A political discussion and debate panel was held July 22, at the West Plains Civic Center, 110 St. Louis St. Hosted in collaboration with Howell County News, Ozark Radio News and West Plains Daily Quill, the event was split into three phases of rotating panelists: Howell County officeholders, 154th District state representative candidates and candidates for Associate Circuit Judge in Howell County.
Amanda Mendez, owner and publisher of Howell County News, presided over the event and presented questions submitted by community members. All panelists were given one to two minutes per question.
COUNTY OFFICIALS REVIEW BALLOT MEASURES
The panel of officeholders featured Sheriff Matt Roberts, Assessor Daniel Franks, Commissioner Ralph Riggs and Collector Janet Crow, who discussed Missouri Amendments 1, 2, 4 and 5 as they will appear on Tuesday’s primary ballot. The discussion primarily emphasized Amendments 4 and 5: the proposal to require a majority vote in all eight congressional districts to pass citizen-led amendments rather than a state-wide majority, and the proposed elimination of state personal income tax in favor of broadening sales taxes, respectively.
Regarding Amendment 4, Riggs, Roberts and Crow agreed that adding such requirements would make passing petitioned amendments far too difficult. Franks shared a similar sentiment, pointing out that such strictness should be applied to standard legislative constitutional amendments as well, rather than singling out citizen initiatives.
The officeholders were similarly unanimous in opposing Amendment 5, though for varied reasons. Crow argued that the legislative language is too vague and contains “too many unknowns” as to how it would be implemented. Riggs cited his mother, who lived on a low fixed income, as a real-world example to show that those who make too little to pay income tax to begin with would suffer under an expanded tax on services. Roberts also expressed opposition, stating that long-term financial decisions should not be made by legislators who’ve yet to be elected in the plan’s five-year phaseout.
“You’ve heard the phrase, ‘Let’s pass it and figure it out,’” Riggs quipped. “I’ll just leave it at that.”
154TH DISTRICT CANDIDATES
In the debate between 154th State Representative candidates JoJo Stewart, Democrat, and Travis Smith, Republican, candidates tackled topics such as tax burdens, AI data centers, campaign finance, license-plate-reading Flock cameras and local immigration.
Incumbent Rep. Lisa Durnell was invited to participate, but declined citing short notice and concerns about impartiality.
Stewart’s and Smith’s opinions diverged on technology. Smith said he views Flock cameras and AI as tools that could aid law enforcement as long as strict safeguards are implemented — referencing a recent incident in southwest Missouri where an officer misused a database to stalk his ex-wife. Smith showed a similar compromise with on artificial intelligence, acknowledging its benefits while opposing the construction of data centers in the Ozarks. Stewart, however, stood staunchly against both. She argued that AI harms the environment and undermines human creativity, noting that she does not use AI for her campaign.
Audience member Bill Stone inquired about the candidates’ stance on religious immigration, asking, “Will you stand behind a mosque — someone that hates our guts and chooses to do harm to us — while you people are part of the program?”
While Smith did not specify a stance, he implied that he would favor cultural preservation, stating, “If you allow certain groups to come in and take over, before you know it, your whole way of life has changed. I saw what happened in Great Britain, and that scares me greatly.” Stewart disagreed, referencing the U.S. First Amendment, the Establishment Clause and separation of church and state. “Do I feel that all these migrants are going to come down to our country and take over? No. Not in the slightest. We don’t have anything here for them to take over, to be quite honest,” Stewart added, drawing murmurs of disagreement from the crowd.
JUDICIAL CANDIDATES DETAIL BACKGROUNDS
For the final panel of the night, Division 3 Associate Circuit Judge candidates Lyndell Beard, Larry Burton, Heath Hardman and Marty Simpson introduced themselves and their background, with all of them currently working as attorneys.
Beard, an attorney originally from Arkansas and self-proclaimed "odd duck,” noted he is devoutly religious, with more than 30 years of law experience. Hardman highlighted his 11 years as a Marine Corps combat veteran and his experience practicing at every level of Missouri’s court system. Burton described himself as close with his family — who actively help him campaign — and noted he has operated an office in Mtn. View for roughly 10 years. Simpson highlighted his local roots in Howell County, his primary focus on civil law, and his core values of family, community and faith.
During the Q&A segment, the judicial candidates largely agreed on core administrative topics, favoring drug treatment courts, emphasizing that a judge must never forfeit neutrality for personal relationships, supporting strong working relationships with law enforcement, and acknowledging that the Howell County justice system is currently overworked. Bound by Missouri Judicial Conduct Rules, candidates were not permitted to answer questions that implied bias on issues likely to come before the court. All insisted on their commitment to strict impartiality.
Responding to a community member’s submitted question regarding relations with law enforcement, Beard claimed to be endorsed by the Howell County Sheriff. Later in the event, Mendez read an announcement from Howell County officials clarifying that officeholders, including the sheriff, were not endorsing any candidate. Beard subsequently clarified his remarks, stating that he had mistakenly “omitted the word ‘individual,’” and explained that endorsing as an individual and in an official capacity are separate.
