Higher education and funding for the University of Missouri-Columbia are top priorities for newly-elected State Rep. John Martin (R-Columbia).
The Columbia Republican recently toured the MU Research Reactor (MURR), which is down the hill from Faurot Field. The reactor produces a medial isotope that battles various cancers worldwide. Representative Martin joined us live on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Missouri”:
“Especially the research reactor, MURR, MU Research Reactor. You know all the good work they’re doing, isotopes that’s actually global. Global work that they’re doing for cancer research,” Rep. Martin says.
The MURR is the nation’s top-ranked University research reactor. Governor Mike Parson, state lawmakers in both parties and UM System president Dr. Mun Choi broke ground in October 2023 on a $20-million MURR expansion. President Choi says the expansion will help discover new treatments that provide benefits to people nationwide and around the globe.
Representative Martin’s district includes Columbia, Ashland, Hartsburg and Centralia. He tells listeners that he hopes to serve on the Missouri House Agriculture and Economic Development committees.
“My district is a strong agricultural area, so anything I can help with agriculture. As a business owner, business development, economic development, those type of things. Anything to do with law enforcement, you know definitely that’s a key role of government is safety. And so those would be some of my top priorities if I could get on some of those that would be great,” says Martin.
Missouri’s 2025 legislative session began Wednesday in Jefferson City. Republicans once again have supermajorities in both legislative chambers: they control the Missouri Senate 24-10 and the Missouri House 111-52.
You can listen to the full “Wake Up” interview with Representative Martin here.
