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A Capitol experience: Brown begins term as state representative
For Donnie Brown, taking the oath of office Jan. 4 was the easy part of becoming the next 149th District State representative.
After his announcement of his plans to run for the office, Brown was busy balancing his job as the New Madrid County Highway Department engineer with campaigning for election in a district that includes New Madrid County along with parts of Mississippi and Pemiscot counties. Following his election in November, Brown attended orientation for freshmen legislators, traveled across Missouri, visited with constituents and filed legislation.
Brown said the orientation during the first week of December was especially beneficial. New members of the Missouri House of Representatives took part in a mock committee session then in an hour-and-a-half mock House session.
“They went over the different things about presenting a bill, the rules of the House, the way you conduct yourself on the floor of the House,” said Brown. “That was really helpful for me. I understand things a lot better when I actually see them in action.”
The next week, the approximately 50 new House members boarded a bus for a tour from Kansas City along Interstate 70 to St. Louis. Brown said they saw a range of things from the Kansas City Royals’ Stadium to the State Mental Hospital at Fulton to Boeing’s fighter jet production facility in St. Louis.
He was particularly impressed with a technical school they visited in Kansas City. According to Brown, the school had one room where students learned to frame buildings while in the next they took the framing and installed the electrical and plumbing. There was a large welding shop and another room where heating and air conditioning instructors oversaw students.
Brown explained the school was supported by Kansas City businesses. In order to ensure a workforce was available with proper training, Brown said, some of the companies even provided the equipment, which could cost as much as $200,000 to $300,000.
“It was so impressive because 97% of people that came to that training went directly into a job,” Brown said. “I was so impressed with the way they brought real businesses in to help fund it, and as a result, these kids went straight out into a very good paying job.”
He added this is a model he would like to see recreated in Southeast Missouri, if not all across the state.
Spending two weeks with his fellow freshmen legislators was an opportunity to forge relationships.
“They were all good, genuine people,” he said. “Most of them are from agriculture-based areas like we are here. It might not be in row crops; it might be cattle or other things but it was a group of people that are pretty like-minded and with the same values. And they are there for the right reasons, they want to see Missouri do better and continue to improve.”
Brown and Cameron Parker, the new state representative from the 150th District, will share office space and a legislative assistant. They hired Wanda Mehroff, who has 14 years experience working in the Capitol.
He also used the weeks before the opening of the session to meet with the House leadership about his preferences for committees. Brown was named to his top choice, the Budget Committee.
“I feel like if you want to learn about government, you have got to follow the money,” Brown said. He added he also realizes the Budget Committee requires hours of work and lots of hearings.
“But that is what I’m going up there for and I have had a lot of experience over the years with city and county budgets. I know with the state budget there is a whole lot more zeros involved but I’m very interested in the Budget Committee,” he said.
Brown was also named to Agriculture Policy and the Subcommittee on Appropriations - Agriculture, Conservation, Natural Resources and Economic Development.
When he ran for office, Brown campaigned with a goal of making Southeast Missouri more sustainable by seeking more training for employment, bringing more jobs to the region and making housing available. Since his election and his tour across the state, he acknowledged he has become aware of more issues including the need for improved mental health facilities and the shortage of nurses and other medical personnel.
He was also approached by county commissioners in the Bootheel who are dealing with law enforcement issues such as housing prisoners, dispatching needs and paying competitive wages for officers. They asked Brown if he could find a way to provide additional funding specifically for law enforcement.
Working with House researchers, Brown said he developed a proposal to enable counties to ask voters whether to impose a one cent per gallon license fee on road diesel fuel. He explained by limiting it to road diesel it would not impact the farming community but enable county governments to gain extra money from those traveling the interstates and highways.
“I really hadn’t planned on filing any legislation. I was going to go with the idea of just trying to get my feet on the ground and learn. But I did pre-file a bill for that. So I’m going to jump in there and get my feet wet,” he said with a laugh.
The state representative admits he isn’t looking forward to the hours of travel from the Bootheel to Jefferson City and back. Before he made his decision to run he first spoke with his wife, Amy, and his son, Donnie Ray, about the time it would involve away from home as well as with the New Madrid County commissioners about the time away from his job. They all backed his decision to run for office.
He pointed out the session typically is from January to mid-May. The House convenes at 4 p.m. Mondays and adjourns around noon Thursdays. “So there is still quite a bit of time at home,” he said.
Brown also expressed his appreciation for the advice he received from retiring State Representative Don Rone, 148th District Rep. Jamie Burger and State Senators Jason Bean and Holly Thompson Rehder.
“They have been good to lend that helping hand because obviously there have been a million questions. They have been patient with me. I am so thankful for them and look forward to working with them for the next couple of years,” he added.
Brown said he looks forward to serving the people of the 149th District.
I feel like the biggest thing a state representative can do is help people,” he said. “I hope people won’t hesitate to call. So many times people complain about a problem but they don’t let people know who can maybe help them. I am not guaranteeing I can help everyone on everything but maybe I can point them in the right direction where they can get help.”
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To contact Rep. Donnie Brown: The mailing address is 201 W. Capitol Ave, Room 116-2, Jefferson City, MO 651010-6806. The email address is donnie.Brown@house.mo.gov. His office telephone number is 573-751-4085 or cell phone number is 573-748-0165.