Republicans in Missouri Senate spend next-to-last day of session taking jabs at each other

For more than 50 hours, Missouri Senate Democrats prevented a vote on a bill that would have raised the threshold to pass citizen-led initiative petitions.

On Wednesday afternoon, the bill’s sponsor state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman moved to send her legislation back to the House for consideration in finding a compromise that would be acceptable to all involved.

With that action, some thought it would be back to business as usual Thursday, with only hours left to pass bills before the legislative session ends on Friday at 6 p.m.

But hopes that the Missouri Senate would be functional soon dissipated Thursday morning. When the Senate began at 10:30 a.m., state Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, proposed adding an amendment to the Senate journal from May 13, when the Democrats began their filibuster.

Eigel’s amendment said voting on SJR 74 was “was interrupted by a stampeding herd of rhinoceroses running through the Senate chamber, laying waste to the institution.”

By rhinoceroses, Eigel was poking fun at the term Republicans In Name Only, or RINOs, that has become an insult levied at moderate Republicans who don’t espouse far-right beliefs, such as those championed by the Missouri Freedom Caucus, of which Eigel is a member.

Immediately after Eigel had this amendment read on the Senate floor, Senate Majority Floor Leader Cindy O'Laughlin moved that the Senate stand in recess until 1 p.m.

Members reconvened shortly after 2:30 p.m., and Eigel withdrew his amendment. However, before the journal could be approved, state Sen. Mike Cierpiot, R-Lee's Summit, proposed a new amendment to the journal from May 13.

His amendment said: “It is noted to be the opinion of the Missouri Senate that the Office of the Missouri Attorney General should not expend any public funds or monies from the Missouri State legal experts in the defense of or the payment of damages from lawsuits brought against Senator Hoskins, Senator Brattin or Senator Schroer that are currently pending and involves defamatory statements made by each of the named senators on social media accounts with regard to the shooting that occurred at the parade celebrating the Super Bowl victory by the Kansas City Chiefs.”

There is some important context to be considered concerning this resolution. The senators named above shared a photo on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, of Denton Loudermill, a resident of Olathe, Kansas, who attended the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade, and alleged that he was an illegal immigrant responsible for the mass shooting.

Loudermill, who was detained for being too slow to vacate the area and immediately released, sued the three senators for defamation. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is representing them in the lawsuit, which has drawn the ire of many who feel that taxpayer money shouldn’t be spent to defend the senators' social media posts.

Even Gov. Mike Parson spoke out against Bailey’s decision to defend the Senators, saying that innocent people in this state should not be targeted, according to reporting by Missourinet.

Cierpiot’s amendment drew immediate criticism from Eigel, who was under the impression that the Senate would be adjourning for the day after he withdrew his amendment about rhinoceroses.

Eigel implied his amendment was meant to be humorous, but “instead of being somewhat humorous and trying to give a little bit of levity, [Cierpiot’s] not funny at all.”

“I hear repeatedly the frustration of Missourians that are tired of the pettiness of the actions like we just saw from the senator from the 8th [Senate district], the pettiness, the driven personal agendas, the unwillingness to put personal politics aside in order to move policy forward,” Eigel said.

Rather than allow this to proceed into the speech that Eigel was preparing for, O’Laughlin called for the Senate to adjourn for the day. Senators resume the regular legislative session for the final time this year at 10 a.m. Friday morning, leaving only eight hours for any further legislative work to be completed.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri Senate dysfunction shuts down chamber as session nears end