Legislature Overrides Nixon's Vetoes on Vital Programs

Members of the General Assembly stood in defense of Missouri’s most vulnerable citizens on September 10 by overturning dozens of the Governor’s vetoes on funding for vital services, including those that benefit foster children, seniors, and students in failing schools.

The Governor’s vetoes clearly demonstrate his misplaced priorities. He and his agencies continued to spend hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on organizational memberships and out-of-state travel, but he vetoed funding for forensic exams for abused children and better medical care for kids in foster care.

If Nixon believed he had to restrict funding for some of these services, he had two choices. He could veto programs and remove them from the budget entirely or withhold the money to release later if revenues improved. By vetoing the programs, Nixon signaled his refusal to fund them even if money became available.

The General Assembly proudly supported vital services for Missourians by overriding Nixon’s vetoes on 47 budget line items, including:

• $1.45 million to provide forensic exams for physically abused children
• $191,000 for newborn screenings for faster detection of genetic diseases
• $2.5 million for health homes to offer foster children comprehensive medical care
• $500,000 to provide assistance to victims of sexual assault
• $1.3 million to help children with Autism
• $400,000 for congregate and home delivered meals for senior citizens
• $2.5 million for intensive reading instruction for kids in failing school districts
• $5.2 million for education and home assessments for children with asthma
• $1.2 million for a rural health clinic dental pilot project
• $400,000 for math and science tutoring in St. Louis City
• $200,000 for improved foster parent training
• $948,381 for a Medicaid waiver for individuals with brain injuries
• $125,000 for services for Missourians with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers
• $500,000 in aid to Sheltered Workshops
• $100,000 for a mentoring program for the children of inmates

Many of these programs benefit Missourians while generating savings for the state’s budget. Alzheimer’s grants help families keep their loved ones at home by offering relief services to caregivers. Delaying nursing home placement by one month for 1,000 families would save Medicaid over $2 million.

Asthma education and assessments help families better manage their children’s asthma and identify triggers in the home that cause asthma flare ups. Children with asthma that is under control cost Missouri Medicaid $5,500 annually. If kids suffer from severe asthma and frequently visit the emergency room, Medicaid will spend $17,000 to $19,000 each year. Helping low-income families manage their children’s asthma will improve kids’ wellbeing, avert ER visits, and save the state money.

Budgeting is all about priorities. By overriding the Governor’s misguided budget vetoes, the legislature demonstrated that it rightly prioritizes services that offer measurable benefits to Missourians in need.