As Governor, Jay Nixon has been a tireless advocate for Missouri's most vulnerable citizens -- helping Missourians with disabilities live more independent lives, ensuring children with autism can get the treatments they need, and fighting cuts to health coverage for the blind.
In 2010, Gov. Nixon brought Democrats and Republicans together to pass landmark legislation requiring insurance companies to provide coverage for children with autism -- giving thousands of Missouri families across the state access to the care and treatments they need.
And when Governor Nixon saw that the needs of too many Missourians with developmental disabilities were going unmet, Governor Nixon created the Partnership for Hope. A collaborative effort to provide home- and community-based services to the developmentally disabled, the Partnership for Hope strengthens families and communities by helping these Missourians live more independently. Now, additional resources will allow this successful program to expand and serve thousands of Missourians in need.
Finally, Governor Nixon successfully fought efforts to eliminate a longstanding program providing health care to thousands of needy blind Missourians. "It's just dead wrong to cut the health care of needy blind people," Nixon said.