BY: RUDI KELLER AND CLARA BATES
Missouri Independent
The Republican from Lee’s Summit received 152 votes. His rival, state Rep. Justin Sparks, garnered only 10
The Missouri legislature made history Wednesday as Republicans elected the first Asian-American speaker of the House and the first woman to be president pro tem of the state Senate.
In the House, state Rep. Jon Patterson of Lee’s Summit won an overwhelming victory over a challenger from within the Republican conference, state Rep. Justin Sparks, helped to the 152-10 victory by votes from minority Democrats.
State Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin, a Republican from Shelbina, was elected unanimously to be the upper chamber’s top job after two years as the GOP floor leader.
At a news conference after the House session, Patterson called the challenge “disappointing” and said Sparks forced the vote for personal reasons.
“This was not about Amendment 3 (which restored abortion rights) or any policy agenda,” Patterson said. “This was a person with an oceanic ego who took it upon himself to make this day about himself.”
Patterson, the majority leader in the previous General Assembly who was nominated months ago by the Republican conference. Sparks’ bid was always a longshot because he needed at least 30 votes to prevent Patterson from winning a majority on Republican votes alone.
When Democrats nominated their floor leader, state Rep. Ashley Aune of Kansas City, she withdrew and urged colleagues to support Patterson, ending any chance Sparks had of blocking the election.
In nominating Patterson, Republican state Rep. Phil Amato of Arnold told a story about meeting and playing golf with him, only later to learn he is a surgeon.
“Right then and there I knew this man had his feet firmly planted on the ground,” Amato said.
Aune, who represents the 52 Democrats in the chamber, said she was encouraged that Patterson will be a fair leader who will represent the chamber well.
“I am confident,” she said, “he will be a speaker for all 163 members.”
At a Democratic news conference after the session, Aune said she told Patterson ahead of the vote that she intended to withdraw. She received no promises but said she and Patterson have a respectful relationship and she expects that to continue.
“We work very well together, and while I haven’t been given explicit assurances,” Aune said, “what I will say is I do trust him to be fair and to listen to me and to my caucus members when we have an issue.”
Sparks based his campaign on a call for changes to the House rules and objections to the fundraising tactics of the House Republican majority. In nominating Sparks, freshman state Rep. Bryant Wolfin of Ste. Genevieve said the chamber needs reform.
“The speaker holds a level of authority that would make even a monarch blush,” Wolfin said. “The culture in this building discourages dissent and rewards obedience to leadership over the service to our constituents.”
The odds against Sparks’ bid are shown by the rarity of successful efforts to block the majority party’s nominee from becoming speaker. The last time was in 1996, when 11 Democrats voted present and four joined Republicans to prevent the election of state Rep. Sam Leake to replace outgoing Speaker Bob Griffin, who resigned midway through a term.
The defeat forced Democrats to select a new candidate, state Rep. Steve Gaw, who was able to unite his caucus.
After winning the election, Patterson told the House in a prepared speech that he wanted to address issues unfinished from last year, enact bills to help cities recruit and retain police officers and limit the availability of abortion, made legal again in Missouri by a voter-enacted constitutional amendment.
“While we respect the will of the voters, we must clarify the provisions of Amendment 3 and make Missouri the most pro-life state it can be,” Patterson said.
That does not include attempting to repeal Amendment 3, Patters said at his news conference. He also said he does not support efforts to roll back the provisions of Proposition A, which raised the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour and requires most employers to provide paid sick and family leave starting May 1.
“We may take a look at some of the provisions, but I have not heard serious discussions about repeal, and I don’t favor delaying implementation,” Patterson said.
The unfinished business, Patterson said, includes legislation to prevent the state from seizing Social Security benefits from foster children who qualify for disability benefits or whose parents have died. He also called for increased funding for mental health services for children.
“We must prioritize the most vulnerable among us, especially our foster children,” Patterson said.
Other unfinished business, Patterson said, is legislation to encourage businesses to provide on-site child care and expansion of existing child care centers.
“Missouri’s families continue to be burdened with trying to find childcare spots that are too hard to find and too expensive,” he said.
In the Senate, O’Laughlin set an agenda focused on issues affecting children, including the foster care system, education and health.
“When families and communities are strong, when children are well nourished and well educated and when our streets are safe, Missouri thrives,” she said.
O’Laughlin said the state needs to address the “root causes of poverty and addiction” in child welfare cases.
“If you take a hard look at our child welfare system, you will see a system that is failing,” she said. “Failing to meet families where they are, failing to understand their struggles and failing to provide meaningful assistance in their time of need.”
O’Laughlin also advocated for a “refocus on results that matter” in education, pointing to the state’s low rate of children being about to read at grade level, and for a tough-on-crime approach that doesn’t “release[] dangerous individuals back onto the streets to reoffend.”
She emphasized her role as the first woman elected president pro tem of the state Senate.
“And as a woman, I’ve seen firsthand how the role of the family has been transformed and sadly, too often, trivialized,” she said. “Mothers have been undervalued. Fathers have been dismissed. And the institution of marriage has been diminished.”
Several women who previously served in the Senate attended in celebration.
“We must support strong, healthy families, expand access to quality education, ensure safe neighborhoods and set high expectations for the next generation,” O’Laughlin said. “This is the foundation for success and prosperity.”
