Mid-Missouri's four Republican senators all voted for the proposed constitutional amendment on religious liberty as the final 23-7 vote for it fell along party lines.
Sens. Mike Kehoe, Jefferson City; Jeanie Riddle, Mokane; Kurt Schaefer, Columbia; and Dan Brown, Rolla, generally stayed out of the nearly 40-hour filibuster against the proposed amendment that began Monday afternoon and ended Wednesday morning.
But all four signed the letters moving the previous question and voted for perfecting the bill Wednesday morning and passing it Thursday evening.
"A lot of the issues we face in this building won't ever probably have 100 percent support from all of my constituents," Kehoe said after the Thursday night vote. "But the outpouring of people who were for it was incredible.
"I believe that folks in the 6th Senate District - and I think in the rest of the state - want the ability to go to the ballot and decide whether this is an appropriate step to add to our constitution."
Kehoe's district includes Cole, Moniteau, Morgan, Miller, Maries, Osage and Gasconade counties.
"I believe Missouri is a very God-fearing state," Kehoe said, repeating a comment he made at a Wednesday morning news conference after the filibuster ended. "There are a lot of religions, but at the end of the day, there are a lot of people in this state who feel like there is a higher power.
"And they want to make sure that they are able to express their religious beliefs without fear that the government is going to get involved."
Opponents complained the amendment goes too far, including not only clergy and other religious leaders, but allowing businesses - such as photographers, florists and bakers - to refuse to do business with a same-sex couple's wedding and reception.
"I think that's OK because businesses have to make their own decisions," Kehoe, a long-time business owner, said. "Me, personally - I wouldn't put up a sign (that said) "You can't come here.'
"But I think if you own your own business, and you want to potentially not do business with somebody because you believe that interferes with your core religious beliefs - you should have that option."
Kehoe acknowledged some constituents urged him to vote against the bill.
Opponents said placing the idea into the state Constitution opens up a door to widespread discrimination against same-sex couples.
Kehoe disagreed.
He also thinks the passions of the past week won't automatically carry over into other controversial issues the state Senate faces, such as abortion restrictions or a mandate that voters have a photo ID before they can vote.
"I think we'll work through it," he said. "I think every elected official here, no matter what the issue is, tries to represent the views of the constituency they represent.
"If you can get the majority of the way people feel, I think that's important."