Lieutenant governor pressures Nixon to restore Cottonwood funding

Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder sent a letter to Gov. Jay Nixon on Thursday, urging him to take "swift action" and release funds for Cottonwood Residential Treatment Center in Cape Girardeau.

The funds were part of the $1 billion vetoed or withheld by the governor earlier this summer. Nixon said the move was based on concern for the state's finances after the Legislature approved a number of sales tax-cutting bills.

But through Wednesday's veto session, the only tax-break veto to be overridden was one that exempts taxes from products sold at farmers markets, and Kinder said the fiscal note for that bill was less than $1 million.

More than $33 million was withheld or vetoed from the state Department of Mental Health's budget, including the funding for Cottonwood. It's one of only two state facilities that provide mental health services for children with severe emotional and mental health needs.

"You got what you wanted. Now release the $500,000 that will allow this crucial treatment facility to continue to serve our state's most vulnerable children and their families," Kinder wrote. "Missouri cannot afford to lose this facility, especially not over petty and cynical political posturing."

Hours before Kinder's letter, Nixon's office announced its release of $143.6 million for education funding. Before legislators gathered for the Wednesday veto session, Nixon indicated if his vetoes on the tax-cutting bills stood, he would first release funding for education, followed by funding for mental-health programs.

The Thursday news release from the governor's office said he was "reviewing the budget to determine whether there is sufficient revenue to release other restricted funds."

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Cape Girardeau, MO