Greitens focuses on job growth during State of the State

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- New Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens during his first State of the State address Tuesday outlined a plan he said will help grow jobs, including passing a right-to-work law barring mandatory union fees and paring back government regulations.

"The people have sent us a message: We must do everything in our power to put people back to work in good, high-paying jobs," the Republican Greitens said in a Capitol address to a joint session of the Republican-led House and Senate. "That is why we must join 27 other states and sign right to work."

In a prepared response, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Gina Walsh slammed the policy and said lawmakers should reject it.

"Right-to-work simply means forcing folks to work for less: less money, less health coverage and less opportunity for workers and their families," she said.

Greitens on Tuesday also called for restrictions to liability lawsuits, to do away with pre-bid union labor agreements on public works projects he said drive up costs, and an end to "burdensome regulations."

The governor, who campaigned heavily on cleaning up the Capitol's image, repeated support for a ban on lobbyist gifts to elected officials and a law requiring officials to wait before becoming lobbyists for as long as they've served in office.

He asked lawmakers to send a proposal to the ballot to enact term limits for all statewide officeholders.

Currently, only the governor and treasurer face term limits.

"This is the people's government, and these basic measures will begin to restore our people's trust in their government," Greitens said in prepared remarks.

Other policies Greitens touched on included plans for higher pay for fewer state employees and an audit of the state's tax credit system to ditch "special-interest tax credits."

He pledged to push for tough penalties for those who assault police and said officers should be equipped with nonlethal equipment.

"Here's what we have to do together: make this the greatest state in America to be a law-enforcement officer, firefighter or first responder," Greitens said. "We need to make this a state where every citizen feels that they, too, are safe and protected."

Greitens' inauguration marked the first time in state history Republicans hold supermajorities in the state House and Senate and control of the governor's mansion.

Republican legislative leaders share many of Greitens' top policy priorities, including right to work.

Greitens didn't outline his budget plan for next fiscal year Tuesday, as governors have done in the past.

The House budget leader has said he expects a budget proposal from the governor in early February for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty in a written response said without a budget proposal, the address was a "meaningless rhetorical exercise, not a display of leadership."

Greitens, after just a week in office, took action Monday to cut spending he said was necessary to balance the budget.

He announced about $146 million in spending cuts and said "more hard choices lie ahead."

Cuts included nearly $68 million in core funding for public universities and community colleges.

The cuts equaled about 7 percent of the amount budgeted for higher-education institutions, nearly wiping out a full month's allotment from the state, according to legislative appropriations staff.