5 issues to look for in new Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe’s State of the State address | Opinion

They used to say all politics is local. That’s not true anymore. All politics is national now. Or a lot more of it, anyway.

So you can expect some very Missouri-specific speechifying on Tuesday, when freshly elected Gov. Mike Kehoe gives his very first State of the State address in Jefferson City. But you can also look for Kehoe to bang the gong a bit on issues that typically get more discussion on Fox News than in local news outlets.

He might also want to avoid other big culture war issues such as abortion — where his pro-life stance conflicts with Missourians’ November vote to restore abortion access.

Here are five things to look for in Kehoe’s address:

Budget cuts are coming

Kehoe campaigned on warnings that Missouri’s spending — which grew considerably under his predecessor, Mike Parson — will have to be reined in. The state has dipped into its cash reserves to finance spending above what it has collected in taxes, and pandemic-era federal aid to the states is coming to an end.

The new governor is vowing to tighten the belt.

“We’re going to see some tougher times on the horizon ahead and I know for a fact we’re going to want somebody in the governor’s office who understands what budgets are about and what hard decisions are about,” Kehoe said in September.

A tax experiment for Missouri

Another reason to tighten the belt: Kehoe wants to slash taxes in a big way. He campaigned on ending Missouri’s income tax — which generates about two-thirds of Show-Me State revenues — and his campaign touted connections to conservative economist Arthur Laffer, the man who inspired Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s failed “tax experiment” a decade ago.

We’ll see if Kehoe is more successful, but there’s reason for skepticism.

The income tax wouldn’t go away all at once. But Tuesday’s address will reveal just how big a bite of the apple Kehoe wants to attempt during his first go-round.

Ending the income tax cannot “be a light switch,” Kehoe told reporters and editors at Missouri Press Association Day at the state capitol last week. “It’s got to be something that’s responsible, that funds essential services, but ultimately has the end goal.”

A focus on crime

Kehoe campaigned on vague promises to increase support for Missouri law enforcement agencies. Kansas City officials, who have struggled with officer vacancies in the police department, are looking to see if he’ll provide any help. (The city funds the KCPD, but the agency is under the control of the state.)

Kehoe told reporters his crime plan will have a “recruitment and retention piece” for police officers and prosecutors. Higher pay packages might be on the agenda.

“Securing Missouri’s future begins with public safety,” Kehoe said at his inaugural. “Too many Missourians don’t feel safe — and too many Missourians aren’t safe.”

A crackdown on immigration

This would usually be the realm of federal politics — and indeed President Donald Trump has made a crackdown on illegal immigration a centerpiece of his policies during the first days of his new term. But GOP-led states want in on the action, too. Kehoe’s first acts after being sworn in earlier this month included two executive orders to aid in the initiative.

If Kehoe expands on the topic in his State of the State address, expect Kansas City to end up in the crosshairs one way or another. It could get uncomfortable.

“What I am not hearing from the people of Kansas City is them clamoring for a solution on immigration policy fundamentally in Kansas City,” Mayor Quinton Lucas told the Star this month.

A stadium plan?

Parson promised to unveil a plan to keep the Chiefs and Royals in Missouri before he left office. He didn’t. Now it’s up to Kehoe to make the effort — or risk losing one or both teams to Kansas, which is eager to jump in. It won’t go unnoticed that the new governor’s speech comes less than 48 hours after the Chiefs won the opportunity to defend their Super Bowl championships.

“I’m not a fan of just throwing money at stadiums, but I am a fan of keeping the economic activity that those two teams provide,” Kehoe said.

A related item on the agenda: The Kansas City region hosts the World Cup next year, and it will be expensive: Missouri has already committed $70 million to the event.

There’s a lot on Kehoe’s plate. The address is 3 p.m. Tuesday.

This story was originally published January 27, 2025 at 1:34 PM.