IN LIMELIGHT: ZIEGENHORN NOW CALLED `MR. CHAIRMAN'

JEFFERSON CITY - During his first 10 years in the Missouri House of Representatives, Dennis Ziegenhorn had it made.

The Sikeston Democrat avoided getting caught up in the Capitol political scene; he dodged the ego building, backslapping efforts practiced regularly by lobbyists and special-interest groups on legislators, and made no secret of the fact that he'd rather be home in Sikeston than working in the Capitol.

He rarely sponsored legislation and focused his attention on matters of concern to people in Southeast Missouri. This got him involved in serious issues such as health insurance and health care, Medicaid, banking, and education reform.

When Ziegenhorn had something to say, he said it. For several years, Ziegenhorn has suggested the state needs a tax increase and has long fought the trend toward earmarking tax revenues. Rather than earmark revenue - which is forever - Ziegenhorn often challenges citizens to replace him as a legislator if they don't like the way he is spending money.

In his fourth term, Ziegenhorn was named chairman of the Miscellaneous Resolutions Committee, which handles routine bills, many of which more prominent committees had passed over.

Ziegenhorn was usually one of the last representatives to make it to Jefferson City prior to the start of each week's session, and one of the first to head for home when adjournment came. It wasn't that Ziegenhorn did not take his duties seriously; instead, Ziegenhorn had priorities.

His No. 1 priority was to be a representative - a link between the people in his district and the bureaucracy of state government. Part of being a good representative was being active in the community, in your family, and in your business. To Ziegenhorn, legislative duties were a far-distant second to his representative duties.

So convinced was Ziegenhorn that his philosophy was good for the state, that he sponsored legislation for several years to reduce the length of sessions. He proposed in odd-numbered years lawmakers would meet four months, and, in even-numbered years, they would meet two months. Now, the Legislature is in session about five-and-a-half months each year.

Ziegenhorn maintained a close relationship with House Speaker Bob Griffin, which has helped him when he chose to don his hat as a legislator. Ziegenhorn was one of Griffin's staunchest supporters in last year's speaker's race.

Voters in the 157th District seemed satisfied with Ziegenhorn's approach because, since first winning his seat in 1980, he has not been challenged.

Ziegenhorn had it made. He was Rep. Ziegenhorn, or better yet, just plain Dennis. But on Jan. 14, that all changed.

A combination of his strong support for Griffin, six terms seniority, no-nonsense reputation, and effective work in previous committee assignments made him the right man in the right place at the right time. On Jan. 14, Ziegenhorn became "Mr. Chairman" when Griffin appointed him to head the powerful and scandal-ridden Insurance Committee of the Missouri House.

The committee received some bad publicity last year when its eight-year chairman, Dewey Crump of St. Louis County, was found guilty on several charges of selling drugs. Other revelations were that Crump held wild parties on his boat at Lake of the Ozarks and that he was always asking insurance companies for expensive dinners and other perks for himself and committee members. It also was revealed that he was drawing a consultant's salary from an insurance company during the time he was chairman.

But Crump's personal problems and the troubled reputation of the committee are the least of Ziegenhorn's problems. There is a multitude of issues in the insurance industry this year covering such things as increasing premium costs, inadequate industry regulation, a poor competitive environment for companies in the state, and solvency. Over 100 insurance-related bills were introduced this year, and over 1,167 insurance companies operate in the state.

Ziegenhorn's fourth-floor office in the Capitol - complete with an inspiring view of the Missouri River and walls lined with poster-size photos of his family - looks more like a "take-a-number" Baskin-Robbins ice-cream shop these days than the office of a laid-back representative.

"I am now a legislator," said Ziegenhorn. "I am very involved; we're giving out numbers for people to come into my office. I'm real smart: I've quadrupled my workload and still get the same $20,000 salary."

At last count, the Insurance Committee had over 40 bills assigned to it. By virtue of the nature of the insurance industry, just about every bill is controversial to some degree and has both strong opponents and strong proponents. That only makes the chairmanship even more pressure-packed.

