Crystal Quade in 2024 MO Governor's race
On Civil Rights:
Opposed ban on transgender girls and women in women's sports
She has decried the bevy of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation moving through the legislature, which includes bills that would, among other things,
ban gender affirming care for minors and transgender girls and women from participating in women's sports.
Source: Kansas City Star on 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race
Apr 12, 2023
On Civil Rights:
State ban on funding entities embracing DEI is asinine
The House spent almost five hours passing the 15 budget bills. Each had an amendment prohibiting the state to allocate funds or do business with entities embracing DEI. Quade expressed frustration with the "asinine amendment." "There are so many things
that folks ask us to do and instead we are spending hours talking about these divisive concepts that the Republicans just run with to win their elections," Quade said.
Source: The Center Square on 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race
Mar 31, 2023
On Crime:
State government needs to listen to local law enforcement
Quade said one of the biggest attacks on freedom in Missouri is that of the state government telling leaders in communities "what's best for them."
Quade said in order to address crime, it was imperative that the state government listen to law enforcement officers, who she said often testify against what Republican lawmakers are trying to pass.
Source: Springfield Daily Citizen on 2024 Missouri Governor race
Jul 10, 2023
On Drugs:
Supports legalization, not state cap on business licenses
When she heard the news earlier this month that a proposed constitutional amendment legalizing marijuana would appear on the November ballot, she thought her job might have just gotten a little easier."I definitely think that it will bring out more
voters," Quade said of the marijuana proposal, which will appear on the ballot as Amendment 3. "It will bring out younger voters, and traditionally, younger voters tend to vote Democratic. So that is looking like good news for us."
But asked what she
thinks of the policy laid out in Amendment 3, Quade's enthusiasm dims. "I'm in support of legalization," she said. "I wish the initiative was better, but it is what we're given to work with right now." Quade has concerns about the expungement provisions
laid out in the amendment, as well as the fact that it will continue to allow the state to cap business licenses to grow and sell marijuana--a system she believes led to potential corruption in the medical marijuana program.
Source: Missouri Independent on 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race
Aug 28, 2022
On Environment:
$150,000 to address 80 years of radioactive waste
Gov. Mike Parson rejected a call to schedule a special session to provide state funding to investigate areas of the state exposed to radioactive waste. "This issue was caused by the federal government and should be fixed by the federal government," said
a Parson spokesman. House Minority Leader Crystal Quade said lawmakers could take up the issue when they reconvene for their annual veto session. At issue is a law signed by Parson designed to address the presence of radioactive material left over
from the St. Louis region's role in creating the nuclear bomb. The law created the Radioactive Waste Investigation Fund. But it has never been funded. "The problems related with this waste have festered for nearly 80 years. It is well past time for us
to finally resolving them for the sake of all Missourians," Quade wrote. The law called for the state to earmark $150,000 annually to allow environmental regulators to probe sites where radioactive material was dumped more than 40 years ago.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch on 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race
Aug 2, 2023
On Free Trade:
For law to stop China, Russia from buying farmland in state
Quade, in a video announcing her campaign, discussed being raised by a single mom and relying on food stamps before touting her record in the legislature: "I committed myself to working for families like the one I grew up in," she said. "Now I'm a
leader in the state House, where I've stood up for workers against corporate special interests, sponsored a law to stop China and Russia from buying our farmland to squeeze out Missouri farmers and I'm leading the fight to restore our abortion rights."
Source: KCUR News on 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race
Jul 9, 2023
On Government Reform:
Voter ID bill about minority voter suppression, not fraud
Members of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus and House Democratic leadership held a news conference to discuss voter suppression legislation and other Republican-backed measures that would disproportionately harm minority communities. House Minority
Leader Rep. Crystal Quade opened up the press conference. She said one of the more disturbing trends among Republicans this session has been their "eagerness to enact legislation that will disproportionately harm black Missourians and other minorities."
"No one, not even Republicans, if they're being honest, really believe that the push for a strict voter ID law and other voting restrictions are intended to combat voter fraud. The reality is such measures are intended to combat voting by minority
groups that don't support Republicans, what makes the attack on voting rights even more remarkable is Republicans have proven over the last several election cycles that they don't need to cheat to win in Missouri."
