Governor Matt Blunt fulfills a campaign pledge on his first full day in office by rescinding the collective bargaining order signed by his predecessor. As a candidate, Blunt had promised that his first order of business would be to rescind Governor Bob Holden’s executive order granting certain state workers collective bargaining rights. As Governor, Blunt announced he would sign three executive orders. The first rescinds the Holden order. His second executive order prohibits the purchase of any non-emergency vehicles, cell phones or the leasing of new office space by any state agency. Blunt’s third executive order closes the state’s Washington, D.C., office. Blunt says Missourians are well represented at the nation’s Capitol by their Congressional delegation and the office is a waste of $164,000 a year. [Image courtesy Bill Greenblatt, UPI]