Carthage's Flanigan takes seat in House

For the first time since Richard Webster passed away in 1990, a Carthage resident has his own office in the Missouri State Capitol.

State Rep. Tom Flanigan, R-Carthage, took the oath of office as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives shortly after noon on Wednesday along with 161 other Representatives.

Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Laura Denvir Stith administered the oath to the entire body.
Flanigan was elected in November without opposition to the 127th House District seat vacated by Former State Rep. Steve Hunter, R-Carl Junction, because of term limits.

The swearing in came during a two-hour opening session of the Missouri House on Wednesday in which they also elected State Rep. Ron Richard, R-Joplin as the first Speaker of the House ever from Joplin.

His family, his parents and other friends, joined Flanigan in Jefferson City as he accepted the responsibility to make decisions that will affect taxes, education, health care, the environment and a myriad of other issues.

Flanigan spent part of Wednesday in his office, Room 201A on the second floor of the historic State Capitol, then attended a Republican Caucus meeting prior to the opening session of the legislature.

While he was in his office, an aid to the representative who would be elected Speaker Pro Tem, Rep. Brian Pratt, R-Blue Springs, asked Flanigan to serve on an escort committee to escort Pratt to the podium to take his oath of office after the election.

"This whole day is planned out," Flanigan said about his first official day on the job. "We don't have much control, so I'm just going with the program that is already established."

Flanigan said the session is starting under a cloud of apprehension about state finances.

"It isn't rocket science to know that revenue is down and we're going to have to figure out how to balance the budget this year and next year," Flanigan said. "There is a lot of apprehension about state finances. We don't know what revenues are going to be and sales taxes appear to be going into the tank."

Flanigan's family spent the day taking in the sights and sounds of a legislature awaking after a long break away from its home.

"It's just an exciting day," said Anita Flanigan, Tom Flanigan's wife. "I'm looking forward to meeting new people today. I've talked to Sue (Reynolds, Flanigan's Capitol secretary) several times on the phone, but this is the first time I've met her."

Kathleen Flanigan, Tom Flanigan's daughter, said Wednesday made everything the family seen and experienced in the campaign feel real.

"It all feels official now," Kathleen Flanigan. "Before everything was very abstract, but now we're here in his office."

"Walking around the Capitol and now sitting here in his office is very cool," added Elizabeth Flanigan."

DIAL THE CAPITOL

People wanting to contact new State Rep. Tom Flanigan at his office in Jefferson City can call him at 1-573-751-5458.