RICHARDSON LOSES CHANCE AT HISTORY

JEFFERSON CITY -- Mark Richardson sat in his second-floor Capitol office Thursday morning, coolly pondering the possibilities.

Richardson was cautiously optimistic a fragile coalition he helped assemble would make him the first Republican in Missouri history to serve as speaker of a House with a majority of Democrats.

An attorney from Poplar Bluff starting his third term, Richardson had become minority leader nearly two months earlier after defeating two other candidates, including the incumbent, Rep. Pat Kelley of Lee's Summit.

On this day, less than two hours before the House speaker vote, his office door was open. Several friends from the district dropped by, Republican members came in to offer encouragement and congratulate party leaders for their efforts. His office had a crowd of visitors, as it has most mornings.

The casual atmosphere on what could be an historic day seemed unusual, but it was clear Richardson was satisfied he had done all he could do. It was now just a matter of time. A matter of holding votes together, and grabbing just one more to capture the speaker's prize.

About 15 minutes before Republicans were to caucus before heading to the House floor, assistant Republican leader Zane Yates came in to report everything was well.

Richardson eventually lost his bid to Griffin, 82-80, after Rep. Matt O'Neill, D-St. Louis, had decided to change his vote to support Griffin.

The vote for temporary speaker Wednesday, in which Yates and Rep. Gene Copeland, D-New Madrid, were contestants, tied at 81 votes.

On Thursday, with O'Neill's support, Copeland won temporary speaker, 82-80. Griffin's election followed.

In the 1994 general election, Republicans had gained eight seats in the Missouri House. That cut the Democratic majority to 87-76, the smallest it had been since 1954 when the Republicans last controlled the House.

One strategy Republicans had considered for this session was to use their increased numbers to increase Republican input into rules and legislation. By working hard the next two years, GOP leaders were confident they could claim control of the House after the 1996 elections.

After his election as minority leader, Richardson made it known his party was willing to work with dissatisfied Democrats to change direction in the House.

Rep. Tony Ribaudo, D-St. Louis, who unsuccessfully challenged Griffin for speaker in 1990, led a small band of Democrats that talked with GOP leaders. From a discussion about new House rules, the concept of an alternative speaker came up.

The likelihood of Republicans forming a coalition with dissatisfied Democrats to elect another Democrat speaker seemed the most promising. But no acceptable Democrat came forward.

With Republicans unified behind Richardson, the Democratic group agreed to support him. Everything came together for Richardson's challenge by Monday.

Democratic leaders contended that if Richardson were successful, his coalition would be impossible to keep together and that Richardson's speakership would last only a few days when battles arose over differences on issues.

But Richardson maintained potential problems had been discussed and he believes that once Griffin was ousted, other Democrats would support the coalition.

"There are a lot of rural, conservative Democrats that privately want to see a change in leadership in this building, but have not had the courage to turn that feeling into a vote," Richardson said.

Democrats in the coalition were mainly urban lawmakers, with strong labor ties. They had only one real thing in common with Republicans -- absolute disdain for Griffin. For Ribaudo, it was an opportunity for the ultimate revenge.

"It would have been my job to draw upon everything in my power to hold our coalition together," Richardson said.

Under his leadership, Richardson said the House would operate in a more democratic manner, with legislation standing on its own merits, not on who was sponsoring it.

An agreement with the Democrats was that committee chairmanships, now held by the majority party, would be shared almost evenly between Democrats and Republicans. Ribaudo would have a major say in who Democratic chairmen would be.

Richardson said the assault on Griffin came about because of growing disdain for the way he has operated the House as "a dictatorship. That power has to be diffused. Under his leadership the House has become nothing but a den of corruption and power brokering."

The position of House speaker has been viewed in Missouri over the years as second only to the governor's office in terms of power and influence.

Richardson said he wanted that power; not to use it, but to diffuse it.

"Our motivation has always been better government," he said. "We want a fair and open process, not only for Republicans but Democrats as well."