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Missouri

Matt Blunt, Republican

Legislature: Republican

Midterm Grade: A

capita terms. Blunt hasn't had to fight against

Matt Blunt, the son of former House major-

tax increases since they are nowhere on anyone's

ity leader Roy Blunt, is the highest-scoring gov-

political radar screen. The second year of

ernor on this year's report card. He won the gov-

Blunt's tenure, however, indicates that his sta-

ernor's office in a landmark election that

tus as one of the most fiscally disciplined new

brought the first united Republican govern-

governors may be short-lived. His second budg-

ment to Missouri in eight decades. Blunt ran on

et proposed a massive spending increase of

a platform of making state government more

more than 8 percent, and the legislature was

efficient and accountable after the big-spending

only too happy to oblige. It even reversed some

and scandal-plagued years of Bob Holden. He

of the cuts to Medicaid that passed in 2005. It's

started out with bold initiatives to cut more

not too late for Blunt to change course one way

than 1,000 state jobs and restrain Medicaid

or the other. His full-term grade in the next

spending by tightening eligibility requirements

report card will depend largely on whether his

and requiring copayments of many recipients.

recent budget was just a sophomore error or a

The legislature passed his budget mostly intact,

harbinger of things to come.

with cuts amounting to 6 percent in real per

Montana

Brian Schweitzer, Democrat

Legislature: Democratic

Midterm Grade: F

spending even more money, the final budget

Brian Schweitzer, the first Democratic

for fiscal 2006 grew by 17 percent in real per

governor of Montana since 1988, won the

capita terms. To make matters worse,

governor's race the same year the Democrats

Schweitzer supported reinstating a business

snatched control away from the Republican

equipment tax that was scheduled to disap-

legislative majority in this usually reliable

pear. It's not as if Montana's government is

GOP state. (Perhaps it's ironic in hindsight

hurting for cash, either: The treasury has

that Schweitzer geared his campaign around

racked up a record-high budget surplus this

opposition to one-party rule in Helena.) With

year of close to $550 million. Schweitzer only

the help of a friendly legislature, Schweitzer

proposed to rebate one-fifth of it and spent

showed his true colors as a big spender.

the rest. It's no wonder that Schweitzer is the

Spending in his first proposed budget

favorite governor of the Daily Kos crowd. He

exploded, growing 6 percent in real per capi-

is one of the worst new governors in the

ta terms. After some supplemental requests

nation from a small-government perspective.

and a special legislative session geared to

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