JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon may not get funding this year for one of the flagship pieces of his response to unrest in Ferguson after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in August.

Missouri House Budget Committee chairman Tom Flanigan, of Carthage, says he does not plan to add funding to the 2016 budget for the Office of Community Engagement.

Nixon created the office in September by executive order and tasked it with facilitating communication with citizens and finding policy solutions to help poor and minority communities.

Republican lawmakers criticized the way Nixon pulled funding from various departments for the 2015 fiscal year ending June 30, expressing concerns that it may detract from department services.