Tom Dempsey, the Missouri Senate's now-former president pro tem, still will have some influence over state Senate operations next year.
"Committee chairs are, already, appointed, so that's not going to change," Sen. Ron Richard, R-Joplin, noted last week after Republicans chose him to succeed Dempsey as the Senate's top official. "I'm filling out Tom's final year."
Richard said he also planned to follow Dempsey's leadership example.
"I'm going to be fair, like him, on sending the bills to committees and trying to get priorities of the caucus (passed)," he said, "and working with the majority leader."
The Republican Caucus chose Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, to take over the majority leader's role - the person who schedules all bills for debate each day during the lawmakers' regular sessions - which Richard held until Wednesday's Senate vote electing him as president pro tem.
Kehoe had been the assistant floor leader and managed the floor debate several times over the last couple of years, so it's not going to be a completely new learning experience.
"(My job) is to just make sure our caucus' priorities get time, and our members' priorities get time on the floor," Kehoe said.
"I'm not going to carry and file a whole bunch of bills, because I think that's a conflict with trying to get time for members and their priorities."
Kehoe and Richard already are part of the Senate's Administration Committee - which Richard now will chair - and which also includes Democratic Party leaders.
"Senate President Richard and I have a very good working relationship," Minority Leader Joe Keaveny, D-St. Louis, said last week. "Even as stressful as the end of last session was, we always had an open line of communication.
"I'm confident that Sen. Richard and I will work well together."
When Democrats were angered by the Republicans' blocking any debate on possible amendments to the right to work bill last May, then forcing its passage by blocking all debate, they blocked votes on all other bills on the Senate's calendar, except for one.
Keaveny and Richard were the main negotiators for the two sides during that time.
As the new majority leader, Kehoe will become more involved in those cross-party discussions than he already was - even as he continues to protect the GOP Caucus' interests.
"As you know, I'm somebody who likes to try to find middle ground where possible," Kehoe told reporters last week, "so, whether there's a disagreement among our own caucus or with the minority - if it's a priority that we believe helps the state, and the caucus believes helps the state - I'm going to try to figure out a way to negotiate that through."
Over the years, Senate presidents pro tem have said they discovered they had two jobs - representing the districts that elected them and having a statewide perspective as the chamber's top leader.
"I'll treat all the members' bills and priorities the same - but I like job creation and always have," Richard said, noting his new role likely won't change his personal priority.
"My personal agenda item has always been - ever since the very first day I was elected (to the House) - is job creation/economic development," he said.
Although he's not planning big changes in the committee leadership that Dempsey established last January, Richard last week named Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, to succeed Kehoe as chairman of the Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and Environment Committee.
"Job creation and economic development have always been a top priority of the caucus," Richard said in the news release announcing Silvey's appointment. "Under Senator Silvey's leadership, the committee will be integral in moving some of those policies."
On his Facebook page, Silvey said: "I'm excited to take over this influential committee and look forward to diving into what are some notoriously complicated issues."
Kehoe will be the new chairman of the Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee, which Richard had chaired.