ASSEMBLY DISCORD

Missourians were left scratching their heads this week when legislators battled a snowstorm to convene in Jefferson City for this year's session of the General Assembly. The confusion sprang from the House of Representatives, where the Democratic majority was unable to produce enough votes on the first go-around to elect a new speaker to replace soon-to-retire Bob Griffin.

The Cameron Democrat who has held autocratic sway over the House for 15 years continued to use his authority as representatives met for what was to be an end to Griffin's imperial ways. But Sam Leake, the farmer from Northeast Missouri who was picked weeks ago as the heir apparent to the speaker's post, failed to do what comes naturally to most politicians in leadership positions: He failed to exercise any control over his fellow Democrats in the House.

One of the questions Missourians who take an interest in legislative matters are asking is simple: What has Leake been doing in those weeks since he was anointed to become speaker? Typically a party leader, particularly in the majority party, would be able to bring enough votes into line so that there would be no embarrassing incidents on the opening day of the legislative session.

But red faces have been seen in the House on the last two opening days. Last year the Democratic apple cart came close to being upset when, with newly appointed Secretary of State Bekki Cook of Cape Girardeau presiding, there appeared to be enough votes from Republicans and dissident Democrats to elect GOP Rep. Mark Richardson from Poplar Bluff as the speaker, even though Griffin at that time had no intentions of stepping down. That unlikely outcome was avoided when Cook allowed voting to continue for several hours until enough Democrats could be persuaded to fall into line.

This year, the votes in support of Leake to become speaker had been counted before the session began, and there weren't enough. So Griffin, who still has the authority to preside, refused to hear Republican outcries to be recognized and instead acknowledged a Democrat's motion to end the chamber's deliberations for the day.

The raucous scene that has initiated the start of legislative session the past two years is indicative of far more than uncertainty about who should be speaker of the House. It is a fairly clear sign that the Democrats, who have an 87-75 majority (there is one vacancy) over the Republicans are far from united. There is, without a doubt, considerable concern among the Democrats that Republicans could become the majority party in this November's general election, and the onus is on the party's legislative leaders to prevent that. A strong and unified leadership that is able to control a solid election-year legislative agenda would be considered by most political observers to be a key in maintaining a Democratic majority.

Democratic leaders in the House also are having to gauge how voters are going to react to Gov. Mel Carnahan's record in his first term. The Democrat-controlled General Assembly has been a partner in the governor's agenda to raise taxes and impose programs that most Missourians would have preferred to vote on. Democrats looking at their re-election chances will have to wonder if enough money has been thrown around to ensure victory, or if there is a very real possibility that Missouri voters will revolt against the high price tag of the Carnahan programs that has produced skyrocketing increases in state revenue without a hint of tax relief.