Missouri Governor-elect Mike Kehoe is talking priorities in the days following his election win over Democrat Crystal Quade. He laid out his plans to help solve the state’s childcare access crisis.
“We’ve been very involved in childcare,” he told Missourinet. “I tell people it’s a personal issue to me. My mother’s a single mother. I can tell you firsthand what it means when a mom has to decide whether to stay at home and not make enough money to buy groceries or go to the store and leave her child at home.”
He said that expanding access to childcare and giving private businesses the option to open up childcare as part of their benefits package should be something that all Missourians can agree on.
Could Kehoe hit a home run for the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs? Keeping them in Missouri has been a top priority for Missouri’s current governor, Mike Parson. And it appears to be a top priority as well for incoming Kehoe. He said that he has been in constant contact with both ownership groups.
“They’re teams that we would like to see stay here because of the economic benefit they provide to our state,” Kehoe said. “But whatever we do has to be a good return on taxpayer dollars. I’ve been very consistent in saying that I’m not a fan of spending taxpayer dollars on stadiums, but I am a fan of trying to make sure that businesses that are located here in the state, and have an economic impact, that employ Missourians, stay in our state.”
Gov. Parson said that he hopes to have a plan in place by the end of this year to incentivize the clubs to stay in Missouri. But with Inauguration Day just two months away, it could be up to Kehoe to help finalize any plans.
Most of all, Governor-elect Kehoe said that he hopes to establish unity in Missouri politics, regardless of who voted for him. He explained what needs to change going forward.
“Quite frankly, I think Missourians and most people in this country are sick of the hate politics,” he said. “You guys have known me a long time. That’s just not who I am. So, we’re going to disagree on issues, other elected officials and I, I’m sure, but we’re going to work together the best we can to kind of keep that rhetoric to a minimum.”
Adam Gresham, a longtime member of Kehoe’s staff, has been appointed to head up Kehoe’s transition team. Gresham will help to craft the Kehoe administration’s state budget, policy priorities, and staffing.
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