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The Missouri General Assembly began its second regular session Wednesday. As KSMU's Missy Shelton reports from Jefferson City, House leaders say they want to restore some of the cuts they made last year to Medicaid.
And with that, House Speaker Rod Jetton opened the second session of the 93rd General Assembly.
In his opening day address, Jetton urged lawmakers to restore Medicaid coverage for disabled individuals who participate in the ticket to work program, something lawmakers cut last year. Jetton says calling for the restoration of the program doesn't mean lawmakers made a mistake last year as Democrats have suggested.
At a press conference just before the beginning of the legislative session, the governor applauded lawmakers for wanting to re-build the Medicaid program.
House Democrats say they're pleased the Speaker wants to restore portions of the ticket to work program.
But House Democratic Leader Jeff Harris says lawmakers should not have cut the program in the first place.
In addition to restoring the ticket to work program, Jetton called on lawmakers to give low income Missourians help with their heating bills.
But conspicuously missing from Jetton's speech was any mention of the governor's education proposal.
The governor has endorsed a plan to require school districts to spend at least 65 percent of their budget on a set list of classroom expenditures.
Asked about the omission in his speech, House Speaker Rod Jetton says the House will consider the governor's plan.
Both Republicans and Democrats have raised concerns about the proposal.
House Democratic Leader Jeff Harris says the proposal is bad for Missouri.
On the senate side, the opening day speech from President Pro Tem Mike Gibbons included a call for lawmakers to protect the rights of property owners from eminent domain. A Supreme Court ruling last year cleared the way for government to take property from a private citizen and give it to a private developer. Gibbons says lawmakers should make sure laws are in place to protect property.
Gibbons also called on lawmakers to crack down on sex offenders.
He says the state needs to make sure they don't re-offend.
Democratic leaders in the senate say Republicans have not protected the poor.
Senate Democratic Leader Maida Coleman.
Senate Democrats noted that the senate's top Republican failed to make mention in his speech of two of this fall's controversial issues: requiring ethanol in gasoline and forcing schools to put more money into classrooms.