St Louis Tea Party Coalition Endorses Missouri Leadership Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (November 1, 2010)

The St Louis Tea Party Coalition announced Monday their support of the Missouri Leadership Project in the selection of Missouri State Senate leaders in Jefferson City. The project focuses on the selection process for the Senate President Pro Tem, which occurs on November 4th in an informal meeting of state senators. Among other things, the President Pro Tem of the Senate has the power to place senators on various committees and to select leadership of those committees. These appointments have a profound effect on which proposed legislation will actually make it to the floor for consideration. Senate tradition is that the Majority Floor Leader be awarded the position based on longevity and prior assignment, but the St Louis Tea Party agrees with other members of the project that an election should be based on the best outcome for Missourians instead of an outdated tradition from a time when term limits were not in place.

The addition of new Senators and the limiting of time served in Jefferson City deserves a new process for selecting leadership. While seniority plays a large role in Missouri politics, it should not be the sole determining factor. Across the nation, we are finding the effects of politicians using tradition to blunt the impact of new voices elected to the political process. On the eve of historic elections driven in large part by the unwillingness of elected leaders to listen to their constituents, we believe that progress demands Senators vote based on a reasoned process, and not simply based on archaic political rules.

Hundreds of Missourians have signed on to the Missouri Leadership Project petition, as well as dozens of grassroots organizations who believe in greater transparency in government. That so many care about a process that in the past was a minor anointing should bring attention to the subject. The St Louis Tea Party Coalition does not endorse a specific candidate – that is up to the Senators elected across the state. We do urge our members to educate themselves about the matter, and call their senator to express their support for the election of a senator based on who will govern with conservative principles.

For more information about the Missouri Leadership Project, visit www.MoLeadershipProject.com.

The St Louis Tea Party Coalition is a loosely assembled group of people and small grassroots organizations focused on clean government, honest elections, and constitutional governance. Persons interested in volunteering or learning more about the St Louis Tea Party Coalition, please contact Jen Ennenbach 314-200-5860, or contact information@stlouisteaparty.com. For additional information on the St Louis Tea Party Coalition, visit www.stlouisteaparty.com