KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- In February, during budget negotiations, the Missouri House Appropriations Panel responsible for health, mental health, and social services recommended a $65 million budget cut.
The cut would include eliminating a $28 million Medicaid program for the blind.
Governor Jay Nixon said the proposed budget cut is "just plain wrong."
"The budget committee is cutting healthcare to needy blind people," said Gov. Nixon. "Almost 2,800 folks that don't have many assets, that are limited in their sight, and limited in their assets. It's a program that started 40 years ago. No one has ever talked about cutting it before. We're hopeful that the full House will restore that.
"We've had to make some tough budget decisions in the last few years...everybody knows that...but cutting healthcare for needy blind people is not a good thing to do, not the right thing to do, and I'm hopeful we can get that overturned on the House floor or Senate."
Governor Nixon said his re-election campaign will focus on continuing to create jobs and moving the economy forward.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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