LEGISLATORS ARRIVE AT CAPITOL WITH IMPEACHMENT ROLE LIKELY

As most members of the Missouri House of Representatives were either en route or preparing to go to what promises to be a boring veto session, Gov. Mel Carnahan was raising the intensity level.

On Tuesday, Carnahan told embattled Secretary of State Judi Moriarty if she didn't resign by noon today, he would call a special session of the House to impeach her.

Impeachment proceedings could start this week but would likely run into next week or the week after and take at least four days by the full House. If impeachment was voted by the full House, Moriarty would be tried before the seven judges of the Missouri Supreme Court.

Rep. Larry Thomason, D-Kennett, the House majority whip, said he supports the governor's tough stance because, by not resigning, Moriarty is only "prolonging the inevitable."

"My preference is that she would not let it come to impeachment, but under the circumstances there is no other course of action," Thomason said. "I was her strongest supporter before conviction, but once she was convicted there is not much else you can do."

But a Southeast Missouri Republican representative said Tuesday afternoon he feared Democrats might be moving too quickly against Moriarty.

Rep. Mark Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, said he believes the governor is playing politics "in an attempt to purge an embarrassment" and that they are "steam rolling over the rights of an individual the system is designed to protect."

Richardson said he can't understand why Carnahan is rushing impeachment proceedings. He is also concerned the effort to oust Moriarty is being done without regard to her election by the voters.

"We don't need to supplant our wisdom for the wisdom of the people who put her there," Richardson said, adding: "We need to slow this locomotive." He said there is a process for her and that process hasn't been completed.

"It seems a little suspect to me," he said. "She has not triggered the provision in the law to forfeit her office. She has every right to wait until sentencing."

Richardson, an attorney, said House members should proceed with caution because impeachment proceedings are extremely serious. He said just because a jury in Cole County found Moriarty guilty last week doesn't automatically mean the House should vote a writ of impeachment.

"This is a very, very serious, somber decision we have to make," Richardson said.