Missouri Governor Jay Nixon is proposing a state operating budget of almost 23-billion dollars for the next fiscal year, and says he can balance that budget by making additional cuts to programs and services.

Under Nixon’s plan outlined in last night’s ‘State of the State’ address at the Capital Building inJefferson City, hundreds of state jobs would be eliminated. Nixon said funding cuts for Higher Education would also help close the gap for what has been estimated as a 500-million dollar budget shortfall.

But the Governor promised a joint session of the state legislature that his budget provides additional money for elementary and secondary education:

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Nixon said several urgent issues, facing public education in Missouri, need lawmaker’s attention this legislative session, including re-writing the foundation formula.  That’s the funding mechanism used to finance all of the public school districts in the state, large and small, on an equivalent basis.  He said it has to be done to make sure that every child in every community has an equal opportunity to succeed.

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Missouri Governor Jay Nixon says he will continue to cut state spending, in an effort to reduce what’s been estimated as a 500-million dollar shortfall in the next fiscal year.

Nixon outlined his plan last night, during his annual ‘State of the State’ address in front of a joint session of the legislature at the State Capital inJefferson City.

Nixon said while more than 30 states have raised taxes, including Illinois and Kansas, Missouri has not, because he says Missouri families can’t afford a tax increase to help balance the budget:

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Nixon plans to eliminate several state jobs, and reduce funding for higher education.  He announced record spending for elementary and secondary education though, saying he hasn’t met one parent or one teacher in Missouri who thinks he should balance the budget by taking money from their kid’s classrooms.

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Missouri Governor Jay Nixon is proposing a state operating budget of almost 23-billion dollars for the next fiscal year, and says he can balance that budget by making additional cuts to programs and services.

Under Nixon’s plan outlined in last night’s ‘State of the State’ address at the Capital Building in Jefferson City, hundreds of state jobs would be eliminated. Nixon said funding cuts for Higher Education would also help close the gap for what has been estimated as a 500-million dollar budget shortfall.