UNION
ACTIVIST PROGRESSIVE

FIGHTING FOR YOU

Meet Jimmy

A proud resident of the Carondelet Neighborhood, where he lives with his wife, Mary and daughter, Grace, Former Alderman Jimmy Lappe has spent over a quarter century working in grassroots movements for economic justice and workers’ rights. Jimmy currently works for the Missouri AFL-CIO, is a member of IBEW Local 1 and a proud St. Louis Public Schools parent.

Jimmy first became a union member while still in high school; when he started bagging groceries at Schnucks and joining UFCW Local 655. He would quickly become a union activist and leader, soon after he became a shop steward, he led the picket line at his store during the successful strike and lockout of 2003. Jimmy served UFCW in a variety of capacities over the years, including organizer and communications director.

Jimmy worked his way through college; obtaining a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and later a master’s from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, both in political science. While at UMSL Jimmy became the first Youth and Student Co-chair of the St. Louis Area Jobs with Justice, and became active in local Labor Clubs.

After completing his master’s degree and returning to St. Louis Jimmy joined the staff of Missouri Jobs with Justice where he managed the organization's data infrastructure, he also designed and implemented its voter engagement plans. In this capacity Jimmy’s work was instrumental in successful efforts to increase the minimum wage, expand Medicaid, secure ethics reform, and defeat right to work using Missouri’s initiative petition process; as well as efforts to protect St. Louis City’s Earning Tax.

During his tenure at Missouri Jobs with Justice Jimmy successfully ran for 11th Ward Alderman to finish the unexpired term of Sarah Martin, who had chosen to resign from office. While only in office for a short time, and mostly focused on providing constituent services, Jimmy nevertheless was part of a number of important measures, including votes to modernize the city’s plumbing code, to restore labor representation to the St. Louis Firefighters’ pension plan, to update and improve civilian review of the police department and to ensure that Missouri’s abortion ban didn’t deprive St. Louisans lost access to needed reproductive health care.  Unfortunately, many of these measures were undermined by a hostile General Assembly, committed to preempting any progressive policy proposals from the City of St. Louis or other local governments.

Jimmy has decided to run for State Representative for the 81st District to bring his years of grassroots organizing experience to the Missouri General Assembly.  Jimmy is committed to protecting the initiative petition process—and securing the victories that Missourians have won through that process.  Jimmy will fight to protect all Missouri workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively, to protect and defend public education and to ensure that all Missourians have a strong safety net when faced with job loss. Jimmy will also work to roll back preemption laws and restore an appropriate degree of local control for St. Louis City and local governments across Missouri.

Jimmy’s Priorities

Protect Our Democracy

Since 1910 Missourians have relied on the initiative petition process to secure popular legislation in the face of intransigent state lawmakers. In recent years Missouri voters have used initiative petitions to raise the state minimum wage, expand Medicaid, restore abortion rights and overturn Missouri’s ‘right to work’ law.  Unfortunately certain lawmakers in Jefferson City are committed to destroying our initiative petition process and roll back the gains that Missourians have made using it.  As someone who has worked on several initiative petition campaigns Jimmy will fight to ensure that our petition process remains, and that the will of Missouri voters will be upheld.

Restore Local Control

While serving as an alderman Jimmy and his colleagues were consistently stymied in our efforts to secure the rights of and advance progressive policies for people who live and work in our city, by a hostile Missouri General Assembly.  As a state legislator Jimmy will work to restore basic self-governance and local control to the City of St. Louis.

Protect and Expand Access to Health Care

All Missourians should have access to whatever healthcare they need, including access to abortion care.  Certain lawmakers in Jefferson City are committed to limiting access to health care; Jimmy will work to ensure that all Missourians have access to care, and will defend Missouri’s votes to expand Medicaid and restore abortion rights

Protect Public Education

As a parent of an St. Louis Public Schools student Jimmy is deeply committed to public education and will work to ensure that every Missouri child has access to a quality public education, and that the teaching profession is properly esteemed and compensated. Jimmy will always fight for public schools and against efforts to expand public support for unaccountable private schools.

Restore Missouri’s Safety Net

Over the past several decades Missouri’s social services have been systematically neglected, causing undue hardship for countless Missouri families.  Jimmy will work to ensure that Missouri’s frayed social safety net is rebuilt, and work to ensure that Missouri’s safety net programs are brought in line with national averages.

Workers Rights

As a lifelong union member Jimmy understands how important unions are and will work tirelessly to ensure that all workers are able to join and form unions without interference from their employers or the government. Jimmy will fight to maintain collective bargaining rights for all workers in our state, against so-called ‘Right to Work’ laws, to increase the state’s minimum wage, and to protect prevailing wage laws.