Republican supermajorities in the Missouri House and Senate orchestrated a session that will be remembered as a legislative success and political debacle for the party.
Their successes include passage of GOP priorities, including: caps on medical malpractice punitive damages; caps on municipal court fines; limits on welfare and unemployment benefits; right-to-work legislation; restrictions on local legislation; an agriculture bill; and more.
Politically, however, the session has been marred by suicides, a legislative standstill and the House speaker's resignation.
• After announcing his candidacy for governor in 2016 and setting up a primary contest, Republican State Auditor Tom Schweich committed suicide in February amid allegations of a whisper campaign and negative advertising from members of his own party.
His suicide was followed a month later by a second suicide committed by his spokesman, Spence Jackson.
• With days remaining in the session, Republicans invoked a rarely-used parliamentary procedure to ramrod passage of right-to-work legislation. The measure was brought up for debate in a way that allowed no opportunity for anyone - Democrat or Republican - to offer amendments or suggest changes to the controversial proposal. The slights infuriated Democrats, who threatened to bring further action to a standstill.
Although both parties are blaming each other, the Republican tactic may prove both unfortunate and unnecessary because they do not appear to have sufficient votes to override Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's expected veto of the right-to-work measure.
• House Speaker John Diehl, R-Town and Country, announced his resignation Thursday after admitting he exchanged sexually suggestive text messages with a college student serving as a Capitol intern.
Diehl apologized for his behavior, which embarrassed him, his party and the House of Representatives.
Republicans collectively may remember the session as productive, based on passage of priority legislation.
But they also must look at how the power of a majority - in this case, a supermajority - may lead to abuse, arrogance, infighting and other unappealing human behaviors.