State Rep. Sue Allen Speaks Out on Claims, Lawsuit Against Nixon

Two weeks ago, State Auditor Tom Schweich, served Gov. Jay Nixon a lawsuit over funds Schweich claims the governor unconstitutionally withheld for the Joplin, MO relief effort.

Prior to the lawsuit on Aug. 19, Rep. Sue Allen-R Town and Country sent a letter to her constituents commenting on the state auditor's claims. That letter can be read in the PDF portion of this article.

According a State Auditor’s press release, in June Schweich conducted a regularly scheduled audit of the governor’s office. After reviewing the more than $170 million the governor withheld for Joplin relief efforts, the auditor sent a letter to Nixon accusing the governor of withholding the funds prior to the start of the current fiscal year. The Missouri Constitution states the governor can only withhold funds based on current fiscal year revenue data, the release said.

According to press releases from both Nixon and Schweich, a total of 45 programs had their funding reduced or cut to help with Joplin’s tornado relief efforts. The funds came from state programs such as Parents as Teachers, Bright Flight Scholarships and Medicaid, among others. Nearly $15 million came from public universities and $2 million from community colleges.

"As I have stated often, I believe that in order for our state to function most effectively and efficiently, we must have transparency and accountability,” Allen said in her Capitol Report newsletter addressing Nixon withholding the funds. (That newsletter can be found in the PDF portion of this article.) “It should never have to be questioned that we meet legal and Constitutional standards."

A few days after Allen’s newsletter, the state auditor filed a lawsuit against the governor for his withholding of the funds.

Allen told Town and Country-Manchester Patch she did not wish to comment on the lawsuit specifically because she was not an attorney. However, said she did not think it was fair for the governor to withhold funding from programs without consulting the state legislature.

“He is unilaterally taking money from higher ed, Medicaid and other programs all by himself just because he says he can,” Allen said.  

Gov. Nixon's Press Secretary Scott Holste did not wish to comment to Town and Country-Manchester Patch on the matter, however, Holste sent Patch an email defending Nixon’s actions.

“Just last week, Missouri’s AAA rating—the highest available—was affirmed once again,” Holste stated in the email. “A key basis for this rating has been Gov. Nixon’s fiscal discipline in managing Missouri’s budget. To achieve this, the Governor has used his constitutional authority to fulfill his responsibility to reduce spending to balance the budget, a power used by Governors over the years and consistently upheld by the courts.”   

Allen said she believes the state government should help the victims of the Joplin tornado, however, it should be done through the appropriate means and channels.

“The state is going to help the people in Joplin, as we should,” Allen said. “However, the governor is just going there and promising a number of money. He’s made an unilateral choice, which is certainly a good political move. He thinks, ‘I can do this, I am the king.’ I think he is playing games and taking advantage of very vulnerable people in a very vulnerable situation.”

Allen said she promised to keep her constituents in the loop about the situation.

“My biggest responsibility is oversight and that's what I am working the hardest for,” Allen said.