Nixon on legislative session: Steady progress continues

In a release issued this afternoon, Gov. Jay Nixon said steady progress was made during the just-completed legislative session:

Last night we closed the books on another legislative session – and I’m proud to report that steady progress continues. We helped countless middle-class families, made it easier for Missouri businesses to create new jobs, stood up for civil rights and kept our fiscal house in order.


While we didn’t get everything done we had hoped, we made steady progress by bringing common-sense folks to the table and crafting solutions. That’s the Missouri way.

Working with Missourians from all walks of life, here’s some of what we got done in Jefferson City:

We took action to help small businesses and large employers create new jobs; funded programs that will help put Missourians back to work and strengthen our economy for years to come. Good-paying jobs are being created in communities across our state.

We renewed and extended our successful Missouri Rx program, which is a vital lifeline that helps 226,000 seniors and individuals with disabilities afford their prescriptions.

We kept our fiscal house in order, paving the way for a balanced budget that will keep funding level for public education, provide new college scholarships for middle-class families, and create new incentives for students who pursue careers in math and science.

Make no mistake; there are plenty of people in Jefferson City who have tried to stand in the way of our progress. They pushed for an ideologically-driven agenda that would have hurt Missouri families by taking rights away from workers and money from our public schools.

But we said no – and stopped those backward pieces of legislation.

While these are still challenging times for too many Missouri families, I know that we’re turning the corner and moving forward again. Missouri added over 24,000 new jobs in March – the second highest total for any state in the nation – and yesterday, we learned our state added another 2,500 jobs in April. Missouri’s unemployment rate continues to fall.

Without your help, we wouldn’t be able to make the steady progress we’re making. I thank you for your continued support.