Area lawmakers take oath to start 100th General Assembly

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Two freshman lawmakers from Butler County officially took office Wednesday during the 100th General Assembly swearing in ceremony for the Missouri House of Representatives.

Republicans Hardy Billington and Jeff Shawan now serve districts 152 and 153 respectively.

“It was an inspirational and emotional experience to be sworn in as state representative for the 152nd district. It is a deep honor and I look forward to serving my constituents and fellow Missourians,” Billington, 66, said Wednesday afternoon.

It is very humbling, according to Billington, who also believes, “If you come to the floor and you don’t have that feeling of awe, just being in the Capitol, then you need to walk away.”

It is difficult to put the feeling of taking the oath of office into words, said Shawan, 62.

“An odd mixture of elation mixed with a deep feeling of humility, forced me to focus on what a sacred trust I have responsibility for,” he explained shortly after the ceremony. “Being the representative for approximately 37,000 people that I love so dearly is an amazing privilege and my emotions ran deep today.”

Shawan’s district includes portions of Butler, Wayne, Carter and Ripley counties.

While settling in has been unsettling, good leadership from the Republican caucus has made the experience highly organized and professional, Shawan said.

“Throughout the freshman tour and through briefing sessions, ‘the trains ran on time’ and staff have been so engaged and available, that my natural nervousness has been replaced with simple anticipation and a feeling of wanting to get started,” he said.

Billington has also been impressed with processes in place to help lawmakers, including a research department that assists with the investigation of potential laws and a two-week tour of the state attended by Republican and Democrat freshman lawmakers.

“I know what is important in my area, jobs, factories, continuing to bring more jobs, but there are other areas of the state I do not know about,” said Billington, who is also focused on getting to know his fellow legislators and building relationships.

Billington’s district includes portions of Butler and Dunklin counties.

Both Shawan and Billington say going forward they are concerned about bills they feel would limit or infringe upon Second Amendment rights.

“Each and every one of those must be defeated,” Shawan said.

There are already so many things that take residents’ choices away, said Billington.

A bill Billington wants to be involved in passing is House Bill 267. This bill would allow school districts to offer elective social studies courses on the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament.

“This bill respects local control of education, giving schools the option to provide the course but not requiring it,” said Billington. “The Bible has had profound effects on our society — including on our history, art, philosophy, government and poetry. Instruction in the Bible can be part of a well-rounded education.”

Shawan hopes to delve into commissions and look at ways to eliminate needless regulation committees. He believes these areas are often fraught with possible corruption.

“Commissions have a history of being used to eliminate competition in Missouri. This I have seen firsthand,” Shawan said.

Agriculture, which is the largest economic driver in Missouri and critical to Southeast Missouri, must also be protected and be a focus, Shawan said, along with health care access in rural areas.

“I have been working closely with agencies and experts, long before being sworn in, and my dedication to solving this (health care) crisis will be steady and vigilant,” he said.

Both representatives say they want to support pro-life bills.

Billington would like to see a bill passed that prevents abortion if a fetal heartbeat is detected.

“This is very personal to me,” Billington said, explaining his own mother had an abortion at one point and he believes that impacted the rest of her life. “To me, life is very precious. I want to do anything I can to protect life.”

Shawan is also interested in bills related to parental rights, law enforcement, feral hog elimination and private property rights.

“Though I await committee appointments, regardless of those appointments, I will not deviate from my focus on the issues most important to the economic opportunities for Southeast Missourians,” he said.

Billington said he wants to do his best to serve the community and always be available to his constituents. Helping solve the problems of residents is one of the parts he loves most about this work, he said.