Executive Branch

Three takeaways from Nixon: Hemp oil, criminal code, and ‘private option’ in transfers debate

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon met the press on Thursday to discuss his veto of Senate Bill 509 and the coming override fight.

But Nixon also discussed a handful of other issues that are being faced by the General Assembly in its final two weeks.

MEDICAL HEMP FOR EPILEPSY TREATMENT

Both chambers passed legislation on Thursday that would allow for some epilepsy patients to access use cannabidiol in treatment.

“I have said all along if there are medicinal uses of these sorts of things that the medical community says can assist folks, I’m certainly open to looking at that,” Nixon said. “If something were to happen you’d have to have protocols. My focus is on the medicinal issues, and I’m not philosophically opposed.”

REFORMS TO MISSOURI’S CRIMINAL CODE

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Senate Democratic Leader Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City, was critical of Nixon earlier in the week, accusing his administration of not being responsive throughout the process of developing her reforms to the state’s criminal law.

Nixon, who has expressed concerns with the size of the bill and his fears that there might be an unintended error.

“I wish I would have had a little more time than 15 days to review a 700 page bill. It’s been a busy time around here. We’re trying to make sure that everyone gets involved in that review,” he said. “We’ll have to use the maximum of those days.”

Nixon has until the final week of session to act on the bill.

A ‘PRIVATE OPTION’ IN SCHOOL TRANSFER BILL?

Nixon expressed concerns with legislation to address the urban school transfer crisis that included an option for students to use local school funds to transfer to private, non-sectarian schools.

“I’ve said all along that the Missouri Constitution and me both believe you shouldn’t take local money and use it in private schools,” Nixon said. “We have limited resources already, we’ve made cuts already, making those more limited in the public sector for education when we haven’t fully funded the formula seems to me a challenge, but I haven’t had a chance to review the exact language.”

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