The Missouri House and Senate overrode every budget line-item veto from Gov. Jay Nixon affecting health and social services during the veto session Wednesday.
Although the vetoes on the health and social service bills were overridden, it still is possible the departments will not get the funds, as the governor still can choose to withhold the funds.
The more than 50 overrides - of a total of more than 150 Nixon line-item vetoes - have added more than $42 million to the state's budget, including more than $9 million for Department of Social Services' (DSS) programs, $1.3 million for Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), and $1.3 million for the Department of Mental Health (DMH).
The DMH programs that could possibly receive funding now include projects related to autism research and treatments for ex-offenders with drug addiction problems.
The DHSS could receive funding for providing education and consultation to victims of Alzheimer's, Medicaid waivers for victims of brain injuries, and support for Area Agencies on Aging for their Meals on Wheels programs.
Rep. Anne Zerr, R-St. Charles, and TJ McKenna, D-Festus, both said they volunteer for a Meals on Wheels program, and that it is vital for elderly community members.
They explained that the volunteers for these programs are often the only people some of the senior citizens will see all day.
The DSS programs that could benefit from the veto overrides are youth mentoring programs, utility bill assistance programs, programs that assist victims of sexual assault, foster parent training program, medical programs to alleviate overcrowding of emergency rooms and more.
The overrides of bills affecting Department of Corrections' programs could add $2.4 million to the budget. But those programs reduce recidivism rates, thus dropping the prison population and saving the state money, said Chris Kelly, D-Columbia.
Multiple House Democrats, such as Gina Mitten, D-St. Louis, and Margo McNeil, D-Florissant, said that an expansion of Medicaid would have given the state enough funds to sustain many of these programs while increasing healthcare availability and averting the possibility of withholding and the need of a veto in the first place.
Republican Majority Floor Leader John Diehl compared the federal funds from the Medicaid expansion to "pixie dust money."
House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, said that the entire situation was caused from the governor using "slush fund tactics" to create a "straw man" financial crisis.