This is the best job that I've ever had, by far.  It's also easily the most frustrating job that I've ever had.

For better or for worse, Republicans are in the majority of the Missouri House.  Thus there are inherent limitations on what members of the Democratic party can accomplish through the legislative process.  Even in the best of bipartisan moments, our philosophical differences on governance suggest that the bills that reflect the truest Democratic values have virtually no chance of passing a Republican controlled chamber.  This is not to say that Dem bills don't pass, because some do.  But the most important issues that reflect Democrats' core; i.e. protecting and expanding workers' rights to collectively bargain, poor peoples' rights, womens' rights, and universal access to health care have no chance of progressing in a Republican-run chamber.  This is not to say that Republicans are bad people.  It is only to say that their values are different, and the legislation coming from GOP rule reflects as much.

Hence the job-related frustrations that are the hallmark of my first session, legislatively speaking.  When bills come up that are partisan in nature, Dems don't have the votes to halt them, either in committee, or on the floor when they come to vote before the entire body.  One thing that we do have is the power of the media.  Therefore, one tool I have taken to using is the 15 minutes allotted to each member to speak on the floor on each bill.  Sometimes I speak in favor of bills, sometimes, against, and sometimes I inquire of the bill's sponsor, meaning I ask a series of questions intended to clarify a point about the bill, or illuminate points of disagreement.  The inquiry often evolves (or devolves as it may be) into a full-out debate.

Legislatively, I see my floor time as a valuable tool, particularly when I know that a bill will pass anyway.  Above the House chamber there sits an attentive and engaged press row, which takes note of everything done or spoken among the Representatives.  While I and other frequent floor talkers are making substantive points on bills, we are well aware that while a bill may pass, we can make sure that the press takes note of why bills may be bad or good, and that the public is made aware of why we stand for or against a measure.  In the era of 24-hour political news, and dozens of outlets covering Missouri politics, floor time is very important.  Ultimately it is another arrow in the quiver we will use to retake the majority in 2010.

The master of the media thus far is Jason Kander.  The guy knows how to frame an issue to highlight basic disagreements between the parties.  Perhaps it stems from his days as an Army intelligence officer in Afghanistan.  He's a valuable part of the HDCC mission of taking back the majority.

I have a tendency to intellectualize the goings on in the House.  When I begin to think too much, my floor neighbor Ted Hoskins will say something like "Hey man, this is a numbers game.  They got the numbers, and we don't.  Don't nobody care nothing about you being smarter than them, cause you don't have the numbers.  But what they don't have is 109".    What Rep. Hoskins is saying is that no matter what happens on the House floor, it's all political theater, and the bills that come out of the House will find dramatic revision or wither and die in the Senate.  And 109?  That's the amount of votes it would take to override the Governor's veto.  It's a comforting thought that when all is said and done, everything has to go through Jay.

Hoskins is the master of working with Republicans while still being a Democrat.  In fact, his Urban Issues committee is the only House committee chaired by a Democrat.  The guy is a wealth of political knowledge, and a good friend.  And he regularly (and correctly) reminds me that "You ain't learned nothing up here."

Random thoughts:

I represent 23 of the 91 municipalities in St. Louis County.  My district is no larger in population than any other, which illustrates the fractured nature of county government.  April  Municipal elections were held in much of the region.  So what does that mean for me?  23 municipalities, hundreds of city board seats up for grabs, hundreds of candidates calling for endorsements and support.  For the most part, it has been my policy to not mess around in these races, because I plan to have a good working relationship with whomever may hold office.  I made a few exceptions, where people were exceptionally helpful to me in my election.  I will never forget those folks who decided to help me when I came out of nowhere.

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My friend Rep. Paul Quinn introduced a bill to legalize "noodling", or the practice of hand fishing in the state.  It's actually a pretty controversial topic in the state, pitting sportsmen against ecologists in a fascinating debate.  For the uninitiated, hand fishing is not dipping one's fingers into a creek and grabbing a crappie; not in the least.  This is on some real Man vs. Beast type stuff.  Type "hand fishing" or "noodling" into YouTube and be amazed.  I'm not sure how I'll vote on Paul's bill, but this is typical of the issues that I wanted to learn about when I asked for and received the Animal Agriculture committee assignment.

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Finally, a few quick hits on some of my colleagues that I have not mentioned to date.  Majority Whip Brian Nieves is a lot like me, and he gave me a book to read that I highly recommend called "The Anatomy of Peace".  I hope that Jill Schupp finds her way into party leadership in the coming years.  She has a lot to offer Missouri Democrats.  Special shout out to Jake Hummel, for making bow tie Wednesdays a building-wide phenomenon, and for being my personal guide to the building trades.  How one goes from Baltimore fire fighter to Springfield, MO legislator is unknown to me, but Charlie Knorr did it.  And I wish that I were as dedicated to my causes and principles as Jeanette Mott Oxford is to hers. 

Session is drawing to a close.  Things will be heating up in the coming weeks, and I'll keep you up to date.  Thanks for following.