Mo. lawmakers block governor's legislative agenda

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Despite their mutually expressed desire for bipartisan cooperation, Missouri's new Democratic governor and its Republican-led legislature don't have much to show for it at the midway point of the 2009 legislative session.

Gov. Jay Nixon's top legislative priorities -- job creation, health care and higher education -- largely have been stalled, rejected or ignored in the legislature.

• Nixon called on lawmakers to send him an economic development bill by their spring break. The Senate declined to do so.
• Nixon proposed an expansion of government health-care coverage for children and low-income parents. The House refused to go along.
• Nixon proposed to provide four years of free tuition to certain students who start at community colleges. Neither the House nor Senate has debated the plan.

Despite setbacks in each of his three main policy areas, Nixon spokesman Jack Cardetti said of the governor: "He's made significant progress on these issues."

Economic development

Nixon drew loud bipartisan applause from lawmakers during his State of the State address Jan. 27 when he challenged them: "Send me an emergency jobs plan before the March break."

Nine days later, the House voted 141-19 to pass legislation expanding state tax breaks for employers.

But a coalition of senators upset about the growth in state tax credits stalled the bill and vowed it will not move forward without including significant restrictions on tax credits.

Nixon kept pressing for action, but senators adjourned March 12 for their spring break without voting on an economic development bill. Instead, the coalition of tax-credit critics unveiled an alternative that would impose new restrictions on all tax credits while expanding some business incentives.

Nixon's administration now is highlighting a goal of simply passing a bill.

"The governor would have liked to have that bill in the first two months. If it takes a little longer than that, that's the next best outcome," Cardetti said.

Health care

From the beginning of his three-year campaign for governor, Nixon declared it a priority to reverse the 2005 Republican-led Medicaid cuts that eliminated or reduced health-care benefits for hundreds of thousands of lower-income Missourians.

But faced with a recession and state budget shortfall upon taking office, Nixon outlined a more modest proposal: an expansion of children's health coverage and the restoration of Medicaid for about 35,000 low-income parents.

The House and Senate rejected Nixon's attempts to expand children's health coverage in the current budget. And the proposed House budget leaves out Nixon's adult Medicaid plan.

Nixon's revised plan is based on an agreement with the Missouri Hospital Association, in which hospitals would pay higher taxes and forego a portion of their government money for treating uninsured patients in order to finance the Medicaid expansion.

Higher education

As a candidate, Nixon outlined a "Missouri Promise" that would expand an existing community college scholarship for graduates of certain high schools. Nixon sought to make it available to students from any Missouri high school, and to offer recipients who graduate from community colleges an additional two years of free tuition at a state university.

Hit with financial realities as governor, Nixon scaled back his scholarship plan when presenting his first state budget in January.

Lawmakers, however, have given it scant consideration. The Senate has not voted on it. The House has yet to hold a hearing on it.

But Cardetti said Nixon's broader goal of making college more affordable is still being met.