For my wife, Lindsey, Christmas means a warm fire, a hot cup of tea and decorating the Christmas tree together as a family. For me, it's more about last-minute shopping, risking my life on a ladder to hang thousands of Christmas lights, and assembling a dollhouse or basketball hoop at midnight. The one thing we both agree on is that the holidays are all about traditions.  more

Just like millions of Americans, I’m incredibly relieved that soon we will once again have a leader in the White House who will fight to make our border secure. President-elect Donald Trump will waste no time enacting the policies we need to bring an end to the worst border crisis in American history. He is working around the clock to ensure his administration is ready on day one to begin the process of making our border secure and our communities safe again. more

Over the past few years, education in Missouri has undergone a quiet but seismic shift. What’s most interesting about this change is that it’s happening outside of schools. more

Government programs are not known for moving at a rapid pace. Often, work in the public policy sector is laborious and time-consuming, sometimes taking decades to make significant progress. more

With November begins the busiest shopping season of the year. We’re familiar with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but let’s not overlook Small Business Saturday — a day dedicated to supporting the businesses that keep our communities vibrant and unique. On this day, shop small and make an impact close to home by supporting the shops, services, and makers in our own backyards. more

Ever since I was a young kid, Thanksgiving is something I’ve always looked forward to. It’s a cherished time where we catch up with family, sit down for a delicious meal, and reflect on what we’re grateful for. It’s a tradition that has been celebrated by generation after generation of Americans. more

This time of year is often called football season. Others may call it sweater weather and pumpkin spice latte time. I can almost get on board with those descriptions, but for farmers it’s harvest and calving season. On my farm near Harrisonville, it’s also peak agritourism season, when folks venture to the farm to pick their pumpkins, take photos, build memories and learn about agriculture. more

As we celebrate Veterans Day this month, I reflect on the many veterans who have touched my life.  more

It’s the dawn of a new era in America. After four long years of going from crisis to crisis, a major shakeup in Washington is coming in January. I am eager and ready to work side-by-side with President Donald Trump to get America back on the right track and undo all the damage the Biden-Harris administration inflicted on our great nation. more

I’m going to get a little more personal in today’s column than I usually do, which is really saying something, because I always view these editorials as a little coffee chat. You over there on that side of the table, by the window, and me over here on this side, holding my steaming mug of dirty chai — a blend of coffee and spiced tea, for the uninitiated. It’s my favorite thing. more

Ranked-choice voting is on the rise in the U.S., with two U.S. states and 45 U.S. cities now using some version of it. more

From time to time, friends and acquaintances ask me if they can come watch the proceedings of the Supreme Court of Missouri in Jefferson City. I reply, “Of course, we love having people visit the Court and see us in action.”  more

More than a century ago, a small group of farmers came together in Slater, Missouri, determined to develop an organization to be a voice for agriculture and rural communities. Since Missouri Farm Bureau’s start in 1915, generations of county leaders brought MOFB to where it is today, serving more than 157,000 members across the state. more

If you live in Springfield, you noticed a significant change six weeks ago — school’s back in session. The combination of 25,000-plus college students coming to the city along with K-12 students back on a regular schedule means increased traffic and activity. more

It was only a matter of time. Not too long ago, my son, Max, and I had an unscheduled meeting to discuss the accuracy of the speedometer in my truck. The meeting began with flashing red and blue lights, followed by a noteworthy self-assessment, which involved me apologizing for my mistake and thanking the Boone County deputy sheriff for his service. After a polite reminder that there have been multiple accidents in the area involving excessive speed, the officer reminded me to please slow down and sent me on my way. more

Every August, thousands of Missourians converge upon Sedalia for 11 days of food, fun and fellowship during the Missouri State Fair. The Missouri Farm Bureau building is always a hotbed of activity, and while there’s not a staff member standing at the door counting the number of attendees who enter in search of ice-cold milk, insurance and membership giveaways, or to sign up for a lawnmower drawing, the consensus was that this year felt “busy.” From the time the doors opened until they shut for the last time each night, fairgoers seemed to be everywhere. more

As a young kid, I always loved helping out on my grandparents’ farm. It was an opportunity to spend quality time with family and it helped me learn the value of hard work. It’s also what inspired me to join FFA, study agriculture in college, and do whatever it would take to one day purchase the farm, which I was able to do using the money I made from harvesting timber on the property while I was in law school. Running my farm, which has been in my family for four generations, isn’t easy. But there is nothing more rewarding. more

Many of the cases judges are asked to decide typically result in some people winning and others losing. But one of the only times everyone leaves the courtroom happy is when an adoption is finalized. more

As someone who strongly believes that the best government is that which is closest to the people, I’m incredibly frustrated by how much the federal government has grown since our nation was founded nearly 250 years ago. Whenever the Left is in control of Washington, they do everything they can to force their values on the rest of America — and the biggest tool they have is the Washington bureaucracy. Whether they’re trying to ban gas powered vehicles, dictating what you can or can’t do on your land, or even deciding what kind of appliances you can purchase for your home, there is no limit to how far they will go to expand government command and control. more

In June, the electric co-ops lost an icon. Frank Stork was CEO of Missouri Electric Cooperatives for more than 30 years. During his time here, he led the rural electric co-ops through many challenges and received plenty of recognition.  more