Midyear Budget Approved Without Nixon Healthcare Plan

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) -- Missouri lawmakers approve a $312 million midyear spending bill that rejects the governor's plan to expand a children's health care program.

Gov. Jay Nixon proposed increasing the funding for a program that covers health insurance costs for children who don't have private health insurance and whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid.

The legislation approved Tuesday and now heading to Nixon also averts fears from transportation officials that funding could be cut off for federal stimulus projects.

The concern stemmed from two special state funds created to capture the stimulus money and to make it easier to track how it's used. That's because the Transportation Department didn't have authority to spend money in the new state accounts.

The supplemental budget gives the agency that permission.