Government, Politics & Issues

Scenes from the end of a chaotic Missouri legislative session

St. Louis Public Radio | 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 — 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 the Kansas City Star reported that House Speaker John Diehl had traded sexually suggestive texts with a 19-year-old intern.

In a matter of hours, the Town and Country Republican announced his resignation and his colleagues picked House Majority Leader Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, to take his leadership spot.

St. Louis Public Radio'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 working on a story during a half-hearted paper toss), he managed to encapsulate some of essence of a very chaotic three days.