Missouri House of Representatives
Missouri General Assembly
Type
Type	Lower house
Term limits	4 terms (8 years)
New session started	January 5, 2011
Leadership
Speaker of the House	Steven Tilley, (R) since January 5, 2011
Speaker pro Tempore	Shane Schoeller, (R) since January 5, 2011
Majority Leader	Tim Jones, (R) since January 5, 2011
Minority Leader	Mike Talboy, (D) since January 5, 2011
Structure
Members	163
Political groups	Republican Party (106) Democratic Party (56)
Length of term	2 years
Authority	Article III, Missouri Constitution
Salary	$35,915/year + per diem
Elections
Last election	November 2, 2010 (163 seats)
Next election	November 6, 2012 (163 seats)
Redistricting	Legislative Control
Meeting place
File:Missouri House of Representatives.jpg
House of Representatives Chamber Missouri State Capitol Jefferson City, Missouri
Website
Missouri House of Representatives

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. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.

In 1992 Missouri approved a constitutional amendment providing term limits (previously there were no limits).^[1] No Representative may serve more than eight years in the House. Each candidate for the office must be at least twenty-four years old, a registered qualified voter in the state for at least two years, and a resident of his or her district for at least one year.^[2]

Missouri's house is the fourth largest in the United States although the state ranks 18th in population. Legislation was introduced in 2011 to cut its size to 103 in 2020. Bigger legislatures in the United States are New Hampshire (400), Pennsylvania (203) and Georgia (180).^[3][4]

Composition[link]

As of the first session of the 96th General Assembly in 2011, the party representation in the House of Representatives is:

Leadership[link]

Members of the Missouri House of Representatives, 2011–2013[link]

Standing Committees[link]

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 a 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

Special Committees[link]

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

Budget Committee and Subcommittees[link]

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

Joint Committees[link]

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

Term Limits[link]

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.

Salary[link]

As of March 2008, members of the Missouri House of Representatives receive an annual salary of $35,915.44.^[9]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Missouri House of Representatives

v t e Members of the Missouri House of Representatives 96th General Assembly (2011–2012) Speaker of the House: Steven Tilley (R) Speaker pro Tempore: Shane Schoeller (R) Majority Leader: Tim Jones (R) Minority Leader: Mike Talboy (D)        Craig Redmon (R)    Zachary Wyatt (R)    Casey Guernsey (R)    Mike Thomson (R)    Glen Klippenstein (R)    Lindell Shumake (R)    Mike Lair (R)    Tom Shively (D)    Paul Quinn (D)    Jay Houghton (R)    Ed Schieffer (D)    Doug Funderburk (R)    Chuck Gatschenberger (R)    Kathie Conway (R)    Chrissy Sommer (R)    Mark A. Parkinson (R)    Vicki A. Schneider (R)    Anne Zerr (R)    Kurt Bahr (R)    Jeanie Riddle (R)    John W. Cauthorn (R)    Randy Asbury (R)    Stephen Webber (D)    Chris Kelly (D)    Mary Stil (D)    Joe Aull (D)    Pat Conway (D)    Delus Johnson (R)    Galen Higdon (R)    Nick Marshall (R)    Jay Swearingen (D)    Ronald Schieber (R)    Jerry Nolte (R)    Myron Neth (R)    T.J. Berry (R)    Bob Nance (R)    Mike Talboy (D)    Ryan Silvey (R) Vacant    John J. Rizzo (D) Vacant    Leonard Hughes IV (D)    Gail McCann Betty (D)    Jason Kander (D)    Jason R. Holsman (D)    Kevin McManus (D)    Jeff Grisamore (R)    Gary L. Cross (R)    Tom McDonald (D)    Michael R. Brown (D)    Ira Anders (D)    Noel Torpey (R)    Brent Lasater (R)    Jeannie Lauer (R)    Sheila Solon (R)    Mike Cierpot (R)    Karla May (D)    Penny Hubbard (D)    Jeanette Mott Oxford (D)    Jamilah Nasheed (D)    Chris Carter (D)    Don Phillips (R)    Tishaura Jones (D)    Susan Carlson (D)    Michele Kratky (D)    Genise Monticello (D)    Mike Colona (D)    David Sater (R)    Tommy Pierson (D)    Sharon Pace (D)    Clem Smith (D)    Rory Ellinger (D)    Stacey Newman (D)    Steve Webb (D)    Bert Atkins (D)    Churie Spreng (D)    Eileen McGeoghegan (D)    Margo McNeil (D)    Mary Nichols (D)    Sylvester Taylor (D)    Rochelle Walton Gray (D)    Jill Schupp (D)    Jake Zimmerman (D)    Don Gosen (R)    Cloria Brown (R)    Cole McNary (R)    John Diehl (R)    Andrew Koenig (R)    Tim Jones (R)    John McCaherty (R)    Jeanne Kirkton (D)    Sue Allen (R)    Dwight Scharnhorst (R)    Rick Stream (R)    Mike Leara (R)    Scott Sifton (D)    Gary Fuhr (R)    Dave Hinson (R)    Bart Kormon (R)    Marsha Haefner (R)    Tim Meadows (D)    Paul Wieland (R)    Ron Casey (D)    Joe Fallert (D)    Paul Curtman (R)    Steven Tilley (R)    Linda Black (D)    Jacob Hummel (D)    Scott Dieckhaus (R)    Ben Harris (D)    Charles Schlottach (R)    Tom Loehner (R)    Mike Bernskoetter (R)    Jay Barnes (R)    Rodney Schad (R)    Wanda Brown (R)    Caleb Jones (R)    Stanley Cox (R)    Sandy Crawford (R)    Scott Largent (R)    Denny Hoskins (R)    Michael McGhee (R)    Chris Molendorp (R)    Rick Brattin (R)    Barney Fisher (R)    Mike Kelley (R)    Tom Flanigan (R)    Charlie Davis (R)    Bill White (R)    Bill Reiboldt (R)    Bill Lant (R)    Don Ruzicka (R)    Sue Entlicher (R)    Thomas Long (R)    Charlie Denison (R)    Eric Burlison (R)    Melissa Leach (R)    Sarah Lampe (D)    Shane Schoeller (R)    Lincoln Hough (R)    Kevin Elmer (R)    Raymond Weter (R)    Lyle Rowland (R)    Tony Dugger (R)    Lyndall Fraker (R)    Darrel Pollock (R)    Don Wells (R)    David A. Day (R)    Keith Frederick (R)    Jason Smith (R)    Ward Franz (R)    Paul Fitzwater (R)    Steve Cookson (R)    Todd Richardson (R)    Diane Franklin (R)    Shelley Keeney (R)    Donna Lichtenegger (R)    Wayne Wallingford (R)    Billy Pat Wright (R)    Ellen Brandom (R)    Steve Hodges (D)    Terry Swinger (D)    Kent Hampton (R)    Republican (105)    Democratic (55) Vacant (3) Missouri General Assembly Missouri House of Representatives Missouri State Senate