Source: KRCG-TV News on 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race
Apr 6, 2021
On Gun Control:
Not anti-gun but huge proponent of background checks
Quade said she would have voted to sustain Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of a bill that changed Missouri's gun laws but stressed that she wasn't anti-gun. "When it comes to guns, I am a very moderate Democrat compared to most of my colleagues,"
she said. "I grew up eating deer and all those things. ... I grew up with loaded guns on the wall. "I am a huge proponent of families being able to protect themselves, feed their family, all those things. I am also a huge proponent of background checks."
Source: Springfield News-Leader on 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race
Oct 30, 2016
On Principles & Values:
Opposed discrimination by businesses due to religion
Quade opposed a proposed constitutional amendment designed to protect businesses religious liberties that was criticized for promoting discrimination. "Especially here in Springfield, you saw so many businesses, faith leaders and university leaders on
board with keeping protections in place," Quade said, referring to the repealed SOGI ordinance. "Unfortunately, we've seen that millennials don't want to come to a city or stay in a city that they don't feel is a welcoming city."
Source: Springfield News-Leader on 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race
Oct 30, 2016
On Social Security:
Passed bill that eliminated state tax on Social Security
Quade did point out that recent bills passed include one that continues to provide Medicaid coverage for new moms for up to a year and one that eliminates the sales tax on Social Security and provide a property tax credit for senior citizens. "That
Social Security bill had great bi-partisan support with, I think, just a single 'No' vote in the entire House," Quade said. "This was a tax cut for folks who actually need it, seniors who are often on fixed incomes."
Source: KY3 Springfield News on 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race
May 9, 2023
On Tax Reform:
Proposed one-time $5000 tax credit for school staff
House Bill 2788, filed by State House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, looks to use the state's current budget surplus to give every elementary or secondary teacher a one time,
$5,000 tax credit. Quade said the fine tuning of who this money would go to would be flushed out during the legislative process. However, she hopes to include everyone working in the school.
Source: OzarksFirst.com on 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race
Feb 27, 2022
On Abortion:
Stand with women for right to make own healthcare decisions
Every person should have the autonomy to make decisions about their body and their life. Republicans have passed extreme abortion bans in recent years, including a law that banned access to abortion even in cases of rape, incest, or medical need.
As state representative and Democratic Floor Leader, Crystal has stood and will continue to stand with women for the right to make the best decisions about their healthcare for their own lives.
Source: 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race press release "Enshrine"
Sep 1, 2023
On Education:
Continues the fight to fund public schools, higher education
In Jefferson City, she fights to provide educators with the tools and support that they need to ensure that students have access to a quality education, regardless of class, race, religion, gender, or location. As the first in her family to
graduate high school and then the first to graduate college, Crystal knows the importance of affordable and accessible education. That's why Crystal continues the fight to fund public schools and higher education in the Missouri budget.
Source: 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race press release "Enshrine"
Sep 1, 2023
On Families & Children:
Access to affordable and high quality daycare a priority
Having access to affordable and high quality daycare and early childhood education programs has been a priority for her in Jefferson City. Since her election, she has sponsored bills that combat the child care cliff effect,
giving parents a way to work their way towards success and has worked to secure child care funding for small businesses to be able to provide as a resource to their employees.
Source: 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race press release "Enshrine"
Sep 1, 2023
On Health Care:
Has been a leader in bringing Medicaid expansion to Missouri
Crystal has witnessed far too many Missourians struggle with healthcare access, managing payments, and opioid addiction. Crystal has been a leader in bringing Medicaid expansion to Missouri, and is dedicated to addressing barriers Missourians
experience in receiving affordable healthcare. She is ready to go back to Jefferson City to address these barriers including Medicaid application wait times, access to local hospitals in rural communities, and gaps in current Medicaid coverage.
Source: 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race press release "Enshrine"
Sep 1, 2023
On Jobs:
Knows impact of minimum wage jobs from personal experience
The fact that many Missourians work 40 to 60 hour work weeks and yet still struggle financially is appalling. Growing up with a mother who waited tables, and through her own experience working minimum wage jobs in college,
Crystal understands the troubling financial implications of Missouri's current minimum wage. She stood with Missourians and Raise Up Missouri's push for a minimum wage increase in 2018.
Source: 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race press release "Enshrine"
Sep 1, 2023
On Welfare & Poverty:
Not enough legislators understand the realities of poverty
I learned very quickly that not enough legislators understood the realities of poverty. With social services making up the bulk of our 27 billion dollar budget, and with laws that dictate how services are
offered and if folks are able to break the cycle, we need legislators who understand the implications of policy. I ran to bring my unique perspectives to Jefferson City.
