KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson highlighted his tenure in office during his final State of the State address at the state Capitol in Jefferson City, Missouri, Wednesday.
The governor used the speech to lay out his budget proposals for the 2025 fiscal year and look back on successes from his governorship.
Parson, who took over the position after the resignation of Eric Greitens in 2018, is not eligible to run for governor again.
Parson’s budget proposals include fully funding public education, giving teachers pay raises, and increasing appropriations to state colleges and community colleges.
He also hopes to increase pay for state employees. He touted bipartisan proposals to increase access for childcare.
Parson told the crowd he hopes his efforts on workforce development and infrastructure are part of his legacy.
Then, he announced the state received a $92.8 million grant from the federal government to help expand Interstate-70. The INFRA (Infrastructure for Rebuilding America) grant will go along with $2.8 billion committed from the state.
Parson said construction on the first phase of the I-70 project will begin near Columbia this summer. He hopes to expand and improve I-44 next.
The governor also touted the Focus on Bridges programs which set aside money to repair or replace 250 bridges.
The Blue Ridge Boulevard bridge over I-70 in Independence was the final bridge in the project.
Parson pushed for state legislators to increase punishments for people who expose children to fentanyl.
The former Polk County sheriff dubbed himself a “law and order governor.” He told legislators they need to act on the issue in a way the federal government hasn’t.
Throughout the speech, Parson said he made people the center of his decisions. He also repeatedly used the phrase “no turning back.”
Parson wrote an autobiographical book also titled “No Turnin’ Back” which will be released in March.
In the Democratic response to the State of the State speech Rep. Crystal Quade criticized Parson for using the “people first” theme while not addressing a proposal that would make it harder to amend the state constitution through an initiative petition.
Quade said maintaining voters ability to put questions on the ballot is key to putting people first.
Quade, who’s running for governor this year, also criticized a group of hard-right Republicans for holding the session “hostage.”
She worries their actions will prevent legislators from passing essential laws this year.
The Democrats did agree with parts of Parson’s speech. Quade said she is “excited” about Parson’s proposals for childcare access, increasing teacher pay, and giving public education more funding than years past.
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