JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.—State lawmakers left the capitol for the start of a legislative spring break Thursday as the General Assembly hit the halfway mark in markedly different shape than has been the case in recent years.

While Republicans have been in the supermajority for two decades here, the last few years have been characterized by fissures within the GOP ranks as conservative members broke off and formed their own caucus in the Senate for a time, rankling chamber leadership and the governor’s office, railing on issues ranging from congressional redistricting to spending and social issues like abortion and transgender children.

But that caucus, which expanded to both chambers last year as the Missouri Freedom Caucus, has largely functioned within the larger GOP caucus without much drama outside of the early days of session. Former firebrands, like State Senators Bob Onder, Bill Eigel and Denny Hoskins departed due to term limits and higher office. State Rep. Justin Sparks, a Wildwood Republican, launched a challenge for House Speaker only to be defeated handily by Rep. Jon Patterson. 

While Freedom Caucus members held separate Senate press briefings last session, they now participate in sessions with party leadership.

That public unity was on display again Thursday as Gov. Kehoe held a brief news conference with GOP leadership members from both chambers, flanked by other members of the caucus.

“No matter what part of the Republican Party you feel like you represent or what part of the state, I’ve seen men and women in this building decide that what’s right for Missouri is what the most important thing is,” he said.

Public safety bill

Kehoe highlighted the public safety bill, introduced by State Rep. Brad Christ in the House and carried in the Senate by Nick Schroer, a St. Charles Republican and Freedom Caucus member, that lawmakers sent to his desk Wednesday. It will put the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department under control of a state appointed board. Other components of the bill will allow law enforcement agencies to ask criminal suspects about their immigration status, outlaw organized retail theft and stunt driving. 

He plans to sign the bill when lawmakers return from their weeklong break before the end of the month. Kehoe will then have 90 days to appoint the five people who will join the mayor of St. Louis on the board. Those members will be Senate approved. 

While Republican critics of local control have said that crime statistics are not going down in St. Louis are not going down, Kehoe said Thursday they were, but that a state-appointed board would be successful when the business community feels it’s safe to invest in the city. 

“When we see job growth coming from that reinvestment, when people feel safe to walk in their own neighborhoods, that's the barometer we'll watch. and that's when we'll know that we're successful.”

Democrats in the House criticized the move that rolls back a 2012 statewide vote that gave the city local control. 

State Rep. Marlon Anderson, of St. Louis and Assistant Minority Floor Leader, said it mirrors other legislative attempts this session to counter voter approval of abortion access last fall, along with another successful ballot measure that raised the minimum wage and required paid sick leave. 

“The people of Missouri fought for these laws and we're ok with that, we're going to do the will of the people and it's unfortunate that the majority party wants to disregard what people think,” Anderson said Thursday.

The budget

The next state budget is due in less than two months. Despite the harmony Thursday, it’s unlikely that the General Assembly will give Kehoe everything he’s asked for in a $53.7 billion spending plan. Our news partners at the Missouri Independent report that House Budget Chair Dirk Deaton wants to trim $2.2 billion from operational spending.

The budget process has typically been a flashpoint for those GOP fissures in recent years, as federal pandemic relief greatly expanded spending plans. Freedom Caucus members complained that Democrats applauded more of Governor Parson’s spending priorities in speeches than Republicans did. 

But again, the landscape has changed. 

Pandemic relief spending is winding down.

In past years then-State Sen. Denny Hoskins, now Secretary of State, unsuccessfully filibustered previous budget votes because of concerns about spending on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. But those programs are being eliminated at the federal level under President Trump and in Missouri due to executive orders from Kehoe. 

Kehoe has also taken a more active role in the legislative process and has relationships on both sides of the aisle.

In past years, Democrats, despite being in the super-minority in both chambers, have leveraged Republican in-fighting in a way to make the best of what they thought was bad legislation.

Those opportunities are fewer and far between now. 

This year, on the public safety bill, Democrats weren’t able to stave off a state appointed board to control SLMPD, but they did get other provisions added, to the point that it received Democratic votes in both chambers.

In the Senate, Republicans have already cleared a bill that removes the sunset clauses on existing legislation that banned transgender medical care for minors and restricts school sports participation to a person’s biological gender at birth.

As the General Assembly heads into the second half, Anderson said Thursday he hoped Republicans would find a way to rediscover some of that past animosity.

“We’re just going to keep the faith in the Democratic party and the democratic process and see what happens but we need them to fight a little bit more,” Anderson said.