Missouri Governor Asks Feds to Cover Full Public Aid Costs

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has asked the federal government to pay the full cost of repairing public buildings and infrastructure damaged by recent floods and tornadoes.

Nixon said that his request is based on the historic devastation caused by a tornado that killed more than 130 people in Joplin and flooding that swamped hundreds of thousands of acres in southeast Missouri.

In disasters, the federal government typically pays 75 percent of the cost of repairing public facilities while state and local governments pay the rest. Nixon says if the federal government won’t cover the full cost, it should at least pay 90 percent. That would be the same ratio it is paying for expedited debris removal following the Joplin tornado.

Sen. Roy Blunt also has sought full federal reimbursement.