#### Gov. Nixon calls for a state of emergency after severe storms

Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency throughout Missouri after storms caused damage in the St. Louis region and power outages in southern Missouri.

After monitoring the severe storms throughout the day, Nixon activated the Missouri State Emergency Operations Plan, which allowed local authorities to team up with state agencies to provide emergency services.

Nixon cancelled a press conference originally scheduled for today in order to visit effected areas and assess the damage while meeting with local officials.

#### Conferences held to discuss strengthening Medicaid

Gov. Jay Nixon traveled to Springfield and Carthage on Wednesday to discuss the benefits of strengthening Medicaid.

Nixon said his plan to bring back Missouri dollars from Washington would help provide health care to 300,000 Missourians during the next couple years.

“It’s also a unique opportunity to strengthen Medicaid the Missouri way with reforms that will protect taxpayers, promote personal responsibility, reward work,” Nixon said in a news release. “Here in Missouri we do things differently than in Washington, and how we approach health care should be no exception.”

Nixon addressed the benefits of moving forward with Medicaid expansion with caucuses in the House and Senate. By moving forward, Missouri’s health care system would enable market-based reforms instead of incurring losses, such as greater unemployment and reduced services within the health care sector.

A MU study last fall found that expanding Medicaid could create 24,000 jobs in the state.