Nixon Calls for Medicaid Expansion , School Money and Campaign Reform in State of State Speech

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon laid out his call for expanding Medicaid in Missouri, as expected in his fifth State of the Speech.
Nixon kept with tradition by delivering the speech to a joint session of the Missouri Legislature in the House Chamber.
Since Dember, the Democratic Governor has been calling for an expansion of Medicaid to up to 300,000 Missourians. The move is response to an element in the new health care law, sometimes called ‘ Obamacare’ that will reduce some Medicaid payments.
Nixon acknowledge the health care is unpopular in Missouri.
“This isn’t the time to re-open the debate or reargue the merits of the President’s health care plan. I had some problems with it, and I know many of you did as well. But Congress passed it – the President signed it – and the Supreme Court upheld it.”
Missouri Speaker of the House Tim Jones gave the Republican Response to Nixon’s speech. He all but declared the Nixon plan dead on arrival at the lawmaker’s door.
“It’s a path Republicans will not follow,” Jones declared..
The Speaker says lawmakers will develop their own option to take care of low income Missourians and the State’s rural hospital..
Many of this facilities rely heavily of Medicaid payments because so many of their patients are in the program.
Nixon added a wrinkle to the Medicaid debate.
He pledged to roll the program back if Washington does not follow through with money to help pay for the expansion.
Governor Nixon also proposed spending an additional $150 million on Missouri public schools.
It includes more money for early childhood,$100 million for early childhood programs and money for higher education.
Nixon also want to tie the money to increased academics performance.
Jones, in his response, ripped Nixon for saying one thing about school spending, but ultimately cutting school money through budget withholdings.
The Democratic Governor also renewed Shia called for a returned to campaign contribution limits in Missouri. There are none, since a court struck down the limitations a few years ago.
Nixon says that lack of control erodes public trust..
With campaign limits Nixon predicts, “eventually, if we continue on this path, there will be no trust left at all.”
The Governor says if the Republican Legislature does not make campaign finance reforms, he’ll try to. Put the issue on a statewide ballot. He is confident it would be approved.
As he did in his Inaugural Speech, Nixon appealed for bipartisanship with the veto-proof GOP majority in both Chambers during his speech.