JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Senate has released the official portrait of the newly elected President Pro Tem, Ron Richard, R-Joplin. Sen. Richard was elected by the body on Sept. 16, 2015 to serve as President Pro Tem of the Missouri Senate for the remainder of the 98th General Assembly. The President Pro Tem is responsible for appointing committee members, assigning legislation to committees, and ruling on points of order raised during debate in the Senate Chamber, among other powers.
Sen. Richard represents the 32nd District, which includes Dade, Newton and Jasper Counties. He was first elected to serve at the Capitol in 2002. In 2008, he became the first Speaker of the House from Newton County and the second from the region since Dick Webster in Jasper County. In 2010, he was elected to the Senate, becoming the first House Speaker to serve in the Senate in years. He made history once again this September, becoming the first person to serve as Speaker of the House and President Pro Tem.
