Sen. Lincoln Hough is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast. The Springfield Republican talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jaclyn Driscoll about the upcoming special session — and what to expect when lawmakers come back to Jefferson City in January.
Hough represents Missouri’s 30th Senatorial District, which takes in a big chunk of Springfield and Greene County. He was sworn into office in early January for a four-year term.
Here’s what Hough talked about during the show:
- He discussed his decision to come back to the Missouri General Assembly after spending a couple of years on the Greene County Commission.
- Hough talked about his role as vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for helping craft the state budget.
- During the 2019 session, Hough ended up handling an economic development and workforce development package that survived a marathon filibuster. He talked about expectations on those two issues during the 2020 session.
- Hough gave his take on a potential ballot initiative that would expand Medicaid. Proponents, including some of the state’s biggest hospitals, have poured in big money to get that proposal on the 2020 ballot.
Hough is a cattle rancher who was first elected to the Missouri House in 2012. He served for two terms before successfully seeking a seat on the Greene County Commission in 2016.
His tenure in county government was particularly eventful, as he called for a state audit to look into allegations that taxpayer dollars were used to push for a Greene County sales tax hike. That put him at odds with Presiding Commissioner Bob Cirtin, a fellow Republican.
Hough decided to run for the Missouri Senate last year, taking on former state Rep. Charlie Norr, D-Springfield. While Springfield is a historic Republican stronghold, it’s become more favorable to Democrats in recent years. Ultimately, Hough defeated Norr by about 4,000 votes in a highly competitive contest.
The podcast is sponsored by the St. Louis-based law firm of Capes Sokol.
Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum
Follow Jaclyn Driscoll on Twitter: @DriscollNPR
Follow Lincoln Hough on Twitter: @LincolnHough
Music: "Dinner Bells" by Wolf Parade