Coordinates: 38°34′45″N 92°10′23″W / 38.579120°N 92.172991°W / 38.579120; -92.172991

State of Missouri
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): The Show-Me State (official)
Motto(s): Salus populi suprema lex esto (Latin)
Official language(s)	None
Demonym	Missourian
Capital	Jefferson City
Largest city	Kansas City
Largest metro area	Greater St Louis Area[1]
Area	Ranked 21st in the U.S.
- Total	69,704 sq mi (180,533 km2)
- Width	240 miles (385 km)
- Length	300 miles (480 km)
- % water	1.17
- Latitude	36° N to 40° 37′ N
- Longitude	89° 6′ W to 95° 46′ W
Population	Ranked 18th in the U.S.
- Total	6,010,688 (2011 est)[2]
- Density	87.3/sq mi  (33.7/km2) Ranked 28th in the U.S.
- Median household income	$46,867 (35th)
Elevation
- Highest point	Taum Sauk Mountain[3][4] 1,772 ft (540 m)
- Mean	800 ft  (240 m)
- Lowest point	Saint Francis River at southern Arkansas border[3][4] 230 ft (70 m)
Before statehood	Missouri Territory
Admission to Union	August 10, 1821 (24th)
Governor	Jay Nixon (D)
Lieutenant Governor	Peter Kinder (R)
Legislature	General Assembly
- Upper house	Senate
- Lower house	House of Representatives
U.S. Senators	Claire McCaskill (D) Roy Blunt (R)
U.S. House delegation	6 Republicans, 3 Democrats (list)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Abbreviations	MO US-MO
Website	www.mo.gov

Missouri State symbols
Animate insignia
Amphibian	American Bullfrog
Bird(s)	Bluebird
Fish	Channel Catfish
Flower(s)	White hawthorn
Grass	Big bluestem
Insect	Honey bee
Mammal(s)	Missouri Mule
Tree	Flowering Dogwood
Inanimate insignia
Dance	Square Dance
Dinosaur	Hypsibema missouriensis[5]
Fossil	Crinoid
Gemstone	Aquamarine
Mineral	Galena
Rock	Mozarkite
Slogan(s)	Show Me (unofficial)
Song(s)	"Missouri Waltz"
Route marker(s)
State Quarter
Released in 2003
Lists of United States state insignia

Missouri (ⁱ/mɨˈzʊəri/)^[6] (nickname The Show Me State) is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States,^[7] bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 21st most extensive and the 18th most populous of the 50 United States. Missouri comprises 114 counties and the independent city of St. Louis. The four largest urban areas are St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and Columbia.^[8] Missouri's capital is Jefferson City. The land that is now Missouri was acquired from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase and became known as the Missouri Territory. Part of the Territory was admitted into the union as the 24th state on August 10, 1821.

