Latest / Breaking The Meta / Rural Missouri Deserves Better: Corey Luebbering's Case for State House District 3
Transcript
- Leila S.: Hello, welcome back to Breaking the Meta Podcast. Today we're here with What's Your Name? Corey Luebbering: My name is Cory Luvering. Leila S.: And where are you running? What are you running? Corey Luebbering: So I am running for the Missouri State House of Representatives in District 3, which contains two-thirds of Adair County and all of Sullivan, Mercer, and Putnam Counties to the west of Adair County. Leila S.: Okay, that's exciting. Corey Luebbering: Mm-hmm. Leila S.: What's your background? What have you done? Who are you? Corey Luebbering: So I'm originally from central Missouri. I grew up in a little small town just south of Jefferson City on a family farm and everything. Went to a small rural school that was very focused more on athletics and academics. Graduated, taught my class and moved up. to Kirksville for my undergraduate degree in 07 and have been here ever since. So I've been in Kirksville now for almost 20 years, which is just 30 minutes south of the Iowa border. And I have a background, an undergraduate degree in chemistry and then a master's degree in public health. And I'm also currently working on a doctorate in health sciences and I'm really a country guy at heart. love being outdoors in nature. My first job was on a family, my dad's cousin's dairy farm. And I like rural folks. like small communities. And I'm just really passionate right now running and trying to get elected to serve them and to better stuff here in Northern Missouri. Leila S.: Yeah, that's awesome. know getting just an undergraduate degree is really hard and now you're getting your doctorate? That Corey Luebbering: Yeah. Leila S.: is intense and thank you for all of the work that you're doing. Corey Luebbering: Well, thank you. Leila S.: what motivated you to run for office? Corey Luebbering: So I'm not a politician by background or anything, as I stated. really, I'm just an average Joe that would just go out and do his civil duty and vote at local elections and national elections every year. But that was the most I ever got really involved in politics. The thing that really inspired me to run was in the last big election in 2024, the Missouri The state of Missouri passed a Prop A and Amendment 3. And Prop A was looking at raising a minimum wage and requiring sick leave for all employees. just made employers have to give a mandatory amount of sick leave to all their employees and everything. And then Amendment 3 was making a constitutional amendment in the state of Missouri for the access to reproductive health care and abortion rights. across the state and they both passed with statewide majorities. And then after they passed, once the new legislature was sworn in, they completely undid the will of the voters and overturned both Prop A and Amendment 3 and are just doing what they want. And that is just, incentivized me so much to just get up and say that somebody needs to do something. you know, something has to change. What is the point of us, the average person going out and voting, if the people that are elected to the power can just undo the will of the voters? And I just think that that's absolutely wrong and against the whole democratic nature of our country. Leila S.: Yeah, no, I think we're dealing with a lot of kind of overreach right now, countrywide. Corey Luebbering: Absolutely. Leila S.: Like here in Iowa, we have like levies for our libraries and a lot of those efforts were stomped over by the state legislature because of our budget problem. Corey Luebbering: Mm-hmm. Leila S.: So what are these maniacs doing? Corey Luebbering: Absolutely. And so I just I really wanted to, apart from just the fact that I think that representatives need to represent their constituents. And, you know, if the voters pass up the the will of the voters is sacred, they need to uphold that. Leila S.: Right. Corey Luebbering: I think that people up here in northern Missouri just also need a choice within the upcoming election. We haven't had someone run for the Democratic Party in this seat since the elections in 2018. So I think people just deserve a choice as well. Leila S.: Yeah, absolutely. We're in the same boat in this town's district in Iowa. Corey Luebbering: Mm-hmm. Leila S.: So what are your constituents telling you? What are the issues that most people are facing right now? Corey Luebbering: Well, as I've been talking to people within Northern Missouri, it really depends on kind of where you're at, you know, for a lot of the issues and stuff. When you get out to the rural communities, the big things that I hear about are infrastructure. just, it's hard for them to even tackle a lot of the other issues they have because there's just not good roads to get. people out there to get equipment out there in order to tackle some of these other issues. Healthcare is a big issue up here in Northern Missouri. We are actually situated in one of the largest healthcare deserts in the state, especially when it comes to obstetric care. There are women here that have to travel over two and a half hours to get to an OBGYN or to deliver a baby and everything. And that's really risking a lot to people's health. And not only that, just a lot of the cuts and attacks that are happening to rural healthcare at the state and at the federal level are really impacting the few hospitals that we have in this district, in this area. And then a lot of people are concerned about, still just about taxes. You know, they don't want to pay too much in taxes, but they understand that there's a need for some taxes, but what is the right amount and everything. And then again, like I said, it depends on your location as well as really what you're hearing. A lot of people are worried about education. Missouri ranks 50th in the nation as to what the state supports like classroom funding, 49th in the country as to what they pay their teachers and everything. and we've just approved another round of budget cuts at this state level towards education. And for the money that is there, they're also taking away from that money from public schools and are granted access to private schools now