Honorable Derek Schmidt, Majority Leader, Kansas State Senate. Senator Schmidt, a Republican from Independence, Kansas, is in his ninth year representing the 15th State Senate District in Southeast Kansas. Before being elected to the Senate in November 2000, Senator Schmidt served as special counsel and legislative liaison to Kansas Governor Bill Graves. Prior to that he served as an assistant Kansas attorney general and as a legislative assistant to Senators Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE).
Honorable Charlie Shields,
Majority Floor Leader and President Pro Tem, Missouri State Senate. Senator Shields, a Republican, represents the 34th Senatorial District that is comprised of Buchanan and Platte Counties in Missouri. He has called upon Senators to work together with the Missouri House and Governor Jay Nixon to improve the lives of Missourians by moving the body from a short-sighted, reactionary organization to one with vision and purpose.