Jay Houghton

Background

Jay D. Houghton was born in Kansas City, Missouri and raised near Monticello, Missouri.

Education

He graduated Highland High School in 1984 and attended the University of Missouri.

Career

Houghton was elected in 2010 to represent the 10th District, encompassing all or parts of Pike, Audrain, Callaway, Lincoln, Montgomery and Ralls counties. In November 2012 Houghton filed for election in the newly created Missouri House 43rd District, which contains all of Audrain and portions of Callaway counties. Houghton has two sons, Tyler and Hunter.

When not involved with legislative duties Houghton works as a manager at McCaw Farms.

Jay Houghton has a long family history of involvement in state politics. He is the nephew of current 18th District State Senator Brian Munzlinger.

Houghton"s great-great-grandfather and two great-uncles also served as State Representatives. Prior to entering state politics Jay Houghton served on the Martinsburg, Missouri City Council and as town mayor.

Houghton ran in 2010 to replace the term-limited Terry Witte, first defeating Dudley Michael Duke in the August Republican primary, then beating Democrat Linda Witte, Terry"s wife, and Constitution Party candidate Josh Allum in the November General Election.

Legislative assignments

Republican Houghton will serve on the following committees during the 97th General Assembly:

Agri-business

General Laws

Vice-Chairman, Tourism and Natural Resources

Vice-Chairman, Agriculture Policy

Missouri Sportsman Issue Development

Issue Development Standing Committee on Worker"s Freedom

Houghton previously served on:

Health-Care Policy

Vice-Chairman, Special Standing Committee on Disability Services

= Legislation Regular Session 2011:

Republican Houghton sponsored House Bill 831, which would allow the Missouri Attorney General"s office to create a "Do-Not-Offer Statewide Registry".

The registry, similar in ways to a "Do Not Call" list, would allow registered Missourians age seventy and older to block receiving direct mail advertising.

Representative Houghton was also involved in two pieces of legislation that were passed in the session. One requires the Missouri State Attorney General" General’ s Office to provide transparency in private attorney contracts.

Regular Session 2012:

He also filed bills to strengthen the punishments and standards on certain agricultural crimes and impersonation of public servants, and another to force the Department of Conservation to make public their violation and point system. Regular Session 2013:

Representative Houghton filed HB 667 & HJR 29, seeking to make Constitutional changes to the Office of Agriculture, effectively making the Agriculture Director an election position.

Houghton also filed Health Care and Retirement Manor Care 34, a call for Congress and the United States Department of Agriculture to re-evaluate the "Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Acting of 2010" and the limiations that it puts on the school lunch program

Achievements

• After the 2011 Regular Legislative Session Houghton received a Freshman Legislator of the Year Award for his work with Sportsman"s Issues by Speaker of the House Steven Tilley. Houghton also received a Friend of Manufacturing Award from the Associated Industries of Missouri. Houghton won another Freshman Legislator of the Year Award for Agricultural Issues in 2012. In 2013, Houghton was the only Missouri Representative to win a state Young Men’s Christian Association award, winning in the "Healthy Living" category for his work with the Pike County/Twin Pikes Young Men’s Christian Association.

Membership

He is a member of the National Rifle Association, Missouri Sport Shooting Association, Missouri Farm Bureau, and Audrain County Pork Association. Another allows members of the National Wild Turkey Federation to purchase organization specific license plates through the Missouri Department of Revenue.