Gov. Eric Greitens, the state’s first Republican chief executive since 2009, has never hesitated to call himself a political outsider. And in that spirit, he bucked political tradition in his address by holding off on releasing a budget proposal, pledging to reveal his plan to overcome an estimated $456 million state revenue gap next month.
Some of his talking points included his promises from the campaign trail to clean up corruption in Jefferson City.
“Too many good, strong public servants have come here only to see the will of the people obstructed and corrupted by insiders and lobbyists,” Greitens said.
He then called on his audience, made up mostly of members of his own party, to pass an overhaul of state ethics laws, including limits on lobbyist gifts, limits on how quickly lawmakers can become lobbyists and term limits for statewide office holders.
Under a plan the 42-year-old Maryland Heights native unveiled during his campaign, a member of the House and Senate would have to undergo a cooling off period equal to the number of years he or she served in office before being allowed to lobby the Legislature.
Calling it a “simple, sensible proposal” with public support in his speech, Greitens likely will face a roadblock in the Senate, where lawmakers already have raised concerns about his idea.
Still, Greitens, a former Navy SEAL and founder of a charity for veterans, drew applause and cheers from GOP super-majorities in the Legislature, who already have been in lockstep with their new ally on several of the agenda items he discussed Tuesday.
It is only the second time in 94 years that Republicans have had complete control of the levers of the state’s government. And they’ll likely soon deliver an early policy win for Greitens, as they prepare to approve long-awaited “right-to-work” legislation that limits labor unions’ ability to collect dues from their members.
