Warren E. Hearnes

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Warren Eastman Hearnes (born July 24, 1923) is an American politician who was Governor of Missouri from 1965 to 1973. He was the first Missouri Governor eligible to serve two consecutive four year terms. He is a Democrat. He is married to Betty C. Hearnes, a former Missouri State Representative who was the Democratic Party nominee for Governor in 1988.

Born in Moline, Illinois, Hearnes moved to Charleston, Missouri as a child. He still resides there. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was a member of the Missouri House of Representatives from 1950 to 1961. He then served as Missouri Secretary of State from 1961 to 1965. He was elected governor in 1964 and re-elected in 1968. Hearnes was the first Governor of Missouri to serve eight consecutive years in office.

Hearnes' priorities as Governor included improving public education, improving the state's highways and traffic safety, as well as civil rights and the environment. State aid to public schools increased from $145.5 million to $389.2 million during Hearnes' term as governor, an increase of 167%, and he also increased state aid to higher education from $47.5 million to $144.7 million, an increase of 204%. He also oversaw the increase of state aid to vocational education from $856,000 to $8.8 million dollars, fostering the establishment 53 new area vocational educational schools. While Hearnes was Governor, the State of Missouri built 350 miles of four-lane highways throughout the state. He also created the Missouri Division of Highway Safety and enacted a law providing mandatory breath tests for suspected drunken drivers. Hearnes increased uniform strength of the Missouri State Highway Patrol from 500 to 750 officers.

Hearnes was Governor during the Civil Rights era and as Governor he signed a Public Accommodations Law, Missouri's first civil rights act. As governor he also strengthened the Fair Employment Practices Act and increased the staff of the Human Rights Commission from two employees to 35. Hearnes also enacted the state’s first air pollution law, with subsequent strengthening of its provisions. He oversaw the passage of a $150 million water pollution bond issue to provide state matching funds for sewage control construction projects, and created the state’s Clean Water Commission to enforce water pollution laws. He also was responsible for the provision of first state financial grants for mass transit and urban rapid transit facilities. He created the Department of Community Affairs to assist local governments in obtaining technical assistance and grants for city planning, zoning, housing, sewage treatment, industrial development, and other municipal and regional projects.

After leaving the Governor's office, Hearnes ran for United State Senate in 1976. He lost the Democratic primary election but was chosen as the party's nominee by the Missouri Democratic Party's state committee to replace Congressman Jerry Litton, who was tragically killed in a plane crash enroute to a primary election victory party. Hearnes also ran unsuccessfully for Missouri state auditor in 1978, losing the general election to Republican Jim Antonio. In 1980, Hearnes served as a Circuit Court Judge, making him the first person in Missouri history to serve in all three branches of the state government.