Lt. Gov. lawsuit dismissed by Cole County judge

A Cole County judge dismissed a case today after the Democratic party filed a lawsuit against Governor Mike Parson.

ABC 17 News confirms the lawsuit was dismissed after the judge says the governor has the power to select a lieutenant governor.

Gov. Parson selected Republican State Senator Mike Kehoe last month to serve as Lieutenant Governor.

The position was vacated after former Governor Eric Greitens resigned.

Gov. Parson released the following statement on the dismissal:

We applaud the Court’s expedient decision to dismiss the plaintiffs’ case regarding the Governor’s appointment authority. This affirms our position as well as the position of previous Governors from both parties. We look forward to continuing our work with Lieutenant Governor Kehoe and also commend the work of Attorney General Josh Hawley’s office in effectively arguing the merits of this case on an important constitutional issue.

Executive Director of the Missouri Democratic Party, Emily Waggoner, issued the statement below:

We strongly believe that Missourians deserve the opportunity to vote for their Lieutenant Governor and are considering appealing the decision.

The full order by Judge Jon Beetem is attached to this story.