‘Not getting its job done’: Political-newcomer lieutenant governor calls for change in Missouri Senate rules

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Lt. Gov. David Wasinger keeps a sign on his desk that reads, “We’ve always done it that way,” with the prohibition sign crossed through it. Wasinger said this is no longer an acceptable answer for explaining how and why the Missouri Legislature operates the way it does.

Missouri’s newcomer lieutenant governor is criticizing the general assembly, calling the state senate inefficient. Wasinger ruffled some feathers when he announced to the Missouri Senate that he wants to change some rules. Calling for ideas, Wasinger said a number of lawmakers and grassroots organizations have already reached out with suggestions.

Gray’s Missouri Capitol Bureau compiled data from the state house records for all eight states surrounding Missouri. With two weeks left in the legislative session, Missouri has sent 14 bills to the governor’s desk and he’s signed four into law. Historically, all of Missouri’s neighboring states pass hundreds of bills each session, but Missouri has not reached triple digits since 2018.

But it’s not the amount of bills passed that Wasinger uses as a metric for success. He points to the eight initiative petition questions that were on Missouri’s general election ballot in November.

“They’re circumventing the state legislature because the state legislature’s not getting its job done,” Wasinger said. “Putting items like online gaming, marijuana, whether you’re for or against those, those should be statutory creations and not in the Missouri constitution.”

One possibility Wasinger is considering is getting rid of or limiting the Senate’s filibuster. Missouri is one of 14 states that allows for a filibuster, which allows a senator or group of senators to hold up a bill for days on end.

The highest ranking Republican in the Missouri Senate, Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin took to Facebook to air her thoughts on Wasinger’s complaints. She said he doesn’t have the authority to change rules, writing, “Finding a way to get 34 people to cross the finish line without an explosion is quite demanding.” She went on to say, “One way to be helpful is to not insult the entire senate body in a 5 minute speech.”

This week the Missouri Legislature will work on its only constitutional duty, which is balancing the state budget. Sen. Lincoln Hough heads up the budget for the Missouri Senate and responds to Wasinger’s comments by inviting him to come in for a conversation.

“In my opinion we run as open and transparent a budget process as there is in this business, ok,” Hough said.

Lawmakers have to finish the budget by this Friday, then they have one week left to work on any other bills. Republican leadership indicated they want to tackle some controversial issues in that time, including abortion and paid sick leave.

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