Voters approve amendment limiting Governor’s budget powers

Missouri voters have approved a state constitutional amendment limiting some of the governor’s budget-cutting powers.

Amendment 10 on Tuesday’s ballot allows the Legislature to override a governor’s decision to freeze or slow spending on items in the state budget.

The amendment also takes away governors’ powers to assume new revenues from policy proposals when making budget recommendations to the Legislature.

Lawmakers frustrated with six years of spending freezes by Gov. Jay Nixon sent the proposal to voters. Nixon has used his budget-cutting powers as leverage in recent years to try to persuade lawmakers not to enact tax breaks he fears could harm state revenues.

Nixon has blocked billions of dollars in spending since taking office in 2009, and currently has restrictions on more than $700 million in spending.