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Up Close and Personal with Rep. Robert Cornejo

Rep. Robert Cornejo made his bid for House Speaker right at the tail-end of session, becoming the first official candidate for what’s expected to be a tight leadership race when current Speaker Todd Richardson term limits at the end of the 2017 session.  He currently chairs the House General Laws Committee, one of the more wide-ranging committees in the chamber, and he also played a large role in the Special Committee on Litigation Reform this session, discussing the tort reform efforts undertaken by the House this semester. He spoke with The Missouri Times about his plans for the future of the Missouri House and how he got to where he is today.

 

The Missouri Times: You donating your special session per diem has generated a lot of buzz. Why did you do it?

Cornejo: I did it to send a message. The House did its job and did it well. However, certain senators blocked the Senate from taking action on several measures. I also have sincere concerns that what the Senate did to HCB 3 is unconstitutional. Those concerns are exactly why I stood with my Speaker and the Budget Chairman in voting against the Senate version of HCB 3. I am afraid it could get thrown out in court and put vulnerable citizens at risk of losing services. I could have spent the money on buying my caucus coffee or even a lunch, but I believe the money will be better served in this fashion. Even though the donation will be small, I hope it will send a message that the House is dedicated to protecting seniors.

I also understand that the Missouri legislature is considered a part-time job and this Special Session is going to take House members away from their other paying jobs. That is why I respect my colleagues and am not calling on other House members to make similar donations because each representative is different and already has to make unique sacrifices to serve their districts.

TMT: You were spotted at the Governor’s bootheel rallies this weekend? Why did you go?

Cornejo: I know that Rep. Don Rone and other members from the Bootheel work hard for their region and that this legislation is extremely important to them. I was there to support Rep. Rone, Rep. [Steve] Cookson, Rep. [Andrew] McDaniel, and Rep. [Donna] Lichtenegger, who also attended. Gov. Eric Greitens and I have not had a chance to have any substantive conversation over the course of the past year up to today due to our conflicting schedules and other time restraints. I attended the event because Rep. Rone made a request and I was happy to support my House colleagues.

TMT: The General Laws committee you chair sees a variety of interesting legislation. How do you manage such a watched committee?

Cornejo: I have enjoyed being Chairman of the General Laws Committee and seeing such a wide range of legislation come through such as ethics, Uber/Lyft, gun bills, motorcycle helmet bills, education reform and tort reform. When dealing with such a wide-range of topics I think it is important to be open, honest, level-headed, and knowledgeable about the issues, the House rules, and committee members. We had some priority legislation come through the committee and nothing ever failed in my committee on a vote. I think that comes down to having a working relationship and great communication with every committee member since not everyone can vote for every bill. Everyone’s voice was heard in committee, every amendment that members wanted to offer were considered, and even though they might not like the outcome of something, every member was treated with respect and honesty.

TMT: You’ve filed several liquor industry-related legislation, like the growler bill and the “Total Wine” bill. What is the state of the state liquor economy?

Cornejo: This is certainly not something I ran a campaign on or thought much about before I got into the legislature. However, as you start to look at the alcohol industry you come to learn that a lot of the rules and regulations that were put into place were done so decades ago after Prohibition ended and the federal government turned the alcohol industry over to the states. So, while some rules and regulations may have made sense back in the 1930s, they are old, outdated, and simply not workable in today’s modern era. Some regulations are certainly necessary, but they must be reasonable. Just as we have updated regulations for Uber/Lyft and attempted for hair-braiding, this is another area where Republicans can take the lead and work on reducing out-dated, burdensome regulations that are, in some instances, unconstitutional.

TMT: You were the House handler of 2016’s SB5, which is back in the news. What is the state of municipal court reform?

Cornejo: SB 5 is, for the most part, still in effect as the recent court ruling simply struck down the 12.5 percent cap on traffic tickets for municipalities in St. Louis County and put it at the same level as the rest of the state at 20 percent. Before SB 5, municipalities’ traffic ticket fines were capped at 30 percent of their budgets. So, even on that front, there has still been significant movement for reform. In addition, some of the minimum municipal standards are still in place which are bringing about a transformative change in the St. Louis region. We have seen some municipalities consolidate their police services while other municipalities have gone to their citizens to see if the taxpayers are willing to pay for the services the city wishes to provide. We are only about 2 years into what I predict will be a 10-15 year process that will bring about some transformative changes to the region for the betterment of the citizens.

TMT: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned since you joined the state legislature?