as well. So. Leila S.: We have an ESA system here in Iowa and it's depressing our public schools. Save yourselves! Corey Luebbering: Let's try. Leila S.: No, and we have similar OBGYN shortages in Iowa. I think we have the least amount per capita in the nation. A lot of people go out of state for OB care and come back, which is just super risky. Corey Luebbering: Mm-hmm. Leila S.: And I think both It's both a state issue but also a federal issue as well due to the lack of funding for reproductive healthcare at all, ever, for anyone. So I definitely understand that. Accountability is a huge concern for many voters. What does accountability look like mean to you both personally and within your district? Corey Luebbering: mean, accountability to me is sticking by your actions, whether they were correct or incorrect. Being able to take the fault whenever you make a mistake and being able to grow as a person to do better in the future. I mean, we are human, to err is human. I can't say that I'm not going to make a mistake on the way, but to be able to own up to it. you know, and to move forward and grow as a representative or as an individual, I think is what the core of accountability is. And so whenever you talk about accountability as a representative, I think that means being held accountable, being accessible to your voters to show that you are truly representing them, making sure that you are open to communication with your voters, that you are taking in the good and the bad, both sides of the issue. I say both sides being that it's a two party system, but there could be multiple sides to it, more than two sides to an issue. really, being open to all points of view. then whenever you're exercising your role as a representative, it's actually representing your constituents, not a party, not a lobbying interest, not who's putting money, you know, into your pack or anything, not one person above everything else. It is really going back to the people that put you there and representing them. Leila S.: Yeah, no, absolutely. That's a really good answer. Corey Luebbering: Thank Leila S.: Yeah. Once you're elected, what's your first priority? Corey Luebbering: I mean, my first priority whenever I'm elected is to immediately just to really start to walk the walk, walk the talk that I've been saying on the campaign trail. My biggest message is I truly believe that me as a representative, I have my own points of view, my own stances on every single platform decision, anything that's out there issue. But I think that my opinions on every issue only count as much as every other voter within the district. I'm not getting elected to say, hey, this is what I believe in. This is how I'm gonna vote and everything. I really want my constituents to feel that true core of what representation is supposed to be. So I wanna start setting up infrastructure within my district that... My constituents can be in constant communication with me to like, hey, these are the bills that are coming up. These are things that have been introduced in the house. How do you want me to represent that our district? How do you want me to support this and everything? And to really be able to have that constant communication and feedback open with them. And also just having regular events within the district on days that I'm not in Jeff City. so that people Leila S.: Yeah. Corey Luebbering: can have that ability to come and speak with me and not have to write me a letter or email me or call me and have that ability to talk with me face to face if that's what they prefer. So it's not really just like, you know, there's not a particular issue that I'm like, when I get in, this is the issue that I'm targeting. My priority is to go in with the issues that the district tells me are the priority and to start to focus on those. Leila S.: Yeah, no, that's great. I think that a lot of people have kind of... felt like their voices aren't heard in our legislatures, kind of just everywhere. So it's really good that that's kind of your main goal, is making sure that your constituents feel actually represented by their representative. Corey Luebbering: It's almost like the job responsibilities are in the title. If you would just Leila S.: Right. Corey Luebbering: read it, you'd know what you'd have to do. Leila S.: Mm-hmm. Who knew? Corey Luebbering: Who knew? Leila S.: How do you approach working in the legislature with people you strongly disagree with? Corey Luebbering: I think that there is always an opportunity to sit down with people and really hear them out and see things from their point of views. I think a lot of us go in with what we think is the correct way and that any other point of view is the wrong way. And a lot of people don't have that ability to try to sit down and see something from somebody else's point of view. And there's a lot of factors that go into other people's point of views. know, everybody lives unique lives. has undergone different challenges, has experienced different things, and all of that feeds into their belief system and their opinions and everything. So I think giving somebody else that opportunity to be able to explain their point of view and really try to see it from their angle and then try to find common ground and inroads and really try to work. in that collaborative sense to do what's best for all the people of the state of Missouri, not just the people in my district or in one party or another. you know, I think that that ability for bipartisanship has really been lost in the recent years. And I don't think that it's completely lost. I think if people really are looking out for what's best for the constituents, we can try to rebuild that ability to work together to do what's best for the majority and not just one side or the other. Leila S.: Yeah, absolutely. Legislators are often criticized for their lack of accountability. How do you think legislators or Congress could be held accountable? What kind of role would you play in that? Corey Luebbering: So I think that by doing what I plan to do with opening up, really building that communication in road within my session, I want to shake the norms of what everybody else is doing. I want other people to see how open and how responsive