In Missouri House District 48, covering Chariton, Cooper, Howard, and Randolph counties, Representative Tim Taylor (R) has served since 2021, pitching himself as a voice for rural Missouri. But his voting record paints a different picture—one where Big Agriculture (Big Ag) and corporate lobbyists cash in while the people of Chariton County grapple with crumbling rural infrastructure, a struggling healthcare system, and dying small towns. Taylor’s recent vote in favor of HB 544, the Bayer-Monsanto Roundup bill, is just the latest evidence that his priorities lie with powerful interests, not his constituents.
Taylor’s legislative scorecard isn’t what you’d expect from a typical Missouri Republican. The American Conservative Union (ACU), tied to CPAC, gave him a 38% rating for 2021-2022, based on 20 votes tied to economic liberty and limited government—a low mark for a GOP lawmaker in a red state. The Limited Government scorecard rated him at 53% in 2023 for sticking to constitutional principles. These moderate scores—some might call them “somewhat liberal” for a Republican—suggest Taylor isn’t a hardline conservative. But moderation isn’t the issue here. It’s who benefits from his votes. Spoiler: it’s not District 48.
Start with rural Missouri ...
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