The Issues

Reproductive Freedom

Missourians deserve the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions — without politicians interfering. In Jefferson City, Rep. Reed has stood up to extreme attempts to control women’s bodies and criminalize doctors. Reproductive freedom isn’t abstract, it’s about whether families can make deeply personal decisions with dignity and privacy. Rep. Reed will continue fighting to protect access to contraception, IVF, maternal healthcare, and safe abortion care and to ensure the government stays out of decisions that belong to patients and their doctors.

Education

Public education is the foundation of opportunity in Missouri. Rep. Reed believes in fully funding our public schools, paying teachers what they deserve, expanding early childhood education, and protecting classrooms from partisan political agendas.

Our kids deserve safe schools, modern facilities, and pathways to college, trades, and good-paying careers. Rep. Reed will continue fighting Governor Kehoe’s voucher shell game schemes and culture-war distractions that drain resources away from neighborhood schools.

Protecting Local Government

The people closest to the community should make the decisions that shape it. Too often, Republican politicians in Jefferson City override the will of local voters and officials attacking cities, counties, and school boards when they disagree politically. Rep. Reed has fought to keep state politicians out of local decision-making and to defend the right of communities to govern themselves. Local control means respecting local leaders, not punishing them.

Union Rights

When workers do well, Missouri does well. I support the right of workers to organize, bargain collectively, and earn fair wages and safe working conditions. I’ve stood with union members and working families against efforts to weaken labor protections. Strong unions built Missouri’s middle class — and protecting union rights is key to rebuilding it.

That’s why Rep. Reed introduced legislation to prioritize union labor and responsible contractors for state-funded projects, ensuring taxpayer dollars support fair wages, apprenticeship programs, and Missouri workers instead of low-road contractors who cut corners. Rep. Reed is also proud to have a 100% voting record with the Missouri AFL-CIO because when working families need a voice in Jefferson City, they know exactly where he stands.

Healthcare

Healthcare is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Rep. Reed supports expanding access to affordable healthcare, expanding and protecting Medicaid, strengthening rural hospitals, addressing maternal mortality, and defending coverage for pre-existing conditions. No family should face bankruptcy because someone gets sick. We must lower prescription drug costs and prioritize mental health care, especially for young people.

An Economy That Works for Working Families

Our economy should reward hard work — not just wealth at the top. Rep. Reed supports policies that lower costs for families, strengthen small businesses, expand access to affordable housing, and invest in working-class communities. That means smart public investment, responsible budgeting, and tax policies that don’t give handouts to the well-connected while leaving working families behind.

That’s why Rep. Reed opposed Mike Kehoe’s plan to eliminate Missouri’s income tax. That proposal would deliver an overwhelming tax cut to the wealthiest Missourians while shifting the burden onto working families through higher sales taxes. For families in District 83 and across our state, that means paying more at the grocery store, more for school supplies, and more for everyday essentials, all while millionaires pay less. Rep. Reed believes in tax fairness. We can grow our economy without balancing the books on the backs of working people.

Social Justice

Justice should not depend on your zip code, race, income, or identity. Rep. Reed believes leadership means showing up and putting your body on the line, not just when it’s easy, but when it matters most.

In 2020, as protests for racial justice swept across the country following the killing of George Floyd, Rep. Reed marched alongside Missourians demanding that Black lives be valued equally under the law. That movement moved the nation, and it strengthened his resolve to fight systemic inequities in our criminal justice system, expand voting rights, and ensure accountability and transparency in policing.

Rep. Reed also organized inside the Capitol to protect for reproductive freedom when it was under direct attack, standing with advocates, patients, and providers to defend personal liberty and bodily autonomy. He’s also stood as an ally alongside the LGBTQ+ community, including families and advocates fighting to protect trans kids from harmful and discriminatory legislation.

Social justice is not a slogan, it’s a commitment to building a Missouri where every person is treated with dignity, protected under the law, and given a fair shot to thrive.

Environmental Justice

Clean air and clean water are basic rights, not privileges. Rep. Reed supports holding polluters accountable, investing in clean energy, modernizing our infrastructure, and ensuring that low-income and underserved communities are not disproportionately burdened by environmental harm. Protecting Missouri’s natural resources is both a moral responsibility and an economic opportunity.

That’s why Rep. Reed introduced the Heartland Initiative in the Missouri House, a bold, comprehensive plan to position our state as a national leader in combating climate change while creating good-paying jobs here at home. The Heartland Initiative would invest in renewable energy, resilient infrastructure, and innovation across urban, suburban, and rural communities alike. Missouri shouldn’t lag behind, we should lead.