Missouri senators this morning likely will approve 23 of Gov. Jay Nixon's appointments to various boards and commissions, plus five people who have been re-appointed.
With little comment and almost no questions, they won the Senate Gubernatorial Appointments Committee's endorsement Wednesday morning.
Even Brian K. Long, Nixon's nominee to be the state's next Revenue director, drew no questions from the committee members.
Introducing Long to the panel, state Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, noted many lawmakers are concerned about the department's operations.
"Brian and I have had some very hard, serious discussions about those concerns that I have as a small businessman, and my interaction with Revenue (for) various businesses that I have been associated with," Kehoe said.
"To his credit, he has went out on his own and met with (several groups) and tried to find out where the problems are, and to see what he could do to fix it."
Kehoe and others acknowledged Long didn't create a lot of the problems out there.
But, he added, he wants the department director to be "someone who will listen to us, get people at Revenue to understand what common-sense is."
Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, told Long during the hearing: "I appreciate your constructive approach to dealing with the problems you may have."