By Rachel Lippmann, KWMU
St. Louis – Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jay Nixon is going on the road to sell his health care plan to Missourians.
The roundtables are being held at the homes of Nixon supporters who contacted the campaign about their health care experiences.
They include suburban St. Louis residents Amy and Charles Winning, who hosted the first roundtable on Tuesday. The couple pays more than nine thousand dollars a year to insure themselves and their two children.
Charles Winning is keeping his current job at Circuit City because it provides at least some coverage. But he'd rather open his own computer repair business. He calls it a double-edged sword.
"Either I don't have insurance, and I have to try and sacrifice it for myself, and go with the lower-grade type coverage for my family, or stay pigeon-holed in the job that I'm at, and then just have a pipe dream of having a business and having it be a side-type thing."
Winning calls Nixon's plan to restore Governor Matt Blunt's Medicaid cuts and expand the children's health insurance program small steps. But he says they give him hope.
Nixon will have to get his plans through the Republican-controlled state Legislature. He doesn't see that as a problem.
"It's just smart to draw down these federal dollars, it doesn't have anything to do with being a Democrat or a Republican."
A spokesman for Republican challenger Kenny Hulshof says the state can't afford Nixon's plan.
Scott Baker says Hulshof will unveil his health care plan in the next few weeks.