Fierce partisanship returns to the House as a Democrat uses a bill pertaining to the State Treasurer to make a point about Governor Matt Blunt. Republicans have been pushing a change in how to fund the Treasurer’s office as a way to save a million dollars. Representative Rick Johnson, a Democrat from High Ridge, says that savings should be earmarked for the First Steps program which is targetted for elimination by Blunt. First Steps provides services for disabled young children. Blunt has proposed eliminating it, insisting that the services it provides can be made available through some other means. A leading Republican urged fellow Republicans to support Johnson’s measure, so it didn’t appear they approved cutting programs for children.
