JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Representative-Elect Travis Fitzwater (R-Fulton) just so happens to be the son-in-law of sophomore Rep. Tim Remole (R-Excello). The two reps have more than family in common though – their districts each have one of the 10 power plants in the state.
Fitzwater and Remole sat down with The Missouri Times during the freshman tour and shared that keeping utility regulations low will be a top priority for both of them in the 98th General Assembly.
Fitzwater hopes to join the Utilities Committee, which ushers legislation to the House floor regulating typical utilities like water and power. Fitzwaters’ district is home to the Callaway Nuclear Generating Station, which the freshman tour regularly stops by and is visible on a clear day from upper level Capitol offices.
The pair’s concern for regulation led Remole to sit through the EPA hearings over the last year and tediously monitor the EPA’s activity. The concerns that have been followed came to the forefront today when proposed regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were finalized.
“These regulations will hurt the people of my district,” Remole said, while Fitzwater nodded and agreed.
The Thomas Hill Energy Center, a coal-fired power station, is in Remole’s district and was a stop on the freshman tour this past week. Remole was happy for the incoming representatives to see that the power plant is not the dirty, burgeoning image that some environmental groups seek to paint it as.
“The trip to the roof to see that the smoke is just steam is one of the coolest parts of the tour,” Remole said. “They see that it’s just steam.”
Thomas Hill is owned and operated by the Associated Electric Cooperatives in Randolph County in Northeast Missouri.
Both Fitzwater and Remole shared that keeping regulations low will be a priority in order to keep the thousands of primary and tertiary jobs the power plants provide within their districts, as well as throughout the state. The representatives want to ensure that utilities remain affordable for Missourians.
Remole has cleared the way for Fitzwater to join him in a quest to protect Missouri from additional utility regulations. Last year, Remole championed the wood burning stove bill, HB1302. HB1302 prohibits the Department of Natural Resources from regulating the manufacture, performance, or use of residential wood burning appliances unless authorized to do so by the General Assembly and since its passage, Remole’s district has seen a large increase in wood burning stove sales, including record sales at ACME Furnace Co. in Macon.
Fitzwater had an interesting journey to the Capitol. His general election opponent was former Minority Leader Gracia Backer. Despite Backer’s career and significant name recognition, Fitzwater won with a solid majority of the vote. Assuredly, Fitzwater’s involvement with the Missouri Pharmacy Association gave him a leg up in the understanding of realistic state politics.
The pair joked with The Missouri Times that their family connection may get them in trouble on the floor because of how much fun they tend to have together.
Fitwater is married to Remole’s daughter, Amy. They have two daughters together.
Photos courtesy of Rep. Fitzwater.
Rachael Herndon was the editor at The Missouri Times and also produced This Week in Missouri Politics, published Missouri Times Magazine, and co-hosted the #MoLeg podcast. She joined The Missouri Times in 2014, returning to political reporting after working as a campaign and legislative staffer.
Rachael studied at the University of Missouri – Columbia. She lives in Jefferson City with her husband, Brandon, and their two children.
