JEFFERSON CITY - Missourians should know that the liberal advocacy group Pro-Vote has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Jay Nixon-controlled foundation whose sole purpose is to play politics with important issues including reforms to the state’s Medicaid program through MO HealthNet.

Pro-Vote has a liberal policy arm known as the Missouri Citizen Education Fund that since 2004 has received more than $373,000 from the Nixon-controlled Missouri Foundation for Health, including $300,000 in 2005 alone. The Missouri Foundation for Health was established through the legal efforts of Nixon and is being used to provide grants to Democrat-backed advocacy groups like the Missouri Citizen Education Fund, Planned Parenthood and NARAL.

“Instead of pouring more than $300,000 into liberal front groups like Pro Vote to try and score political points, Jay Nixon should consider using his political slush fund to further improve our health care system,” said Paul Sloca, communications director of the Missouri Republican Party. “Pro-Vote, with the financial backing of Jay Nixon, is trying to play politics with the important issue of health care and doing Nixon’s negative campaigning for him.”