By KBIA
Columbia, MO – Governor-elect Matt Blunt's plan to fold the Missouri's Office of Homeland Security into the Department of Public Safety might have some opposition from within his own party.
State Senator John Grieshiemer says he'll file legislation requiring Missouri to have a Homeland Security Office for as long as the federal government has one.
Missouri's hitherto only Homeland Security director Tim Daniel announced his resignation Monday.
Grieshiemer says the department now exists at the whim of the governor. And he says public safety is too important to not be protected by law.
"The protection of our citizens should be the first priority to the state government," Grieshiemer said. "Not that education isn't, however, if our kids aren't safe and their parents aren't safe then nothing is safe."
The Republican says lawmakers from both sides of the aisle support the measure, and says last-minute political wrangling killed it during the last session.