Who’s at the center of the Missouri Senate’s dysfunction? Meet the Conservative Caucus
So who are the members of the Missouri Senate’s Conservative Caucus, the group that has landed the chamber in gridlock for much of this year’s session?
The seven members, all Republicans, come from across the state, both rural and suburban areas. They are dedicated to advancing conservative legislation and aren’t afraid to use aggressive tactics, including filibusters, to achieve their goals.
Some are more publicly outspoken than others. A majority are seeking other offices, including three who are running for Congress. Their critics, who accuse them of obstructionism, see political ambition and egotism fueling their decisions.
Here’s a rundown:
Bob Onder
One of the most prominent caucus members, he is known for his willingness to criticize Senate Republican leadership publicly, something once rarely seen in the chamber.
Onder, 60, represents Lake St. Louis, a planned community on the far western end of the St. Louis metro area. He has been a physician since 1988, board certified in allergy and immunology, and internal medicine. He recently obtained a private pilot’s license.
Term-limited after this year, Onder announced Monday he will run for St. Charles County Executive. He is also widely seen as a possible future congressional candidate but has denied those ambitions. Among his more prominent recent legislative efforts is a push to “defund” Planned Parenthood by blocking Medicaid payments.
Mike Moon
He’s earned a self-acknowledged reputation as one of the most rebellious characters in the General Assembly, employing theatrics in pursuit of an extreme conservative agenda.
A representative from 2013 through 2020, Moon entered the Senate last year.
In 2017, he posted a video of himself decapitating a chicken while promoting anti-abortion laws. This year, he led the aggressive questioning of Don Kauerauf, Gov. Mike Parson’s nominee for Department of Health and Senior Services director over his pro-vaccine stances, helping lead to Kauerauf’s resignation.
Moon, 63, spent two terms in the House before entering the Senate last year. He is running for Congress in the 7th District, hoping to replace U.S. Rep. Billy Long, who is a candidate for U.S. Senate.
A resident of Ash Grove, a small town northwest of Springfield, Moon currently raises cattle. He spent 27 years in marketing at Mercy Hospital.
Eric Burlison
Another House almunus, he was elected to the Senate in 2018. He is best known for spending years championing the Second Amendment Preservation Act.
The measure prohibits law enforcement from enforcing some federal firearms laws. Parson signed the bill into law last year. It currently faces multiple lawsuits and criticism from law enforcement that it hampers their ability to fight crime. Earlier this year he unsuccessfully attempted to amend the “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law with a provision critics dubbed the “Make Murder Legal Act.”
Burlison, 45, is from the Springfield suburb of Battlefield and is running for Congress in the 7th District. He is an investment advisor representative and tax planner, as well as a process architect for Cerner.
Rick Brattin
A former non-commissioned officer in the Marines, Brattin isn’t a frequent Senate speaker but has drawn attention. A few years ago, he promoted legislation that would have offered death row inmates a firing squad option.
Brattin, 41, also a former House member and Cass County auditor, has a 40-acre farm near Harrisonville.
He is running for Congress in the 4th District, hoping to replace U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, who is campaigning for Senate.
Bill Eigel
The former Air Force captain is among the most outspoken caucus members.
Eigel, 44, has been active in opposition to a congressional map backed by GOP leaders that would preserve the state’s status quo of six Republicans and two Democrats. He and other caucus members want to go further and gerrymander U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat, out of his seat.
He has also advocated for elimination of the personal property tax on vehicles and other assets, and last year successfully passed a law granting police officers more protections in internal misconduct investigations.
A resident of Weldon Spring on the western edge of the St. Louis metro, he owns National Skylight Solutions, a skylight installation company.
Denny Hoskins
He was at the center of the recent blowup over an attempted amendment of a bill renewing a scholarship program to include provisions on critical race theory. The caucus also wanted to add provisions about undocumented immigrants and transgender athletes.
But that irritated senators who wanted to quickly advance the relatively uncontroversial measure. The episode ended with Hoskins and Onder screaming on the floor, followed by Hoskins filibustering by reading from “The Case for Trump” by Victor Hanson.
A certified public accountant from Warrensburg, Hoskins, 47, was in the House a decade ago and rose to the rank of Speaker Pro Tem. He is a consulting manager at The Tidwell Group, an accounting and consulting firm.
Andrew Koenig
Koenig, 39, a former House member, has focused particular attention on COVID-19 mandates and other red-meat issues. He is a staunch advocate for school choice programs.
When it comes to redistricting, he is also seen as trying to help arrive at a compromise, however.
Koenig owns a construction company and is a licensed insurance adjuster. He is a resident of Manchester, part of the St. Louis metro area.
The Star’s Jeanne Kuang contributed reporting
This story was originally published February 27, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Who’s at the center of the Missouri Senate’s dysfunction? Meet the Conservative Caucus."
