Senator Jason Bean brought hundreds to the capitol for his Taste of the South event last week featuring food and culture from the 25th district.
The event included live music from Jesse Charles Hammock II, Southeast Missouri Barbeque, over a hundred of his constituents from southeast Missouri, and a few guests from Missouri Politics.
Some of the guests included Sen. Holly Thompson Rheder, various state representatives from the bootheel and Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe.
While on stage, Bean complimented Southeastern Missouri’s food, accent and people. Bean then handed the mic off to Kehoe.
Kehoe commended Bean’s work in the Senate and also thanked the representatives from Southeastern Missouri for their work in the House.
Next, Bean brought former House Speaker Todd Richardson to the stage. Former speaker Richardson gave a small speech, before welcoming a special guest to the stage. His father, former House Minority Leader Mark Richardson.
The younger Richardson honored his father with a cotton bail embossed with the Missouri State Seal. The older Richardson had always kept a cotton bail in his office during his time in the House. His son thanked him for his service to Southeastern Missouri as well as his service to the entire state.
Mark Richardson talked about how different the Missouri political landscape was since his time in office. He also talked about the history of the bootheel and the people that live there. But he also thanked his constituents.
He told the story of John Hardeman Walker who was the farmer whose determination to have his property remain in Missouri led to the state’s signature bootheel in southeast Missouri.
“We are really here tonight to honor the people of Southeast Missouri, the bootheel,” Richardson said to the crowd.
