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Gunby has been ‘living’ her platform for ‘a number of years,’ she says

Trish Gunby, representative-elect for HD 99, didn’t shy away from issues important to her — such as gun control and LGBTQ rights — during the campaign, something she said made a difference in her victory. 

“I told people, ‘Google my name.’ I was working on these issues before this opportunity arose. I really didn’t have to craft a platform. My platform I had been living for a number of years,” Gunby said during Sunday’s episode of “This Week in Missouri Politics.” 

Gunby, a Democrat, won the special election for the House seat formerly held by Republicans Jean Evans (now the Missouri GOP executive director) and Sen. Andrew Koenig (a member of the Conservative Caucus). She beat Republican Lee Ann Pitman in the election earlier this month. 

Specifically, Gunby noted she’s been working on LGBTQ inclusion in her Methodist church. She said getting the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act passed this year would be a priority as she joins the General Assembly. 

When it comes to the abortion debate consuming Missouri this year, Gunby said the government should “totally” stay out of it. 

“I just believe in Roe v. Wade. I feel like now, as a 59-year-old woman, I had more rights as a teenager regarding this issue growing up. So the idea that now, women have fewer rights than I did as a teenager, is very disconcerting to me,” Gunby said. “The idea of no exceptions for rape and incest, I can’t even wrap my head around that.”

Gaming issues

State Reps. Jim Murphy and Tommie Pierson Jr. joined the panel this week, along with Braxton Payne of The Kelley Group and Tom Robbins of Strategic Capitol Consulting. 

The panel discussed a hot topic from the interim this year: gaming issues. The House convened a special interim committee, meeting several times over the past few months, to discuss everything from legalizing sports betting to potentially illegal machines popping up in Missouri convenience stores.  

“Because these machines are out here and unregulated, and we really don’t have a good knowledge of what’s happening there, ultimately, there will have to be some oversight that we’ll need to do. And it will help with some revenue,” Pierson said. 

Watch the full episode of “This Week in Missouri Politics” below for more on Gunby’s legislative priorities, her thoughts on a St. Louis city-county merger, and who won the week.