Neely welcomes latecomer to Governor’s race
With two first-time gubernatorial candidates vying for the GOP nomination, conservatives hope to see a rigorous debate on crucial healthcare issues
Today, Rep. Jim Neely (R-Cameron) welcomed Mike Parson to the Republican primary for Governor.
“I’m pleased to see that the race is finally heating up,” said Neely, a longtime physician and Republican state legislator who announced his candidacy for Governor last month.
“This primary shouldn’t be a coronation for myself or anyone else. It’s an opportunity to discuss the issues that matter to Missourians who are fighting for their lives,” he said.
During his time in office, Neely has championed several healthcare bills that empower people to take control of their own lives, including Right to Try legislation that later became part of President Trump's agenda. Neely was an early supporter of Trump’s Presidential campaign in 2015.
“As a physician and legislator, Dr. Neely has worked compassionately to help people with life-threatening illnesses access investigational treatments,” said Rob Suozzi, a Wildwood Republican who became a patient activist when his 23-year-old niece died from brain cancer in 2013 after running out of approved treatment options.
“Doc has taken the fight for patient rights all the way from his medical practice in Cameron to the halls of Jefferson City and Washington D.C.," he said.
Missouri passed one of the nation’s first right to try laws in 2014. Since that time, 40 other states and the Federal government have enacted Right To Try laws.
Access to unapproved therapies has been in the spotlight once again thanks to KCPD police officer Sarah Olsen, whose fight to survive ALS was recently featured on ABC’s Nightline program.
Olsen is ineligible for clinical trials of experimental therapies that could extend her life because her disease has progressed to the point that she requires a breathing machine.
“I’d have to give up my breathing machine, and I can’t afford to do that,” she told Nightline.
This year, Dr. Neely introduced legislation that would provide insurance coverage of Right-To-Try-eligible investigational therapies for people like Olsen who face terminal illnesses. It is unclear whether Parson supports the legislation.
