JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, will block her hold on the nomination of Democrat Daniel Hall to the Missouri Public Service Commission.

During a brief interview Thursday morning, Nasheed – who had stalled the nomination over Gov. Jay Nixon’s support of delaying issuance of $13.7 million in low-income housing tax credits – said she felt Hall should not be used as a political pawn in the dispute between her and the Democratic governor.

“He shouldn’t be held up because the governor doesn’t want to give Lt. Governor Peter Kinder a victory,” Nasheed said, referring to the call by Kinder – a Republican – on Nixon to call a special meeting of the Missouri Housing Development Commission to issue the funds.

Nixon scoffed at the idea when asked about it during a stop on Thursday, saying he did not support a special meeting before the commission’s next scheduled meeting in March. Last month, Nixon’s administration urged the MHDC to delay issuance of tax credits as part of a deal with conservatives in the Senate to allow a massive tax credit package for The Boeing Company to move forward.

Nearly 100 development projects were delayed last month, but they are set to earn approval at the MHDC’s next meeting.

With Nasheed’s hold lifted, Hall’s chances of moving forward may finally be back. Republicans had already shown reluctance to Hall’s appointment over questions about the partisan makeup of the commission. But that concern was alleviated on Tuesday when the Associated Press reported that State Sen. Scott Rupp, R-St. Charles, was expecting an appointment to the commission in March.