Removed from Senate committee chair role, Hough says Missouri in 'sad state'

Missouri state Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, has been removed as chair of a top Senate committee in the wake of the General Assembly's special session last week.

Hough confirmed in an interview yesterday that his role as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee – which helps to write the state budget – has been revoked by Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O'Laughlin, R-Shelbina. Hough said the decision was handed down by O'Laughlin about 20 minutes after the special session ended on Friday.

During the special session, the General Assembly forwarded redistricting and initiative petition legislation to Gov. Mike Kehoe. Hough voted against the bills.

Hough said yesterday that debate was not held on the floor for the issues through the use of a motion known as the previous question.

"I think we should have at least had a conversation about them," he said. "That's a bigger, broader, long-term issue here, in my opinion, is that members were not even given the option to talk about them."

Hough said he believes "this top-down approach" is breaking with Senate traditions.

"It's a sad state for the state of Missouri right now for sure," he said.

In a statement provided to Springfield Business Journal, O’Laughlin characterized Hough's removal as Senate Appropriations Committee chair as a process of succession. Hough in 2026 will enter his last year representing Springfield’s District 30 after completing his second and final term in the state Senate.

"Every good business has a succession plan. We should not expect less for the Missouri Senate," O’Laughlin said in the statement. "Leadership on the budget includes not only planning expenditures but being responsible for outcomes. In my view we need an appropriations chair who can get acclimated to the job before the turnover occurs. It has been my plan to appoint a chairman who can gain experience and continue on after the seats change next year. In my view this gives them the best chance of success."

O’Laughlin additionally said in the statement that Hough's removal as appropriations chair "has nothing to do with votes as some have conjectured."

"He is one of the most talented senators I've met," she said in the statement. "Serving Missouri is not just about prestige but also about doing what is best for Missourians. I greatly appreciate Sen. Hough and the immense amount of work he has performed on behalf of Missourians."

Speaking with SBJ, Hough said "the timing seems odd" if his appropriations chair removal was succession-related. By that logic, he said, other senators who are terming out also should be removed from their committee chair roles.

Hough was first elected to the Missouri House in 2010 and became a senator in 2018 after a stint on the Greene County Commission. He was named appropriations chair in 2023.