Missouri’s new House Speaker is the first medical doctor to serve as speaker in 140 years, and he’s the first Speaker from Jackson County in 157 years. He earned both his bachelors and medical degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
House members voted 152-10 on Wednesday to elect State Rep. Dr. Jonathan Patterson (R-Lee’s Summit) to the post. Speaker Patterson tells Capitol reporters that the Missouri House will be about families:
“We are going to put Missouri families first and try to make legislation that makes life safer, better and more affordable for Missouri families,” Speaker Patterson says.
Another priority for Speaker Patterson is foster children. He complains that a bipartisan bill that would have mandated the state apply for the benefits of foster children with decreased parents died in 2024 due to inaction and politics. Speaker Patterson is calling for that to be the first Missouri House bill sent to the Senate for their consideration.
The new Speaker tells Capitol reporters that he does not support any plan to repeal the voter-approved increase in the minimum wage and providing sick leave. 57 percent of Missourians voted to approve Proposition A in November, which increased the minimum wage from $12.30 an hour to $13.75 per hour on January 1 of this year.
“I think there’s legislation out there that would delay implementation of sick leave. I am not in favor of that. I have not heard anybody talk about repeal seriously. I think we may take a look at some of the provisions, but I have not heard serious discussions about repeal and I don’t favor delaying the implementation of the sick leave,” Speaker Patterson says.
Proposition A divided Missouri’s restaurant owners. The measure will also adjust the minimum wage based on changes in the Consumer Price Index starting in 2027.
Child care is a top priority for Speaker Patterson, who tells House members that the lack of affordable and accessible childcare causes billions of dollars of losses and about $5,500 per working parent each year. He’s calling for the House to pass bipartisan legislation that would provide incentives to businesses and childcare facilities to increase the number of childcare slots available to Missouri parents.
Missouri’s 2025 legislative session runs through May.
