© 2025 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

How Gov. Mike Kehoe plans to get Missouri 'on the right track'

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe delivers the State of the State address, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Jeff Roberson
/
AP
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe delivers the State of the State address, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Jefferson City, Missouri.

With plans to beef up funding for law enforcement and have the state take over control of the police department in St. Louis, Kehoe hopes to make public safety the cornerstone of his administration. He's also promised to eliminate the income tax.

In his State of the State address last week, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe laid out a road map for his administration.

Increasing public safety took a main focus. Adopting state control of the St. Louis Police Department (a system that is already in place in Kansas City), bolstering funding for police departments, and increasing officer recruitment and retention are among the governor's biggest priorities.

He told KCUR's Up To Date that he sees it as a way to bring business to the state.

"When we say a community is safe and we have — law enforcement and others — have their arms wrapped around the crime issue, businesses will then invest," he said. "And when we see that deployment of capital, we see those job creations happening from businesses wanting to put hard working Missourians back to work. That's when we'll know we're on the right track."

Kehoe also discussed his plan to eliminate the income tax and the future of the Chiefs and Royals in Missouri. Listen to Kehoe's full conversation with KCUR's Steve Kraske above.

  • Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe
Stay Connected
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
In an era defined by the unprecedented, one thing remains certain: Kansas Citians’ passion for their hometown. As an Up To Date producer, I construct daily conversations to keep our city connected. My work analyzes big challenges and celebrates achievements to help you see your town in a new way. Email me at hallejackson@kcur.org.
KCUR prides ourselves on bringing local journalism to the public without a paywall — ever.

Our reporting will always be free for you to read. But it's not free to produce.

As a nonprofit, we rely on your donations to keep operating and trying new things. If you value our work, consider becoming a member.