Source: 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race press release "Enshrine"
Sep 1, 2023
On Foreign Policy:
Democrats have long opposed China owning Missouri ag land
Jay Ashcroft has become a vocal cheerleader for restricting foreign-owned farmland. Now, Ashcroft's opponents are using his past advocacy against him. A campaign ad titled "Cows" depicts a bovine forced to learn a new language "now that my farm is owned
by China."Republicans [including Quade's opponent Mike Kehoe] voted to override Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of a 2013 plan, opening up Missouri ag land to foreign ownership. In recent years, however, Republicans have pushed to reverse course.
House Minority Leader Crystal Quade said "Democrats have been trying to fix the mess the extremists made." She referred to legislation she filed barring future agricultural land purchases by foreign corporations, "ensuring we're putting America's food
and energy needs first."
Quade said that while she has been "sounding the alarm" on the issue, "other candidates have voted to sell off Missouri's farmland or have made other issues a priority over securing our national interests."
Source: StlToday AdWatch on 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race, "Cows"
May 31, 2024
On Homeland Security:
Serious leaders recognize our veterans
Jay Ashcroft came under withering criticism this week following recent comments suggesting special benefits for veterans are unfair. Ashcroft said, "I think we ought to treat everybody equally. I don't think we ought to say if you're in the military, we
give this discount but everybody else has to pay twice as much. I don't think that's good government."[Several of Ashcroft's Republican opponents criticized Ashcroft, and] Crystal Quade, a Springfield Democrat who is running for governor, also
criticized Ashcroft. "We need serious leaders in our state & Jay isn't up to the task," Quade wrote on social media.
The Democratic Governors Association also weighed in. Emma O'Brien, a press secretary for the DGA, said Thursday that Ashcroft was "an
insider politician who only looks out for himself, but wants to rip away benefits from members of the military and veterans who put their lives on the line to protect our freedom. It's shameful."
Source: Kansas City Star on 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race
Feb 22, 2024
On Energy & Oil:
Endorsed by Missouri Sierra Club; supports renewable energy
The Missouri Sierra Club supports Crystal Quade for Missouri governor, because she has a proven track record of voting to protect our state parks, to protect voters' rights and to support the renewable clean energy transition.
Crystal Quade has served as the minority leader in the Missouri House of Representatives for several years. She understands state government and has made policy that simultaneously supports working people and protects the planet we depend upon.
Source: Columbia Missourian on 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race
Oct 14, 2024
On Foreign Policy:
Filed a bill to stop foreign purchasing of farmland
And so I have actually filed the bill the past few years in the legislature to stop the foreign purchasing of farmland. I think unwinding that is a difficult thing. And we need to be open and honest with folks about what that looks like.
But what we can do is stop the continuation of that buying up and be able to protect our family farms and ensure that the folks who are growing our food right here have control over that food and where it's going.
Source: KMIZ ABC-17 News on 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial race
Jul 30, 2024
On Gun Control:
Allow local governments to set regulations on firearms
On guns, Quade said she supports local governments having more authority to set regulations on firearms. Quade drew a contrast between the need for guns in rural areas of the state and the situation in large metro areas. "Of course what's going on in
Webster County where I grew up is different than what's going on in inner city St. Louis," Quade said. Kehoe responded that Second Amendment rights are one of the "most fundamental" rights that American citizens enjoy.
He referred to his upbringing in St. Louis, where he said gang members didn't go to stores to buy guns. "Every time we put more restrictions on a citizen's
Second Amendment rights, we actually hurt the citizens who are trying to do this law-abiding and legally," Kehoe said.
Source: Kansas City Star on 2024 Missouri Gubernatorial debate
Sep 20, 2024
On Immigration:
Would support bipartisan federal immigration legislation
Quade said she would like to support bipartisan immigration legislation at the federal level and on the local level, she would like to provide more support to law enforcement to keep communities safe from drug and human trafficking.
Kehoe, who boasted of his two visits to the Mexico-United States border, described illegal immigration in
Missouri as "out of control," especially with an excess of deadly, illegal drugs like fentanyl, entering the country.
Kehoe said he would like to get a handle on the number of undocumented immigrants so state funds can be redirected to Missouri taxpayers.
Source: Springfield News-Leader on 2024 Missouri Governor debate
Sep 20, 2024
Page last updated: Oct 31, 2024