Scenes from the end of a chaotic Missouri legislative session

Government, Politics & Issues

Scenes from the end of a chaotic Missouri legislative session

漏 2024 外网天堂 | By Jason Rosenbaum

Published May 17, 2015 at 9:11 PM CDT

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State Sen. Scott Sifton angrily speaks on Wednesday. The Affton Democrat was a key figure in grinding business of the Senate to a halt after Republicans stopped a filibuster of right to work.

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Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, presides over the Missouri Senate on Wednesday. Dempsey missed the final two days of session to attend his daughter's college graduation.

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Senate Minority Leader Joe Keaveny, D-St. Louis, stands at his desk on Wednesday. Keaveny helped shut down the business of the Senate after the GOP squashed the right to work filibuster.

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Reps. Michael Butler, D-St. Louis, and Stacey Newman, D-Richmond Heights, work at their desks on Wednesday. That's the day the KC Star broke the story about House Speaker John Diehl's texts with a 19-year-old intern.

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Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, checks his phone on the Missouri House floor.

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Lobbyist Rodney Hubbard talks on his cell phone on Wednesday. Hubbard, a former state representative from St. Louis, was lobbying against the right to work bill.

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A group of union officials speak with Rep. Courtney Curtis, D-Ferguson. Curtis sponsored a "right to work" bill this year aimed at construction unions.

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House Speaker John Diehl's door. Reporters camped outside the Town and Country Republican's office after the KC Star story broke.

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Members of the House Republican Caucus pile into the House Lounge after Diehl announced his resignation on Thursday.

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Reps. Tom McDonald, D-Independence, and Tommie Pierson, D-Bellefontaine Neighbors, mingle outside the House Lounge as the House GOP meets about Diehl's resignation.

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A television camera waits for House Majority Leader Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, to meet the press on Thursday.

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Richardson meets the press on Thursday after being tabbed to be the next speaker of the Missouri House.

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Richardson presides over the Missouri House on Friday after being sworn into his leadership position on Friday.

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House Speaker Todd Richardson hugs his father, former House Minority Leader Mark Richardson. Mark Richardson almost became speaker in the 1990s after a Democratic revolt.

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Richardson examines a computerized seating chart.

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Sen. David Pearce, center, stands at the side of the Missouri Senate chamber. The Warrensburg Republican often wears his red sportcoat on the last day of session.

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Sens. Jeanie Riddle, R-Mokane, and Bob Dixon, R-Springfield, converse Friday on the Senate floor.

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Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, folds her arms near the entrance of the Missouri Senate. By Friday, senators finally broke a deadlock that had completely stopped business in the chamber.

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Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur, talks with a doorman on Friday.

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Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis, converses with a visitor on Friday.

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Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis, talks with a visitor on Friday.

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Schmitt laughs with Sen. Gina Walsh, D-Bellefontaine Neighbors, after the Senate adjourned for the year. The Senate adjourned three hours earlier than usual.

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From center: Sens. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, waits for a presser to start with Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City.

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Senate Majority Leader Ron Richard, R-Joplin, mills around during a presser after the Senate adjourned. Richard lead the charge to squash a filibuster of a "right to work" bill.

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Richardson enters the House Lounge for an end-of-session press conference on Friday.

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Rep. Shelley Keeney, R-Marble Hill, basks in applause of her colleagues on Friday. Keeney accepted a marriage proposal while presiding over the Missouri House.

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Mark Richardson holds his granddaughter, Briley, during his son's end-of-session press conference.

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House Minority Leader Jake Hummel, D-St. Louis, leads the Democratic end-of-session press conference as state Rep. Karla May, D-St. Louis, looks on.

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Scott Holste, Gov. Jay Nixon's press secretary, tests out microphones before his boss' end-of-session press conference.

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Nixon speaks to reporters during his end-of-session press conference on Friday.

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The final week of the Missouri General Assembly's session is usually pretty hectic 鈥� but not for the reasons that occurred last week.

As the Missouri Senate spiraled into deadlock after Republicans forcibly stopped a filibuster, the House GOP entered into crisis mode after

In a matter of hours, announced his resignation and his colleagues

漏 2024 外网天堂's Jason Rosenbaum arrived at the Missouri Capitol soon after the Star's story had broken. While he didn't capture every single moment (he was , he managed to encapsulate some of essence of a very chaotic three days.