Missouri House of Representatives

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The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents.

Contents 1 Political party representation 2 Leadership 3 Standing Committees 4 Special Committees 5 Budget Committee and Subcommittees 6 Joint Committees 7 Term Limits 8 External links

[edit] Political party representation

As of the first session of the 94th General Assembly in 2007, the party representation in the House of Representatives is:

• 92 Republicans
• 71 Democrats

[edit] Leadership

Speaker of the House - Rod Jetton, Republican, 156th House District

Speaker Pro Tem - Carl Bearden, Republican, 16th House District

Majority Floor Leader - Tom Dempsey, Republican, 18th House District

Assistant Majority Floor Leader - Tom Self, Republican, 116th House District

Majority Whip - Brian Nieves, Republican, 98th House District

Majority Caucus Chair - Bob Dixon, Republican, 140th House District

Majority Caucus Secretary - Marilyn Ruestman, Republican, 131st House District

Minority Floor Leader - Jeff Harris, Democrat, 23rd House District

Assistant Minority Floor Leader - Paul LeVota, Democrat, 52nd House District

Minority Whip - Connie Johnson, Democrat, 61st House District

Minority Caucus Chair - Ed Wildberger, Democrat, 27th House District

Minority Caucus Vice-Chair - Gina Walsh, Democrat, 69th House District

Minority Caucus Secretary - Sara Lampe, Democrat, 138th House District

[edit] Standing Committees

These are the yearly recurring committees that hold hearings on legislation filed by Representatives. Once filed, legislation is assigned to one of the following committees by the Missouri Speaker of the House. Legislation is typically assigned to the committee whose province envelopes the subject matter of the bill. However, there are frequently multiple relevant committees to which a bill can be assigned, and it is at the Speaker's discretion to choose which committee receives the bill. Politics can also play a part, as the Speaker may assign a bill he or she wants to fail to an committee with an unfriendly chair or membership, or may select a more friendly committee if he or she wishes the bill to pass.

The partisan makeup of each committee is intended to reflect as closely as possible the partisan makeup of the entire House. Each Party caucus selects which of its members will serve on the Standing Committees, and the Chair of each committee is chosen by the Speaker of the House.

Standing Committee List

Administration and Accounts

Agriculture Policy

Conservation and Natural Resources

Corrections and Public Institutions

Crime Prevention and Public Safety

Elections

Elementary and Secondary Education

Ethics

Fiscal Review

Health Care Policy

Higher Education

Insurance Policy

Judiciary

Local Government

Rules

Transportation

Ways and Means

[edit] Special Committees

Special committees are new to the Missouri House. In 2007, Speaker of the House Rod Jetton disbanded several Standing Committees, which had previously been the norm in the Missouri House, and instead established the following Special Committees. The subject matter of these committees is more specialized than the Standing Committees, so most of these committees have been assigned less bills on average than the Standing Committees.

Another distinction between Special and Standing Committees is that the Minority Party selects which members of its caucus will sit on Standing Committees. The membership of Special Committees, however, is decided exclusively by the Speaker of the House. The partisan breakdown of both Standing and Special Committees, however, is established by standing House Rule and is intended to closely reflect the partisan breakdown of the entire Missouri House.

Special Committee List

Special Committee on Agri-Business

Special Committee on Energy and Environment

Special Committee on Family Services

Special Committee on Financial Institutions

Special Committee on General Laws

Special Committee on Government Affairs

Special Committee on Health Insurance

Special Committee on Healthcare Facilities

Special Committee on Homeland Security

Special Committee on Immigration

Special Committee on Job Creation and Economic Development

Special Committee on Professional Registration and Licensing

Special Committee on Retirement

Special Committee on Rural Community Development

Special Committee on Senior Citizen Advocacy

Special Committee on Small Business

Special Committee on State Parks and Waterways

Special Committee on Student Achievement

Special Committee on Tax Reform

Special Committee on Ticket to Work

Special Committee on Tourism

Special Committee on Urban Education Reform

Special Committee on Urban Issues

Special Committee on Utilities

Special Committee on Veterans

Special Committee on Workforce Development and Workplace Safety

[edit] Budget Committee and Subcommittees

Tradition in the Missouri General Assembly is that all appropriations bills initiate in the Missouri House rather than the Senate. So each year, the Chair of the House Budget Committee files legislation establishing the spending plan for the state of Missouri. This plan, which in 2007 exceeded $20 billion, may differ greatly from the Governor's budget recommendations, issued at the State of the State address given in late January.

The budget legislation is assigned to the House Budget Committee, which then assigns each bill to its respective subcommittee. After the subcommittee makes its recommendations, the full Budget Committee runs through the entire appropriations package, makes its desired changes, and sends the bill to the full House for consideration.

Budget Committee List

House Budget Committee

Appropriations Subcommittee - Agriculture and Natural Resources

Appropriations Subcommittee - Education

Appropriations Subcommittee - General Administration

Appropriations Subcommittee - Health, Mental Health and Social Services

Appropriations Subcommittee - Public Safety and Corrections

Appropriations Subcommittee - Transportation and Economic Development

[edit] Joint Committees

Joint Committees contain members from both the Missouri House and Senate. These committees may be permanent and study ongoing issues, or may be temporary and intended to come up with suggested legislation to address a one-time issue. The Chair of these committees typically alternates annually between a Representative and a Senator to prevent unfairness to one chamber.

Joint Committee List

Joint Committee on Restructuring Fees of The Clean Water and Storm Water Programs

Joint Committee on Administrative Rules

Joint Committee on Capital Improvements and Leases Oversight

Joint Committee on Corrections

Joint Committee on Court Automation

Joint Committee on Economic Development, Policy, and Planning

Joint Committee on Education

Joint Committee on Gaming and Wagering

Joint Committee on Government Accountability

Joint Committee on Legislative Research

Joint Committee on Legislative Research, Oversight Subcommittee

Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement

Joint Committee on Tax Policy

Joint Committee on Terrorism, Bioterrorism, and Homeland Security

Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight

Joint Committee on Wetlands

Missouri Job Training Joint Legislative Oversight Committee

[edit] Term Limits

In 1992 Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment placing term limits on the Missouri House of Representatives. A Representative can serve no more than four two-year terms in the house. The first time term limits prevented someone from running again was in 2002.

[edit] External links

• Missouri House of Representatives
• Legislative District 137 Community Web (Northwest Springfield)

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