Governor Nixon suggests time’s a-wastin’ in the special legislative session. He’s calling on lawmakers to agree on some key issues in the next couple of days.

Any plans of the House and Senate to meet this week to work on the pension reform and the Automotive Manufacturing Jobs Act have been abandoned. The hang-up seems to be whether a special board is named to supervise investments for two state pension programs. The Senate wants it. The House doesn’t. The Senate refuses to act on the Ford jobs bill until the House moves on the pension bill.

Nixon says jobs are at stake and it’s time lawmakers got with it because Ford is not waiting.

“I don’t think we can afford very much delay,” he says. Nixon says Ford already is in the middle of making decisions about the future of the Claycomo plant and its 3,700 workers.

Cape Girardeau Senator Jason Crowell wants the special board for the two pension plans. But Nixon says Crowell’s superboard proposal is not essential to pension reform. He says the important thing is to protect the pension plan’s future by changing the system to require new workers to contribute to the program. Nixon says lawmakers cannot let the session drag on before they pass the pension bill that will free up the Ford jobs bill to be passed.

Governor Nixon talks to Bob Priddy 8:56 mp3