This week we take time as a nation to recognize the contributions and sacrifices of the heroic Americans who have served in our armed forces.
I hope you and your family will make the effort to express your appreciation not only for what our veterans have done for our great nation, but also for what they continue to do after they have returned to civilian life.
We must take time to show our gratitude for the willingness of our veterans to leave behind the comforts of home to fight on foreign soil and to put their lives in harm’s way in order to defend our way of life. It is our duty to show our respect and appreciation for their sacrifices, and our commitment to preserving the memory of their deeds.
On Wednesday, I was honored and humbled to have the support of my colleagues as the next House Majority Whip. This concludes my long campaign for the position, during which I was able to meet many new and incoming legislators in their communities across our great state.
In this role, I will have more influence and will help lead and coordinate the effort to pass the legislative priorities of the 111 Republican House members. I will assemble a team of two Deputy Whips and six Floor Whips to assist me as I work to ensure the priorities of the caucus have support on the House floor. We will secure votes for critical issues and communicate policy positions to other members of the majority.
In 2023, our legislature 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.
As whip, I will continue to advance the common sense conservative principles I have already championed. These include strong Second Amendment rights, protections for the lives of the unborn, smaller government and lower taxes. I will work with an excellent team to take our conservative platform and translate it into laws that will make Missouri an even better place to live, work, and raise a family. I am excited to get to work with our caucus to protect the values and beliefs that matter most to Missouri families.
Other leadership members will 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 will serve as caucus chair. The caucus had previously selected state Rep. Dean Plocher to serve as the next Speaker of the House.
I would like to thank all the voters in the new 152nd district for their support in the election on Tuesday. I appreciate the trust of the 8,647 friends and neighbors who took the time to mark my name on the ballot. I work for you and in my next term I will continue to do my best to cut through red tape to help citizens navigate state agencies and departments. It is an honor and privilege to have this vote of confidence and to continue representing you in Jefferson City.
May God bless and keep you and our great nation.
Hardy Billington represents District 152, which includes parts of Butler and Dunklin counties.