Governor pulls more than $1 billion from state budget

Governor Nixon pulled more than $1 billion from the upcoming state budget.

The Governor Tuesday claimed the General Assembly was drastically off when trying to create a balanced budget.

Nixon vetoed legislation attached to more than $275 million in state funding and announced a withholding of nearly $850 million. That means many organizations will not be getting the money they were planning on using for the 2015 fiscal year.

Not only will 213 different projects be cut from the 2015 fiscal year budget increases, but nearly 300 state employees will very soon be out of work.

The beginning of the 2015 fiscal year is on July 1, which is a reason why the governor announced his vetoes and restrictions for Missouri’s budget.

He said cuts had to be made.

“The fiscal 2015 budget passed by the legislature was dangerously out of balance and needs to be corrected with significant spending reductions,” said Nixon.

This upset many members of the Republican Party, including Executive Director Matt Willis who said, “Unfortunately, yet unsurprisingly, this has become old hat for Jay Nixon. And like President Obama, Nixon has lost all credibility in governing of our great state. Missourians are tired of the Obama/Nixon agenda, we deserve better.”

Nixon said more than 30 new programs as well as increases to existing ones and new government buildings are some of the unneeded extra expenses that threw the budget out of balance.

“Together I am vetoing more than $146 million in general revenue spending for the fiscal year of the 2015 budget and restricting $641.6 million in general revenue expenditures for a total of $786.2 million. These actions are not easy but they are absolutely essential in putting the budget back in balance,” said Nixon.

Specific programs that were vetoed or restricted include a $6 million expansion at St. Mary’s Health center in Jefferson City, increased funding for education in programs like “Teach for America” and “Bright Futures”, as well as funding for multiple universities including Missouri State, Lincoln, and MU.

“By vowing to withhold budget increases to K-12 and higher education, Nixon proved again that he does not care about education more than himself,” said Missouri Republican Party Executive Director Matt Willis.

“Just like they do when they to balance their checkbooks each month, Missourians deserve a government that lives within its means and doesn’t spend more than it takes in or makes promises it cannot keep,” said Nixon.

286 state employees will be laid off when the 2015 fiscal budget year begins in just a week.