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Gov. Mike Parson made his historically numerous and significant appointments to Missouri’s judiciary a feature of his final state of the state address.

Parson began his Jan. 24 speech to a joint session of the Missouri House and Senate by acknowledging the seven members of the Missouri Supreme Court who attended.

“It is my honor to welcome, for the first time in our state’s history, judges of the first ever female-majority Supreme Court of Missouri,” Parson said to applause.

Parson named Judge Robin Ransom to the court in 2021 and Judges Kelly Broniec and Ginger Gooch last year. They joined Chief Justice Mary R. Russell, who is scheduled to deliver the state of the judiciary speech to the legislature on Feb. 7.

Later in the speech, the governor touted the approximately 155 judicial appointments he’s made since taking office in 2018. Calling it a way to “capitalize on historic opportunity,” Parson said more than 40 percent of the state judiciary has been appointed by his administration.

“That’s more appointments than any Governor in our state’s history,” he said. “By focusing on core conservative values, we’ve truly reshaped the judiciary for generations to come, and guaranteed a judiciary that upholds the law and not the politics of the moment.”

Parson also pointed to his appointment last year of Gabe Gore as circuit attorney for St. Louis. Gore, previously of Dowd Bennett, succeeded Kim Gardner, who resigned last year as the state’s attorney general sought to oust her for alleged failure to perform her duties.

“We didn’t pick Mr. Gore because of his politics. Matter of fact we never even asked,” Parson said. “It was because he clearly cared for the people of St. Louis.”

Gore, who attended the speech, has filed to be elected to the position as a Democrat.

Parson’s speech was accompanied by the release of his proposed budget for fiscal year 2025, which begins on July 1 of this year. He called for a 3.2 percent cost of living increase for all state employees, including judicial staff. Along with other statutorily required pay increases for some staff and constitutionally mandated pay hikes for judges, the court system would receive about $9.6 million in additional funding under the plan. The legislature must complete the final budget by May 10.