Matt Blunt (R)

Overview

At a Glance

• Created the Missouri Accountability Portal
• ​Created the $335 million Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative
• Signed legislation requiring gasoline sold in Missouri to contain 10 percent ethanol
• Signed legislation revamping the state's Medicaid program and creating the MO HealthNet Division
• Signed the Quality Jobs Act
• Enacted tort reform and changed worker's compensation laws
• Signed legislation restricting abortion
• Signed legislation restricting immigration and hiring practices
• Created the Missouri State Government Review Commission
• Reorganized the departments of Economic Development and Insurance
• Consolidated in-home care agencies from three to one
• Signed "Show-Me Green" sales tax holiday

Personal History

Matt Blunt was born in Strafford, Missouri, to Senator Roy Blunt and Roseanne Ray Blunt. He grew up on a small farm and attended public schools in Strafford, eventually graduating from Jefferson City High School. In 1993, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in history from the United States Naval Academy.

Blunt served more than five years of active duty in the U.S. Navy, where he received various commendations. His roles included serving as an engineering officer on a frigate and as the navigator of a destroyer. His active service included participation in Operation Support Democracy, which involved the United Nations blockade of Haiti, drug interdiction missions off the South American coast, and efforts concerning the interdiction of Cuban migrants in 1994. He also took part in Operation Enduring Freedom, the military response to the September 11 attacks in 2001.

In 1997, Blunt married Melanie Anderson, and the couple has two sons, William Branch and Brooks Anderson. The Blunt family attends a Southern Baptist church in Springfield, Missouri.

After his tenure as governor of Missouri, Blunt took on several roles. He served on the board of Copart, an auto salvage company based in Fairfield, California. He also worked as an advisor for Solamere Capital, a private equity firm in suburban Boston founded by Tagg Romney, and as a consultant for Cassidy & Associates, a lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he was a partner at the Ashcroft Group, a consultancy established by former Missouri governor and U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. In February 2011, Blunt was appointed President of the American Automotive Policy Council, a lobbying organization based in Washington, D.C.

Political History

Before his election as governor, Matt Blunt served in the Missouri General Assembly, representing the 139th District, and held the position of Secretary of State. During his tenure as Secretary of State, he implemented election reforms aimed at restoring public confidence in Missouri's electoral process and introduced technological enhancements that reduced costs while improving customer service for residents.

Blunt was elected governor by winning 101 out of Missouri's 114 counties. His inauguration on January 10, 2005, marked a significant political shift, as it was the first time since 1921 that a Republican held the governor's office while the Republican Party also had majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Upon taking office, Blunt and his legislative allies quickly moved to pass many of his policy proposals, including tort reform and modifications to the state's workers' compensation laws. One of his administration's initial challenges was addressing budget deficits caused by unfunded federal mandates and restrictions on state taxation. To maintain a balanced budget without raising taxes, Blunt implemented spending cuts, which included reductions to social programs and severe cuts to Medicaid.

Throughout his time in office, Blunt increased state funding for public schools annually, securing over $500 million in new funding for classrooms during his first three years. He also introduced a new school funding formula and more than doubled state scholarships for higher education, in addition to enacting college tuition controls and significantly boosting funding for colleges and universities in Missouri.

Blunt maintained a pro-life stance, opposing abortion except in cases of rape, incest, and when the mother's life was at risk. In 2005, he resisted legislative efforts to prohibit research using somatic cell nuclear transfer. Disagreements among Republicans regarding stem cell regulations complicated advances toward further abortion restrictions, including proposals for a 24-hour waiting period and measures to prevent minors from traveling out of state to bypass Missouri's parental consent requirements. In September 2005, Blunt convened a special session of the General Assembly to specifically address abortion issues. This session resulted in the passage of legislation that he signed into law, which included measures such as income tax credits for contributions to qualifying pregnancy resource centers, defunding abortion providers, prohibiting Planned Parenthood from being involved in Missouri classrooms, enforcing stricter medical standards for abortion clinics, and funding alternatives to abortion programs.

Blunt also signed anti-immigration legislation that prohibited sanctuary cities in Missouri, required public employees to verify employment status through the E-Verify system, allowed for the cancelation of contracts with employers who hired illegal immigrants, mandated verification of legal status for welfare benefit applicants, criminalized the transportation of illegal immigrants for exploitative purposes, and imposed penalties on employers who knowingly hired unauthorized workers.

Choosing not to seek re-election in 2008, Governor Blunt transitioned to a career as a political consultant based in Washington, D.C.

Historical Significance

As governor, Matt Blunt promoted Missouri as a potential hub for bioscience. However, he faced criticism for limiting funding for stem cell research, which many in the scientific community saw as a hindrance to groundbreaking biological research in the state. In response to this criticism, Blunt established the Missouri Life Sciences Trust Fund in 2005 to support advancements in biotechnology.

In January 2006, he launched the Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative (LCDI), aimed at promoting biotechnology throughout Missouri. This initiative allocated $335 million for the development of state-of-the-art learning centers for Missouri students and strengthened the Missouri Technology Corporation to enhance the state’s capacity for innovation and research based on existing studies.

In July 2007, Blunt signed an Executive Order establishing the Missouri Accountability Portal (MAP), which provides Missouri residents with free access to online information regarding state expenditures. This initiative created one of the nation’s first comprehensive and searchable databases of financial records, based on real-time data, thereby enhancing government transparency and accountability.

One of his most controversial actions, driven by a budget crisis, was the decision to cut entitlement spending and healthcare services for low-income residents. As a result of these cuts, approximately 90,000 low-income Missourians lost their health benefits under Medicaid.