Holden's turbulent term comes to end this week

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The title of Gov. Bob Holden's State of the State address one year ago was "Gateway to the Future." As of noon Monday, the administration of Missouri's 53rd chief executive will be relegated to the past.

As the only Missouri governor ever defeated for renomination in a party primary election, Holden's four-year term might appear a failure to some. But aficionados of Missouri government will long debate whether mistakes in office or lousy luck brought his long and generally successful political career to an end.

Almost from the outset of his administration, Holden suffered one political setback after another. Just weeks after taking office, Republicans won control of the Senate. Two years later, the GOP claimed control of the House of Representatives, marking the start of a running war between the executive and legislative branches.

Lavish inauguration ceremonies left a mountain of debt that required Holden to solicit special interest donations to pay off. The assistance of organized labor in that regard led to allegations of political back-scratching when Holden signed an executive order granting collective bargaining rights to many state workers a few months later.

But it was a downturn in the state economy and an ongoing struggle to keep the state budget in balance in the face of declining revenue collections that earned Holden the most criticism. His repeated calls for higher taxes to preserve and bolster spending for education and other vital state services brought the wrath of Republicans in the legislature and growing unpopularity among taxpayers.

He leaves a lasting legacy, however, on the composition of the state judiciary with his policy of promoting racial and gender diversity. Two-thirds of his judicial appointments were women, minorities or both. Holden also became the first governor to put two women on the Missouri Supreme Court.

Once they leave the Governor's Mansion, Holden and his family will remain in Jefferson City while he ponders his next move. But for one of the few times in his adult life, he will not be part of Missouri government.

Conservative tone

During his opening day speech to colleagues Wednesday, House Speaker Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill, hinted that religious conservatism will be part of his agenda as chamber leader.

"We must resist those who would manipulate the Constitution to justify eliminating God from our society and our state," Jetton said.

Asked to elaborate afterwards, Jetton spoke of a general sense that some groups are attempting to remove spirituality from the public sphere but offered little detail as to what pro-religion policies he might pursue.

"I don't think anybody wants the government telling them who they should worship or how they should worship or if they should worship at all," Jetton said. "But I also think there are a lot of Missourians that feel like they ought to have that right to recognize there is a God."

Southeast ties

While Jetton is the only Southeast Missouri resident in a top legislative leadership post this year, two other high-ranking lawmakers are area natives.

House Speaker Pro Tem Carl Bearden, R-St. Charles, was born in Piedmont while Senate Minority Floor Leader Maida Coleman, D-St. Louis, originally lived in Sikeston.

mpowers@semissourian.com

(573) 635-4608