Gary Nodler

• Position Held:  Missouri Senate, 2002-present; Assistant Majority Floor Leader;  Committees: Appropriations (vice chair); Education (chair); Pensions, Veterans’ Affairs and General Laws.
• Party: Republican
• Home City & County:  Joplin; Jasper County
• Education:  Attended Crowder College, Missouri Southern State University, 1972 (B.A. political science)
• Military:  U.S. Army and National Guard.
• Birth date & Place:  August 10, 1950; raised in Neosho, MO
• Family: Wife: Joncee; 1 son, Justin, and 1 granddaughter.
• Religion:  Methodist
• Occupation: public service
• Work Experience: Congressman Gene Taylor’s district staff director, 1973-1988; Regional Administrator for S.B.A., 1989-1992; staff for the Missouri Congressional delegation, 1997-2000.
• Quotes:
  • “It's a fair-treatment bill. It's totally illogical to say public schools from others states can offer course work in our state without going through any application process when we require that process for our own domestic institutions.”
  • “Having them (Planned Parenthood) handle sex-ed programs in public schools is not a wise investment for our tax investors.”
  • “If you're in a nursing home and a patient dies, and two days later their medication arrived, that's a month's worth of medication that can't be used.”
  • I find extraordinarily exciting the prospect that we could take an asset that was created by the state government to meet higher education needs for the institutions and students and convert it into an immediate investment.”
  • “People think these lobbyists are somehow giving gifts and providing benefits for lawmakers, and that simply isn't the case. If you simply eliminate the practice, it clears up the question.”
  • “There is an inherent unfairness for changing the rules in the middle of the game or holding someone responsible for something that was perfectly legal at the time it was done.”

On May 28, 2009, Senator Nodler announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Congress in the 7th District of Missouri, a seat currently held by Roy Blunt who has announced his candidacy for the U. S. Senate seat currently held by Kit Bond who is retiring.