Closing portion of Kinder's State of the State response provided

These prepared closing remarks to Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder's response to the State of the State message, which is about to begin, were provided by the lieutenant governor's staff:

Last year, Missourians went to the ballot box and sent a clear message. You sent conservatives to Jefferson City and Washington—and now, Republicans hold historic margins in both chambers of the Missouri General Assembly.


You demanded an end to the federal government’s infringement on our sovereignty. You said you wanted smaller, more effective government. And you told us to live within our means—just like families across our state do every day.

Tonight, we ask one thing of Governor Nixon; live up to the rhetoric in the speech you gave just a few minutes ago.

Enough of the silence. Enough of the unnecessary trips on the state plane. Enough of the showboating and grandstanding. It’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work.

It’s time to lobby for our state. Time to promote Missouri and our workers. Time to protect our citizens from job-killing federal overreach.

Republicans have already started the process of making the tough calls in state government—it is our hope that the governor will do more than just be a spectator in the luxury boxes.

Missourians have tasked all of us with the responsibility of leading our state out of this economic stalemate—and we must work together.

So I ask that every elected official, Republican and Democrat, to follow the example set by so many resilient Missourians across this state, who are determined to use this opportunity to build a brighter, more prosperous future for their families, their communities, and their state—a future brimming with opportunity and filled with hope.

I thank you for listening this evening.

May God bless you, and may God bless the Great State of Missouri.