Missouri

To address the continuing threat of terrorism and to work with the federal Department of Homeland Security (created in 2002 following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001), homeland security in Missouri in 2003 operated under executive order; a special advisor was appointed to oversee the state's homeland security activities.

Under the 1974 reorganization plan, educational services are provided through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Higher Education. Within the former's jurisdiction are the state schools for the deaf, the blind, and the severely handicapped; adult education programs; teacher certification; and the general supervision of instruction in the state. The department is headed by a board of education whose eight members are appointed by the governor to eight-year terms; the board, in turn, appoints the commissioner of education, the department's chief executive officer. The Department of Higher Education—governed by a nine-member appointive board that selects the commissioner of higher education—sets financial guidelines for state colleges and universities, authorizes the establishment of new senior colleges and residency centers, and establishes academic, admissions, residency, and transfer policies. Transportation services are under the direction of the Department of Transportation, which is responsible for aviation, railroads, mass transit, water transport, and the state highway system. The Department of Revenue licenses all road vehicles and motor vehicle operators and is responsible for the administration of all state taxes and local-option sales taxes.

Health and welfare services are provided primarily through the Department of Social Services, which oversees all state programs concerning public health (including operating a chest hospital and a cancer hospital), public assistance, youth corrections, probation and parole, veterans' affairs, and the aging. The Department of Mental Health operates 5 state mental hospitals, 3 community mental health centers, and 19 other facilities throughout the state, providing care for the emotionally disturbed, the mentally retarded, alcoholics, and drug abusers. Among the many responsibilities of the Attorney General within the Department of Consumer Affairs, Regulations, and Licensing were enforcement of antidiscrimination laws, development of low- and moderate-income housing, and provision of financial aid to private nonprofit hospitals and higher-education facilities. In 1984, however, a constitutional amendment created a new Department of Economic Development, which inherited most of the responsibilities of the former department.

Administered within the Department of Public Safety are the Missouri State Highway Patrol, National Guard, and civil defense, veterans' affairs, highway and water safety, and alcoholic

Missouri Presidential Vote by Political Parties, 1948–2000

Missouri Presidential Vote by Political Parties, 1948–2000

beverage control programs. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DOLIR) administers unemployment insurance benefits, workers' compensation, and other programs. The Department of Corrections and Human Resources is responsible for corrections, probation, and parole of adult offenders. The Department of Agriculture enforces state laws regarding agribusiness products, and the Department of Conservation provides environmental aid. The lieutenant governor is designated as state ombudsman and volunteer coordinator.