Cornejo: In my civics classes growing up, I learned that the legislative process was purposely structured to be slow and meant to be the “sand in the gears of the political process.” However, that really did not “hit home” for me until I got down to Jefferson City. As a business owner, once I made a decision for what I thought was for the best, then everyone in the company would all work on the same page in attempting to accomplish that goal. However, down at the Capitol, if I come up with something I think is a brilliant way to move our state forward, I have to run it by 196 of my colleagues in the General Assembly and the Governor. Taking other people’s thoughts and concerns into consideration as well as building relationships with my colleagues in order to develop honest and open communication is the key to success.

TMT: Why are you running for speaker?

Cornejo: As I stated on This Week in Missouri Politics, if I am going to take five months out of the year and leave behind my wife, my children, and my businesses, then I want to be as impactful as possible in moving our state forward. I am not doing it to further my political career. I want to help the caucus and I have the experience necessary to help us move forward with meaningful legislation. I have a proven track record of passing complex, controversial legislation like SB 5 and the beer growler bill, and I take pride in my honest, open, and level-headed approach to the legislative process.

TMT: What do you hope to see the legislature accomplish during your tenure?

Cornejo: It is my hope that over the next year and a half we are able to pass a lot of the first wave of Republican priorities such as labor reform, tort reform, and education reform. So, by the time my tenure begins, I would like to see us start attacking that second wave of Republican priorities such as reducing regulations that stifle innovators and job creators as well as reducing the size of government. My past legislation has shown that I am ready to tackle those issues even if they may bring some controversy, such as SB 5 reducing the size of government and my alcohol bills reducing onerous regulations. Our caucus is also going to look at issues such as grid modernization as well as transportation funding. I also anticipate the courts not agreeing with some of the tort reform measures the legislature has passed, so I would imagine there will be some follow up tort reform measures that will need to take place.

TMT: When you’re back home, what concerns do you hear about from your constituents?

Cornejo: Even though a lot of people think of St. Charles County as a suburban setting, I have been blessed to represent a district that is overwhelmingly agricultural-oriented. I represent some of the most nutrient-rich soil in the state sitting between the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and it has become known for producing some of the best crops around. That is why I have a voting record that strongly supports the agriculture industry as those are issues my constituents deal with every day. Also, my district does not have a single Wal-mart in it nor a single golf course, but I have six Catholic parishes within my district and two more that are less than a half-mile outside my district. So, family values and protecting the unborn are two things that I am sure to hear about while eating at the parish summer picnics and fall festivals.

TMT: How did you get to where you are today?

Cornejo: One thing people do not know a lot about me, but is a big part of who I am today, is my unique childhood experience. For a good part of my childhood, I grew up poor with a working mother of three children. Our budget was so tight that not only did we live in a mobile home for a while, but we lived in a mobile home with another family. So, I knew early that if I ever wanted to get anywhere, it was going to be through my own hard work and determination. That work ethic helped me get a full-ride package from Washington University in St. Louis, become captain of the football team there, work for US Senator Jim Talent, and let me graduate without a single student loan. From there, I was offered a scholarship to go to law school at Mizzou and was able to meet a great group of people interested in state politics, led by [former Rep.] Caleb Jones, who inspired me to get involved politically. After building up my business, I did not like where we were at and decided that I would stop complaining about it and get involved by running for state representative.


We also asked the representative to take part in a “rapid fire” round of questioning, which he gladly obliged to.

1. Favorite Memorial Day food: It’s the official start of BBQ again so it has to be a cheeseburger.

2. Favorite Pandora station: I have a pretty diverse taste in music, but right now it is Chris Stapleton Channel with lots of Sturgill Simpson mixed in

3. Favorite TV show: The Walking Dead

4. Favorite holiday: Thanksgiving

5. Favorite sport: College football (only college though and not NFL)

6. Least favorite household chore: Changing Ruthie’s dirty diapers

7. Favorite part of the day: Evening when I get home and the kids are back home from school and/or the babysitter

8. How do you relax? Usually out back with BBQ and the Cardinals game playing and the kids playing on their playset

9. Which is easier: whipping votes or wrangling kids? Wrangling kids

10. If you could time and space travel, where would you go? Back to the founding of our country, to the many meetings and emotional conversations that were sure to have taken place setting up our United States. I guess that nerdy answer explains why I am in politics.

11. BONUS If you won the Missouri Lottery ($2.7 million), what would you do with it? Invest it and help my mom enjoy life since she made so many sacrifices for me growing up