Luke Rae, MO House District 11

09/04/2026

I think to preserve our constitutional republic we should listen to the will of voters and listen to the Supreme Court. Quit trying to overrule everyone and force policies people don’t want on to them. Quit trying to overturn ballot initiatives and make it harder for them to pass. Government officials are supposed to represent the people. Over 80% of voters voted against Amendment 5 in August and they still want to find a way to implement those changes. We said NO! The rulings yesterday were a win for the people of Missouri and for freedom.

09/03/2026

“Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.”
- Frank Herbert, Dune

08/31/2026

Surveillance State

It is generally accepted that governments and companies have the ability to spy on us, listen to conversations, track where we are and what we do on the internet. People joke about how we are tracked and we all just accept that is what’s going on and there is nothing we can do. All of us should be much more upset knowing we have zero expectation of privacy.

The forth amendment says, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

24/7 surveillance meets my criteria of unreasonable search.

Surveillance greatly expanded after September 11th and the passage of the Patriot Act. Edward Snowden gave up his career and way of life to expose what is happening in 2013 and nothing has been done in response.

Once you give freedoms away it’s very hard to get them back. The argument is Safety vs Privacy and Freedom. If we as a city, state or country decide that we want more safety at the expense of some freedom that is one thing, but right now we are not even being given a choice. We also need to know that the data is secure and only accessible when necessary.

AI will enable greater surveillance of citizens. There are different types of data centers, ones we need for internet and modern technology and then AI data centers that I oppose until stronger regulations are implemented. I have many concerns with these data centers, but one of the reasons is the role they could play in an expanded surveillance state.

I am not against all AI or Flock necessarily and think that there are real benefits that can come from both, but I want to make sure these new technologies are implemented in a safe, secure and reasonable way.

The Supreme Court recently ruled that a warrant is needed to obtain cellphone location data from companies. The same needs to be in place for Flock cameras. There have already been instances of police officers abusing the system. The data needs to be very secure, only accessed when necessary and under a warrant. Even Texas ended spending on Flock cameras and many other cities have removed them.

This technology could be used against political opponents or a specific group of people. Just because “If you aren’t doing anything wrong then you have nothing to worry about” may be true right now that doesn’t mean it can’t change depending on if what is “wrong” is changed. That change could happen quickly from either side of the political spectrum.

Imagine a COVID style lockdown for a different reason, potentially not justified, being strictly enforced with Flock cameras and AI to help. Add that with all our technology being monitored too. There would be no way of pushing back or dissent. The ruling party would have total control of the population.

08/29/2026

Resharing since this was one of my earliest posts. Public education funding was the reason I got into this race. We have to have high quality public schools for the benefit of everyone.

Education

Every child deserves the right to a free and high quality public education regardless of economic status. Public education is the backbone of society and the school is the centerpiece of a community and should be funded as well as we can. Stop giving public money to private schools and make public schools better. Update the curriculum for the new world of technology.

Please continue reading to learn more.

I believe school is not just about learning facts. Learning how to work together and building community are just as important. We need to teach how to think, not what to think. We need to teach about how to be a good citizen and how to thrive after you graduate no matter what path you take.

Good schools bring people into the community and create economic prosperity, so when we invest in schools we invest in everyone. When people are deciding where to live the school district has a large influence. If we provide good schools people will want to move and invest here.

Well educated students have more opportunities for their future. Knowing how to think logically and communicate ideas effectively will help everyone, no matter what career they choose. College and trade schools need to be much more affordable and assessable, we need the students best suited for those programs to be able to go without having the burden of crushing debt.

Schools help kids find a purpose and direction in life. Whether it be sports, academics, band, FFA or anything else that they care about. These programs keep them busy and motivated. We need more healthy outlets for kids to put their energy into and to keep them off the streets and away from crime.

If people believe the system doesn’t work why would they put effort into become a part of the system? If they believe you can’t get ahead anyway then why try? People need something to look forward to and to have hope. The American dream needs to be attainable again. If you do well in school and follow the rules then when you graduate you will have a decent paying job that can support a family.

Funding keeps getting cut at the state and federal level which is the opposite of what we need. We need a new school in Saint Joseph. We need to pay teachers more. There is no reason students and teachers have to buy their own supplies. Schools need the resources to help as many students as they can and not give up on anyone.

Everyone learns in a different way and at a different speed and we need to be more adaptable. There should be limits on how much the students are on tablets or laptops. Pencil and paper work, in person discussion and teamwork are important too. Learning needs to be more fun, instill creativity and innovation, not just like a boring office job sitting at a desk. Look at what other states and countries that have very good schools are doing and adopt their policies here.

Ensure curriculum is applicable to a changing world. Technology is changing faster than it ever has and we have to adapt to a world in which Artificial Intelligence is ubiquitous and can do many of the tasks that are currently considered work.

Mississippi was near the bottom of school rankings recently and are now close to the top in a fairly short amount of time. We should follow a similar policy to what was done there with their 2013 Literacy-Based Promotion Act. This program holds students and teachers accountable to higher standards. It also increases the training for teachers. We need to give teachers the tools and authority to be able to effectively teach. Give teachers more money and more freedom, but also hold them to higher standards. This is the most important job in the country and should be treated as such. Kids spend so much time at school and the people there are molding their minds for the rest of their lives.

