Governor Mike Parson delivers final State of the State address
The governor's speech highlighted his successes during his time in office and laid out his legislative agenda for 2024
For the final time, Gov. Mike Parson delivered his State of the State address to a joint session of the Missouri General Assembly on Wednesday, Jan. 24. The governor cannot seek re-election due to term limits, and his time in office will come to a close at the end of this year. As lawmakers, officials and others watched the governor deliver his final State of the State address in the House chamber, he reflected on how the citizens of Missouri were at the center of every decision he made.
Governor Mike Parson delivers his final State of the State address before a joint session of the Missouri General Assembly. Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel/House Communications.
"In every decision we make, we must look to the effects on the next generations and the ability for them to achieve their American Dream. In every decision, we must put people first," said Gov. Parson. "Easy said, but hard to do. It's a simple idea that has been our guiding principle since the very beginning."
Over the course of his time as the state's top elected official, improving the state's roads and bridges has been one of the governor's top priorities. During his time as governor, his administration has repaired or replaced more than 1,000 bridges and replaced nearly 17,000 miles of Missouri roads — claiming almost 50% of the state's entire highway system has been addressed during his watch.
As governor, his administration approved three separate tax cuts — decreasing Missourians' tax burden by more than 20%. He also used his speech to highlight several other accomplishments, including clearing the state's clemency backlog; streamlining state agencies and reducing the size of government; increasing education funding; maintaining the state's AAA credit rating; growing state revenues and improving Missouri's GDP growth rate; and more.
The speech also gave the governor the opportunity to present his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025. He called on lawmakers to once again fully fund the state's K-12 education foundation formula, while also providing increased support to raise the starting salary of Missouri's teachers to $40,000. His proposed budget for FY 2025 also includes increased funding for higher education and workforce development programs, in addition to providing additional resources to improve Interstate 44. He also requested lawmakers to provide additional funds to the state's attorney general to help find, prosecute and punish human traffickers that prey on the state's most vulnerable.
Additionally, he used his time before the General Assembly to discuss two of his legislative priorities: new childcare tax credits and stricter penalties for those that expose children and minors to fentanyl. He called on the members of the House and Senate to pass three new childcare tax credit programs designed to improve access and affordability for families needing childcare throughout the state. Citing the state's fentanyl crisis, he directed lawmakers to pass legislation guaranteeing stricter punishments for those that expose children and minors to the dangerous drug.
"As a final message to this body, I'm reminded of an old saying, 'A society grows great when old men and women plant trees, the shade of which they know they will never sit in.' To summarize, it's about putting people first," said Gov. Parson. "Ladies and gentlemen, that's been the focus of this administration. We've planted the seeds today for a better Missouri tomorrow."
Prior to becoming governor, Mike Parson served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2005 – 2011 and in the Missouri Senate form 2011 – 2017. After serving in the Senate, he was elected as the state's 47th lieutenant governor before becoming governor on June 1, 2018. To watch the governor's State of the State address, please visit mo.gov.