Lawmakers weren't the only ones filing into the Missouri Capitol today.
Around 200 people attended a Tea Party rally inside the Capitol Rotunda. Most of the speakers sounded off on national issues, primarily taxes and the Democratic agenda.
But one speaker, former Missouri House Member Carl Bearden, told the crowd that state-level office holders need to be held accountable as well.
"Ronald Reagan said, 'If they don't see the light, make 'em feel the heat!' And folks, we need to stand up and...be the change that Missouri is looking for," Bearden said. "We need to make sure that our legislators represent us."
Bearden also voiced support for legislation that would replace Missouri's state income tax with an expanded sales tax. The issue was championed last year by several fiscally conservative lawmakers, but failed to win enough support to pass either chamber.