By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – Missouri House Speaker Rod Jetton is standing by comments he made recently about trading "lazy Missourians for Mexicans."
He was asked about the statement this week at a press conference at the Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City, during which he made a similar statement.
"You open any newspaper that you guys publish, and look, and you'll see all kinds of classifieds for all kinds of jobs that people need filled, and they can't get the workers for them...so I think there are some lazy Missourians in this state who really don't want to work, and I think there's a lot of hard-working Mexicans who would love to come up here and make a little money and support their families...and by golly, if we could find a way to trade them, I'd trade them in a heartbeat!" Jetton exclaimed.
That comment brought a round of laughter from reporters and staff members inside the Governor's Mansion.
Jetton made the original comments at a Republican gathering in Springfield.
Meanwhile, lawmakers are considering several bills this year that would further crack down on illegal immigration.