Missouri generally mirrors the demographic, economic and political makeup of America and has long been considered a political bellwether state.^[9] With the exceptions of the Presidential elections of 1956 and 2008, Missouri's results have accurately predicted the next President of the United States in every election since 1904. It has both Midwestern and Southern cultural influences, reflecting its history as a border state. It is also a transition between the Eastern and Western United States, as St. Louis is often called the "western-most Eastern city" and Kansas City the "eastern-most Western city". Missouri's geography is highly varied. The northern part of the state lies in dissected till plains while the southern part lies in the Ozark Mountains (a dissected plateau), with the Missouri River dividing the two. The state lies at the intersection of the three greatest rivers of North America, with the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers near St. Louis,^[10] and the confluence of the Ohio River with the Mississippi north of the Bootheel. The starting points of the Pony Express Trail and Oregon Trail were both in Missouri.^[11] The mean center of United States population as of the 2010 Census is at the town of Plato in Texas County, Missouri.^[12]

Etymology[link]

The state is named for the Missouri River, which was named after the Siouan-language tribe. They were called the ouemessourita (wimihsoorita^[13]), meaning "those who have dugout canoes", by the Miami-Illinois language speakers. The Illini were the first natives encountered by Europeans in the region and they adopted the name of the Missouri from them.^[14]

Geography[link]

Missouri, showing major cities and roads

Missouri borders eight different states, as does its neighbor, Tennessee. No state in the U.S. touches more than eight states. Missouri is bounded on the north by Iowa; on the east, across the Mississippi River, by Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee; on the south by Arkansas; and on the west by Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska (the last across the Missouri River). The two largest Missouri rivers are the Mississippi, which defines the eastern boundary of the state, and the Missouri River, which flows from west to east through the state, essentially connecting the two largest metros, Kansas City and St. Louis.

Although today the state is usually considered part of the Midwest,^[15][16] historically Missouri was considered by many to be a Southern state,^[17] chiefly because of the settlement of migrants from the South and its status as a slave state before the Civil War. The counties that made up "Little Dixie" were those along the Missouri River in the center of the state, settled by Southern migrants who held the greatest concentration of slaves.

In 2005, Missouri received 16,695,000 visitors to its national parks and other recreational areas totaling 202,000 acres (820 km²), giving it $7.41 million in annual revenues, 26.6% of its operating expenditures.^[18]

Topography[link]

A physiographic map of Missouri

North of, and in some cases just south of, the Missouri River lie the Northern Plains that stretch into Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas. Here, gentle rolling hills remain from the glaciation that once extended from the Canadian Shield to the Missouri River. Missouri has many large river bluffs along the Mississippi, Missouri, and Meramec Rivers. Southern Missouri rises to the Ozark Mountains, a dissected plateau surrounding the Precambrian igneous St. Francois Mountains. This region also hosts karst topography characterized by high limestone content with the formation of sinkholes and caves.^[19]

A portion of the Ozarks in Southern Missouri

The southeastern part of the state is the Bootheel region, part of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain or Mississippi embayment. This region is the lowest, flattest, and wettest part of the state. It is also among the poorest, as the economy is mostly agricultural.^[20] It is also the most fertile, with cotton and rice crops predominant. The Bootheel was the epicenter of the four New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811–1812.

Climate[link]

Missouri generally has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa) with cold winters and hot and humid summers. In the southern part of the state, particularly in the Bootheel, the climate turns into a humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa). Located in the interior United States, Missouri often experiences extremes in temperatures. Without high mountains or oceans nearby to moderate temperature, its climate is alternately influenced by air from the cold Arctic and the hot and humid Gulf of Mexico. Missouri's highest recorded temperature is 118 °F (48 °C) at Warsaw and Union on July 14, 1954 while the lowest recorded temperature is −40 °F (−40 °C) also at Warsaw on February 13, 1905.

Missouri also receives extreme weather in the form of thunderstorms and tornadoes. The most recent EF5 tornado in the state to cause damage and casualties was the 2011 Joplin tornado, which destroyed roughly 1/3 of the city of Joplin. The tornado caused an estimated $1–3 billion dollars in damages, killed 159 (+1 non-tornadic), and injured over 1,000 people. The tornado was the first EF5 to hit the state since 1957. The tornado was the deadliest in the U.S. since 1947, making it the 7th deadliest tornado in American history, but the 27th deadliest in the world.