GOP MIFFED AT NO PROGRESS

After two days in which the Missouri House of Representatives spent less than 15 minutes in session, area Republicans headed home for the weekend angry at the lack of progress in selecting a new speaker.

Rep. Mary Kasten, R-Cape Girardeau, said House GOP members are incensed at the actions of outgoing Speaker Bob Griffin, D-Cameron.

For the second day in a row, Griffin quickly adjourned the House without taking action on the selection of his successor.

"The power of the speaker remains," Kasten said. "We Republicans have been ready to do business. and that hasn't been allowed to happen. And who knows what's going to happen Monday?"

People on both sides of the aisle have been ready to do business since Wednesday, Kasten said. "But that has been thwarted by the power of one particular person," she said.

"This is incredible that we can't do our work -- which we're ready to do," she said. "We want the ability to bring legislation to the floor, which by law we should have been doing already."

Several dissident groups within the Democratic Party have prevented Rep. Sam Leake, a farmer from Northeast Missouri and the party's previously announced choice to replace Griffin, from securing the necessary votes.

Majority Whip Larry Thomason, D-Kennett, expects problems within the party will be worked out over the weekend. "Most people are getting pretty fed up with the dissenters," he said.

As to reports that the Black Caucus is withholding support from Leake to extract guarantees of leadership positions, Thomason said it won't happen.

"The position of the caucus is pretty adamant: If you want a leadership position you run for it," he said.

The election of a new speaker should be done in a Democratic manner, not behind closed doors by deal-makers, said Rep. Patrick Naeger, R-Perryville. The floor should be opened, nominations offered and votes made, he said.

"Bob Griffin said he was going to resign. Bob Griffin, please step down and let the Democratic process elect another speaker," Naeger said.

The No. 2 spot in the House, majority leader, also is up for grabs. Rep. Bob Ward, D-Bonne Terre, recently relinquished the post. However, that task will wait until after a new speaker is chosen.

Thomason, though hesitant to make a prediction, feels a resolution is imminent. "The mood is, something will happen by Monday," he said.