Richard Ray Brattin Jr. (born July 22, 1980) is an American politician serving as a

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 ...

state senator from the U.S. state of

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, representing the 31st district taking up Cass, Bates, Barton, Henry, and Vernon Counties. He is a former state representative, having served three terms 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 ...

. He represented Missouri's 55th Legislative District, which encompasses several suburbs of Kansas City in Cass County, including Raymore, Peculiar, and

Lake Winnebago Lake Winnebago ( mez, Wenepekōw Nepēhsæh, oj, Wiinibiigoo-zaaga'igan, one, kanyataláheleˀ) is a shallow freshwater lake in the north central United States, located in east central Wisconsin. At 137,700 acres it is the largest lake entire ...

. He is currently Vice Chairman of the Corrections and Consumer Affairs committees.

Early life and military career

Brattin was born on July 22, 1980. He was raised in Greenwood, Missouri, and is a graduate of

Lee's Summit High School Lee's Summit High School is a high school in Lee's Summit, Missouri, United States. It is located near downtown Lee's Summit on Blue Parkway, next to the intersection of U.S. Route 50 and Route 291. It is one of three high schools in the Lee' ...

. After the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...

, he joined the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

. He rose through the ranks and became a sergeant after six years. He was elected to the

in 2010.

Issues

Education

In 2013, Brattin sponsored legislation that would afford equal treatment in textbooks for intelligent design and evolution. In January 2017, Brattin proposed a bill to end tenure in public universities in Missouri. The bill would also "require public colleges to publish estimated costs of degrees, employment opportunities expected for graduates, average salaries of previous graduates, and a summary of the job market, among other things."

Social issues

In December 2014, Brattin proposed legislation that would require women seeking

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pre ...

s in Missouri to obtain written consent from the father of the fetus, except in cases of "legitimate rape." Brattin cited his own recent vasectomy as his inspiration for the legislation.

Welfare

In February 2015, Brattin introduced Missouri House Bill 813, reading "A recipient of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits shall not use such benefits to purchase cookies, chips, energy drinks, soft drinks, seafood, or steak."

Free speech

In 2015, in response to a protest by the University of Missouri football team related to campus discrimination, Brattin proposed a bill that would strip a college athlete of their scholarship if the athlete "calls, incites, supports or participates in any strike or concerted refusal to play a scheduled game." In 2021, the state senator proposed a bill that would target unlawful assemblies, including the use of deadly force against protesters on private property.

Homosexuality

In 2017, Brattin made a statement on the Missouri House floor that "When you look at the tenets of religion, of the Bible, of the Qur’an, of other religions, there is a distinction between homosexuality and just being a human being." The Kansas City Star called his position intolerant and said in an editorial, "The statement, made on the Missouri House floor, was deplorable. It betrayed a stunning lack of understanding of theology and self-government: The Constitution protects all Americans from the tyranny of any single faith-based approach to secular law."

Electoral history

State Representative

State Senate

U.S. Representative

Personal life

Brattin is married and has five children.Cheryl Chumley, Missouri politico pushes law to make women get men’s OK for abortion, Washington Times http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/18/rick-brattin-pushes-law-to-force-men-OK-abort/

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brattin, Rick 1980 births 21st-century American politicians Living people Republican Party Missouri state senators Republican Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives People from Greenwood, Missouri People from Harrisonville, Missouri