Gov. Nixon uses children's budget funds to pay governors dues
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Gov. Nixon uses children's budget funds to pay governors dues

Date: May 14, 2014
By: Arianna Poindexter
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: 
House Republicans release figures that Missouri's governor has been using children protection money to pay membership dues for his office in a national association.
RunTime:  0:37
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Financial figures released by Missouri's House speaker show that Nixon used more than 205,000 dollars appropriated to the Children's Division fund to to help pay for the dues.

House Speaker Tim Jones called the situation disturbing.

Actuality:  KIDS02.WAV
Run Time:  00:11
Description: "Apparently for the governor, despite what he says on his campaign stops around the state, he has made children his lowest priority not his highest priority."

In a written statement, Nixon said both the speaker and budget chairman are well-aware of the funding because its been from the same source for several years.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Arianna Poindexter.

Intro: 
Gov. Jay Nixon has been paying his National Governors Association dues with money appropriated for the child protection agency.
RunTime:  0:41
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Legislators revealed that for the past few years, Nixon has used more than 205,000 dollars appropriated for the Missouri Children's Division to pay for the dues.

House Speaker Tim Jones called this situation extremely disturbing.

Actuality:  KIDS03.WAV
Run Time:  00:20
Description: "This governor seems to constantly be intent on making the children of the state his lowest priority in the budget process. Every time we talk about reforming tax policy or reforming government spending, his immediate knee-jerk reaction is to threaten to withhold money from education."

In a written statement, Nixon said this situation is a desperate distraction as the legislative session comes to a close this week.