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This Week in the Governor’s Office: Week of Sept. 30, 2019

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson was again traveling the state this week, making a stop in Rocheport to tout the I-70 bridge project.

“I think what’s really important for the Rocheport Bridge project is what that does for the rest of the state,” Parson told reporters. “What we’ve done at the federal level — what Sen. Blunt was able to obtain with the — how much that frees us up to do a lot more projects all across the state. I think in probably the next year, you’ll see major projects across the state of Missouri because of what we got done here today.”

He was joined at the stop with numerous officials including U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, state Senate Majority Floor Leader Caleb Rowden, and Transportation Director Parick McKenna.

This week, Parson also made stops in Branson, Ozark, and Springfield for the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives’ annual meeting, the Ozark Chamber State of the Community Dinner, and several manufacturing company tours.

Russell Bucklew, a man convicted of murder in 1997, was denied clemency. His execution took place Tuesday evening — the first under Parson’s administration.

Parson has also decided to back a project — dredging the lower Mississippi River — touted as a boost for farmers in Missouri and the Midwest.

In a combination of letters to federal employees, Missouri’s chief executive asked for “support in helping secure and direct federal funding” to deepen the lower Mississippi River from 45 ft. to 50 ft.

The project “would provide significant benefit to Missouri and other states connected to the Mississippi River and tributaries,” Parson wrote to Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Ken Zellers was promoted by Parson as the head of the Missouri Department of Revenue on Wednesday after serving as the acting director since March.