governments' ability to collect sales taxes on out-of-state vehicle purchases after the Supreme Court ruled the practice was unconstitutional. Most Republican members of the House did support the measure because they said they feared the effect of revenue declines on local governments. The governor later vetoed the bill, but the legislature could not come up with enough votes for an override.

On one recently proposed tax measure, which would have sent a 1-cent increase in sales tax to benefit transportation to the ballot if it had passed through both chambers, Smith was not present to vote. Smith did co-sponsor a bill during this past session that would create a phased-in individual income tax deduction for business income and reduce the corporate income tax rate during a five-year period. Similar legislation is headed to the governor's desk.

Health care

Smith on Tuesday night called for an entire repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

Earlier this month, his campaign released a statement from Smith on the federal health-care law.

"President Obama's takeover of our nation's health care system must be stopped," Smith said in the statement. "Reports from nonpartisan groups agree that Obamacare will cost working families trillions of dollars in new taxes, will hurt the doctor-patient relationship and will make it harder for small business owners to hire new workers and grow the economy. Employers in the 8th District have personally told me they are not hiring new workers because of Obamacare and they are cutting back on the hours they give current employees because of costs related to the health care mandate."

In 2012, Smith voted for House Bill 1534, which had it been passed into law, would have prohibited implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Missouri.

Agriculture

Smith has touted his ties to agriculture throughout the campaign and in the most recent House session was successful in getting a resolution passed that will place a "Right to Farm" constitutional amendment before voters next year. Opponents of the proposal have attempted to portray the measure as backlash from Smith over a proposition voters passed in 2010 known as the "Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act," which placed stricter rules on dog breeders. Smith's family has a history in the dog breeding business. His mother's kennel was named by the Humane Society of the United States as one of the state's "worst puppy mills in Missouri" in a 2011 report, and Smith faced accusations of conflicts of interest when he spoke against the proposition. Smith has said his proposed amendment is to protect the rights of farmers.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

Salem, Mo.