JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – As his final term as Missouri governor nears its end, Mike Parson signed an executive order on Wednesday that rescinds 177 previous executive orders issued in the state.
The rescinded executive orders date back to the 1980s. None were issued after 2018. These orders address the state’s response to weather emergencies, along with the creation of various councils, committees and task forces.
Gov. Parson’s office says a majority of executive orders were rescinded because the issue or crisis they were intended to address no longer exists.
Other executive orders, such as those directing where state offices are built and ordering the National Guard to protect state nuclear facilities, involve actions that can be accomplished without such an order.
“Since the very beginning, we have always looked to cut red tape, streamline bureaucracy, and reduce the size of government where possible,” said Parson via a Wednesday news release. “This action today helps untangle a web of unnecessary and contradicting executive orders that no longer serve their intended purposes, ensuring more efficient and effective operations across state government.”
Some directives, such as the National Guard helping with drug searches, were deemed outdated. Various others, like establishing background checks for caregivers, are now covered by Missouri statutes.
Parson’s office says it is now common practice for executive orders to be issued with a specific date of rescission, unlike ones issued decades earlier for severe weather events.
The governor’s office also shared a document that provided brief explanations as to why each of the 177 executive orders were rescinded. While rescinded, these orders still appear on the Missouri Secretary of State’s website.
