State Rep. Hardy Billington (R-Poplar Bluff) has been selected as the House Majority Whip for the upcoming 102nd General Assembly.
Billington will officially begin his service as Majority Whip when General Assembly convenes Jan. 4.
“I am honored and humbled to have the support of my colleagues as the next House Majority Whip,” said Billington. “In 2023, our Republican majority will be working hard for the people of Missouri, and I welcome the opportunity to advance caucus priorities that will help families and businesses, and keep Missouri on the right track.”
Billington ran unopposed Tuesday for the District 152 seat, which includes parts of Butler and Dunklin counties.
He joins the rest of the leadership team that was selected Wednesday by the House Republican Caucus.
As Majority Whip, Billington will help lead and coordinate the effort to pass the legislative priorities of the 111 Republican House members, according to a press release.
Billington said he will assemble a team of two Deputy Whips and six Floor Whips to assist him as he works to ensure the priorities of the caucus have support on the House floor. They will work together to secure votes for critical issues and communicate policy positions to other members of the majority, he explained.
Billington was first elected to the House in 2018. In the next session, his district will include most of Butler County, including all of the city of Poplar Bluff.
During his time in office, Billington said he has championed gun rights and the right to life. During the 2021 legislative session, he sponsored and passed House Bill 69, which he said was a major victory in the fight against copper theft
Other leadership members include state Rep. Jon Patterson, who was selected to serve as Majority Floor Leader, and Rep. Jamie Burger, who will take on the role of Assistant Majority Floor Leader. State Rep. Mike Henderson was elected to the position of House Speaker Pro Tem. State Rep. Chris Dinkins of Reynolds County will serve as caucus chair. The caucus had previously selected state Rep. Dean Plocher to serve as the next Speaker of the House.