After meeting for an hour and a half today in the Governor’s Office, Gov. Matt Blunt and Gov.-elect Jay Nixon issued the following statement:

“It is in the best interest of Missourians to have an effective transition and my office has been committed to ensuring that Gov.-elect Nixon has the information he needs together with the full resources of my administration as he prepares to take office,” Gov. Blunt said. “We discussed disaster relief, requested state audits of local governments, the Highway 40 rebuild, the New Mississippi River Bridge, Guard deployments, security and public safety issues, ongoing projects and initiatives that will be continuing through next year, and several other issues important to Missouri taxpayers. It has been an honor to serve Missourians as their governor and I want the next administration to be successful.”

“Today, I met with Gov. Blunt to discuss our shared belief that Missouri’s best days are ahead of us,” Gov.-elect Nixon said. “Missouri is home to the hardest-working, most-innovative people in America. However, our state is facing difficult economic times, and we will only overcome these challenges by working together, across the aisle, to put Missouri families first. By working together, we can make sure that the next generation of Missourians has every opportunity possible to achieve its dreams. I thank Gov. Blunt for his commitment to ensuring a smooth, efficient transition. His administration has been helpful to my transition team, and we look forward to continuing to work together in the weeks to come.”

Yesterday, First Lady Melanie Blunt hosted the next First Lady of Missouri, Mrs. Georganne Nixon, for lunch at the Governor’s Mansion. Mrs. Blunt gave Mrs. Nixon a tour of the Governor’s Mansion and they discussed ways that the Office of the First Lady can bring about positive change for the state.