David: Congressman Hulshof,

You have consistently supported the current Ethanol Mandate Law here in Missouri regardless of the recent verifiable data of higher food, feed, fertilizer, and gas prices.

Your opponent, Treasurer Steelman, has committed to repealing the Ethanol Mandate, why will you refuse to join her in doing the same if elected Governor of Missouri?

Kenny Hulshof: The verifiable data demonstrates that eliminating the ethanol standard will lead to higher gas prices.

Global demand and the devaluation of the dollar is the principle reason why the agricultural commodity markets are so high. A recent study by FAPRI (Food and Ag Research Policy Institute) suggests that ethanol only accounts for .1% of our increased grocery bill, while $4.65 diesel fuel is the primary culprit.

Kenny Hulshof: Good afternoon, everyone! Twelve days and counting. The race has been exhilarating, sometimes exhausting, and very fulfilling. I look forward to our chat this afternoon.

Craig: You were selected to be one of the top three choices in the first round of interviews for the UM System President. Governor Blunt vetoed a bill that would have given a vote to the student who serves on the governing board of the UM System, who would have been one of your bosses. Would you support overriding Governor Blunt's veto and giving the students a vote on the Board of Curators?

Kenny Hulshof: During that vetting process, I was enormously impressed by the student curator. She brought a unique perspective to the discussion and was a vital part of the process.

It has been forecasted that Missouri could lose a congressional seat after the next census. If that happens, I would be open to the prospect of a voting student curator.

david harper: Do you intend to rescind any part of Governor Blunt's cuts to medicaid?

Kenny Hulshof: Governor Blunt had tough choices to make, in that over 1 million Missourians were on the Medicaid rolls. The system was not financially sustainable, and it was not delivering the best patient care. I would, however, have done some things differently.

I would like to look at tweaking eligibility levels and I would like to revisit the decision on dealing with the chronically ill.

I do not believe that we should simply hit the ‘reset’ button and turn the clock back to 2004, as Jay Nixon has proposed. That would be a $350 million hit on the state budget and would return Medicaid patients to less than optimal care.

Brian R.: Hello congressman,

Urban decay and poverty is a problem that has been ignored in Missouri for far too long. As governor, what will you do to stimulate positive economic activity and lift people out of homelesness and poverty in North St. Louis and Kansas City? Additionally, how do you plan to address rural poverty?

Kenny Hulshof: The first step toward addressing poverty in our two metropolitan centers is to demand accountability from our school districts. St. Louis has its advisory board, which is considering recommendations to reacquire accreditation. Rick Sullivan and others are making some progress to that end. The KC school district also has significant challenges. I have already started a dialogue with urban leaders in that area in an effort to address their challenges.

In order to attract quality careers to our state, we must have a well-trained workforce. Our students must have access to a quality education from grade school to grad school. That includes universities, community colleges and technical schools.

If we are able to show potential employers the benefits of bringing their jobs to Missouri, our economy will flourish, and we can begin to make gains in urban and rural areas.