Two Southwest Missouri lawmakers vie for legislative leadership offices

By Susan Redden

sredden@joplinglobe.com

There hasn’t been a time, in recent memory anyway, when the Joplin area had members in leadership positions in both the Missouri Senate and House at the same time.

“Even though this is the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the state, it has never happened before,” said state Sen. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin.

But the political planets could align for Joplin in the next few weeks.

State Rep. Ron Richard, R-Joplin, is vying for the top job in the Missouri House. Republican legislators, as part of the Sept. 12 veto session, will decide who will be speaker of the House beginning in 2009.

Richard is seeking the post, as is state Rep. Allen Icet, R-Wildwood. The post being sought by Richard and Icet, who is chairman of the House Budget Committee, is a cre-ation of current Speaker Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill. The position is designed to give his replacement — in the term-limited Legislature — a running start before taking office. The speaker-elect would work with Jetton for the next year and in 2009 would assume the top job in the House — if the GOP keeps its majority and if Richard is re-elected in 2008.

Nodler, meanwhile, recently was named chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. He has been in Senate leadership since 2005, when he was elected assistant majority floor leader. He resigned that post because the appropriations chairman is an automatic member of Senate leadership.

Though Nodler also has filed papers that would position him for a possible run for statewide office, he said he has not decided if he will make a statewide run. Nodler reported a balance of more than $104,000 in his campaign fund after the 2006 election.

“I haven’t decided, but I’ll need those resources if I do, and I don’t want to liquidate the fund in a way that’s not well thought out,” he said. “Keeping it active also allows me to make contributions to other candidates.”

In the 2006 election cycle, Richard’s campaign fund contributed more than $53,000 to other candidates and campaigns. Donations included $17,000 to the House Republican Campaign Committee, plus contributions to nearly 40 House candidates, and a dozen other candidates running for the Missouri Senate or other state offices. He reported more than $33,000 in cash on hand after the November election.

Nodler made nearly $16,000 in contributions to other candidates’ campaigns — 13 in state Senate races — in 2006.

“From my experience,” said Jack Cardetti, communications director for the Missouri Democratic Party, “they are two vastly different legislators. Most of that is the approach they take.”

Benefits flow

Having two people in positions of power, regardless of party, could lift a community’s profile in the Capitol and put more of its issues on the radar in Jefferson City.

“It gives the community better access to state government. When your hometown has legislators in leadership, a lot of bureaucratic red tape seems to disappear,” said Cardetti.

“There would be an automatic benefit to our area; it would cause good things to happen,” Nodler said.

The speaker influences the flow of legislation, and the speaker’s home normally attracts state spending, programs and other attention “from department and agency heads who know where the speaker comes from,” Nodler said.

Similar benefits go to the home of the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Before accepting that post, Nodler was committee vice chairman and a member of the panel for five years. He also is chairman of the Joint Committee on Legislative Research.

“The effect on the district will come from state agencies wanting to make sure the appropriations chair is aware of the benefits of their programs,” he said. “It’s normal for them to want to get the chair’s attention. It would be dishonest to say I’m unaware of that, but I didn’t do anything more than accept the appointment.”

Nodler said he will follow the example of former committee chairman Sen. Chuck Gross, using a caucus staff member as a “gatekeeper” to accept and review funding requests.

“They’ll take the request first,” he said. “I don’t want someone saying their success or failure hinged on whether or not they could get a meeting with me. We want to be fair, and there must be a process to analyze the requests.”

He said that doesn’t mean he won’t continue to advocate for his district, noting his work on behalf of Missouri Southern State University, Crowder College and other local interests.

Nodler also said the appropriations position is a daunting one, because it’s the committee’s job to produce a balanced state budget.

“People make a lot of the state’s fund balances, but they’re declining because the state is spending more than it’s generating,” he said.

Richard’s plans

Richard said that in his campaign for speaker, he has visited every district that has a Republican legislator to ask for support and “to make sure I know what their needs are.”

He said that if he is elected, his first goal would be to continue the GOP majority, and the second would be to expand the leadership role for chairmen of House committees.

“They are the ones with the pulse on what’s going on with legislation,” he said. “The speaker can’t be an expert on everything.”

Richard said he also would work with House Democrats. He said that has been his practice as chairman of the House Committee on Job Creation and Economic Development.

“Jobs aren’t political, and I’ve had a good relationship with folks on the other side of the aisle,” he said. “I went on economic-development trips with Governor (Bob) Holden. We’ll just bring the bills to the floor and let the majority decide.”

