Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Contact: Spence Jackson, (573)751-0290
Blunt Keeps Promises to Missourians; Enacts Significant Legislation First 100 Days in Office
JEFFERSON CITY - Governor Matt Blunt marked his 100th day in office today reflecting on promises kept to Missourians, the enactment of legislation to improve the state's economic climate, and his efforts to make public education the true top priority of state government.
In just one hundred days, Blunt has kept the promises he made to Missourians to sign meaningful litigation reform and workers' compensation reform into law, to repeal an executive order from the previous administration that would have allowed service unions to take money from state employees without their consent, and to put a freeze on the purchase of non-emergency vehicles, cell phones and leased office space.
Blunt has also honored commitments to make public education the state's true public policy priority by proposing a significant increase in funding for public schools and to restore fiscal discipline by proposing a state budget that lives within the people's means without any new taxes or increases on existing taxes.
Lawmakers have also enacted significant reforms, largely based on Blunt's recommendations, to Missouri's social welfare system. As a candidate, Blunt pledged to address problems with waste, fraud and abuse in the system and that he would make eligibility changes if it was determined that fighting fraud alone would not cover the costs of a program that has ballooned in recent years.
Blunt's social welfare reforms will save taxpayer's an estimated $75 million annually while still providing services to more than 900,000 out of the state's 5 million residents.
"It is truly an honor to serve the people of Missouri as their governor," Blunt said. "Melanie and I are deeply grateful for the opportunity we have been given to improve the quality of life in the state we love and are proud to call home.
"I am pleased with the progress we have made so far to move Missouri in a new direction. We have taken significant steps to improve the economy and help our entrepreneurs and employers create good, family-supporting jobs and to make public education the state's top priority. We have done these things in a spirit of cooperation with the Legislature and I am very optimistic about the possibilities the future holds."
The enactment of litigation and workers' compensation reform is noteworthy as previous attempts were vetoed by former Gov. Holden. Blunt also signed into law a bill changing the name of Southwest Missouri State University to Missouri State University, an effort more than 20 years in the making.
That same bill also made Missouri Western State College and Harris-Stowe State College universities, dropped the Joplin city designation from Missouri Southern State University and gave Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg the option of changing its name to the University of Central Missouri.