Rick Brattin

Richard Ray Brattin Jr. is an American politician serving as a Republican state senator from Missouri, representing the 31st district, composing of Cass, Bates, Barton, Henry, and Vernon counties. He is a former state representative, having served three terms in the Missouri House of Representatives. He represented Missouri's 55th Legislative District, which encompasses several suburbs of Kansas City in Cass County, including Raymore, Peculiar, and Lake Winnebago. He is currently Vice Chairman of the Corrections and Consumer Affairs committees.

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Early life and military career

Brattin was born on July 22, 1980. He was raised in Greenwood, Missouri, and is a graduate of Lee's Summit High School.
After the September 11 attacks, he joined the United States Marine Corps. He rose through the ranks and became a sergeant after six years. He was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2010.

Issues

Abortion

In December 2014, Brattin proposed legislation that would require women seeking abortions in Missouri to obtain written consent from the father of the fetus, except in cases of "legitimate rape." Brattin cited his own recent vasectomy as his inspiration for the legislation.
In Feb 2024, while debating an amendment to allow abortions for rape or incest, Brattin advocated that a rape victim be forced to carry the rapist's fetus to term. He indicated supporting the death penalty for rapists, and suggested that the resulting baby, "by God’s grace, may even be the greatest healing agent you need in which to recover from such an atrocity."

Drones

In 2025, Brattin sponsored legislation to ban law enforcement agencies from purchasing Chinese drones. Representatives from the Law Enforcement Drone Association and first responder groups opposed the bill. Testimonies ranged from accusations that the bill serves lobbyists for American drone manufacturers to detailed explanations on the security measures for drone operations.

Education

In 2013, Brattin sponsored legislation that would afford equal treatment in textbooks for intelligent design and evolution.
In January 2017, Brattin proposed a bill to end tenure in public universities in Missouri. The bill would also "require public colleges to publish estimated costs of degrees, employment opportunities expected for graduates, average salaries of previous graduates, and a summary of the job market, among other things."

Election

In 2025, Brattin sponsored a bill to increase Secretary of State authority in crafting ballot language. The previous year, a judge struck down Jay Ashcroft's description of a voter-initiated petition following a lawsuit from the drafters. The Labor Tribune described the bill as the "Let Politicians Lie Act."

Free speech

In 2015, in response to a protest by the University of Missouri football team related to campus discrimination, Brattin proposed a bill that would strip a college athlete of their scholarship if the athlete "calls, incites, supports or participates in any strike or concerted refusal to play a scheduled game."
In 2021, the state senator proposed a bill that would target unlawful assemblies, including the use of deadly force against protesters on private property.

Homosexuality

In 2017, Brattin made a statement on the Missouri House floor that "When you look at the tenets of religion, of the Bible, of the Qur’an, of other religions, there is a distinction between homosexuality and just being a human being." The Kansas City Star called his position intolerant and said in an editorial, "The statement, made on the Missouri House floor, was deplorable. It betrayed a stunning lack of understanding of theology and self-government: The Constitution protects all Americans from the tyranny of any single faith-based approach to secular law."

Medicaid

In 2024, Brattin participated in a 25 hour filibuster of taxes necessary to fund Medicaid, citing his concerns about abortion, which is already illegal in Missouri. Republicans Lincoln Hough and Mike Parson described the act as "pathetic political gamesmanship" and "deliberate dysfunction."

Paid sick leave

In 2025, Brattin gave testimony against a voter initiative for guaranteed paid sick leave passed the previous year. In his speech, he argued against direct democracy, saying that voters did not have "skin in the game" or understand business bottom line.

Religious freedom

In 2025, Brattin interrupted a minister's testimony and cut time to other religious leaders who described a bill requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in schools as government overreach.

Stadium funding

In 2025, Brattin voted in favor of $1.5 billion in tax incentives for the Kansas City stadium deal. The vote was opposed by current and former members of the Missouri Freedom Caucus, who criticized the deal as a “handout to billionaire sports team owners.” Brattin's vote was secured based on an added provision related to local property taxes. Brattin stepped down as chair of the Freedom Caucus a few days after.

Welfare

In February 2015, Brattin introduced Missouri House Bill 813, reading "A recipient of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits shall not use such benefits to purchase cookies, chips, energy drinks, soft drinks, seafood, or steak."

Defamation lawsuit

In April 2024, Brattin was sued for defamation by Denton Loudermill, Jr., a father of three of Olathe, Kansas, after Brattin posted a picture of Loudermill in handcuffs on social media with false accusations labeling him as an undocumented immigrant and the perpetrator of the 2024 [Kansas City parade shooting]. At a news conference in February 2024, Brattin stated that he and others who shared false information about the shooting had nothing to apologize for. In April 2025, Loudermill was found dead from drug overdose at his home, having suffered from depression and harassment related to the wrongful accusations over the previous year.

Personal life

Brattin is married and has five children.