Earlier this week, Gov. Jay Nixon sent out a letter to lawmakers expressing support for a ballot item to bond hundreds of millions of dollars worth of capital improvement projects.
“I am asking for your thoughtful help and input in developing a consensus financial approach to putting a capital investment plan before the voters that is both forward-looking and true to our shared commitment not to raise taxes,” Nixon wrote.
The bond plan is not a new idea. It was championed during the legislative session by Rep. Chris Kelly, a Columbia Democrat who serves as the ranking member of the House Budget Committee. While the resolution putting the measure on the ballot passed the House, it was stymied in the Senate.
In an interview, Kelly said he welcomes Nixon’s support on his resolution. The first-term lawmaker has touted the measure as a prudent way of creating a bevy of construction jobs in a down economy.
The letter, Kelly said, could be a signal that Nixon could call the legislature into special session to deal with the issue.
“If he is serious about the timing, then that can only mean one thing – it can only mean special session,” Kelly said. “There’s no other conceivable result that the focus on timing could be. If that is so, then what he can do most productively is call it and call it soon.”
Kelly added Nixon could assist in showcasing non-university capital improvement projects that could be funded through the bonds.
“The administration has the unique ability to let the General Assembly know, for instance, why ‘mental health building A’ is more important than ‘mental health building B,’” Kelly said. “The administration has unique insight into that issue. The legislature understands the university buildings. We just spent five months doing exactly what the governor’s letter asks to have done.”
While Kelly said Nixon could provide a “bully pulpit” boost for initiative, it take a lot of convincing to sway opponents.
Several Republicans – including potential U.S. Senate candidate Chuck Purgason – filibustered the resolution last year. They said they were uneasy about saddling the state with more debt.
Asked whether Nixon could be persuasive enough to squelch opposition to his resolution, Kelly noted that the measure’s adversaries don’t have to vote in favor of the bond issue.
“All they have to do is not filibuster,” Kelly said. “And the governor’s got a lot of power and a lot of ability and a lot of influence.”
Some have also suggested that the letter is cover of sorts in case Nixon vetoes an appropriation for the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center.
When asked if he thought that was the case, Kelly said "the governor's support for the bond issue cannot be a cover for vetoing Ellis Fischel."
"Because if Ellis Fischel goes down, it takes the whole medical tower with it," Kelly said. "Because it's absolutely crucial to that. And that's ready to go now. That's why they're unrelated."
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