We need to end the voucher system and protect the separation of church and state. Public money should not be used to fund private education. I support private schools, but that doesn’t mean I also can’t support public schools. I support the freedom of religion guaranteed by the constitution, the separation of church and state, and the right of all children to a free and quality education.

I also support homeschooling, which is becoming easier and more prevalent. Parents should do what they think is the best option for their children, but there are also many positives to being at school in person. We need to understand the reasoning behind their decision to homeschool. What is the driving force behind homeschooling? Is it safety, bullying, feeling like there is not an adequate level of education or the content of the curriculum? Please let me know why you homeschool and how we can address changes in public schools to make it a better environment.

This is not going to be quick or easy but it is necessary. If we give up on the children now we are giving up on the future. If the purposed elimination of income tax passes that will shift the tax burden to fund education more on the working class who are already struggling. We have to find more and better ways to fund education.

I look forward to meeting with the leaders of the schools. I would like to know more about their challenges and the best way to address them. I’d like to hear from teachers, principals, superintendents, parents, students, PTO members, and school boards to listen to their concerns and solutions. They are the experts and I want to listen to them.

08/27/2026

Call to action!

I will be participating in the Southside Fall Festival Parade Saturday, September 19th. I am looking for supporters to walk with me, the more the better. This is one of the biggest events of the election cycle and a great time to show support.

The parade starts at 10 am at Kovac’s Fireworks, but please arrive early to park and find us. Parking is available at Green Hills and Faith United Baptist. We will be using the grain truck pictured below. Please wear a blue or Americana shirt.

I also will be bringing signs to everyone this weekend, so please let me know if you want one and haven’t already told me.

08/26/2026

Women’s Rights

Here are some key dates for Missouri women:

1919 - Right to vote
1974 - Allowed women to have credit cards, mortgages and bank accounts without a husband co-signing
1991 - Outlawed marital r**e and removed “implied consent” within a marriage
2026 - Legalized divorce while pregnant

There has been a lot of progress, but there’s still work to be done.

We need to Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to ensure “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of s*x. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.”

We also need to pass guaranteed paid maternity leave, make daycare more affordable and ensure equal pay for equal work.

Women use your rights. Do your own research and make your own decisions when voting. You are not just an extension of your husband and deserve to have your opinion matter.

I applaud the courageous women who have came out and told their stories to hold abusers accountable. The more people talk about things the less taboo they are and the more comfortable people will be coming forward. You shouldn’t feel shame or embarrassment for someone else’s wrong behavior toward you.

P.S. Thank you to the Buchanan County Women's Democratic Club for hosting me earlier this week and allowing me to speak to your members.

The club is hosting a funding trivia night with a silent auction if anyone is interested. Thursday 6:00 at the Fraternal Order of Eagles on the North Belt Highway.

08/24/2026

Does anyone else have any more ideas on how to destroy what’s left of the economy as fast as possible?

08/23/2026

Abortion

I’m not sure how much my opinion should matter on abortion since I am not a woman, but since it is something that I could be voting on I need to let you know my thoughts.

In a perfect world there would be no abortions, but we live in an imperfect world. I am all for lowering the number, not by banning it, but by working proactively to prevent unplanned pregnancy.

Missouri and specifically Buchanan County voters passed a constitutional amendment lead by a citizen initiative in 2024 to protect abortion and other reproductive rights. Legislators need to respect the will of the people and work within the parameters granted to them. The voters will get to decide on this issue once again, just two years later, because legislators put on another ballot measure in November to restrict access only in cases of "medical emergency, fetal anomaly, r**e, or in**st," and permit abortions in cases of r**e or in**st only through 12 weeks of gestation. This is also, for some reason, tied to making gender transition procedures for minors illegal even though these two things have nothing to do with one another and should have been separate initiatives.

I don’t understand pushing so hard to ban abortion and also being against things that can help prevent getting pregnant in the first place. If the goal is to reduce abortion there needs to be a wholistic approach, banning it and doing nothing else is not a good solution. We should be providing people with a variety of options to make sure pregnancy only happens when someone chooses to. Such as birth control access and age appropriate s*x education.

Having a child is the biggest decision anyone will make in their lifetimes. It forever changes your life. It also creates a new life that has to be considered. That isn’t something that I want forced on someone if they feel like they are not ready for that responsibility.

If someone is not in a good situation to have a child but gets pregnant that could drastically reduce their wellbeing and place that child in a negative environment.

I think the current rules that are in place are a good middle ground between banning all abortion and allowing late term abortions.

If someone has a child we should help them succeed by supporting them and the child.

We could also strengthen the foster care and adoption system.

How does it make any sense to not teach about s*x, not provide birth control, not provide abortions and then also not provide healthcare for the children, a quality education, their parents a livable wage, or daycare access?

08/22/2026

Trump said Friday that he plans to remove duties on 300,000 metric tons of imported beef, which he said suppliers have agreed to sell at a 25 percent discount that will be passed on to consumers.

My dad and many people I know raise cattle and this will take money out of local farmers’ pockets. President Trump, I thought tariffs were a good thing? But the move will only last until the midterms in an effort to make food prices lower so he can get republicans some more votes with lower prices then switch it up again.

“You don’t put America first by putting U.S. cattle producers last,” said Justin Tupper, president of the United States Cattlemen’s Association, in a statement after Trump’s announcement.