Capital City business owners and managers feel like Missouri's government needs more of their kind.
“Don't you think before running for office, you should have to sign both sides of a check?” Sen. Mike Kehoe said.
Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer, who could represent the state capital after redistricting, says the corridors of power in Washington are overrun with people who have never held private sector jobs.
“You have to be at the table, because the issues are too important today not to be there,” Luetkemeyer said.
Issues like taxes, unemployment compensation and operating regulations can have a chilling effect on business expansion.
“You need people from the business community in government to keep it from running over us,” Cole County Commissioner Chris Wrigley said.
The group said government's natural inclination is to get bigger.
“Government is not as good at shrinking itself down to give you more goods and services,” Jefferson City Mayor Eric Struemph said.
The number of business people in all levels of government has grown over the last couple of election cycles.
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