JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — With Gov. Mike Parson on an international vacation with his wife, it was up to Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe to serve as Missouri’s chief executive this week.
Kehoe, a Republican, signed four bills this week while he served as acting governor:
- SB 133: an all-encompassing agriculture bill which allows Missouri universities to begin cultivating and researching hemp
- SB 275: from Republican Sen. David Sater, the bill includes modifications to healthcare
- SB 397: extends the petition process to create a museum or cultural district from five to 15 years after a presidential disaster declaration has been established
- HB 612: transfers the Missouri State Council on the Arts to the Lieutenant Governor’s Office.
He also signed an executive order establishing the Missouri Food, Beverage, and Forest Products Manufacturing Task Force.
“I am grateful for Governor Parson’s leadership and appreciate the trust and confidence placed in me in his absence,” Kehoe said in a statement. “Each of the four bills I signed are significant to Missourians across the state, especially to Missouri’s agriculture and tourism industries. All are important to moving Missouri forward.”
While Governor Parson was traveling outside the country, the powers of Governor were devolved upon @LtGovMikeKehoe.
“I am grateful for Governor Parson’s leadership and appreciate the trust and confidence placed in me in his absence,” said Acting Governor Kehoe.
— Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) June 28, 2019
Parson left for Europe earlier this month for his first overseas trade mission as Missouri’s governor. He traveled to France, Germany, and Switzerland to meet with global business leaders and bolster the Show-Me State to potential new businesses. After, he stayed in Europe with the first lady for a vacation. Parson is expected to return to Missouri on July 3.
Kehoe is expected to make appointments to the Route 66 Centennial Commission next week before Parson returns.
Parson appointed Kehoe to lieutenant governor in June 2018. Kehoe previously served as a state senator where he held a variety of leadership positions — from majority floor leader to chairing committees.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
