Parson has opportunity to move Missouri forward

Governor Mike Parson is only a week into his new role after the resignation of Eric Greitens.

Parson so far has retained Greitens� cabinet members. He has made hires of several staff members, including naming Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney Christopher K. Limbaugh as his general counsel.

On Tuesday, Parson met with mayors from across the state. And I would expect the governor to hold many more meetings in the coming weeks with stakeholders from across the political spectrum. Early and good communication will be important in this transition.

Parson has made public comments about moving Missouri forward. Now he gets his chance. On Monday evening he will give a speech to the General Assembly.

One topic that�s come up publicly is whether a new lieutenant governor will be appointed. Parson believes he should have an opportunity to appoint a replacement for the state�s No. 2 in command. He�s even suggested the possibility of a special session where the Legislature could give him that authority.

Retired Judge Michael A. Wolff wrote about the issue of replacing the lieutenant governor in a column that appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Wolff cited Missouri state statute that says the governor has authority to put forward a replacement for positions �other than in the offices of lieutenant governor, state senator or representative, or sheriff��

�There have been 47 lieutenant governors since Missouri became a state in 1821,� Wolff wrote in the Post-Dispatch. �In at least 11 cases, there were deaths or resignations � and the office remained vacant, sometimes for years.�

The two exceptions were in 2000 with Joe Maxwell and 1968 with William Morris. In each case Maxwell and Morris had been elected by the voters for the upcoming term and were filling the current term prior to when they normally would have taken office. The case of Morris was contested by a lawmaker at the time.

Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Parson, right, is sworn in as the state's 57th governor by Judge Mary Rhodes Russell, left, as Parson's wife, Teresa, looks on following the resignation of Eric Greitens Friday, June 1, 2018, in Jefferson City, Mo. Parson ascended to governor after Greitens stepped down Friday amid investigations of his political and personal life.(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Could the Legislature pass a bill to give the governor this authority? Sure. They tried in 2013 by passing a bill, only to have it vetoed by the governor. The Senate passed legislation this session but it was not agreed to in the House.

But is it worth a special session?

Cape Girardeau native and former lieutenant governor Peter Kinder said in a phone interview this week that if the Legislature needs a special session for other issues, it would make sense to add this topic to the agenda. But for this standalone issue, Kinder said he�s not sure he would call a special session. I agree. I believe it would make more sense to wait until January when the General Assembly returns.

For the next six months, the governor�s office can handle many of the duties of the lieutenant governor.

The governor has made a case that he would work closely with the incoming lieutenant governor, which would be smart. The officeholder sits on a number of boards and commissions. So clearly it�s important. But for now it would make more sense to wait on filling the position.

Should the governor get the opportunity to fill this position, either now or later, there are any number of possible candidates. I�ll highlight three.

Republican State Sen. Mike Kehoe (District 6) is the majority floor leader and has been mentioned in news coverage as a potential option.

Another possible candidate is Sikeston native Beverly Randles, who ran in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor against Parson. If appointed, she would be the first African American of either political party to hold statewide office. Randles is a strong candidate and would also bring a good connection to Southeast Missouri, though she now lives in Kansas City.

House Speaker Todd Richardson would be another Southeast Missouri native who would make a good lieutenant governor. The Poplar Bluff legislator gave a profound closing speech at the end of the General Assembly. Instead of making the speech from the dais, he chose the desk on the House floor where he started as a freshmen legislator. If you have not watched the Speaker�s closing remarks, I encourage you to check it out on YouTube.

Richardson is a good leader and legislator. So far he has declined to pursue statewide office. I�m sure he looks forward to spending more time with family. Missouri would be the better for it if he returns to government � whether that time is now or in the years to come.

My prayer is that Missouri comes together quickly under Gov. Parson. There�s important work to do, and the people�s business is bigger than any one person.

Lucas Presson is the assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian.