Jetton tells why he spoke up

By Rod Jetton

When all the dust settles in Jefferson City, Gov. Bob Holden's State of the State address will unfortunately be remembered as one of the most partisan in our state's history.

House Speaker Catherine Hanaway gave her opening-session speech by calling on all parties to leave partisan disputes in the past. She did not point one finger in her speech but listed areas where we must work together.

Holden actually pointed his finger at Republicans during his speech and misled Missourians by stating, "For the first time in the history of our state, this legislature cut the total education budget by hundreds of millions of dollars and endangered the future of countless children."

He proceeded to attack Republican legislators by saying the were "cruel," "cowardly" and "immoral." He said legislators were "starving schools and children."

The state budget for fiscal year 2005 presented by Holden the same day shows the truth. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education received $4.363 billion in fiscal year 2003 and was appropriated $4.550 billion in fiscal year 2004 -- a whopping $187 million increase for education.

The governor is still withholding $120 million in education funding. He has given no indication he will release these funds. If the governor releases these funds soon, it would certainly help our local schools that have suffered from his political assault.

His withholding has placed our schools in a more difficult position. I have tried to give the governor the benefit of the doubt on the withholding issue, but after listening to his personal attacks and intentional hiding of the truth in his State of the State address, I had to speak up and call for the truth.

Much has been written and said about my comments and how they were delivered. It was not the heckling tirade that some in the news media have reported. I did not even stand up. I simply spoke up and said four words during a short pause in the governor's speech: "Release the money, governor."

What was interesting was the applause and support I received from my fellow legislators. They jumped to their feet and immediately began clapping. They did this because they felt like I felt. Holden was making a personal and partisan attack on us and not even telling the truth while doing it. He had never done anything like this before, and it was hard to understand why he was saying these kinds of things this year.

I have no problem with the governor talking about his vision, his ideas and his issues during the State of the State address. There are many things I do not agree with, but it is his speech. I have always listened, regardless of my opinion. The difference this year was that he turned the State of the State address into a personal and partisan attack on anyone who did not agree with him.

I spoke up because I knew what he was doing was wrong. I did it in a gentlemanly, short and truthful way. I didn't want to make a scene, but I had to get the truth out and stop his name-calling.

I would never call the governor or my Democratic friends the kind of names he called us. I believe all legislators are good people trying to do what they feel is best for our state.

Now that I have thought about the speech, I realize the governor wasn't really going after us. He was using us as a punching bag. He has a primary election this year and needed a fight with us to look good to Democratic voters. I guess election years always change folks.

I want you to know I will keep fighting for the values and principles we believe in. I will stand up for my district and never back down.

I realize the State of the State address is not supposed to be interrupted. But this year Holden's speech called for a break in tradition. I believe I had a duty and responsibility to stand up for the truth and stop his personal and partisan attacks.

Rod Jetton of Marble Hill, Mo., represents the 156th District in the Missouri House of Representatives.