GOP LAWMAKERS URGE CHANGES IN CHAMBER RULES

Republican members of the Missouri House of Representatives are calling for changes in chamber rules, many designed to dilute the power of the House speaker.

"We want fair rules and we want them to be ones in which the true feelings of people can be expressed and passed on and debated," said Rep. Mary Kasten, R-Cape Girardeau.

During his 15 years as speaker, Rep. Bob Griffin, D-Cameron, has wielded tremendous power and control over what legislation made it to the floor for debate.

Griffin intended to resign Wednesday, but remains in office while Democratic leaders work to unite a factionalized party behind the Democratic nominee to succeed Griffin, Rep. Sam Leake of the northeastern Missouri town of Perry.

Gov. Mel Carnahan urged fellow Democrats in the House to settle their differences and elect a speaker.

"It is time for the House to organize and do business. Nothing is hurt too badly with a couple of days, but this doesn't need to linger," Carnahan told reporters Friday.

Carnahan said he has talked to some House Democrats "to get people together to resolve this."

But the governor said he is not favoring any Democratic faction.

"I don't ever plan to put the deal together for who the speaker of the House of Representatives will be. That is something that is not the governor's role," Carnahan said.

Asked whether Griffin should step down before the election, Carnahan said: "I think that is one of the options as to procedures that they ought to think very seriously about."

Republicans, meanwhile, have drafted a petition declaring the speaker's post vacant. But Griffin said he will remain until a successor is chosen.

"I won't be persuaded by any such petition. I am insisting on an election and I am staying in there until there is an election," Griffin told The Associated Press.

House GOP Whip Don Logrosso, who drafted the petition, said it was "open to interpretation" as to whether the petition could legally remove Griffin. Logrosso said he expected at least 82 members -- a simple majority -- to sign the petition. There are 87 Democrats, 75 Republicans and one vacancy in the House.

Once a new speaker is chosen, Republican representatives want changes to prevent individual members -- the speaker, as well as majority leader or committee chairmen -- from holding up legislation approved in committee.

"It should not be what the speaker wants the speaker gets, because there are 163 of us," said Rep. Patrick Naeger, R-Perryville.

"The way it is now, if the speaker wants to kill a bill there are certain committees he can send the bill to where it will never get heard."

One suggestion proposes automatically placing bills passed by committee onto the legislative calendar in the order they are approved.

"If I have a piece of legislation, regardless of if I'm a Republican or Democrat, the legislation should stand and be heard on its own merits," Naeger said. "That is how it should work and it's not working like that now."

Democratic Rep. Marilyn Taylor Williams of Dudley said change is always needed in any organization, but House rules require only minor adjustment, not major overhaul.

"As far as Republican plans to skip the committee process and put bills straight on the floor, that would deny the public of its only chance to testify," Williams said. The public is only allowed comment before committees, not the full House. "I do not want to see the citizens of Missouri left out of the loop."

Despite the holdup on House business caused by the problems of selecting a speaker, Williams said the chamber isn't falling behind and is on track with business done outside of the full chamber. "The legislative process has begun and is on schedule," she said.

Naeger said the whole matter could be settled if Griffin would simply throw the vote open to members instead of holding out for support of Leake.

"If 82 or more people in this body want to elect someone other than Sam Leake, we ought to have the opportunity," Naeger said.

Williams agreed. "That's the democratic process. Let's vote up or down and let the chips fall where they may."

(Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press.)