ST. LOUIS — When Liane Kuhn started working in the Capitol during 2006, she was not a stranger to the lay of the land in Missouri politics.
With multiple family members working in the building as staffers throughout the years and her father working with the Capitol Police for two decades, she realized a long time ago that she wanted to join them as soon as she could.
“It had always been a goal in my life that when I got older and had more experience, this is where I wanted to work and be involved in what happens at our state at a ground level,” she said. And now, she is.
After 13 years of working at the 4H office in Columbia, Mo., Kuhn said it was time to make a change. Her transition to the Capitol also kept her just a little closer to home in Jamestown — a small town in Moniteau County.
Kuhn is the legislative assistant for Rep. Steve Cookson, R-Poplar Bluff, but before Cookson she worked for former Rep. Randy Asbury, who she said chose not to run for reelection.
“When I started here, people told me I was going to be so swamped and that I would never get a break,” she said. “While I’m busy and it’s challenging, after working for four full-time bosses for 13 years, working for one is not quite as bad.”
Kuhn said she had a new experience this year working for the chair of the Education Committee, which made her the secretary for committee meetings. She said it’s been an eye-opening opportunity and she’s learned a lot from watching the debates and discussions evolve into solidified legislation.
But, her favorite part of her job will always be constituent services.
“It means a lot to me to be able to help the people in the district when they call,” she said, adding that while helping the residents is her favorite part, it’s also the most challenging. “I do get upset when constituents call and no matter what we do, we just can’t help them.”
She said there are times when personal issues that residents face require help that they don’t have the power or ability to provide. Sometimes, she said a constituent might have gotten into trouble and wants to see how to get it pardoned, and other times it’s a federal issue.
“I can help move them up the chain, but I don’t always feel that sense of really solving their problem,” she said. But, all in all, she said the rewarding aspect of getting to help solve most of the issues that are brought to the office means a lot to her.
Kuhn is a single mother with two daughters, Stacey, 26, and Kelsey, 20, who was crowned the 2012 Miss Missouri and is set to give her crown to her successor this August.
The family lives in Jamestown, Mo., with Kuhn’s father — her mother passed away this past January.
“We take care of dad and he takes care of us,” she said.
The family home isn’t the exact house she grew up in, but she said it was on the same homestead, which dates back in the family for nine generations since they got the grant in 1843 — something the family cherishes.
Looking forward, Kuhn said she’s enjoying her job at the Capitol and looks forward to continuing her work there for as long as she can.
Ashley Jost is no longer with The Missouri Times. She worked as the executive editor for several months, and a reporter before that.