SierraScape August - September 2009
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by John Hickey
Contributing Member

Because of the impact of term limits, at least 55 Missouri State House seats (i.e. more than 1/3 of the total body) will be open in the November 2010 elections. This gives Sierra Club members a great opportunity to recruit our own activists to run for public office, since it is much easier to win in an open-seat election than it is to defeat an incumbent.

And state house seats matter. The Missouri General Assembly is responsible for many key areas of environmental policy, including regulating utility companies, setting land use policies, and allocating transportation funding between highways and mass transit. Currently, we cannot count on a pro-environment majority on these critical issues. For example, the measure to remove the ban on charging for Construction-Work-in-Progress (CWIP) passed the House by a large margin earlier this session. In 2008 the Legislature refused to pass a renewable energy portfolio bill, so we had to pass the measure via initiative petition. The petition vote showed that Missourians overwhelmingly supported the Sierra Club position on renewable energy – and that our current legislators are dangerously out of touch with the public's concerns on combating the climate crisis.

What does it take to run for the state house? You need to have the time to canvass voters in your district, and the ability to fundraise. It is hard work, but it is possible, and you can build a team of like-minded people to help your campaign. Look at Jeanne Kirkton, who won a state house seat in Webster Groves and Shrewsbury just six months ago.

If you are interested in exploring being a candidate, please contact the Sierra Club Political Committee to discuss the idea. Call the Missouri chapter office, 314-644-1011, or 800-628-5333, or send an email to missouri.chapter@sierraclub.org. Although filing for state offices does not begin until the end of February 2010, it is time now to begin testing the water and determining whether your candidacy makes sense. The earlier you begin, the easier it is to arrange your work and family commitments to give you the time to run, and the more time you have to raise the necessary funds.

If you aren't interested in running for office but want to work for candidates who support Sierra Club positions on environmental issues, contact the Political Committee and they will find a place for you to help.