and how accessible I am to my constituents and then to go, hey, I want that. from my representative as well or my senator, why can't we have the same thing? And then to put people up to perform at a higher standard in this role. And so that I think by doing that, it really opens up for representatives and senators, whatever legislator to have to be, to have to answer to their constituents for actions that they're doing. during the legislative session, not just in the off season or not just on the campaign trail to be reelected. Leila S.: Right. Yeah. No, that's a really good answer. What, for anyone living in Missouri, what do you want them to take away from this? What kind of message do you want them to hear above all else? Corey Luebbering: So the main thing that I've been telling people in my district as I've been talking to people on both sides of the political spectrum and everything I I really am Sad about the way by part, know bipartisan not by bars the way the partisanship is gone within Missouri and how divided everything is and When you really look down to it at the end of the day People within your community You know and love your neighbors. You know people within your community that are working at the grocery store, working at your service stations, are working on your cars, our farmers, our people within the government, whatever. And you know so-and-so who's struggling to get makings meet, you know, but is working two jobs and has this going on. And you know your neighbor who's a really good person and everything, but doesn't support this. Really at the end of the day, politics and daily life don't intermingle. It's all focused on community. People within their community will step out and help others when in need because it's the right thing to do. They don't see someone that's hurting and then stop and go, wait a minute, are you a Republican or a Democrat? Because if I don't agree, I'm not going to do anything type stuff. We can work together day to day with people within our community and not care what their political ideologies are. Why can't we do that at the political level? Why can't we just work together as the state of Missouri and really just put apart the sides, the right and the left, the Democrats and the Republicans, and really just work together as Missourians for what's best for Missourians? Leila S.: Right. Yeah. No, absolutely. Where can all of these people find you? Where can they find you to support your campaign? Corey Luebbering: So if you would like to find out more about my campaign, see events that I'm doing, keep up with things that are happening within the campaign, I do have a website. It is lubringformodistrict3.com. That's L-U-E-B-B-E-R-I-N-G, the number four, M-O-D-I-S-T-R-I-C-T, the number three, .com. You can also find me on Facebook. I have a Facebook page for the campaign. Corey Lubring for Missouri State House of Representatives District 3. And I am also active on Instagram and TikTok for the campaign. I do a series on there that I call chopping and stuffing. So getting back to my country roots, one of my favorite things to do for exercise actually, not because I need to for any other reason, is to chop wood. And so I go out and I split wood for 30 minutes almost every day that I can. And I do little segments where I chop a little wood and then I stump for a little bit on current things that are happening within the state government. And just keep people informed about my views, things that are happening in the state and things that are going forward with the campaign. Leila S.: That's awesome. So everyone go follow and donate on their website, on Corey's website to make sure Corey Luebbering: Yes, absolutely. Leila S.: he becomes representative, Corey. Well, thank you so much for doing this. I know that campaign schedules are really busy and hard to find gaps in. Corey Luebbering: Yes, we have a lot of fun events coming up and everything. I think the state opening filing day for candidates is next week. So we'll be down meeting a lot of other people that are running down to Jeff City next week. And I really appreciate the opportunity to come and just talk on the podcast and get my message out there. And Leila S.: Yeah, don't come in. Corey Luebbering: if anybody that's listening, if you all have any questions or comments, you can always reach out to me through my website. It comes to my campaign email. And I would love to be able to chat with people more about things in the campaign. Leila S.: contactable to be a representative, very representative. Corey Luebbering: That's right. Leila S.: Well, I hope you win. We're going to get good luck in November. And it's going to be fantastic. Corey Luebbering: Yep, absolutely. I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be a wild ride. Leila S.: Okay, well, okay. This is a stop for Mike when you're Break this out. Make sure to stay on the thing until it says that it's done like downloading. Corey Luebbering: Yep, I have it up over here. Leila S.: Okay, awesome. I'm gonna end this, but good luck. I'm so excited. Corey Luebbering: Sounds good? Thank you. I really appreciate the opportunity. I have to ask, and maybe Mike has more info with this and stuff. I'm curious how you all came to know about my campaign and were Leila S.: Hmm. Corey Luebbering: spurred to invite me onto the podcast. Leila S.: Yeah, I'm unsure exactly. I was assigned a few to do. I got to pick and I was like, I'll do these. Corey Luebbering: Gotcha. Leila S.: so I know that he is chronically online and reaches out to people. He also has some people reaching out to other candidates. So Corey Luebbering: Mm-hmm. Leila S.: like it's like a multifaceted system from what I can see. Corey Luebbering: Gotcha. Well, I Leila S.: But yeah. Corey Luebbering: really appreciate the opportunity. I just didn't know if you all had saw me somewhere or were clued in and I was just curious more for my messaging on, you know, what's catching people's eyes and everything. So if he has anything he wants to share, would appreciate any, you know, feedback or anything he would like to give. Leila S.: Okay, hang on. I'm going to click the stop here and then I think Corey Luebbering: That's fine. Leila S.: it should allow it.