JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway was publicly sworn in Monday morning at the Missouri Capitol.
Hanaway was appointed by Gov. Mike Kehoe to fill the rest of Andrew Bailey's term in August. She was previously sworn in during a private ceremony on Sept. 8.
Her appointment as attorney general marks her return to public office after a 20-year gap of service. In that time she worked as a partner at Husch Blackwell LLP and as a federal prosecutor.
Hanaway was previously the first woman to be elected Missouri Republican House Speaker from 2003-05. She is now the first woman to hold the position of Attorney General in Missouri history.
Hanaway's agenda is similar to Bailey's with prioritizing upholding the U.S. and Missouri Constitution's as well as restricting abortion.
"As Attorney General, she is committed to making the Office a force for safety and accountability," according to her biography on the official Missouri government website.
Last week, Hanaway filed a lawsuit in federal court trying to prevent opponents of the new congressional map from filing a referendum petition. She argued that since the Missouri Constitution does not clearly give permission to redistricting opposition the right to go to a referendum, the move is unconstitutional.
