Pints & Politics seeks to inform region's electorate

What is the most important factor in an effective and responsive governmental body?

In informed electorate.

To the end of informing our region's electorate, the Southeast Missourian will kick off a series of public interviews with elected leaders on Monday, June 24.

Pints & Politics.

This series of one-hour events will bring to Cape Girardeau the movers and shakers in Missouri politics, providing an inside view of what our elected officials are focusing on and why.

This series provides an opportunity to engage with political leaders from around the state, delve into significant issues and go beyond typical sound bites to foster deeper discussion.

The inaugural event will feature state Rep. Jon Patterson, a Republican serving as the majority floor leader in the Missouri House. Patterson was chosen by his colleagues in the majority to become the next House Speaker for the legislative session beginning in January 2025. His background includes undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a surgical residency at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City. From 2011 to 2022, Patterson practiced general surgery in eastern Jackson County and has participated in medical mission trips to the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Jordan. He resides in Lee’s Summit, Missouri with his wife, Jennifer, and their two children, Leah and Andrew.

Monday's event will begin at 6 p.m., with doors opening at 5:30, at the Rust Center for Media, 325 Broadway in Cape Girardeau.

Tickets for the in-person event include one beverage and can be purchased at www.semissourian.com/politics. For those unable to attend in person, a livestream will be available on www.semissourian.com.

Pints & Politics is sponsored by Clean Fuels Alliance America, Missouri Soybeans and the Southeast Missourian.

Join us Monday and learn a bit more about our — your — state government.