Grayson B Hunt

“Rural health care access is one of the most serious issues facing Missouri. When a county has no hospital, every emergency becomes more dangerous, and every routine health need becomes harder and more expensive. I support policies that strengthen rural hospitals, expand access to primary care, and make it easier for communities to recruit and retain doctors, nurses, mental health providers, and emergency medical personnel. Incentivize cities to build hospitals to reduce this gap may be reviewed. At the federal level, I would support targeted rural health funding that actually reaches local providers, not just large systems. I also support expanding telehealth where it makes sense, improving broadband access, protecting rural EMS services, and reducing regulatory barriers that make it harder for small clinics and hospitals to operate. We also need to address prescription drug costs, insurance costs, and the shortage of providers serving rural areas. My goal is simple: people in rural Missouri should not have to drive an hour or more just to receive basic care, emergency care, mental health care, or maternal health services.”

“Yes I would. Agriculture is a backbone of Missouri’s economy, especially in southwest Missouri, and we should support innovation that helps farmers, ranchers, producers, and rural communities remain competitive. Agtech can help improve yields, conserve water, reduce input costs, improve animal health, strengthen supply chains, and keep Missouri agriculture strong for the next generation. That said, support for agtech should not mean replacing family farms with corporate control or forcing expensive technology onto producers who cannot afford it. My focus would be on practical innovation that helps Missouri producers. I support education and scientific training tied to agriculture, including workforce training, technical education, university research, soil and water science, animal science, veterinary pipelines, and precision agriculture. Missouri students should have a clear path into good paying careers in agriculture, food production, conservation, and rural technology. Science should serve the people doing the work, and in Missouri, that means supporting the farmers and families who feed this state and this country.”

“AI has benefits, including medical research, logistics, manufacturing, cybersecurity, agriculture, and small business efficiency. Missouri should not ignore innovation. However, new data center construction also raises many serious concerns, especially in Southwest Missouri, where residents are already dealing with rising utility costs, water concerns, land use issues, noise, and infrastructure strain. My position is that data centers should not receive blank checks, special treatment, or incentives if they increase electric rates, strain local water supplies, or provide limited long term local jobs.I think they should be limited in size and limited in certain consumption levels. Any project should be required to prove its impact on water use, power demand, grid reliability, local taxes, land use, and utility rates before approval, and should be by the voters. I would support transparency requirements, local control, environmental review, and protections to ensure residents are not subsidizing private corporate infrastructure through higher bills. Innovation does matters, but Missouri families should not pay the price for projects that mainly benefit large tech companies.”

“If elected, I would consult scientists, researchers, medical professionals, engineers, farmers, local officials, and affected citizens depending on the policy issue. Science should inform policy, but policy also has to consider cost, liberty, ethics, local impact, and real world implementation. I do not believe science should be treated as partisan. Good data, peer reviewed research, and expert testimony can help lawmakers avoid emotional or politically convenient decisions. At the same time, elected officials should ask hard questions, compare evidence, and make sure scientific recommendations are transparent and accountable. For health policy, I would seek input from doctors, public health professionals, rural providers, and patient advocates. For agriculture, I would consult farmers, university researchers, veterinarians, and soil and water experts. For energy, AI, infrastructure, and environmental issues, I would rely on engineers, economists, utility experts, and environmental scientists. My approach would be evidence informed, locally grounded, and accountable to the people of Missouri.”

“Science literacy matters (and one of my favorites!) because it affects health, jobs, agriculture, technology, energy, and the ability of citizens to understand the world around them. I believe K-12 science education should be practical, rigorous, and connected to real life. Students should understand basic biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, agriculture, health, data literacy, and technology. They should also learn how to evaluate evidence, understand risk, identify misinformation, and ask good questions. Science education should not be about political messaging. It should teach students how to think clearly, test ideas, and understand the difference between evidence, opinion, and assumption. In Missouri, science standards should also connect to local needs: agriculture, water quality, conservation, health care, manufacturing, cybersecurity, and energy. I support strengthening STEM pathways, career and technical education, lab access, teacher support, and partnerships with local colleges, trade programs, farms, hospitals, and employers. Better science education can prepare students for good careers while also building public trust in science.”