Rod Jetton

American politician

Rod Jetton (born September 9, 1967) is an American politician, author, and businessman. He was a Republican member of the Missouri House of Representatives who represented Missouri's 156th District from 2001 to 2009 and was Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives from 2005 to 2009. Jetton has authored four books about biblical teachings and how to recover from personal crisis.

Jetton is a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 5900, the American Legion, Farm Bureau, National Rifle Association of America and National Federation of Independent Business. The Bollinger County Chamber of Commerce gave him the "One Year VIP Business Achievement Award" in 1998 for his leadership and service to the community. Callie, Elaine and Will. Jetton told The Southeast Missourian newspaper in July 2011 that he had remarried

In 2017, Jetton moved to Greece to pursue a Master of Arts degree at the University of Macedonia. The master's program focused on the politics and economics of eastern and southeastern Europe with sections on the how refugees are impacting the European Union Jetton graduated from Charleston High School in 1986 and from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri in May 1990, He served on the Agriculture, Judicial, Banking, and Natural Resources committees. In 2007, he unintentionally voted for a rider to repeal Missouri's law banning gay sex. The rider was attached to a Jessica's Law bill. Jetton said he did not know about the rider. While Jetton acknowledged the ban was unenforceable because of the Supreme Court's Lawrence v. Texas ruling, he said, "Thanks to that deletion, it is now legal to engage in deviate sexual intercourse with someone of the same sex here in Missouri." In response, Jetton removed state representative Scott A. Lipke of Jackson, Missouri, as chair of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Public Safety because he thought Lipke should have told lawmakers about the rider. In 2007, Jetton proposed and passed one of Missouri's largest tax cuts. The cut eliminated taxes on Social Security benefits. to push for legislation on behalf of victims of sexual abuse spurred by her affiliation with the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. The initial reconnection was followed by what both parties described as flirtatious or sexual communication over the phone and text messages. Jetton's lawyer in a February 24, 2010 hearing released text messages from the woman implying that she might be open to rough sex. The woman at the hearing said the texts were meant to be playful and had been taken out of context, however it has been shown that she and Jetton established a safeword of "green balloons", a common practice when engaging in sadomasochistic sex. According to the complaint Jetton met the woman, with whom he had previously engaged in "rough sex", The Missouri Highway Patrol initially recommended that the accuser file rape and assault charges against Jetton, however this recommendation was dropped after the accuser's story changed and investigators examined text messages that had been sent between the accuser and Jetton. It was also found that the accuser had a history of filing sexual assault charges and restraining orders before dropping them. While seeking full custody of his children, the accuser's ex husband was quoted as saying that the accuser, who had attempted to file a restraining order against him, "suffers from various and sundry mental diseases and defects" and "is at risk of exposing the minor children to inappropriate behavior on her part and that of men with whom she continues to have casual sexual relationships with." and then to June 2, 2011. In May 2011 it was reported that he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault, Jetton has said there was no quid pro quo and that he assigned the bill to an unfriendly committee because he did not like the bill.

In 2013, Jetton co authored The Recovering Politician's Twelve Step Program to Survive Crisis along with thirteen other authors. The book, featured on MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews" and HuffPost Live, featured a number of "recovering politicians" writing about how to manage personal crises. His first book was followed later in 2013 with Son of a Preacher Man: Growing up in the Seventies and Eighties, an autobiography that detailed Jetton's struggle when trying to follow the teachings of his father who was a Southern Baptist preacher. Success Can Kill You: One man's story of success, failure and forgiveness, published in 2014, explorers Jetton's political success and eventual disgrace; examining the causes of his behavior and his eventual return to Christian teachings. Cussing Christians, written in 2017, looks at biblical references to profanity.

+AwardYearOrganizationOne Year VIP Business Achievement Award1998Bollinger County Chamber of Commerce"Friend of Agriculture" Award2002Missouri Farm Bureau"Friend of Agriculture" Award2004Missouri Farm Bureau"Friend of Agriculture" Award2006Missouri Farm BureauLewis & Clark Statesman Award2003Regional Chamber & Growth AssociationLewis & Clark Statesman Award2005Regional Chamber & Growth AssociationLewis & Clark Statesman Award2008Regional Chamber & Growth Association"Spirit of Enterprise" Award2003Missouri Chamber of CommerceEagle Award2003Eagle ForumLegislative Award2005St. Louis Business JournalLegislative Award2007St. Louis Business JournalGuardian of Small Business Award2005National Federation of Independent BusinessesPachyderm of the Year2005Missouri Republican PartyLegislative Leadership Award2006Association of Missouri Electric CooperativesLegislator of the Year2007Missouri Retired Teacher AssociationDistinguished Service to Missouri Bicycling Award2008Missouri Bicycle FederationTop Marketing Director in Southwest Missouri2011Springfield Business Journal