State Rep. Alex Riley, R-Springfield, is vying for a leadership position in the Missouri House of Representatives in 2023.
Riley announced his bid for majority floor leader in a press release on Dec. 11.
Riley said he is running to “get back to basics” and focusing on “advancing good conservative policies” amid the political infighting of Jefferson City.
“We've really gotten bogged down in personal pettiness and really, that's been preventing the House and the Senate and the government as a whole from accomplishing as much as I think our constituents deserve,” Riley told the Hauxeda. “And when we're trying to compete with other states and our region, whether it's on economic footing or educational attainment, we're falling behind because we're not accomplishing as much as a lot of our peer states.”
House Bill 719, which was sponsored by Riley and later got rolled into Senate Bill 45 before it passed and was signed into law, is among the accomplishments he is proud of. The legislation established a “transitional” benefits program by creating a step-down approach — rather than immediately becoming disqualified when their income exceeds the maximum allowed under state programs, recipients are now eligible for reduced benefits.
Riley’s priorities include crime reduction, boosting education outcomes and “safeguarding our liberties.”
Electing a new majority leader could come sooner than planned
Riley is seeking to succeed Rep. Jon Patterson, R-Lee's Summit, who was selected in September to be the next House speaker. Patterson is set to replace current Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, who is term-limited in 2024. Plocher, who is running for lieutenant governor, is currently under investigation for filing false expense reports.
The House Republican Caucus is currently set to select its next majority floor leader the day after the Nov. 5 general election. Though Riley deems it “unlikely,” a vote could take place sooner if Plocher is removed from the speakership for the 2024 session.
While Riley waits for results of the ethics investigation into Plocher’s alleged misconduct, Plocher has already faced calls for his resignation, including from fellow Republicans.
Because House rules are silent on the exact procedure, Riley said that — if it were to take place — Plocher's removal from his leadership position would play out similarly to the ouster of Kevin McCarthy from the speakership of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Particulars on Alex Riley
The 2024 legislative session of the Missouri General Assembly begins on Wednesday, Jan. 3.
Riley represents House District 134, which encompasses Battlefield and areas in and around southwest Springfield. He was elected to his first term in 2020, and was reelected in 2022.
Riley serves as the chairman of the General Laws Committee and vice-chairman of the Joint Committee of Administrative Rules. A Springfield native, Riley also works as an attorney with the Healy Law Offices.
While the lower chamber is presided over by the speaker, the majority floor leader is responsible for deciding if and when legislation is debated and voted on. Rep. Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, is the minority floor leader and a Democratic candidate for governor.
Rep. Jamie Burger, R-Benton, the assistant majority floor leader, is also in the running for majority floor leader.
