Senate Majority Caucus Elects New Leadership Team

JEFFERSON CITY — The Senate Majority Caucus elected Sen. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, to serve as president pro tem of the Missouri Senate for the 102nd General Assembly. Senator Rowden previously served as the Senate majority floor leader during the 101st General Assembly.

“I am honored to have been elected by my peers to be the next president pro tem of the Missouri Senate. It is an incredible honor to serve the people of my district and of this great state in this way,” said Sen. Rowden. “We are going to work together in the Senate to make Missouri the best place in the country to live, work and raise a family. The next generation of Missourians deserve more opportunities than we have today, and I will work every day to help that hope become a reality.”

The president pro tem is responsible for appointing committee members, assigning legislation to committees and ruling on points of order raised during debate in the Senate Chamber, among other legislative duties.

Also elected to the Senate Majority Caucus Leadership Team:

• Senator Cindy O’Laughlin, R-­­­Shelbina, elected as majority floor leader. The majority floor leader is responsible for setting the schedule of bills up for consideration by the full body, the time allotted for floor debate on legislation and session meeting times and dates.
• Senator Jason Bean, R-Holcomb, elected as assistant majority floor leader. This position is responsible for assuming the majority floor leader’s role in his or her absence.
• Senator Karla Eslinger, R-Wasola, elected as majority caucus whip. Copied after Congress, the whip traditionally makes sure caucus members are present to cast votes.
• Senator Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, elected as majority caucus chairman.
• Senator Sandy Crawford, R-Buffalo, elected as majority caucus secretary.

The election of Sen. O’Laughlin to serve as Senate majority floor leader marks the first time in the history of the Missouri Senate that a female will hold this office. Senator O’Laughlin previously served as chair of the Senate Education Committee.

“The voters of Missouri have returned a supermajority of conservatives back to the Missouri Senate to continue doing the people’s work. Starting today, we have one caucus — united to keep Missouri’s economy moving forward, while also looking out for working families and the values they hold dear,” said Sen. O’Laughlin. “My election to this position brings about a new way of doing things in the Senate: I am a woman in leadership. My husband is in trucking, and I’ve never been accused of being the establishment. As we begin a new chapter in the history of the Missouri Senate, I’m committed to helping address all of my colleagues’ priorities in an honest, open and transparent way.”

The 102nd General Assembly will convene on Wednesday, Jan. 4, for the start of the 2023 legislative session.