JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – In the last legislative session, the House Conservative Caucus championed both successful and unsuccessful causes. Their work included supporting HB 1631, which set the framework for photo voter ID in Missouri, as well as SB 656, the gun bill which just passed through veto session. However, the failure of SJR 39, the “religious liberties” bill, and paycheck protection, frustrated many of the bill’s supporters whose ideas coalesce around the Republican Party platform.
The House Conservative Caucus is a group of Republicans that work with chamber leadership to push conservative ideas and legislation. Members must have a consistently conservative voting record and a proven track record of pushing for conservative policy.
The caucus’ newly-elected leadership will be hard at work for the next few months on what their legislative agenda will be for the 2017 session in their bid to make a more conservative Missouri.
The caucus convened Sept. 15 to elect new members of leadership. Reps. Paul Curtman, R-Pacific, and Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, will serve as the chair and vice chair of the caucus, respectively.
Rep. Jered Taylor, R-Nixa, will be the new secretary, and Rep. Kurt Bahr, R-St. Charles, will serve as the whip.
Curtman called his selection “both an honor and a responsibility.”
“When most Republicans campaign they do so on conservative values,” Curtman said. “And so to chair a caucus that really tries to adhere to those particular values and principles and encourages other members to stay cognizant of those principles… I think it’s an important role for a Republican caucus that has a supermajority.”
Last night @MO_HCC elect our new Caucus Chairman- @paulcurtman ViceChair- @RickBrattin & Secretary- @Jered_Taylor pic.twitter.com/puVNiOmifs
— MOConservativeCaucus (@MO_HCC) September 15, 2016
Brattin believes the new leadership will establish a legislative agenda for next session that addresses the concerns of his constituents.
“The people are angry,” Brattin said bluntly. “We’re knocking on doors and people are angry with a government that promises change and promises to bring back the ideal of constitutional principles to government. …with the ideal that government is going to fix all the ails of the world. As conservatives, we realize it’s the people that do this.”
While Curtman did not bring up any specific legislation, he said they would soon submit a legislative agenda and the new leaders of the caucus would be in discussions with Republican Party leadership. They aim to ensure that laws in 2017 are passed with the ideals of transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility in mind.
“The goal is to just fight for certain principles of free market and constitutional government,” Curtman said.
“We’re trying to ensure that before we move forward on these sorts of ideas on job creation and other issues that we are applying the constitutional conservative principles to the core of what our party represents,” Brattin added.
Curtman and Brattin will replace Rep. Eric Burlison and outgoing Rep. Andrew Koenig as chair and vice-chair.
