JEFFERSON CITY - The building tension between the governor's office and Republican legislators boiled over Wednesday morning during Gov. Bob Holden's State of the State address.
The governor pointed his finger at the Republican side of the aisle, accusing them of being "cruel" to Missouri's children and of lacking "courage" -- while for the first time in recent memory, one lawmaker actually heckled the governor halfway through his speech.
House Speaker Pro Tem Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill, interrupted the governor's speech by calling out "Release the money, governor!" -- referring to the nearly [$200 million] being withheld from education. The outburst prompted a round of applause from Republican legislators, who were angered by Gov. Holden's repeated assertion that the legislature had cut education funding.
"This legislature cut the total education budget by hundreds of millions of dollars and endangered the futures of countless children," Holden said is his speech, later asking the legislators to look at the situation "through a child's eyes."
"First we encouraged them to dream, then you denied them the means," Holden said. "That's not bravado. That's just cruel."
"He lied," said Sen. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin. "The governor's speech was over the line."
Republicans charged it was the governor himself who cut education by continuing to withhold from local schools appropriations they had passed last year. The governor has argued he cannot release that money because the state may not collect enough money to fully fund the legislative-passed budget without additional taxes.
As he did last year, Holden also presented lawmakers with a package of tax increases on corporations, gambling, tobacco and higher income Missourians. Most would require statewide voter approval to take effect. In total, the administration estimates the extra tax would raise $635 million per year.
Nodler said he thought the speech was the "most polarizing State of the State that's ever been given," and that the governor had "poisoned the environment" of cooperation.
Rep. Steve Hunter, R-Joplin, called the speech's education claims a "massive fabrication" and said he believed Jetton's outburst was justified.
"If he wouldn't have, I would have myself," Hunter said of Jetton's interruption. "There's only so much you can take."
Holden's speech prompted a livid response from the Republican leadership, where House Speaker Catherine Hannaway told reporters the governor had uttered "mistruths, untruths, and misleading statements" and that he had used children and teachers as pawns in "a play for more taxes".
But some local legislators said they believed the governor's rhetoric, while overblown, was geared more at securing his power base for the upcoming elections -- and that future compromise was still possible.
"He has to stake his position to satisfy his side," said Rep. Ron Richard, R-Joplin. "In an election year, you want to get your side energized."
Richard said he expects both the governor and the Republican leadership to simmer down in the next few weeks, and move toward a consensus on issues such as job creation. The governor has put forth a plan called "Jobs Now," which would use resources from several tax credit programs in an attempt to acclerate the state's economy. Richard, who has been in contact with the governor's staff about the plan, said he's encouraged.
Rep. Marilyn Ruestman, R-Joplin, said while the governor had "pushed all the right buttons" in his speech to anger Republican legislators, she anticipated things would settle down.
"I think people will begin to move toward the center on these issues," Ruestman said.
Rep. Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City, said he also saw job creation, along with issues like revising the MAP test, as possibilities for compromise. But he said after hearing the governor's speech, he'd have to wait and see.
"After this morning, there's no way I can predict what will happen," Stevenson said.
Rep. Kevin Wilson, R-Neosho, said he was angered by Holden accusing the legislature of cutting education when it was the governor himself who had the power to release millions of dollars in education withholdings.
"There weren't any cuts," Wilson said. "I guess he figures you say it enough times, fiction will become fact.
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