SPEAKER FIGHT MAY OR MAY NOT MATERIALIZE

The battle for the position of speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives is not about who will lead that chamber during the upcoming legislative session, one area member said. It is about the future direction of House leadership.

Rep. Sam Leake, a four-term House member from Laddonia, was nominated by fellow House Democrats last week to succeed Bob Griffith as speaker, the most powerful political office in the state after governor.

Last January, Republicans, though the minority party, nearly wrested the speakership from Griffin with the help of dissident Democrats. Griffin, who will retire in January, held the position for a record 15 years but saw his support wane in recent years.

Rep. Joe Heckemeyer, D-Sikeston, does not anticipate a battle over Leake's selection.

"I don't think you'll see the Republicans do anything," Heckemeyer said. "I think there is dissension in that party right now."

Rep. Mark Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, came within one vote of ousting Griffin in 1995 and appears poised for another attempt. However, an arrest for driving while intoxicated and child endangerment in Arkansas last spring has somewhat tarnished Richardson's "golden child" image, Heckemeyer said.

"I think he could have possibly been speaker, but since his incident he does not carry the same weight," said Heckemeyer.

Richardson was subsequently acquitted of all charges, but Richardson's image suffered as some voters viewed the ruling as a case of preferential treatment.

"In politics, even being involved in such an occurrence is bad for you," Heckemeyer said.

However, Rep. Mary Kasten, R-Cape Girardeau, said Richardson likely will be the GOP choice again. House Republicans held a nominating caucus at the same time as Democrats but did not choose a candidate.

Like last year, Republicans hold 76 seats to the Democrats' 87. Eighty-two votes constitute a majority.

"Now we are so close and there are a lot of dissidents in their group, those who will not necessarily go with the party line," Kasten said. "It will be interesting."

Heckemeyer downplayed a replay of last year's vote. However, the selection of Leake was far from unanimous.

After the elimination of four other candidates, Leake tied 40-40 with Sheila Lumpe of University City on the third ballot. After a 10-minute recess, support shifted to Leake for the fourth vote.

The five 1995 dissidents boycotted the vote and two other Democrats did not attend the caucus. Heckemeyer said he thought prior to the caucus that either a St. Louis- or Kansas City-area candidate would carry the day.

"In my mind I thought it would be a battle between the two cities for leadership," Heckemeyer said. "I'm surprised they did not make some kind of agreement to back one or the other."

Those who boycotted the vote, two of whom are from St. Louis, could have swung the vote in favor of one of their own. "The dissidents could have impacted on St. Louis having a speaker or not," said Heckemeyer.

The Republicans best option, he said, would be to wait for 1996. As a new leader in the seat so long held by Griffin, Leake is bound to make some mistakes. "Anybody just stepping into that office can be picked on," Heckemeyer said.

Leake's selection was the best for Southeast Missouri from among those who ran, Heckemeyer said. "We are more likely in rural areas to get the assistance we need," Heckemeyer said.

Kasten also likes Leake's outstate background, but feels he is a clone of Griffin. "He is pretty much along the philosophy of the speaker we have now," she said. Heckemeyer, however, countered that any Democratic successor would be viewed by Republicans as Griffin's hand-picked choice, regardless of the candidate's actual views.