By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – The two men vying to be Missouri's next governor appeared separately this afternoon at an economic summit in Jefferson City.
Republican nominee Kenny Hulshof spoke first. He told the crowd of around 300 that one thing he wants to work on in particular is providing Missouri with a better-educated workforce.
"It is unconscionable and unacceptable to me that we are either 44th or 47th as far as our state commitment to public education, higher education, in the country," Hulshof said.
Hulshof also says changes to lawsuit limits and workers' compensation have helped Missouri's business climate.
Democratic nominee Jay Nixon told the crowd that he wants to resume drawing down federal health care dollars and restore Medicaid cuts.
He says doing those two things will help Missouri's economy.
"If you have this three times the national average increase in uninsured, a billion and a half of your tax dollars turned away, and premiums going up...we (have got to) help businesses by making sure that we are competitive when it comes to health care costs, and the best way to do that is to use the dollars that we have, and use them smartly," Nixon said.
Nixon also voiced support for spending more money on education as a means of fueling the state's economy.
He attacked Hulshof's record in Congress, accusing him of supporting free-trade agreements that have sent some Missouri jobs overseas.
Hulshof criticized Nixon's handling of the state's Second Injury Fund, which is projected to become insolvent next year.
The Second Injury Fund provides payments to injured employees who return to the workforce, then are injured again.