( KTRS ) The Missouri House has voted to release nearly $1 million for education and health care programs the governor had restricted.
Lawmakers voted Wednesday to release $575,000 for the Missouri Scholars and Fine Arts academies, two summer programs for gifted students. They also voted to release $350,000 for a program that helps people with traumatic brain injuries get rehab services.
The votes marked the first time lawmakers have overruled a governor’s spending restrictions since they gained such power under a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2014.
House budget chairman Tom Flanigan said because this process is new, Republican leadership wanted to start with programs that aren’t controversial.