HLGU’s next Free Society event will feature Missouri State Senator Cindy O’Laughin on Tuesday, September 17 at 11 am in The Loft inside the Foster Student Center. Senator O’Laughlin will be our guest speaker to celebrate Constitution Day. This event is free and open to the public. Senator Cindy O’Laughlin was elected in 2018 and again in 2022 to represent Northeast Missouri in the Senate. In 2022, she was elected by her peers to serve as the Majority Floor Leader, the first female to hold this position in state history. She is credited with improving the efficiency of the Missouri Senate during her first year serving in that role. In addition to her public service, Sen. O’Laughlin is the former co-owner of Leo O’Laughlin, Inc., a trucking company and ready-mix concrete business with locations in Shelbina, Macon, Marceline and LaBelle. Prior to being elected to the Missouri Senate, Sen. O’Laughlin served as a school bus driver, an administrator at a local Christian school and as a member of her local school board. She previously served as chair of the Senate Education Committee and remains a strong advocate for school choice in Missouri. Senator O’Laughlin has served on numerous statewide boards, such as the Associated Builders and Contractors, the Children’s Trust Fund and the Missouri Club for Growth. Senator O’Laughlin is currently a member of the National Rifle Association, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, the Missouri Farm Bureau and Macon First Baptist Church. Senator O’Laughlin grew up on a farm and spent much of her childhood around horses, livestock auctions and corn fields. Today, she’s the proud owner of several dogs, including Basset Hounds, as well as several rescue dogs. A current resident of Shelbina, Sen. O’Laughlin has four sons, a foster daughter and seven grandchildren. She is a 1978 graduate of the University of Missouri. For more information, email freesociety@hlg.edu.