Intro: Republican House Representatives selected Joplin's Ron Richard over St. Louis County Republican Allen Icet as Speaker-elect during Wednesday's annual veto session.
JEFFERSON CITY - Rep. Ron Richard, R- Joplin is poised to assume the most powerful position in the House of Representatives after the Republican caucus voted him Speaker elect for the 2009 legislative session.
House Republicans will caucus behind closed doors to select their nominee for one of the most powerful positions in Missouri's legislature -- speaker of the House.There are two candidates running for the nomination -- St. Louis County's Allen Icet and Representative Ron Richard of Joplin.
The two leadership candidates are Rep. Ron Richard, R-Joplin, who led the fight in the House to provide tax breaks for businesses and developers and Rep. Allen Icet, R-Wildwood, House Budget Committee Chair.
The economic development bill's sponsor, Ron Richards, R- Joplin, said there are up to six thousand jobs waiting on the bill's passage, most of which are in St. Louis County.
One of the bills containing the utility sales tax exemption has cleared both chambers and is now headed to conference committee to draft a final compromise. Although the legislation contains a laundry list of various tax credits, Rep. Ron Richard, R-Joplin, the sponsor, said the tax break provision for manufacturers is especially important to keep the industry competitive.