Gov. Michael Kehoe outlines Safer Missouri plan, childcare and education investments in State of the State

Gov. Michael Kehoe delivered the State of the State address to a joint session of the Missouri General Assembly, calling for aggressive public-safety measures, a multi-pronged approach to the fentanyl crisis, a rewrite of childcare regulations and significant new investments in education and workforce development.

Kehoe said his administration has signed six executive orders to launch the "Safer Missouri" initiative and asked the legislature to pass a comprehensive crime bill sponsored by Senators Fitzwater and Schroer and Representative Crist. He proposed targeted funding for law enforcement recruitment, training and equipment, and sought expanded penalties for violent rioting, reckless stunt driving and street racing.

"If a drug dealer sells fentanyl that kills a Missourian, they should be charged with first degree murder, period," Kehoe said. He asked lawmakers to fund $4,000,000 for fentanyl testing in school wastewater systems, noting that was a $2,000,000 increase from last year, and linked the flow of deadly drugs to illegal immigration at the southern border.

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