"I didn't realize what pressures were. There are people in here begging for bills ... it's really pathetic," said Ziegenhorn. "I'm sure it will eventually settle down, but right now everyone wants to talk to me. I'm just Dennis Ziegenhorn, that's all. But up here it's Mr. Chairman. I'm not used to that.

"I know now why Dewey took drugs," joked Ziegenhorn.

"All 40 bills we have been assigned so far are big issues to people, and that's the problem. We can only send so many out and a lot of these issues are tough to understand.

"I've met a lot of interesting people, but it's all pretty confusing sometimes."

If Ziegenhorn had any uncertainties about the power of his new position, that doubt quickly ended after Gov. John Ashcroft made two personal visits to his office, asking for quick action on legislation he was supporting. Ashcroft has not made a habit during his six years in office of visiting lawmakers on their turf.

Ziegenhorn said Ashcroft's package of bills dealt with issues like solvency in the insurance industry, and was part of the first bill passed by the committee.

As chairman, Ziegenhorn says his main goal is to give the committee credibility and to change the perception that insurance companies have taken control of the legislative process.

People in the insurance industry and consumer-oriented groups are not yet sure what to make of Ziegenhorn. They are unsure just what direction he will take the panel or what makes him tick. Also, the Senate Insurance Committee is chaired for the first time by Sen. Edwin Dirck, D-St. Ann, who is regarded as strongly pro-consumer.

The fact Ziegenhorn holds an insurance license has drawn some suspicion that he might be sympathetic to companies. But Ziegenhorn insists his main business is real estate; insurance is only a sideline.

Ziegenhorn is a little amused by the efforts to figure him out.

"Nobody knows whether I'm a company person or a consumer advocate," he said. "I'd have to say I'm in the middle of the road. I am more people-oriented, but companies deserve to make a profit not a killing but a profit. I want to encourage insurance companies to do business in Missouri. They provide a lot of employment and very little pollution. There are ways of taking care of constituents without putting anybody out of business."

In the General Assembly, committee chairmen have tremendous power and can usually pass out of committee anything they want to. Ziegenhorn is hoping to change that with his 26-member committee.

"I have made the statement that I am not the chairman of this committee; I am the traffic director. My committee is going to work. There won't be any expensive meals bought by insurance companies. We will work as a committee, democratically, and will decide what bills to pass."

He said he plans to vote last on bills to avoid influencing others on the committee, and only members present at the time of a vote will be able to vote. Absent members may vote after the fact within one hour after the committee adjourns, but only if their vote will not change the final outcome.

"These are rules I have set up," he said. "I'm not going to take all this heat myself. If a bill doesn't pass, it will be because of a vote, not because of something I did."

Another rule adopted by Ziegenhorn is that every bill assigned to his committee will be heard. "Everybody gets a hearing - from Nick Nostril to John Ashcroft," he pledged.

Ziegenhorn recalled that several weeks ago lobbyists for a bill that would put a 1 percent charge on certain premiums to fund rural fire equipment threatened to have 7,000 people call him unless he personally moved the bill to a higher priority.

"I told them to have the 7,000 people call, but I still won't move the bill up any," said Ziegenhorn. "That's a decision my committee has to make."

Even without those calls, Ziegenhorn's phone rings more than it ever did, even when he's back in the district on weekends trying to rekindle his status as a representative. "I'm getting calls from people all over the state 5-10 a weekend who bought a policy and can't get premiums back, or they bought a policy and something they thought was covered was not," said Ziegenhorn.

"You just can't imagine the increased workload. I've got to be here, got to be there; it's always something.

"I had life made. Nobody knew me, nobody cared about me. Now, I'm afraid to look out my window for fear somebody will be waving a sign to say vote for House bill such-and-such. This has made me want to be a hermit."

Ziegenhorn is far from ready to walk away from the limelight and pressures of his new post. On the other hand, neither is he ready yet to proclaim the life of a fast-lane legislator is for him.

"I don't dislike it," said Ziegenhorn. "I just have a long way to go to start liking it."