JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.— Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe outlined his key legislative priorities for the year in his State of the State address Tuesday. 

A top priority is phasing out and eventually eliminating the state's individual income tax.

"The issue at hand here is competitiveness, and competitiveness starts with our tax code. Missouri's tax structure must evolve," said Kehoe.

While he didn’t offer specifics of the plan, he says the first step will be acquiring approval from Missourians at the ballot box.

House Minority Leader Ashley Aune gave the democratic rebuttal after the address, taking aim at the income tax proposal. 

“While mosts Missourians would get smacked with another unwarranted tax cut for the rich, it could still lead the state to collecting less revenue than before, and inevitably will mean devastating budgets cuts,” said Aune.

Kehoe also signed several executive orders before his speech. One establishes an Advanced Nuclear Energy Task Force. He said this was to be aligned with the Trump administration’s goals, adding, “Missouri is all in on nuclear.”

He signed another executive order to reinforce Missouri’s commitment to safely and effectively use AI in state government operations.

When it comes to education, he signed another executive order to create a statewide school accountability A-F grade card. Kehoe says this will provide parents with clear, easy-to-understand information about how schools are performing.

“The real test of Missouri’s education system should be whether students are learning. Whether

they can read, write, and do math. Our school grade card will accomplish just that” Kehoe said.

He also mentioned the cell phone ban that was implemented in schools last year. He says the results speak for themselves. 

“We’re hearing from educators that lunchrooms are louder, classrooms are more focused, and students are more engaged with each other, building real-world social skills without the constant pull of a screen,” Kehoe shared.

Shifting from in the classroom to on the athletic field, Kehoe talked about the organizations overseeing these programs, like MHSHAA, operating with transparency and accountability. He explained this is not happening now, referring to MHSHAA being accused of discriminatory actions for barring certain individuals from serving at-large positions due to race or sex. The attorney general’s office is looking into the situation. 

He mentioned legislation sponsored by Sen. Bean and Rep. Cook, establishing a governing oversight board for MSHSAA. 

“This reform is about good governance, consistent standards, and ensuring that decisions impacting Missouri students, and funded by Missouri taxpayers, are made openly, fairly, and responsibly. Unelected bureaucrats cannot act like kings,” said Kehoe.