Parson accuses House GOP leadership of ‘disgusting scheme,’ but will it harm agenda?
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson was all smiles last Wednesday as he ascended the dais to deliver the State of the State address in the Senate chamber — a departure for a speech usually given to a packed joint session in the House.
But in the days since, Parson has been seething at what he calls a “petty show of arrogance and political power” that forced him to the alternative location.
In a grievance-filled letter to Republican lawmakers that circulated over the weekend, the governor charged “malicious intent” as plans to give the speech in the House were upended over what legislators at the time said were COVID-19 concerns.
The bitter words threaten to derail — or at least slow down — Parson’s agenda just weeks into his four-year term. The breakdown comes as the governor wants to protect businesses from pandemic-related lawsuits, collect more sales tax revenue from online purchases and fund infrastructure improvements.
“I want you to know that we are all on the same team, and before this week, I would have never thought it was necessary to remind Republican members of that,” Parson wrote. “Together, we have accomplished much and have great work left to do.”
Multiple Missouri Republicans said Monday that tensions between Parson and the House Republican leadership go beyond the State of the State. One Missouri political consultant said “airing the dirty laundry” could help resolve differences, but could also exacerbate tensions instead.
The blow up over the State of the State reflects tensions have been building for some time. Parson has struggled at times to advance his agenda through the House. In 2020, the governor called a special session to focus on violent crime but the House adjourned without voting on several of Parson’s proposals, including a controversial measure to allow the attorney general to prosecute murder cases in St. Louis.
The governor has also expressed frustration in the past with House inquiries into his administration. In 2019, he accused legislators of “political grandstanding” as a House committee looked into how the Missouri Department of Revenue had looked into a tax refund problem.
Nothing, however, matches the anger in Parson’s letter about the State of the State. He recounts how he was told “by the House Leader” — an apparent reference to House Speaker Rob Vescovo -- that the speech would only be allowed in an empty chamber and how his office secured the use of the Senate for the address.
House and Senate Republican leaders, in a joint statement posted by Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, a Sullivan Republican, less than two hours before the speech began, said it had been moved to the Senate to ensure social distancing. “This temporary relocation will maximize safety while still honoring the tradition of an in-person address by the Governor,” the statement read.
But in the letter, Parson argued House leadership had held the State of the State speech to one standard and legislative business to another. He said the House had held a packed hearing the night before in which many lawmakers and witnesses didn’t wear masks.
“It is hard to see this as anything other than a purposeful and disgusting scheme to embarrass me and the Office of the Governor,” Parson wrote.
A Parson spokeswoman didn’t respond to questions about the letter.
Some level of tension between governors and legislators isn’t unusual. Relations were particularly icy under Gov. Eric Greitens, who angered legislators through repeated criticism of “career politicians.”
Still, Parson’s sharp words come during what is already a rocky legislative session.
Since the General Assembly convened on Jan. 6, multiple lawmakers have either had to quarantine or isolate because of COVID-19 and lawmakers and staff have come under criticism for receiving vaccines intended for other state employees. The House also cancelled an entire week of work to limit exposure, burning up precious time in a session that must end in May.
Sen. Eric Burlison, a Battlefield Republican, said Parson’s overall relationship with the General Assembly is great. “Because of his experience serving in the House and the Senate, he very much understands our position and our perspective,” Burlison said.
Even so, GOP lawmakers now find themselves in the tricky position of balancing their relationships with Vescovo, an Arnold Republican, and Parson, who as governor is the de facto head of the party.
House Republicans contacted Monday either didn’t want to speak about the letter or speak on the record. Rep. Hannah Kelly, a Mountain Grove Republican and the assistant majority floor leader, said only that she had read the letter, and that she had “to have conversations before I can give any kind of educated, well-rounded comments.”
“I’ve read it,” Kelly said, adding, “I am choosing to be very focused on my work today.”
Vescovo and other Republican leaders have so far declined to comment. But House Republicans were expected to hold a meeting Monday afternoon in which the letter was certain to be discussed.
For their part, Democrats are criticizing both the Republican governor and Republican legislators in the letter’s wake. Rep. Peter Merideth, a St. Louis Democrat, wrote in a message to constituents that the “problem seemed to arise from the incredibly confusing lack of policies regarding COVID, even as an outbreak in this building continues.”
Burlison said that regardless of who was right or wrong, it was understandable that people could get heated at the Capitol given the pressures of the pandemic.
“The stresses that Gov. Parson has had to deal with, no governor has had to deal with,” Burlison said. “And the same goes for Speaker Vescovo.”