Richard said about two dozen other legislators came to him and volunteered in his campaign.

“He approaches an issue from all sides, and he works to get all sides to the table,” said Rep. David Day, R-Dixon, who is chairman of the House Committee on Veterans.

Rep. Bryan Pratt, R-Blue Springs, said voters know what they are getting with Richard, who he said offers “candid” opinions.

“Whether you like it or not, he’ll tell you exactly what he thinks. He won’t blow smoke,” said Pratt, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a candidate for speaker pro tem. “In this environment, it’s a game of credibility. You are your word.”

Democrats’ view

Cardetti called Richard an open-door legislator, willing to talk to both sides.

“Ron is really one of the most amiable legislators we have in Jefferson City,” he said. “He is somebody I personally have worked with in the past and I have had good experience with.”

The two men worked together on economic development issues when Cardetti worked for Holden.

He also called Richard’s Quality Jobs bill, which passed last week, “good legislation.”

Yet, he said that bill also legalizes ticket scalping, sought by companies such as Ticketmaster that want to sell tickets through secondary markets such as the Internet. Andrew Blunt, brother of Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt, is the lobbyist for Ticketmaster.

“I was a little disheartened Ron couldn’t stand up to the special interests,” Cardetti said.

Richard said the amendment on ticket scalping was added by the Missouri Senate by senators who consider it important to the Kansas City and St. Louis areas in particular.

Many others also spoke in favor of the change to Missouri law, including representatives of all of Missouri’s professional sports teams. In fact, no one spoke against it, said Richard.

“I backed up the Senate,” he added.

While Cardetti characterized Richard as easy to work with, he said Nodler is different, particularly when it came to legislation last session dealing with MOHELA, which meant selling part of the state’s student loan portfolio to raise money for colleges.

“I would characterize Sen. Nodler as one of the more partisan senators in the Legislature,” Cardetti said. “He was extremely unwilling to compromise. Good legislation happens when different sides and different groups are willing to come up with a solution. The ability to compromise is not one of Sen. Nodler’s strengths.”

Nodler dismissed Cardetti’s comments, saying he has never met him or interacted with him. And he disagreed with the notion that he was unwilling to compromise on MOHELA, for example, saying many different parts of that bill were submitted by Democrats. He also said nearly a fourth of all Democrats in the Senate, including the minority caucus leader, voted for it.

“He is still smarting over the fact that we defeated him,” said Nodler.

Local Democrats also are watching the two men position for power in Jefferson City.

Susan DeCarlo, chairwoman of Jasper County Democrats, called it “a feather in our cap” that Joplin may have two legislators in leadership positions.

“Let’s hope they will touch base with the Democrats in our area and listen to our concerns. They are my representatives as well.”

Key contributors

Who were some of Ron Richard’s key contributors in 2006?

Anheuser-Busch $650

Harrah’s $650

Ameren $325

Isle of Capri Casinos $325

Freeman Physicians Group $325

Freeman Physicians Group PAC $325

Ameristar Casino $325

Ameristar Casino Kansas City Inc. $325

Wal-Mart $325

Missouri State Farm Agents/MOSFA $325

Missouri State Medical Association $325

QC Financial Services $325

Home Builders Association of Greater St. Louis $325

Associated Builders and Contractors/Heart of America Chapter $325

Ameristar Casino St. Charles $325

Missouri Time Sales Services $325

Penn National Gaming $325

Missouri Motor Carriers Association $300

Premium Standard Farms $300

Altria $300

Source: National Institute on Money in State Politics database. Records are 42 percent complete.

Who were some of Gary Nodler’s key contributors in 2006?

Missouri Bankers Association $2,950

Christian Health Care Pharmacy $1,300

Missouri Health Care Association $650

Missouri Insurance Coalition $650

Isle of Capri Casinos $650

Freeman Physicians Group PAC $650

Centurytel Inc. $650

Missouri State Farm Agents/MOSFA $650

Christian Health Care Hospice $650

Missouri Cable Telecommunications Association $650

Freeman Physicians Group $650

Missouri Association of Rehabilitation Facilities $650

Anheuser-Busch $650

Express Scripts $650

Associated Builders and Contractors $650

Harrah’s $650

Associated General Contractors of St. Louis $650

Novartis Pharmaceuticals $650

Missouri State Medical Association $600

Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers $600

Source: National Institute on Money in State Politics database. Records are 42 percent complete.

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