While only one of the three candidates seeking the House 49th District appeared at a forum Thursday, two topics generated the most discussion.
Gun rights and the gas tax.
Of the three Republican candidates who were invited to the forum, only Jim Schulte appeared; he described himself as "a staunch defender of the Second Amendment."
Schulte, who has decades of experience with firearms, served in the Army Reserves and National Guard for 41 years. He also served as a Missouri Highway Patrol officer. He is also the owner of a shooting range in Callaway County, Sand Spring Shooting Academy. He also teaches concealed carry classes for the county.
When asked about what changes should be made to gun laws, Schulte said he is not in favor of changing any aspect of current gun laws, saying the Second Amendment is the cornerstone of the Constitution.
Schulte said training should not be required prior to purchasing a firearm. He elaborated, saying the Constitution does not state training is a requirement, so he does not feel it is necessary.
While Schulte said he is against mandatory training, he does encourage those interested in owning a firearm to receive training.
When asked about the potential ban of "assault weapons," Schulte said across his 40 years of training soldiers, he never trained with an AR-15.
"In 40 years, I never once trained anyone to carry or shoot an AR-15," Schulte said. "None of my soldiers ever carried one. I think it's a mischaracterization of the firearm to call it that (assault weapon)."
Schulte further said he is against restrictions on the purchase and ownership of high-round magazines for firearms, saying there is no difference in firepower between a high-round magazine and several regular-sized magazines.
Schulte suggested Missouri should look at mental health provisions in other states to see how their policies treat the topic. He also was against how red flag laws have been presented in the past, as he said they can be easily abused against those interested in owning a firearm.
After Thursday's forum, candidate Shannon Graziano did not respond to a request for comments about his stand on gun rights.
Candidate Steve Myers has previously described himself as supportive of the Second Amendment.
Gas tax
Schulte said he doesn't support Missouri's motor fuel tax increase, saying it is unpopular with the general public.
"It has been one of the biggest complaints of people I've talked to for the last three months," Schulte said.
A bill was passed and signed into law in 2021 to raise the tax on fuel in Missouri by five 2.5-cent increments. The current tax rate is 22 cents a gallon. The tax rate on motor fuel in the state will continue to increase through July 2025, where it will be 29.5 cents a gallon.
Schulte said he wanted to talk to legislators who voted for the gas tax to see why they supported it. He said he would also want to do the same with those who opposed the tax. He also said he would want to see if there were other ways to get revenue besides the gas tax.
He also suggested he would be interested in eliminating property taxes. He said Missouri should look at the systems in place in other states to find a new system. One of the ideas suggested by Schulte was a sales tax or consumption tax.
Myers said he would most likely be supportive of gas taxes if he knew specifically where the money was going, and could look at it himself. He said the top priority for him would be the money going towards roads and bridges.
Myers said he would not support the tax if he could not see where the money was going towards.
Graziano did not respond to request for comments about his stance on taxes.
The primary election is Aug. 2.