Dear Friends,

I want to thank you all for electing me to serve my third term as your State Representative for District 48.  I am excited about returning to Jefferson City and working to serve you.

For the next two years I plan to continue my work protecting our most vulnerable citizens: children, senior citizens and veterans.  This year I will be filinglegislation tohelp protect our children from sexual offenders. Three years ago a registered sexual offender was allowed to coach an adolescent girl’s basketball team.  It took the input of involved parents to research this problem and insist on the coach’s dismissal. I hope we do not ever see anything like this happen again, but if it does happen, next time the law will be on our side.

I am also currently collaborating with several colleagues on legislation that will allow our veterans to hold on to more of their military retirement benefits. It is not right that the men and women who serve in our military have to turn over a large portion of their hard earned retirement to the state government.

In the next two years I will help my fellow legislators pass a fiscally sound budget, while still properly funding our schools and while supporting Missouri’s diverse social programs. Every year I have served in the Missouri House of Representatives we have always increased the amount of money given to our schools. Now that Missouri has cracked down on the fraud and wasteful spending that was plaguing our social services  we have much more efficient systems to provide aid to those who truly need it.

I hope to hear from you often during the next two years. I am here to serve you and my door is always open.

Thank you for your continued trust and support.

Will Kraus