Heartland GOP senator calls out party in-fighting in Jefferson City

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KFVS) - The Republican in-fighting in Jefferson City has one of our local senators saying enough is enough.

Holly Thompson Rehder stood alongside members of both parties Tuesday night to accuse a handful of GOP senators of hijacking meaningful legislation and engaging in social media attacks.

Thompson Rehder says it’s time for Missouri residents to understand what’s happening.

“I think calling them out is the only thing we’ve not done yet”, Thompson Rehder tells me from her office in Jefferson City Thursday afternoon. “So, that’s what Senator Holly Thompson Rehder did earlier this week, calling on members of her own party to stop blocking legislation.”

“So, to me, why do we continue to do the same thing over and over when we’re not getting anywhere with these guys?” Thompson Rehder points specifically to four members of her party’s Conservative Caucus, Senators Bob Onder, Bill Eigel, Mike Moon and Denny Hoskins.

“It’s like we have these bipartisan bills that are very important that have tremendous support. And then we have this group of three, sometimes four that want to tag their controversial stuff on it.”

Thompson Rehder’s Sexual Assault Survivors Bill stalled when a caucus tacked on an amendment that would criminalize obscene materials in schools.

“I mean, Kathy. The things that they say. Being so offensive. Like, Senator Onder said ‘oh, we don’t care about children reading pornographic materials.’ This bill’s sponsor doesn’t want this on there. Well, no, I care about children reading pornographic material. Of course, I care about that.”

The Freshman Senator tells me it’s easy to defend her conservative voting record, but not the barrage of social media posts questioning just how conservative she is.

“These guys put on Facebook that, hey, we all support Nancy Pelosi with the redistricting map. And it’s like....what? No, we don’t.”

Her message to Missourians? Ask your lawmakers what they stand for, and not just what they may read about their Senator or Representative tweeted or posted by a chosen few.

“They are never going to change and take this position with the seriousness and honor it should have. If we don’t do something different, what we’re doing is not working.”

I tried unsuccessfully to reach out to those four named senators for comment.

Thompson Rehder did say her Sexual Assault Survivors bill will be brought back for a vote, without any added amendments, when state Senators return from spring break on March 21.

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