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Blunt considers special session on MOHELA proposal

By Associated Press / KWMU

Jefferson City, MO – Missouri lawmakers will convene on Wednesday for their annual legislative session.

But this year, there is a new question-mark: Will they convene once, or twice?

Governor Matt Blunt is considering calling a special session to run at the same time as the regular session.

The agenda for the rare special session would include legislation allowing student loan agency profits to be funneled into college construction projects. Normally this kind of proposal would be considered during the regular session.

In a special session it's the governor who controls what legislators can consider. By contrast, in a regular session, lawmakers can propose anything they want.

Under Blunt's plan, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority would provide 350 million dollars from its student loan profits to the state.

Most of the money would be used for buildings at public universities and colleges.

In return, the state would pledge ten years of continued tax-exempt bonding allocations that MOHELA could use to underwrite additional loans.

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