Deb Lavender (born October 11, 1956) is an American politician who from 2015 to 2021 served in the
Missouri House of Representatives
The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 37,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections ...
, and is serving again as of 2023. A
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
, Lavender represented the 90th district from 2015 to 2021, which comprised all or part of the cities of
Glendale,
Kirkwood,
Oakland,
Sunset Hills,
Warson Woods, and
Webster Groves
Webster Groves is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 22,995 at the 2010 census.
The city is home to the main campus of Webster University.
Geography
Webster Groves is located at ( ...
in
St. Louis County.
In 2020, she unsuccessfully ran for the
Missouri Senate
The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 174,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two ye ...
against incumbent
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Andrew Koenig. As of 2022, she was elected to the House again from District 98, which includes the cities of
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
,
Twin Oaks, and
Valley Park.
Early life and education
Lavender was born and raised in
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 25,033 at the 2020 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough ...
. Her interest in government service developed while, as a teenager, she participated in
Girls State
The American Legion Boys State and American Legion Auxiliary Girls State are summer leadership and citizenship programs for high school juniors, which focus on exploring the mechanics of American government and politics. The programs are sponsor ...
, a leadership program sponsored by the
American Legion Auxiliary
The American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) is a separate entity from the American Legion that shares the same values. Composed of spouses, mothers, daughters, granddaughters, and sisters of American war veterans. Founded in 1919, the ALA is dedicated t ...
. Through her experience with the Girls State organization, she learned to appreciate the importance and value of democratic government. In 1979, Lavender was graduated from
Marquette University
Marquette University () is a private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Established by the Society of Jesus as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, it was founded by John Martin Henni, the first Bishop of the diocese of M ...
in
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...
with a
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
in
physical therapy. She worked throughout her time in school to pay her
tuition
Tuition payments, usually known as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in Commonwealth English, are fees charged by education institutions for instruction or other services. Besides public spending (by governments and other public bo ...
and living expenses. Soon after
graduation Lavender moved to
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
, where she has been a resident for over 35 years.
Political career
Lavender's political career began in 2006 as an intern fo
Missouri State Representative Barbara Fraser Lavender ran for office the first time in 2008 as the unsuccessful
Democratic candidate vying for th
Missouri State Representative District-90seat against
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
incumbent
Rick Stream. In the next two general elections, 2010 and 2012 Lavender also lost to Stream.
On her fourth try, she was elected to the District-90 State
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
seat in 2014. She was unopposed in her party's 2014 primary election and went on to defeat Republica
Gina Jakseticin the general election. Lavender was elected for a second term in 2016, winning against Republican Mark Milton. She was unopposed in that 2016 Democratic primary. In 2018, Lavender was again unopposed in her party's primary, and ran unopposed in the general election to continue for a third term as the State Representative in District-90.
After her unsuccessful run for Missouri Senate District 15, she moved to a new home a few miles west in the city of
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, and then ran for the House for a fourth time, winning in 2022. Because of term limits, this will be her last term in the House.
Political views and accomplishments
Gun control
Lavender is against the proliferation of guns in public spaces. In the interest of public safety, she supports effecting new gun legislation and modification of existing gun laws. For example, she proposed
red flag House Bill 40, which modifies
restraining orders by adding provisions that allow the confiscation of firearms from individuals a court deems to be a danger to themselves or others. Lavender voted against House Bill 575 which authorizes
carrying concealed weapons on college campuses and allows
campus security officers to carry weapons. She also voted against Senate Bill 656 which proposed to expand
open carry
In the United States, open carry refers to the practice of visibly carrying a firearm in public places, as distinguished from concealed carry, where firearms cannot be seen by the casual observer. To "carry" in this context indicates that the fi ...
allowances, restricted requirements for
concealed carry
Concealed carry, or carrying a concealed weapon (CCW), is the practice of carrying a weapon (usually a sidearm such as a handgun), either in proximity to or on one's person or in public places in a manner that hides or conceals the weapon's pr ...
permits, and expanded the
Castle Doctrine
A castle doctrine, also known as a castle law or a defense of habitation law, is a legal doctrine that designates a person's abode or any legally occupied place (for example, a vehicle or home) as a place in which that person has protections and ...
.
Health care
Lavender supports increased accessibility to, and the affordability of, health care. She has supported budget priorities funding healthcare for disabled and older adults. For example, she proposed House Bills 38 and 39 to expand Medicaid services.
Public schools
Lavender supports fully funding the State public schoo
foundation formula She believes public schools' transportation needs should be adequately funded before the Legislature effects further tax cuts. Lavender is opposed to shortening the school year. She voted against House Bill 161 which prevents the school year from starting in the Fall prior to 14 days before the first Monday in September.
Reproductive issues
Lavender is a proponent of
reproductive rights
Reproductive rights are legal rights and freedoms relating to reproduction and reproductive health that vary amongst countries around the world. The World Health Organization defines reproductive rights as follows:
Reproductive rights rest o ...
. Her legislative record is aligned with reproductive rights political views. For example, she voted against House Bill 126 that would criminalize abortion services if ''
Roe v. Wade
''Roe v. Wade'', 410 U.S. 113 (1973),. was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States conferred the right to have an abortion. The decision struck down many federal and s ...
'' is overturned. She also opposed House Bill 1266 that prohibits abortion after 22 weeks of pregnancy. Further, Lavender sponsored House Bill 2266 requiring organizations that provide pregnancy-related services to provide medically accurate information regarding reproductive health options in order to receive state funding. Also she cast a vote in favor of House Bill 487 authorizing a pharmacist to dispense self-administered
oral contraceptives Oral contraceptives, abbreviated OCPs, also known as birth control pills, are medications taken by mouth for the purpose of birth control.
Female
Two types of female oral contraceptive pill, taken once per day, are widely available:
* The combin ...
to a person who is 18-years or older.
Committees
At the start of the Missouri 100th General Assembly (January 2019-January 2021), Lavender served on the following committees:
* Agriculture Policy
* Budget
* Conference Committee on Budget
* Rules - Legislative Oversight, Ranking Minority Member
* Subcommittee on Appropriations - Health, Mental Health, and Social Services, Ranking Minority Member
* Joint Committee on Legislative Research
* Joint Committee on Legislative Research - Oversight Subcommittee
Electoral history
State Representative
State Senate
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lavender, Deb
1956 births
Living people
Women state legislators in Missouri
Democratic Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians